Expecting dip in footfall, say Chennai colleges as brace up for welcoming back students from Monday

CHENNAI: Even as city colleges brace up for welcoming back students on Monday, faculty members expect a good turnout only after Pongal holidays.

With the Covid-19 scare still looming large and the semester and arrear exams conducted in many institutions, colleges are less hopeful that they would witness a high footfall.

While the number of final year students who will be attending in-person classes is expected to be greater than December, the representatives of college managements said that the spread of the new strain of virus from the UK and the outbreak of clusters at IIT-Madras and star hotels have renewed the fear among students and parents.

Increasing the shifts

Colleges that are expecting a significant number of students to come are working on increasing the number of shifts. They are also updating the time table to be able to split students into batches.

“Technically, we have two shifts. Depending on how many students come to college tomorrow (Monday), we may increase it to three. Students within the city are likely to come while others might not,” said Raghunathan, principal of Guru Nanak College.

“We have planned to call final-year students alone in a batch-wise manner to hold practical lessons. Online classes will be conducted for other students,” he said.

He added that the college has built washbasins during the lockdown and outsourced the work for disinfecting the premises daily.

“We will check the body temperature of students everyday. Majority of the students are day scholars and have been asked to stay back at home if they are sick,” he added.

The State government, in December, allowed the resumption of classes for students in medical and allied courses, and final-year students of other courses.

However, a very few students showed up, leaving the benches empty in most of the colleges. Students are still very reluctant to attend in-person classes, said Lalitha Balakrishnan, principal, MOP Vasishnav College for Women.

She added that many students are also taking up the supplementary exams online, reducing the number of final-year students who could attend physical classes.

“By Pongal, most colleges should have completed their online exams. Students may start visiting colleges then,” she said.

The vice-principal of an Arts and Science College in Egmore said once there is more concrete information about vaccine administration, more students will feel confident to come back to the college.

She added that colleges have to be cautious given that there have been formation of clusters at hotels, which do not have large crowds.

“We continue to run online classes and only final-year students will be called for laboratory and other practical works,” she said.

Women’s Christian College too has said that classes will be held both online and offline, as many students are either scared or found it difficult to travel to college without taking public transports.

“The college will commence online and offline classes from Monday. The same timings and norms will be applicable. Students are requested to take necessary precautions. Hostel facilities will be made available,” it said in an internal circular.