February 2, 2022 1:00:58 am
Most colleges have started offline classes only for a few courses, as the administration wanted to begin with a smaller number of students on campus. (Representational) Many colleges in Maharashtra began offline operations from Tuesday but received lukewarm response from students. Even as colleges have been allowed to restart offline operations, all are expected to offer a blended mode of teaching, which includes both offline and online mode of lectures because only fully vaccinated students can attend in-person classes. Most have started offline classes only for a few courses, as the administration wanted to begin with a smaller number of students on campus.
Many colleges in Mumbai are also holding vaccination drives on campus. But according to them, till online teaching is offered, many students would prefer it. In fact, a few colleges are already witnessing students seeking that upcoming exams be held online.
“Even as we started offline operations last October, very few could attend classes due to the double vaccination mandate. Along with online classes, first semester exams too were held online. Now, with more than half of them still attending classes online, their demand for online exams is hard to ignore,” said a professor from a college in south Mumbai.
Dr Pooja Ramchandani, Principal of H R College, said, “Students are not really keen on attending offline classes. The ongoing Covid-19 wave has hit many. Even if it did not have a dangerous impact on health, many were either infected or knew someone close who was infected. Vaccination will help in giving them some confidence to attend offline classes, as to attend colleges in Mumbai, students need to travel far.”
The college will begin the restart plan step by step. While only teachers started coming to the college from Tuesday to take online lectures, offline sessions for students will begin next week with one branch at a time.
In Matunga’s Khalsa College, too, offline operations will be restarted in phases. Prof Praveish Iyer from the college said, “Initially, offline operations are starting for traditional courses such as BA, Bcom and BSc. Science students also need laboratory sessions. Other professional courses will restart in-person classes one by one in the coming few days.”
The MMK College in Bandra, however, started offline operations for all classes while also offering online lectures. “Among the 70 per cent students who attended classes on the first day, only 30 per cent came for offline lectures. The focus is now on vaccination of students, as we prepare for a vaccination drive on the campus,” said Principal Dr Kishor Peshori.
Initially, colleges had reopened last October. Due to the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, colleges were asked to shut down again last December till February 15. On January 25, however, the government declared that colleges can restart offline operations from February 1, but all exams till February 15 will be held online.
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