MUMBAI: After close to a month, city colleges are all set to reopen their campuses for offline classes on Tuesday.
Following the recent state government directive, fully vaccinated students will be allowed in classrooms. Principals, though, do not expect many students to turn up.
With the availability of recorded videos and the option of attending lectures online from the comfort of their homes, many are likely to skip campus altogether. Campuses were asked to shut in the first week of January. Classes moved online from the hybrid mode after Omicron cases shot up.
“We expect some students to attend offline classes, especially from the final year. But the numbers will drop in a day or two. If they are given the option of saving time and money on commute, nobody would want to come to college. Many of our students are also from outside Mumbai. We are not expecting them to return soon,” said a teacher from a central Mumbai college, adding the government now should not offer the hybrid option. She said their college will offer hybrid lectures, but all practicals will be held offline.
Most colleges expect science students for practicals. Some though are conducting practicals in the hybrid mode. A final-year science student said she will attend the practicals, but not go to college on a regular basis. Except for Mithibai and N M colleges, under the SVKM Group in Vile Parle, most plan to conduct their exams in the online mode.
Rajendra Shinde, principal of St Xavier’s College, said more than 40% of their students are from outside Mumbai and even outside Maharashtra. “Some have written to me asking if hostels are available, but reopening hostel facilities has not been permitted in the state yet. It will be difficult for them to find accommodation just for a couple of months,” said Shinde. He added they expect first- and second-year students to attend offline lectures as they have never been on campus. “We will have to see how many turn up.”
Tukaram Shiware, chairman, Association of Non-Government Colleges, said colleges should take a headcount of students who are vaccinated and in the city. “If the numbers are not encouraging, they can suggest only online class.”
