Degree colleges may see a resumption in a fortnight; some already begin for non-final year students

Some campus buzz this! Degree colleges will start buzzing soon. And students will be returning to classrooms after months of staying home due to the pandemic. 

When students of Class 10 and Class 12 stepped into their schools after many months on Friday, they were welcomed with flowers and chocolates and claps. Chocolates and claps or not, degree students say they are excited, happy, wary and full of nerves, returning to the campuses.

Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan is likely to announce by Wednesday the resumption of offline classes for all non-final year degree students by January 15. It will be back to campuses but with safety precautions in place. However, some colleges, mainly affiliated to Bengaluru City University (BCU) and Rani Chennamma University in Belagavi, and a few others under the other 25 government universities across Karnataka, have already started functioning. A senior BCU official confirmed this to The New Indian Express.

According to a top source in the higher education department, after watching these colleges conduct classes under strict Covid-19 safety norms, the government is now contemplating reopening offline classes for all degree colleges. Several other colleges, who are yet to resume offline classes, are expecting a government order anytime soon.

The offline classes for final year students were allowed from November 17. And so far, the average attendance has been 60 per cent. “Attendance at Bangalore University has touched a 60-70 per cent on an average, with Arts being as low as 50 per cent, Science touching 80 per cent, and Commerce being in between,” said BU Vice Chancellor K R Venugopal. Besides, post-graduate admissions are taking place across universities. He said with admissions under way, classes for first-year post-graduate students would begin on January 15. “We are expecting it to be in the offline mode by then,” he said.

For Bengaluru North University (BNU), the attendance touched 70 per cent for Science students, 60 per cent for Commerce, and 55 per cent for Arts. Prof T D Kemparaju, Vice Chancellor, BNU, said students are spread across classrooms, which has increased the workload of the teachers. Added to it is the apprehension about the new strain of the virus. The principals of affiliated colleges have been advised to extend the timings of final year degree classes, put emphasis on practical classes, and reduce the portions to be taught offline.