Colleges reopen, students stay away

Colleges reopen, students stay away

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:03.12.2020

After a gap of more than eight months, arts and science, and professional colleges across Tamil Nadu reopened on Wednesday for postgraduate students and research scholars. But most colleges in Chennai reported thin attendance.

Colleges took precautionary measures and checked body temperatures of students at the entrance and provided them hand sanitizers.

“After a long time, our students have come to our campus. They had a meeting with their guides. From December 7, we are planning to hold classes in full swing for undergraduate and postgraduate final year students,” said S Kothai, principal of Ethiraj College for Women.

Students who live in Chennai came but those in far-flung areas expressed their inability to attend classes citing lack of transport, she said.

Principal of a government college in the city said: “Some parents have sent us letters saying they are not willing to send their children to college and some students said they cannot attend the classes as there was no transport.”

DG Vaishnav College recorded less than 50% attendance among PG students and research scholars.

“We are expecting more students on the campus from Monday. We are planning to start with value education classes,” said S Santhosh Baboo, principal of the college.

“Though we are reopening from Wednesday, we will not force students to come to the campuses,” said M G Ragunathan, principal of Guru Nanak College. He said the college will be lenient on attendance for now.

Colleges are planning to have their online semester exams from the second week of December. Some principals said it is the wrong time to reopen colleges as students will be preparing for the exams.

Professors from Anna University said research scholars and postgraduate students turned up in good numbers after the reopening. Professors from the University of Madras said some scholars visited their departments on Wednesday.

Colleges outside Chennai had few students. No postgraduate student turned up at PSG College of Arts and Science in Coimbatore. Teachers said they have completed the syllabus and students have been preparing for the semester exams.

NEW CHAPTER: Final year PG students attend a class at Queen Mary’s College on Wednesday