Hold classes only for students of any 2 years in a day, colleges told

Hold classes only for students of any 2 years in a day, colleges told

Quarantine Of 14 Days Must For Hostel Students

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:10.02.2021 

Classes of students of any two years alone should be held on any given day and hostels students should be under a14-day quarantine even if they test negative for Covid-19, the state government has directed arts and science colleges and polytechnics across the state. In engineering colleges, if there is space constraints to maintain social distancing, any two years have to attend classes in a day.

In an effort to ensure social distancing, the government came out with a fresh set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) a day after institutions across the state reopened for all under graduate and post-graduate students. According to the new guidelines, no more than 50% of the students should be present on the campus at any given point.

Institutions have also been asked to break each class into multiple sections, with one in every three seats kept vacant, and allowed to extend teaching hours as per the requirements.

While advising institutions to generally avoid holding cultural and sports activities, the government said such events could be conducted if physical distancing could be ensured. The SOP also mandated institutions to maintain air-conditioning in the 24°C to 30°C range.

In view of the Covid cluster at IIT Madras, the state government has added new protocols with regard to reopening hostels. “Since many hostel students come from different locations, they shall remain in quarantine and selfmonitor their health for a period of 14 days before being allowed to attend classes (even if they bring a negative test report),” chief secretary Rajeev Ranjan said in the order.

Sharing of rooms will not be allowed in hostels, meals should be served in small batches and takeaway options made available for students and staff. “Hostels should define the number of students in dining halls at any point in time. Mess timings should be increased to avoid overcrowding,” the order said.

Several college principals, however, said maintaining 14 days quarantine was not practically possible. “We can maintain less than 50% student strength by dividing classes into batches or asking only science students to attend physical classes. But, quarantining hostel students for 14 days is difficult,” said one principal.

Another principal, on a condition of anonymity, said the government was allowing 100% occupancy in buses and theatres but asking colleges to maintain 50% strength.

Anna University released a staggered academic schedule to maintain just one student per room in hostels after classes for first year students began on Monday. The state government also permitted teacher training institutes to function with up to 25 students per classroom. The authorities have also been allowed to conduct typewriting exams in March and April by following Covid-19 protocols.