Mumbai: Colleges should have both online, offline classes, say vice chancellors

Hybrid education involves both, offline and online classes. Representation pic

When colleges reopen, both modes of education - offline as well as online - will have to continue to ensure access to all. New rules will have to be set for residential facilities and separate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) will have to be formed to suit local conditions of different universities. These are some of the recommendations by Vice Chancellors (VCs) of different universities to Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant in a meeting through video conference on Monday evening.

After schools reopened in many parts of the state, there is a recurring query on when colleges will resume regular functioning. The anxiety doubled, especially after Samant's statement earlier this month, where he had declared that by the end of January a decision will be taken on reopening of colleges.

Measures discussed
While local civil administrations were asked for their opinions; VCs of different universities also provided their recommendations regarding planning and reopening of colleges. In a meeting with Samant on Monday, the VCs deliberated on different aspects of resuming regular functioning.

"Several challenges were put forth in the discussion today to ensure effective planning. Foremost was a hybrid way of education, which will ensure offline as well as online colleges. Unlike schools, college students come from faraway places. Many also take admissions to colleges and universities in different districts or different states for higher education. In such cases, hostel accommodation becomes important," said an official from the Higher and Technical Education department.

"But in the current pandemic, room sharing dynamics of hostel accommodation have to change, reducing the capacity of any hostel. So restrictions will have to be put on how many students will be allowed. Many have opined that those with more or only practical sessions need to be given preference," added the official.

How to hold exams?
The nature of examination is also inadvertently a point of discussion. "In higher education, with different patterns of education, how to conduct exams is a very serious concern. The most important decision will be to bring an equal parameter if education will be in two different modes," said another official. A report of the recommendations will be prepared to be presented to the Disaster Management Committee in two days and then a final decision will be taken.