Suggestions sought from parents, teachers on reopening of colleges

Chennai

Feedback and suggestions from them would be taken into consideration by the expert committee that has been constituted by the Higher Education Department to look into academic loss, while preparing the report on the possibility of reopening of colleges from November.

A senior official from the Directorate of Higher Education told DT Next that suggestions would also be invited from educationists and academicians.

“In addition, all Vice-Chancellors and principals will also be asked to give their proposals on reopening of colleges as they will know well about the campus scenario,” the official said, adding that all suggestions and feedback could be sent to the department website.

Pointing out that it was not mandatory for higher education institutions to open by November 1 as announced by the Union Minister, he said. “The Centre will allow the State to decide according to the situation.”

The State government, the official added, was not in a hurry to re-open the institutions unless normalcy is restored.

However, the Association of University Teachers (AUT), one of the important associations represent the teachers in the State, said the government should ensure that the spread of coronavirus was under control
before taking a decision on opening institutions.

“We are ready to take classes at any time. But students’ safety should be the first priority. Therefore, the government should not act in haste. The decision should be purely based on the pandemic situation,” said N Pasupathy, AUT president.

Welcoming the decision to seek feedback from all the stakeholders, he said the government should first allay the fear not only among students but also the parents who would decide when to send their children back to classes. “So parents’ involvement is very important,” he added.