CHENNAI: Some arts and science colleges in Chennai have mandated that final-year students attend classes physically, even as the government has said in-person attendance should be voluntary. While these colleges have refrained from issuing official circulars, they informally told teachers and members of the college student senate to notify all students about compulsory physical attendance.
The State government permitted colleges to be reopened for final-year students and research scholars from December 7. However, according to the government’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), in-person classes will be voluntary and colleges should make provisions to continue facilitating education in distance mode. A third-year psychology student from a college in Nungambakkam told Express that in the second week of January, the class representative had said on the “class group chat” that attending college physically was made mandatory from January 20.
The student, who hails from a neighbouring state, was confused as no official circular was issued. “When my classmate called my class teacher, she said the college was making in-person classes compulsory only because the government had issued orders along those lines,” the student said, adding that it made sense for students with laboratory sessions to come to college, but was unfair to make all students come.
A final-student from another arts and science college in Gopalapuram was marked absent as she decided to complete her final semester from her hometown in Kerala. “My college stopped online classes in January. So I thought I’ll study on my own. But I was marked absent,” she told Express. The principal of a college in Velachery said they had to cancel online classes as it became hard for the faculty to conduct in-person classes as well.
“When teachers are teaching in person, how can they teach online also? Most of our students are day scholars, and only 15 per cent are from the hostels. We asked students to stay at home if they are sick,” he said. University of Madras vice chancellor S Gowri said the government has not issued any circular mandating physical classes. “Colleges should facilitate classes in both physical and distance mode. That is what we do at the university. Students cannot be forced to come,” he stated.
A senior official from the higher education department told Express they are mulling issuing a clarification that even if colleges cannot conduct online classes for final-year students, they should allow distance mode of education. S Apoorva, principal secretary of the higher education department, said the department is looking into the problem.