Karnataka colleges gear up to resume classes, parental consent mandatory

Following the government's directions to reopen degree, engineering, and diploma colleges from Tuesday, i.e. November 17, 2020, the colleges of Karnataka are prepping up to reopen after being closed for over seven-eight months due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Karnataka Colleges Reopening: Higher educational institutions in Karnataka are gearing up to resume regular classes following government directions to reopen degree, engineering, and diploma colleges from Tuesday, i.e. November 17, 2020, after being closed for over seven-eight months due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown. Schools and colleges are shut since March in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown across the country. According to the latest reports, while the primary and secondary education department is yet to take a call whether to open the schools and pre-university colleges, the higher education department has decided to open colleges from November 17. Medical, dental, paramedical, nursing, and AYUSH colleges will reopen from December 1.

Considering the ongoing pandemic situation, many government and government-aided degree colleges started preparations by sanitising the classrooms with the spraying of disinfectants and setting up hand sanitisers at the entrance of the college and classrooms. However, the government said that there is an option for students to either be physically present in the classroom or attend online classes. Meanwhile, the teachers, staff and students are required to produce a negative RT-PCR test report. Students also have to submit a no-objection certificate by their parents, permitting their wards to attend regular classes.

Ahead of the reopening of colleges, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who holds the higher education portfolio, told reporters guidelines have already been given to them (colleges) in view of the coronavirus scare. He said the government is also keenly monitoring the measures taken by colleges. According to the minister, each college has to set up a taskforce consisting of teachers, staff and students to ensure that the regulations are strictly adhered to.

A senior official in the Education Department said education was badly hampered due to the lockdown for eight months. Also, students faced problems with regard to online classes such as affordability of smartphones, health issues as a result of being glued to the screens, and internet connectivity. Keeping these problems in mind, the government decided to start regular classes with a set of conditions to fulfill.

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