Kumari Palany & Co

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Is attending colleges in - person or physical attendance forced on the students in Chennai?

Posted on: 22/Jan/2021 9:26:21 AM
The TN government has stated clearly that in-person attendance in the colleges is not compulsory but voluntary. The news now is that some arts and science colleges in Chennai have mandated that the final year students attend classes physically. Truth is that these colleges have refrained from issuing official circulars but have told the teachers and the members of the college student senate to notify all the students regarding compulsory physical attendance.

From 7th December, the TN government had allowed the colleges to reopen for the final year and for the research scholars. It has been brought out by governments SOP that in-person classes would be voluntary and colleges should make provisions for continuing education through online classes or distant mode.

It was brought to light by a third year student belonging to a famous college in Nungambakkam that in the second week of January the class representative had mentioned in the class group chat that attending college physically was made compulsory from 20th January. As there was no official circular about the compulsory physical attendance, many students were confused. The students were of the view that those with laboratory sessions need to come physically but it was not fair to make all the students attend classes physically.

It is shocking to note that a final year student of arts and Science College in Gopalapuram in Chennai was marked absent as she decided to finish her final semester from her hometown in Kerala. This student from Kerala spoke her heart out. She mentioned how her college stopped online classes from January and how she had decided to study on her own from her home but was marked as absent.  

It was pointed out by the principal of a popular college in Velachery that the online classes were cancelled because it became tough for the faculty to conduct in-person classes as well.

Vice chancellor of Madras University, S. Gowri highlighted that most of the students are day scholars and just 15 percent were from hostels. She added that the TN government had not issued any circular for the compulsory physical classes. The students have been asked to stay at their homes if they were not well. Finally, she spoke about how the colleges must facilitate classes in both physical as well as in distance mode for the students. Point to be noted is that the students must not be forced to attend their classes physically.