Reopen Colleges and Educational Institutes in Unlock 5.0, Say Students to Indian Government

Students and educators across the country have been requesting the Indian Government to reopen colleges, educational institutes and coaching centers in the Unlock 5.0, which is expected to come into place from 1 October 2020 onwards. Students have been citing difficulty in taking online classes, and are also stating that they are not as effective as offline classes.

“Government has unlocked approximately everything then why not colleges? Why so irresponsible about students? Please reopen our colleges,” says Sunanjay Raj Yadav on Twitter. “Sir please don’t ignore student voices. Please reopen colleges in October. We want offline classes. If places of entertainment can open then why not the education sector? Sir think about our education,” says Mini.

Students are also highlighting the fact that spending too much time on screen is unhealthy. “You are absolutely right. Online classes are not as effective as offline classes. Many parents and students can't afford digital facilities. Spending too much time watching screens is leading to many health-related problems. So schools and colleges should be reopened,” says Vansh.

“Sir please reopen colleges. It's getting worse. Online classes create a bad impact on our health. I got eye problems due to continuous use of the screen and I'm sure many more are facing this same problem,” says Shwetha Chouhan. Others are also highlighting that certain professional technical and medical courses require students to attend laboratories and offline classes in order to successfully complete the program.

Unlock 4.0, which came into effect from 1 September 2020 onwards, allowed Students of classes 9 to 12 to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones on a voluntary basis for taking guidance from their teachers. However, this required the written consent of parents and guardians.

Skill or Entrepreneurship training was also permitted in National Skill Training Institutes, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Short term training centers registered with National Skill Development Corporation or State Skill Development Missions or other Ministries of Government of India or State Governments.

The guidelines for Unlock 5.0 are expected to be announced on 30 September 2020. Unlock 5.0 may allow some relaxations for schools, colleges, educational and coaching institutions, which have been closed from March this year.