Students for resumption of physical classes in Odisha

After the Odisha government announced the reopening of schools in the state from July 26, students of higher educational institutions have started demanding resumption of offline classes in colleges and universities.

The higher education department, however, is treading cautiously on the matter and it is examining possible modes for restoring offline teaching. Post Graduate students feel that the online classes are not as fruitful as classroom teaching which is much more beneficial for them.

“We appeal to the higher education department to take a decision on early reopening of colleges and universities. Since the Covid graph has declined and most of the teachers and sizable number of stu-dents have been vaccinated, on-campus teaching must resume as early as possible,” said Swagatika Bhutia, a postgraduate student.

Smita Panda, a higher secondary level teacher, said students are losing on many counts sans classroom teaching.

“Classroom teaching offers a host of benefits to students. It promotes collaborative learning, enhances critical thinking skills, improves social skills, builds organisational skills and keeps students stimulated. The students have been deprived of these benefits since the pandemic set in and it is showing adverse impacts on them,” said Panda.

State higher education minister Arun Kumar Sahoo attributed the delay

in reopening educational institutions to continuous lockdowns and containment measures to check the spread of Covid.

“Reopening of colleges and universities is getting delayed because of various government restrictions for containing the Covid. I hope the resumption of classroom teaching will commence soon as we are examining certain modes,” the minister said.

On the other hand, the state government’s decision

to resume the classroom teaching in schools for Class 10 and 12 has somehow put both students and guardians in a quandary due to the fear of Covid-19 infection as inoculation drive against the virus is yet to cover school goers.

While a section of students and guardians hailed the school reopening decision, a few others, including some health experts, said the government should have waited for at least two more months.