Colleges in Karnataka Will Reopen From 1 October

Karnataka Education Ministry officials have announced that colleges in the state could reopen from 1 October 2021. Earlier in the month, Higher Education Minister Ashwath Narayana CN stated guidelines for the start of the 2021-22 academic year. Initially, schools can begin online classes from 1 September 2021. Afterwards, offline learning can commence for higher educational institutions in Karnataka from the start of October. College students from the undergraduate level can then attend all of their classes physically under rigorous COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Colleges in Karnataka To Open After 18 Months

This decision will open colleges that have conducted learning virtually since 2020. However, the state government is still awaiting further direction from central authorities regarding these plans. Education sector authorities will then collaborate to form specific guidelines for students and faculty to follow. Furthermore, final year assessments which universities had postponed earlier can now take place. Nevertheless, these plans hinge upon the pandemic situation within the state, and will therefore remain provisional for the foreseeable future.

Hybrid Model For Karnataka Schools

Students from classes 9 to 12 have gradually started returning to school, which opened on 23 August 2021. Afterwards, schools for the 6th to 8th standard opened from 6 September. The current protocol for the state’s school board is to promote a “hybrid” model of education. Thus, the choice to attend in-person classes is optional, and a majority have decided to continue learning from home.

This hesitance is especially evident for younger students, as vaccinations are currently unavailable for minors. In the first week of September, only 29.15% of class 6 students attended in-person lessons. Nonetheless, the inclusion of offline classes has enabled marginalized citizens to obtain a more equitable education. The “virtual solution” has contained several gaps since the beginning of lockdown protocols, which has led to most of the drive towards reopening schools. Notably, there has been a push to allow even younger students to begin attending classes. The state currently has plans to open schools for class 1 students and above from 1 November.