For colleges, to open or not to open, that is the question

With no official notification issued as of Sunday night with regards to colleges in the State reopening, teachers and students — who had expected classes to resume on Monday — have been left wondering.

“We expected to receive orders because we were told officials would decide and let us know by Sunday. But nothing has come as of now,” said the Vice Chancellor of a State University.

Sources said the government was awaiting a report from the police on the situation before announcing a date of reopening. Many private engineering colleges that had decided to reopen on Monday said they might not, as they had heard rumours of the Higher Education department penalising institutions that had remained open throughout the protests.

“We had already sent messages to students to report to the college on Monday, but we may not start tomorrow. Once the reopening date is finalised, we might have to work out a timetable for extra classes,” said the principal of a private engineering college.

Officials in government arts colleges said they were awaiting a notice from the government to reopen.