Thenjippalam: More than 800 parallel colleges in the state are undergoing crisis since the university education went online due to lockdown.
The owners, along with the teaching and non-teaching staff working in both small and large institutions that offer degree and PG courses, are struggling to make ends meet. No classes have taken place in any of these institutions since the lockdown.
There are many teachers who find their incomes only by teaching in parallel colleges. These teachers are forced to look for alternative jobs.
There are 10 to 60 teaching staffs in each parallel colleges. This includes institutions in the cooperative sector as well. Colleges that function in rented buildings and other institutions that have constructed their own buildings using bank loans are struggling in these times. Most of the students who attend these institutes belong to the economically weak sections of the society.
Majority of the teaching staff are struggling without their salaries. A lot of students who do not have access to online learning facilities depend on parallel colleges. These students are going to be affected if the parallel colleges remain closed- Shaju Avarakkadu. Teacher, Calicut University Cooperative College.
It would be very difficult to collect fees from the students and pay salaries to the teachers if the colleges remain closed. Attempts to resume classes online have started. However, training the teachers to take classes online would be expensive- CG Davis (Managing Director, Aryabhatta college, Guruvayur)
Permission should be granted to restart classes with a minimum number of students in each class. – A Prabhakaran (State President, State Parallel College Association).
