E-Paper
Covid-19 scare: Ludhiana parents get wards enrolled in local colleges
Parents are avoiding sending their children away for higher education
As Covid-19 cases continue to rise, parents are preferring to get their children enrolled in local colleges instead of sending them away for higher education.
Till last year, students preferred to get themselves enrolled in colleges of Delhi and Chandigarh. They used to stay in paying guest accommodations in other cities to pursue their higher education but this year due to the Covid-19 outspread, parents are worried and are not allowing their children to travel outside the city.
Amanpreet Singh, a commerce student who scored 96% in Class 12 board exams, had decided to take admission in a Chandigarh-based college, but due to the Covid-19 outspread, her parents asked her to take admission in a city-based college instead.
Sukhwinder Kaur, her mother, said, “For the last four years, Amanpreet has been working hard to attain a good score in Class 12 and finally scored well in exams. But the lockdown has spoiled her plan and now she has now taken admission in one of the local colleges.”
Harpreet Singh, principal, Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology, Ghumar Mandi, said, “This year, due to the pandemic, many parents have decided to get their wards enrolled in nearby colleges. Over 15-20 students who were earlier interested in taking admission in Delhi and Chandigarh colleges have now turned to our college for admission.”
NO HOSTEL FACILITY OFFERED IN COLLEGES
SCD Government College offers hostel facilities for both boys and girls and more than 250 students can be accommodated in the rooms. But this year due to the pandemic the classes are being conducted online and the authorities are not offering hostel facilities to students.
Every year students from other districts apply for admission to the college but this time many of them have got themselves enrolled in colleges in their respective districts.
Parminder Singh, a student from Moga, said, “I was excited to take admission in SCD Government College after Class 12 exams. But due to the rise in Covid cases, my parents asked me to stay here so I got myself enrolled in a private PU-affiliated college here.”
Dharam Singh Sandhu, principal of SCD Government College, said, “In such difficult times, as per instructions from Panjab University(PU), professors are conducting the classes online. It is not feasible to offer hostel facilities right now and whenever we receive directions from higher authorities to re-open colleges, we will provide these facilities. Students from other districts have applied but we have informed them that hostel facilities are not available currently.”
The situation is no different in other colleges. Guru Nanak Khalsa College for Women has two hostels comprising approximately 45 rooms.
College principal Maninder Kaur said, “Teachers are conducting classes online and keeping in mind the Covid situation, we are not offering hostel facilities.”
Gursimar Kaur, a resident of Model Town, said, “My daughter wanted to pursue a bachelor of commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, but with the Covid- 19 cases going up, she finally took admission here in a PU-affiliated college. This has upset her, but at this point, we cannot risk her life and send her to Delhi. She scored 98% marks in Class 12 board exams.”
