Staff association at Stephen’s asks for help for needy students

New Delhi:

New Delhi:

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In the wake of the recent death by suicide of a student of Lady Shri Ram College due to financial distress and the pressure of online education, the staff association of St Stephen’s College on Thursday wrote to the principal, requesting the formation of a committee to look into the needs of marginalised students.

Nandita Narain, president of the Staff Association at St. Stephen’s College, said that in a meeting held on November 17, the staff council had made recommendations to assist marginalised students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The former Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president wrote to college principal John Varghese in connection with the matter on Thursday.

“The Staff Association would like to request you to set up a committee comprising the Heads of all 11 courses taught in college to consider the needs of students for financial support and disburse all scholarships, financial aid and bursaries urgently,” Narain wrote in her letter to the principal.

The staff association pointed out that, “faculty members have been receiving requests from students for help with both the payment of fees and for obtaining devices to attend the online classes.”

The faculty members highlighted the need for devices such as laptops to successfully pursue online education. “Some years ago, Delhi University had sent a large number of laptops to each college for use by the students and the faculty. If some of them are still functional, they could be made available to students in need. We request the college administration to reach out to students and let them know of the availability of these devices,” Narain wrote in the letter.

In 2013, the university had decided to provide laptops to all undergraduate students irrespective of their courses.

The association also recommended that the laptops be sent to students to their place of stay by courier. “Requiring the students to come to Delhi to collect these devices would not be advisable due to the added risk of infection as well as the substantial cost of travel,” they said.