Nearly 60 per cent of B-schools are likely to offer offline classes in February 2022, according to a study by InfoEdge India Ltd’s Shiksha.com, an online platform for career counselling and college selection in India. With over 5,000 MBA colleges in India, Shiksha conducted a study to see MBA students' readiness for offline classes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. MBA colleges in India started reopening in July 2021, with November seeing a spike with 18 per cent of colleges reopening compared to previous months.
Over 45 per cent of respondents said that their colleges are fully offline. and about 22 per cent of MBA colleges were completely online. 18 per cent have partially reopened, offering both online and offline sessions and only 14 per cent of MBA colleges have remained closed.
'Missing college life'
According to the study, 66 per cent of MBA students prefer classroom learning. The remaining continue to favour online or hybrid learning. “Lack of interpersonal interaction with lecturers and networking chances with peers is one of the top reasons why offline class delivery is preferred. Change of routine, lack of focused studies, and missing college life are all important factors for offline class preference,” as per the findings.
Vivek Jain, Chief Business Officer, Shiksha.com said, “MBA as a postgraduate programme is one of the most sought-after career choices among young Indian students. That the majority of the students prefer offline classes and the majority of the B-schools have reopened or started reopening is a positive sign.”
Also, it is important to note that not all MBA programmes have switched to an offline format. Along with the benefits of online education, students are also concerned about the third wave of Covid-19. Moreover, this survey was conducted in the first week of December 2021 with Omicron variant in its early stages. Any increase in spread of infection because of the new variant may result in further delay in reopening of colleges.