Right choice for a bright future

A Bombay high court-appointed committee feels that once coaching classes are regulated by the government, students can opt for either, coaching classes or colleges. DNA asks experts and pupils if they think private teaching academies can be a parallel learning system

Expert view

Private tutors give good results too

I’m in favour of regulating coaching classes, but one needs to be careful in its implementation. It has to be done correctly because there is a thin line between regulating and controlling. Coaching classes take care of students’ academic requirements and have shown wonderful results. The Bombay high court-appointed committee should work with professionals from coaching classes, so that their views are heard. They can only arrive at a decision after that, because the future of an entire generation of students is being considered.

Formal colleges also need to be there, since coaching classes teach only core subjects, there is need to impart knowledge of other language subjects like Hindi and Marathi, which can only be done by colleges. Coaching classes also face some difficulties, since most operate from rented premises. This makes them susceptible to a space crunch, as they cannot provide area for a library, computer centre and laboratory and parking facilities. There is no doubt that coaching classes pay their teachers better that colleges.

Teachers in the formal sector must also be paid more. Our classes have been actively promoting the cause of poor and underprivileged pupils, we have announced scholarships of over Rs1 crore, but to stipulate a percentage for the same will make things difficult for coaching classes. 

If coaching academies come on par, then colleges will fill the void with extracurricular activities like drama acting or art classes.
 —Sudhanshu Sinhal, director, Sinhal Classes

Students can devote time for activities    

It’s a good move because it will solve many problems faced by students today and there will  be  less pressure on them. Right now they have to worry about college attendance as well as coaching class presence. They have to complete homework and assignments given by both. They prepare for exams conducted by both the institutes.

So, if students are allowed to appear for board exams by attending coaching classes then it will be benefit them. They will get time for extracurricular activities, today they devote around 14-15 hours on academics alone. In the city, it is difficult to find parking space, therefore the government should allot land to develop other facilities like parking.
—RD Shukla, director, Kalrashukla Classes

Prefer sending ward to college

Education imparted by formal education institutes and colleges cannot be compared with coaching offered by private tutors and other training academies. Even if there is some supervision by a quasi-judicial regulatory body for coaching classes, I'm not in favour of the move. The entire intellectual ambience in a college is conducive to learning. The managements and experienced instructors in colleges cannot be on par with that of coaching classes. Private academies are essentially administered by entrepreneurs, with the sole aim of making profit. This is not the case with public institutions, which are fundamentally doing a public service. I wouldn't want my daughter to opt for a coaching class education. I did not have great experience with coaching classes, so I'm not in favour of the move.
 —Deven M, parent   

Develop more facilities for all

The government should look at developing more colleges. In fact there is a need for dissuading parents from sending their children to coaching classes. It is because sometimes they lack proper infrastructure. They don’t insist upon a standard qualification for their teachers. They run classes to make a neat profit, that is why they charge high fees even without providing proper facilities. In fact, there is no need to go to coaching classes, if students attend all the lectures in college. But currently going to coaching classes has become a trend, due to peer pressure. Also parents feel that their children will be oriented more towards studies, if they go for private coaching. This perception has contributed to their popularity. When they are present in large numbers, what is the need to regularise them? 
  —Reema Jhulka, professor,  Jai Hind college

Ambience and peer group help youngsters

As a learning system, coaching institutes cannot be on par with colleges. Already there are private colleges which are under cloud for their dubious credentials. Moreover the Yashpal committee has submitted a report to abolish regulatory bodies like University Grants Commission, All India Council For Technical Education and Medical Council of India. Somehow exploiting loopholes in the system, coaching classes may get accreditation. But they may be operating with very meagre infrastructure. The environment and peer group provided in a college cannot be matched. 
—Arpit Sharma

Sometimes claims may not hold water

Personally I'm against coaching classes imparting education. I believe that they are just a money-making racket, although there might be a few exceptions. I have personal experience of the bad ones. I had enrolled in a coaching class during the final year of college and had a terrible experience, since there was a lot of mismanagement. Many students were crammed in one class. As a result of this, they were unable to pay individual attention to all of them. While they may charge exorbitant fees and claim that they can do a better job than formal training institutes, in many cases their claims don't hold water. In many coaching classes, faculty is not upto the mark. This results in frustration and disillusionment. 
—Priyanka Louis

Extracurricular activities are equally important

There are many things which the regulatory body needs to correct. Firstly, coaching classes don't appoint good qualified instructors. Secondly the infrastructure in private academies is not spacious. There may be no scope for students to pursue other extracurricular activities and sports, which is equally important for their overall growth. Thirdly, fees in private teaching academies are exorbitant, moreover they charge fees for each subject separately. The move must not push the economically-backward sections, away from seeking an education.
—Shazia Akhai

Enlist industry experts, impart practical training 

Formal college or school education should be an integral part of our system. It is not a good idea to handover the future of students in the hands of private coaching classes, who may not care for the standard of education. Their motive is to earn money. While some of them are good, a majority of them are only concerned about making a decent profit. Sometimes they may not have proper infrastructure like a laboratory and library. It is not feasible for the government to keep a watch on every coaching class. Regulatory bodies can be managed and manipulated by some unscrupulous elements. But the interests of the community of students is paramount.
  —Siddharth Joglekar