The recently drafted Coaching Class Regulation Bill, 2018 cracks the whip on 'integrated' and 'dual coaching' rampant in the state. The government is set to present the bill in the Winter session of the assembly and the committee appointed to frame guidelines for coaching institutes has submitted its final draft for consideration.
While stating that schools and colleges cannot allow coaching institutes to run in their premises, the bill has a provision to cancel the registration of both- the school/college and the coaching institute that has been found violating the norm. It also states that if integrated coaching exists, the coaching class needs to be shifted to another location within 90 days of the Act coming into place (ie from October 2018 if the bill is passed). It also asks coaching institutes to not publish any 'misleading advertisements', which includes claims about their infrastructure, results etc.
While some of the controversial provisions like reserving seats for poor students and giving 5 per cent of their income to the government have been scrapped, class owners say some of the existing provisions of the bill would still benefit only big classes. "The definition of a coaching class is the classes having five or more students. As per norms, a small private home tuition with ten students would also have to adhere to conditions laid for coaching classes like having separate washrooms for boys and girls which it cannot afford," said Ladika Ruke, Joint Secretary of the Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA). Ruke said the provision to keep a 'check' on classes from time to time would create license raj and would lead to corruption.
As per the bill, classes have to pay one per cent of their profits to the government for 'Education Development Funds'. Professor Subhash Joshi, trustee, Science Parivar, said, "Coaching classes are a business and we pay all the requisite taxes for it. Why pay the government additionally then?"
PROVISIONS UNDER THE FINAL DRAFT
- Government can regulate fees of coaching classes if found inflated
- Coaching institutes would have to register themselves and get NOCs from the requisite authorities every 5 years
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- Classes have to give 1% of their income to the development fund
- Classes should ensure adequate seating space, good quality of teachers and should maintain good quality study material.
- If found violating the norms, the government's competent authority can impose a penalty or take police action depending on the issue
