Guidelines on coaching centres has its positive side, say edu institutes

Amritsar, January 27

The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education (MoE) has released the ‘Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centre 2024’. The guidelines which state that coaching centres cannot enroll students below 16 years of age and that enrolment has to be done only after the senior secondary school examination, have invited mixed reactions. While the Coaching Federation of India, which has several coaching centres and institutes as members, reportedly decided to oppose the decision, city coaching centres and also a section of parents, do not see the decision as a negative one.

“While the core objective of these guidelines is to provide regulatory measures for coaching centres in the country, it should be seen as a positive step towards relieving the stress on students put early into the grind of preparing for competitive examinations,” said Uttamjeet Singh, centre head, Wisdom Institute. “The move is directed at discouraging coaching institutes, who often lure parents and students as young as Class VI or VII onward into an early head-start into preparing for competitive exams. This is to safeguard the rights of students enrolled in coaching centres and provide them with necessary protection, guidance and academic support,” he said.

While parents most of whom are heavily invested in their wards’’ dream of cracking the JEE/NEET or any other competitive exam, are closely keeping a watch on the aftermath of the decision, many opine that these guidelines have come as a reminder to ensure that the students do not undergo mental health issues under the stress of preparations for competitive exams. “There have been several cases of suicide reported last year from Kota, a place known as a factory to churn out toppers for various competitive exam. Coaching centres, sometimes, in their race to take credit for the success of students in exams, put unrealistic burden or pressure on the youngsters. I feel that this move comes as a breather, making all the stakeholders whether students, parents or mentors, focus on the objectives,” said Anupama Arora, a parent from city.

As per the new guidelines, coaching centres will have to employ tutors with at least graduation as qualification. The guidelines have further prohibited coaching centres from admitting students below 16 years of age. On the matter of fees, the guidelines state that coaching centres must publish a detailed prospectus with fair and reasonable fees for their courses. It also specifies that coaching institutions will have to follow a code to limit batch sizes, student-teacher ratio, age restrictions and proper mental health support for students by providing counselling cells and curb misleading advertisements as part of minimum requirements.