Centre sets up 9-member panel to curb reliance on coaching centres

The Ministry of Education has constituted a nine-member committee to address growing concerns regarding students’ reliance on coaching centres.

The committee has been asked to suggest measures to reduce dependency of students on coaching centres for transition to higher education.

It will examine the gaps in the current schooling system that contribute to students’ reliance on coaching centres, particularly the limited focus on critical thinking, logical reasoning, analytical skills and innovation, and the prevalence of rote learning practices.

It will also examine the reasons behind the emergence of “dummy schools” and their role in encouraging full-time coaching at the cost of formal schooling and suggest ways to mitigate them.

Recently, the CBSE cracked down on over 300 dummy schools in several states.

Dummy schools refer to institutions that enrol students in Class XII, without requiring regular attendance so that students can attend coaching centres to focus on competitive exams such as NEET and the JEE.

“The role and impact of formative assessments at school and higher education levels will be assessed, and also how their absence affects students’ conceptual understanding and preparedness for competitive examinations,” an official order stated.

The nine-member panel, headed by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, will analyse the rising demand for quality higher education, the limited availability of seats in premier institutions and how this imbalance drives students towards coaching institutes.

It will also evaluate the awareness level among students and parents regarding multiple career pathways.

The panel will study the effectiveness and fairness of competitive entrance examinations in the context of the school education system, and their influence on the growth of the coaching industry.

The panel will review the advertising practices of coaching centres, including the use of misleading claims and the promotion of selective success stories, and recommend suitable mechanisms.

It will also assess the availability and effectiveness of career counselling services in schools and colleges, and suggest measures for strengthening career guidance frameworks.

The committee will brief Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the progress about action taken every month.

The Ministry of Education had published “Guidelines for Regulation of Coaching Centres” last year in January.

The panel also includes a member of the CBSE, representatives of the IIT-Madras, IIT-Kanpur, NIT-Trichy, NCERT, principal of schools (one each from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya and a private school) and the Joint Secretary of the Department of Higher Education.