IELTS, private coaching centres in Jalandhar stare at losses

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 26

Having been closed for over four months now, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) institutes and private coaching centres in the city are staring at huge losses.

Sources say many IELTS and other coaching centres have already been closed in the city, while the owners of 70 per cent of these centres are planning to close their operations as paying rents, bank loans and teachers’ salaries had become a Herculean task.

They said relaxations have been given to every other business, private offices and even the state and Centre-run training centres are open, but the pleas of the owners of private coaching centres are being ignored despite the fact that the only source of income they had were their centres.

Talking to The Tribune, Satish Sareen, the owner of Sareen Lingua World, said, in Jalandhar, tentatively 80 per cent of the 15,000 centres are operating from accommodations having a high rent. Many centres have started firing staff to cut losses, while some have even vacated the rented premises. Some institute owners are in talks with building owners to waive off the rent.

“You go and visit a market or travel in a bus or even go to any government office, you will see that no rules or guidelines are being followed anywhere. We are an educational institute; we teach students lessons for life and how to be a responsible citizen. Therefore, it’s high time coaching centres are given permission to resume their operations with 50 per cent of their seating capacity, like it’s for hotels and other offices,” he said.

Manjinder Pal Singh Mago, managing director, Milestone Education Group, said: “We have time and again, through various modes, apprised the district administration and state government of the problems being faced by us. International colleges have started giving admissions, IELTS conducting bodies such as IDP Australia and British Council (BC) have been permitted to start their exam centres. They have started taking IELTS exam, then why this lackadaisical attitude towards us?” he asked, while adding that it seemed the state government was deliberately ignoring the local immigration industry, despite the fact that IELTS institutes, visa offices, coaching centres contribute towards 50 per cent of the state’s tax revenue.

Rajvir Singh Chohan, centre head, Career Launcher, Jalandhar, said: “We deal in providing CAT and CLAT classes to students. Although our online classes are on, students are facing difficulty in managing both college and coaching classes online. Therefore, we are ready to abide by all instructions issued by the government to contain Covid spread. We understand that safety is important, but if restaurants and hotels can operate, why can’t less-crowded coaching centres?” he asked.

Charanjit Singh, one of the directors of Teacher’s Academy, an IELTS institute, said: “We have been paying huge amounts as rent and stopping payments would mean we have to vacate the buildings. We also have to pay salaries to our staff, as we cannot afford to lose them. The government must intervene. Moreover, if buses can be allowed to operate on full capacity, we, too, should be given permission to resume classes.”

Want to know why institutes not being allowed to open

The owners of IELTS institutes highlighted the point that the two organisations — International Development Programme (IDP), Australia, and British Council (BC), who conduct the exam at designated centres, mostly hotels or at palaces, have received permission from the state government to conduct exams, while the institutes that prepare students for such exams were lying closed. When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori confirmed that both IDP and BC have the permission from the state government to conduct the exam and that guidelines have been issued to them to ensure compliance of safety precautions.

FACTFILE

• Tentatively, 80 per cent of the 15,000 centres are operating from accommodations having high rent. Thus, managing expenses, paying bank loans, teachers’ salaries has become a Herculean task
• Only one out of every 10 institutes in the city has the infrastructure to conduct online classes. This arrangement, too, is not an easy sailing, as institutes have been facing poor internet connectivity.
• IELTS institute owners say they are receiving over 50 calls daily about inquiries related to opening of classes.

Speaking out

You visit a market or travel in a bus or even go to any government office, you will see that no rules or guidelines are being followed. It’s high time coaching centres got permission to resume operations with 50% seating capacity, like hotels and other offices. Satish Sareen, owner, Sareen Lingua World

We have apprised the authorities of the problems being faced. International colleges have already started admissions. IDP Australia and BC have been permitted to start centres. They have started conducting IELTS exam, then why this lackadaisical attitude towards us? Manjinder Pal Singh Mago, MD, Milestone Education Group

We deal in providing CAT & CLAT classes. Although our online classes are on, students are facing difficulty in managing both college and coaching classes online. We understand safety is important, but if restaurants and hotels can operate, why can’t the coaching centres? Rajvir Singh Chohan, Centre head, Career Launcher

We are paying a hefty rent and stopping payments would mean we have to vacate buildings. We have to pay salaries to our staff also, as we cannot afford to lose them. The government must intervene. Moreover, if buses can be allowed to operate, we, too, should be given nod to resume classes. Charanjit Singh, one of the directors at Teacher’s Academy