Need Of A Policy To Regulate Coaching Centres | Burning Issues

Table of Contents

Context

In May, a deadly fire at a coaching centre.
The rate of suicides in Kota
Data from the NSSO’s 71st round reveal that more than a quarter of Indian students (a stupendous 7.1 crore) take private coaching.
Around 12% of a family’s expenses go towards private coaching,

Purpose

Various coaching centre can be attributed to enhance human capital.
Imposing a huge emotional cost to society.
They only help a student to swiftly secure marks in some entrance exam
To signal merit, exams are only one criterion
So, coaching institutions exist to help people achieve only one idea of merit.
The social cost of these institutions outweighs their benefit by far. The industry needs a re-look.

Unregulated spaces

Hidden behind legislations meant for tiny shops (Shops and Establishment Act) as ‘other’ business, they run an empire of evening incarcerations that arrest creative freedom.

Social capital

The coaching giants draw an entire generation of young minds
They ignite psychological disorders in students
Several court cases on breach of promise of refund are underway.
The social costs are exacerbated by the absolute disregard
Society bears the burden

Selling a valueless idea

To blame the systemic flaws in the implementation of safety laws
To harp on lapses by the government is to turn a blind eye towards what kind of ethics we are drawing out of our enterprises, particularly those which purport to provide ‘education’.
Coaching institutions, of course, are not necessarily ethical entities..
The building in Surat had an illegally constructed terrace.
It had a wooden staircase that got burnt
It had no fire safety equipment
The response of the State government was to shut down all coaching institutions in Gujarat

Need of a policy

These inspections will only serve a tick-mark purpose.
Although government measures are more emotional than rational
Three fire incidents have involved coaching institutions in Gujarat.

Way forward

What is urgently required is a policy on regulating them.
Some States have already passed laws
Existing State laws, however, do not evince a consistent rationale.
There is also the Private Coaching Centres Regulatory Board Bill, 2016 in discussion.
While the discourse being triggered is a welcome step, it is now important to ensure regulations that emerge are agile

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