Quite often we hear some authority figures, referring coaching institutes as flourishing money spinners which are merely helping students crack the entrance tests through rote learning.
It is a gross generalization. There are many classes, which instill interest in children and actually work on their thinking abilities. Good coaching classes have committed and competent teachers who make students understand intricate concepts with ease and clarity. As per a latest survey, students now studying at IITs kind of unanimously agreed that the passion and even competence of teachers at their respective coaching classes were higher than the professors at the IITs.
Some people feel that coaching classes are killing Schools and Colleges. The relationship is the other way round. It is the inadequacy of education at schools/ colleges that has created the need for coaching classes. Usually at schools, only superficial knowledge is given and that is enough to get almost full marks in the exams they conduct. For cracking quality competitive exams, you need an in depth understanding of the subject along with an ability to solve tricky and challenging questions.
It is time that society changes it’s perception towards quality coaching classes and start seeing and treating them with gratitude and respect which they truly deserve. If not for them, the education standards in our country would fall irreparably.
Recently there was a proposed draft under the Maharashtra Coaching Classes Act which is now in public domain via social media. It talks about putting various regulations for the coaching institutes of Maharashtra. Few of the clauses mentioned in the draft like regulation on fees and salaries paid to the teachers/staff, 5% additional tax over and above the regular taxes, sharing of daily timetable and notes with the authorities, imprisonment on not following these rules etc are not only too harsh but also very impractical. Unlike schools, coaching classes pay GST and income tax and come under the Finance Ministry. Such rules would infringe their financial and operational autonomy and would only discourage IITians and other qualified individuals to get into education thereby potentially killing quality education in our country.
On the contrary we believe that there should be regulations on few rampant malpractices happening in this industry like institutes claiming fake results, misleading marketing/advertisements by institutes etc. Such regulations shall ensure that Parents do not fall for false marketing blitzkrieg and are able to get good education for their children under the right teachers at the right place.
We, at Bakliwal Tutorials, are committed to produce rational, ethical and powerful citizens who will bring a positive difference to the society.
Writer Vaibhav Bakliwal is an IITB alumnus, Vice President of the Coaching Federation of India and director of Bakliwal Tutorials, which produced Maharashtra’s topper in JEE Main in January, 2020.