Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The latest decision of the Assam Cabinet to legislate an Act to regulate the coaching institutes that have been mushrooming in the state is indeed a move in the right direction.
A section of coaching institutes that runs with blatant disregard for regulations set for them by the government to adhere to may spell disaster for students.
What is even more disastrous for students is that a section of institutes connive with some schools and register students who attend class only once a week. Such students attend classes in their coaching institutes for the rest of the days of the week. This is nothing but a tactic to steer clear of a regulation that bars the conduct of coaching classes to students studying in schools during their school hours.
In 2024, the Union Ministry of Education did set rules and regulations for coaching institutes to protect the interests of students. However, the students’ futures are at risk as most coaching institutions do not adhere to the regulations. Coaching by such institutions has literally gone haywire, much to the risk of students’ future.
According to the rules and regulations set by the Union ministry in 2024 for coaching institutions to follow are registration of coaching institutes with respective state governments, disclosing fee structure and refund policy, maintaining transparency in the admission procedure, providing qualified faculty members and adequate infrastructure, and refraining from misleading advertisements.
However, to the utter surprise of all concerned, a large number of coaching institutes brazenly flout the rules and regulations.
And some of the violations of rules are quite glaring. They are:
(i)Non-registration: Many coaching institutes continue to function without registering with the respective state governments, making it difficult for authorities to track their activities.
(ii) Exorbitant and hidden fees: Many coaching institutes make the guardians of students pay through their noses without disclosing the full cost of coaching to the students. This leaves students and their parents vulnerable to financial exploitation.
(iii) False advertisements: As often as not, many institutes are allegedly making false claims about their success rates, faculty qualifications, and infrastructure, misleading students and parents.
(iv) Lack of transparency: Mystery often shrouds admission procedures and fee structures, making it difficult for students to make well-informed decisions.
(v) According to the government guidelines, coaching classes for those students studying in schools shall not be conducted in coaching institutions during school hours. This guideline needs strict adherence not to affect students’ regular attendance in such institutions and schools and also to avoid dummy schools.
To bypass this guideline, some coaching institutes, allegedly in connivance with some schools, have chalked out a new method. They register students in schools, but they (the students) attend classes once a week. The CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) has caught some schools doing this illegal practice. The board has taken action against some of such schools.
(vi) The government has found coaching institutes violating the basic structure of the coaching centre—a minimum one square metre area for a student during a class.
The consequences of such violations of rules by coaching institutes that mushroom these days have long-term ramifications.
Apart from staggering financial burdens, unregistered institutes may not impart quality education, leaving students without a proper foundation for future studies.
2. Financial burden: Exorbitant fees and hidden costs can lead to financial hardship for students and their families. Black sheep in the coaching industry make irreparable losses to the coaching institutes with high credentials.
It augurs well for the government to take stringent action against erring coaching institutes that violate these rules. Regular inspections and monitoring to ensure compliance with regulations and heavy fines and penalties for institutes that flout rules, including cancellation of licenses, etc., may keep the problem at bay. The government may make coaching institutes disclose their fee structures, admission procedures, and faculty qualifications, besides making all payments of fees through bank or UPI.
Making the coaching institutions that violate rules and regulations accountable is another way to discipline them for the greater interest of students.
Also Read: Assam Cabinet Introduces Act to Regulate Coaching Institutes
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