A Correspondent
DIBRUGARH: Dummy schools have been rising in Assam for the past several years, but the Education Department in the state has failed to take any action against the coaching centres.
‘Dummy schools’ are where pupils get enrolled on paper but skip regular classes to focus on private coaching for engineering and medical entrance examinations.
Assam’s education system is facing a grave crisis with the proliferation of dummy schools, which are coaching centres masquerading as educational institutions, exploiting students and undermining academic integrity. Despite the Centre’s 2024 guidelines, Assam authorities claim to be ‘unaware’ of the issue, exposing a shocking lack of oversight.
Dibrugarh, which is an educational hub of Assam, has recently seen rising numbers of ‘dummy schools’. However, there is no exact figure on the number of dummy schools running in Dibrugarh.
Dummy schooling, regular schools unofficially partner with coaching centres and take in students while exempting them from attending classes. Such students sit for classes at their entrance examinations at the school when the time comes, along with final practical examination s that involve external invigilators. It is tough to identify the institutes allowing dummy schooling in this way.
Sources said that in Dibrugarh ‘dummy schools’ are thriving and most of the students are enrolling in coaching centres and doing coaching instead of going to schools.
“The schools have tied up with the coaching centres and they got money from the coaching centres for sending their students to reputed coaching institutes. In the last five years many private coaching institutes have come up in Dibrugarh,” said a source.
Sources said that most of the coaching centres coming from Rajasthan and other states target students of schools to enrolled in their coaching institutes.
Recently, the CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) has cracked down on ‘dummy schools’ in different parts of the country. In Kota, the government has found many functioning ‘dummy schools’ and banned them. They have tied up with the coaching institutes.
Many suicides cases were recently reported from Kota and it has forced the administration to take steps against the dummy schools and coaching institutes.
“In same pattern in Guwahati and Dibrugarh, the dummy schools have been flourishing but the district administrations are not taking any step against them. The administration should take steps to close down the dummy schools,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
According to guidelines, coaching centres are encouraged to involve counselors and experienced psychologists to counsel and provide psychotherapeutic service to students for the resolution of mental stress and depression.
The guidelines also said regular workshops and awareness weeks may be arranged for parents, students and teachers on mental health and prevention of stress by coaching centres.
According to 2025-26 academic year, the CBSE is strictly enforcing a 75% attendance rule, with plans to bar students from Class 12 board examinations if they are found enrolled in ‘dummy schools’ during surprise inspections. The onus of attendance rests on students and parents, with schools promoting this culture risking de-affiliation.
The education department has turned a blind eye, failing to take concrete action against these coaching centres. The district inspector of schools, Dibrugarh, claiming of ‘unaware’ of the issue is a damning indictment of the administration’s apathy.
“Implement the Centre’s 2024 guidelines on dummy schools. We demand for a thorough and transparent investigation into dummy schools in Assam and stringent action against coaching centres operating as dummy schools,” said a retired teacher of Dibrugarh.
When The Sentinel contacted the Dibrugarh District Inspector of Schools, Samiran Bora, regarding the matter, he said that he is not aware about the matter. “If we find the functioning of dummy schools, we will take necessary steps,” Bora said.
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