Page 73 - EducationWorld August 2022

courses to prepare students for CUET institutions. With CUET determining
2022 scheduled for July-August, and admission into arts, science and com-
in particular its general test which as- merce undergrad colleges, the catch-
sesses students’ numerical and logical ment population for coaching schools
reasoning capability — not usually has hugely expanded.
included in school curriculums. All Education ‘agents’ and consultan-
major coaching chains such as Career cies have mushroomed, offering dum-
Launcher, Aakash and Unacademy are my school admission at ‘attractive’
reporting a huge rush for crash cours- rates. Your correspondent contacted
es while bookings for CUET 2023 and an agency in Delhi which promised
2024 coaching have also begun. Stu- hassle-free admission into a CBSE-
dents are being offered a variety of test affiliated dummy school in west or
prep packages of two-years (classes east Delhi at a package of Rs.60,000
XI and XII) and one year (class XII) for two years (class XI-XII). In Kota,
priced between Rs.40,000-1 lakh. Rajasthan — the coaching capital of
India which hosts 150 coaching insti-
“ CUET IS A HUGE BONANZA tutes — dummy school admissions are
available at a mere Rs.500-1,000 per
for the country’s multi-mil-
lion dollar test prep indus-
“Inquiries from parents for admis-
try, much to the detriment Mehra: coaching schools bonanza month.
of conventional higher-secondary allowing them to instead spend their sion into dummy schools have shot
education. The number of students time in coaching establishments prep- up after introduction of CUET. Many
signing up with coaching institutes ping for competitive exams such as schools are also under pressure in-
for CUET preparation will run into IIT-JEE, NEET and now CUET. To ternally and externally to transform
millions, against lakhs signing up for all intent and purposes these are nor- into shell schools. CUET has become
IIT-JEE and NEET coaching. Given mative schools affiliated with CBSE/ another exam that will herd children
that the biggest issue with coaching is state boards. But students are regis- into coaching institutes. Yet schooling
affordability-related inequity, CUET tered and attend school only to write is not only about passing exams, it’s
will substantially widen inequity. pre-board and board exams to fulfill about holistic education to develop
Students from rural areas and low- the requirement of affiliating boards. children’s character and values. Peer
income households will be forced to Several Delhi NCR school princi- learning, collaboration, and socialisa-
opt out of the admission process al- pals interviewed for this feature report tion skills are learnt inside and out-
together. Meanwhile, ‘collaboration’ that parents are mulling the option of side classrooms through participation
between higher secondary schools pulling their children out of regular in co-curricular activities. Holistic
and coaching institutes will grow in schools and enrolling them in dummy schooling is being sacrificed at the
number and importance, and schools Pandey: 'dummy' schools explosion altar of this new common entrance
themselves will evolve into gigantic, test. NEP 2020 clearly states that the
CUET coaching factories. Teaching coaching culture must end. To do this,
will quickly orient towards ensuring we need to disaffiliate dummy schools,
high CUET scores. Long-form learn- align class XII and CUET syllabuses
ing will take a backseat with the focus and accord some weightage to school
on clearing MCQs, and we can say board exam results in undergrad ad-
goodbye to even the limited reading- missions,” advises D r. A shok P an -
writing skills that are currently being de y , director of the CBSE-affiliated
taught in schools,” laments D r. A n - Ahlcon Group of Schools, Delhi and
u rag Me hra, professor of chemical lead mentor, Crimson Education.
engineering and associate faculty at With CUET being implemented
the Center for Policy Studies, IIT- without thorough ground preparation
Bombay. and unwarranted haste, it’s becoming
The imminent rejuvenation of increasingly clear that it will damage
test prep coaching schools innocent the formal school — especially high-
of holistic education, is also likely to er-secondary — education system. In
give a fresh push to ‘dummy school’ one stroke it has devalued the class XII
enrolments. ‘Dummy’ schools don’t school-leaving exam, threatens the
require students to attend classes, holistic schooling experience, ignores

AUGUST 2022 EDUCATIONWORLD 73