Page 30 - February EW 2024 PDF

Education News

rules prescribing width of staircases register coaching cen-
and school corridors which is impos- tres, prohibit the latter
sible in our buildings, some of which, from enrolling children
are a century old. Moreover, the state under 16 years of age;
government has imposed a ceiling on allow only individuals
tuition fees under the Maharashtra with graduation and
Educational Institutions (Regulation above qualifications
of Fee) Act, 2011. So how do you fund to be hired as faculty;
the infrastructure development pro- restrict classes to not
posed by the RTE Act and the state more than five hours
government?” queries an irate private per day and mandate
school promoter. all tutorial centres to
While admitting the inequity of upload websites fur-
RTE Act rules and regulations being nishing details about
applicable only to private schools, tutors, courses, cur-
most monitors of Maharashtra’s Swot school in Kota riculum and fees. They
K-12 education sector insist that also bar coaching cen-
private and public schools need to maximum extent possible” to ensure tres from publishing “misleading” ad-
be inspected for compliance with the safety of children. Closure of 218 vertising claims about student success
provisions of the Maharashtra Fire private schools for violation of one or — “coaching institutes cannot publish
Prevention & Life Safety Measure more of the infrastructure norms pre- or cause to be published or take part in
Act, 2006 and inexpensive provi- scribed by s.19 and the Schedule — the publication of any misleading ad-
sions of s.19 and Schedule of the RTE from which government schools are vertisement relating to any claim, di-
Act, 2009. exempt — is too harsh a punishment rectly or indirectly, of quality of coach-
et in a letter dated January 11, and is likely to precipitate citywide ing or the facilities offered therein or
Ythe state government’s Director panic. the result procured by such coaching
of Primary Education Sharad Gosavi Nasrin Modak-Siddiqi (Mumbai) centre or the student who attended
directed Sandeep Sangve, Director such class”.
of School Education (Mumbai) to KARNATAKA More importantly, citing “tough
inspect the 218 schools which are competition and academic pressure
operating without recognition cer- Coaching industry on students”, the guidelines direct
tificates. “It is imperative to assess coaching centres to prioritise the
whether these 218 schools comply curbs mental well-being of their students.
with the standards and norms “They should establish a mechanism
outlined in s.19 of the RTE Act. If gainst the backdrop of ris- for immediate intervention to provide
criteria aren’t met, it is expected that ing student suicides being targeted and sustained assistance to
the proposal for de-accreditation of Areported from Kota, Raj- students in distress and stressful
these schools be submitted,” wrote asthan — the tests prep capital of situations. The competent authority
Gosavi. India where 26 secondary students may take steps to ensure that a coun-
However, informed monitors of committed suicide last year, the selling system is developed by the
school education sector in Mumbai highest ever annually — the Union coaching centre and is easily available
concede that although 218 private ministry of education has been under for the students and parents.” Other
schools have not been awarded rec- pressure to rein in the unchecked guidelines relate to fire safety, infra-
ognition certificates, they cannot be growth of the Rs.58,000 crore coach- structure requirements, and greater
declared as unauthorised under the ing classes industry. On January 19, transparency in fees structures/re-
provisions of the RTE Act, 2009. the ministry announced a new set of funds. Penalty for violations of the
They opine the imposition of heavy guidelines for the country’s estimat- guidelines range from a monetary
fines culminating in forced closure of ed 31,000 coaching centres/private fine (Rs.25,000-1 lakh) to revocation
private schools is certain to be chal- tutorials which prepare secondary/ of registration of errant coaching cen-
lenged in the courts under Article 14 higher secondary students for com- tres.
(equality) of the Constitution. petitive tests such as IIT-JEE, NEET, However it’s pertinent to note that
Meanwhile the via media is to CUET, among other undergrad entry the Centre’s guidelines are applicable
ensure that all schools — including exams. only to coaching centres with an enrol-
government institutions — institute The guidelines, which direct the ment of 50 students and above. The
fire and other safety measures to “the country’s 29 state governments to re- guidelines define a coaching centre

30 EDUCATIONWORLD FEBRUARY 2024