Page 30 - February EW 2024 PDF
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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

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