THE INDIAN COACHING INDUSTRY

‘Enroll in 2 year, 3 year, and 4 year classroom programme, guarantee your seat in Dream colleges!’ is the famous slogan of coaching institutes in India nowadays. Education- a basic thing that was required to be spread freely among the people now has been commercialized. It has turned into a brand. Various courses with different validity seems like we are buying a SIM card and recharging it with calling, messaging etc. The skyrocketing prices of these centres has killed the creativity of students and made them dependent compulsorily. With thousands of competitive exams come millions of such hubs that are making hay while the wallet of the parents shines. Gone are the days when students had to score good marks in board exams to enter the premises of their dream college.

Rising aspirations, combined with the falling quality of mainstream education, have meant that examination-oriented tuitions have taken over the lives of most school and college students in India. Not an option anymore, it has become mandatory for everyone. Asian Development Bank (ADB) report of 2012 alerts by stating that 83% of India’s high school students juggle time around school and tuitions. This industry was initially connected with IIT-JEE and PMT exam. Kota and Delhi were the first two cities where invention of coaching hubs took place. With the advent of technology, press and digital media helped these hubs to grow exponentially through advertisement. Nowadays, the front page of newspapers are filled with pictures of toppers of various elite coaching institutes which gives a strong message among parents and students that it is an easy way to get success.

Now every exam, from class 10^th till job, these shops have come up with various offers tailor made to suit you. Classroom programmes, distance learning, Crash Course, and Test Series are some ways of looting students. The biggest question arises for our schools, Private or Government, and our Education Ministers who can see the pillars of the nation living a directionless life. Why our schools and its curriculum not able to prepare us for these exams? Why the syllabus of school and exams is totally different? Why government hasn’t taken a single step to curb this practice? An industry worth billions of dollars was allowed to flourish without even thinking about its consequences. At one time when India is facing the problem of poverty and illiteracy, due to which children miss out the chance of going to a school, we are creating an atmosphere that even schools are incompetent to grab you a job/college.

Thus, education has become a jigsaw puzzle for students and parents. Even after spending Lakhs of money, one does not achieves what he desires. The courses offered are not up-to-date with the requirement of industry due to which students are not getting jobs. Is this Incredible India? The need of hour is to abolish these coaching hubs and raise a voice so that this illegal practice of making money out of education comes to halt. Every student gets equal opportunity and may the best talent clears the exam, not one who has the money.