WE THE PEOPLE
Mushroom growth of Coaching Centers has become affluent Trade to fleece Students in Kashmir Valley
Hence People urge Govt., to have uniform Education Policy and curb Mushroom growth of fleecing Centres
By: MNS/ M. Rameez
Srinagar: It may be stated that the Acharya Ramamurti Committee to Review the National Policy of Education (1986), in its report towards an Enlightened and Human Society (1990) mentions: “Though education has been in the Concurrent List in the Constitution, it remains primarily a State activity. Bulk of the investments is made by the State governments. Free and compulsory education is expected to be provided by the States for all children up to 14 years of age. In most States, education is free in the entire school stage. Up to class XII education is free for girls in all the States. The fee structure for higher education in the colleges and universities has virtually remained unchanged for many years. The pattern of educational development has, consequently, come to be dependent on the availability of public resources for education”.
But, here in the valley of Kashmir, the education system has been thrown into darkness on account of unchecked mushroom growth of coaching centers. Even though during the ongoing winter season people prefer to sit indoors, thousands of students who recently passed their matriculation examinations and other examinations can be visibly seen braving the chill to take tuitions at various coaching centres spread across the length and breadth of Kashmir valley.
Mushroom growth of coaching centers in Kashmir Valley enticing more and more students to take coaching for success in different academic and competitive examinations is largely viewed by masses and experts as an affluent trade than a mechanism of intensive teaching to produce quality pupils.
What has led to the random growth of tuition centers across the length and breadth of Kashmir valley is a debatable question though but there is a general perception among masses that coaching inculcates a habit of spoon-feeding in a student and in a way affects his ability to tackle the important exams.
As we have been continuously focusing our attention on the perils spread by coaching centers, a recent visit of our correspondent has brought varied hazards imparted by coaching centers to forefront.
The general perception among masses is that when was the last time you saw a busy street in Kashmir which is free from the hoarding or advertisement of coaching institutes or Study Centers which are offering nothing but fake promises. Right now in Kashmir Valley, there are different types of coaching centers which are working like organized con business.
Masses are aptly expressing their anguish over the uncontrolled mushrooming of Coaching Centers. Ajaz Ahmad, a youth said, “Coaching centers have engulfed entire Kashmir without yielding many positives to our students. Actually, our students are not responsible for this mushrooming of coaching centers, but our teaching fraternity is to be blamed for this. The teachers teach students more effectively at coaching centers than in a class room. It is unfortunate to point out that nowadays our teachers, whether government or private, run their coaching centers like private clinics of doctors”.
Minister of Education, Peerzada Muhammad Sayeed, had stressed on strict adherence to government order regarding regulation of private tuition centres in the State. He had stated that no education agency should be allowed to run private tuition centre without the prior permission of the government or the competent authority.
Peerzada had asked the authorities to see to it that every tuition centre seeking registration or renewal of registration possesses adequate infrastructural and instructional facilities. The Education Minister had made it clear that the tutors in these centres must be at least graduate, trained graduate and post-graduate for imparting tuition to primary, middle, secondary and higher secondary classes respectively.
But masses were disappointed when just a day after the Education Minister announced mandatory registration of private coaching centers with the government in State, Srinagar's, Deputy Commissioner, Meraj Ahmad Kakroo stated that there is no ban on tutioning and coaching centres.
Kakroo had stated that administration is committed for quality education to the students so that they could compete at all levels.
Hence people call upon the government to adopt a uniform policy and ensure quality education to our students without fleecing their parents by the Mangers of Coaching Centres in Kashmir valley.
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