Centre To Examine Coaching Industry’s Ripple-Effect
Most students lack awareness about multiple career options, leading to over-dependence on a few elite institutions.
New Delhi:With top rankers in almost all competitive entrance examinations giving credit to coaching institutions for their success, the Union education ministry has set up a nine-member panel to examine issues relating to coaching, emergence of 'dummy schools' as well as the effectiveness and fairness of entrance examinations.
According to a senior official, higher education secretary Vineet Joshi-led panel would suggest measures to reduce the dependency of students on coaching centres for transition to higher education.
“The committee will examine the gaps in the current schooling system that contribute to students' reliance on coaching centres, particularly the limited focus on critical thinking, logical reasoning, analytical skills and innovation and the prevalence of rote learning practices,” a senior education ministry official said.
Scores of students preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams prefer to take admission in dummy schools — which do not insist on students attending the college every day — so that they can focus solely on their preparations for competitive exams.
Aspirants also choose dummy schools to take advantage of state-specific quotas for admissions to medical and engineering colleges. For example, candidates who complete their senior secondary education in Delhi will become eligible for the state quota in medical colleges, giving them an additional incentive to enrol in dummy schools in the capital.
According to a PTI report, the panel will also understand the effectiveness and fairness of competitive entrance examinations in the context of the school education system and their influence on the growth of the coaching industry.
“The role and impact of formative assessments at school and higher education levels will be assessed and how their absence affects students' conceptual understanding and preparedness for competitive examinations. The panel will also analyse the rising demand for quality higher education, limited availability of seats in premier institutions and how the imbalance drives students towards coaching institutes,” he said.
Most students lack awareness about multiple career options, leading to over-dependence on a few elite institutions.
Other members of the panel include the CBSE chairman; joint secretaries from school education and higher education departments; representatives of IIT Madras, NIT Trichy, IIT Kanpur and Ncert and principals of three schools (one each from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya and a private school).
