Guest column | Coaching culture no match for good old school
Such is the popularity of coaching centres that many institutions have opened their own hostels. There seems to be a rat race for cracking competitive examinations such as NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), JEE (Joint Entrance Examination), CAT (Common Admission Test) and so on.
Nowadays, it has become the norm for students, irrespective of their age or stream, to avail coaching. Each day, one sees students, donning coaching establishment’s t-shirts, boarding the institute’s buses rather than go to school. Sadly, the trend of taking dummy admissions is on the up and up, and school administrators and educationists should look into the matter.
Such is the popularity of coaching centres that many institutions have opened their own hostels. There seems to be a rat race for cracking competitive examinations such as NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), JEE (Joint Entrance Examination), CAT (Common Admission Test) and so on. However, the students are the ultimate sufferers as they grapple with stress and anxiety, and some, unfortunately, even ending up dying by suicide. Who is to blame? Not just the parents, but the entire system, is responsible. These pervasive centres prepare students for the competitions, but in the bargain, students miss out on personality development, and systematic education which only schools can provide.
Things were different when I was a student at the Military School, Belgaum, in the 1960s. We would be encouraged to keep a diary, write handwritten letters to parents on a weekly basis, produce book reviews, speak in the assembly and participate in debates. We would also join the scouts, NSS (National Service Scheme), NCC (National Cadet Corps), and visit villages for community service. At youth leadership training camps, where we got to meet inspiring people such as Mayo College principal Jack Gibson and social reformer Vinoba Bhave, and lawyer and jurist Nani Palkhivala. Our principal and teachers were the real educators who taught us simple living and high thinking by personal example.
Youngsters these days do not prefer “old-school” reading or writing. Most of them are constantly glued to their phones. They can rattle out information from Google, but struggle with reasoning or thinking for themselves. Ask them to write a page by hand, and many will struggle because they have lost the habit of writing, especially after the Covid pandemic, where they had to adapt to online classes.
The school curricula is designed to produce well-rounded individuals. However, coaching institutions have turned them into robots, where they are forced to mug up data and vomit it out verbatim. The focus is on scoring not learning.
Another fallout of ‘coaching culture’ is mental health issues. Students these days return from school, grab a quick bite, and then rush from one tuition to another. They are exhausted and stressed by the time they return home. They do not play, go for walks or spend time with relatives. They have no time to pursue hobbies and relax.
Getting rid of dummy admissions, and stopping coaching centres from accepting such students is the only way to improve the standard of schools. The education sector has finally been shaken awake from its slumber largely due to the increasing number of suicide cases in coaching centres due to stress. Authorities have issued revised guidelines for coaching centres, but this will not work until parents’ mindset changes.
For things to change, the standard of government and private schools needs to drastically improve, the rat race to clear competitive exams should be brought to an end, schools should cover the entrance exam syllabi, students should be apprised of the myriad career opportunities available to them, and the political patronage given to such centres should end. Education department officials should supervise the standard of schools and the infrastructure available.
Our youth is bright and keen. They deserve better schools, committed teachers and strong leadership!
ripu_d2003@yahoo.co.in
(The writer is an Ambala-based freelance contributor. Views expressed are personal.)
