New Delhi: In a move aimed at putting a break to the rising incidents of student suicides, especially in Rajasthan’s Kota, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has issued guidelines barring coaching centres from enrolling students below 16 years of age and making misleading promises for success in entrance examinations.
The MoE also took into consideration fire mishaps and lack of facilities at coaching classes as well as their methodologies of teaching while framing the guidelines that would address the need for a legal framework and manage the unregulated growth of private coaching centres.
“No coaching centre shall engage tutors having qualifications less than graduation. The institutions cannot make misleading promises or guarantee rank or good marks to parents for enrolling students. The institutes cannot enrol students below 16 years of age. Student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination,” the guidelines said.
The coaching centres cannot hire the services of any tutor or person who has been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude. An institute will not be registered only if it has a counselling system as per the requirement of these guidelines.
“Coaching centres shall have a website with updated details of the qualification of tutors, courses/curriculum, duration of completion, hostel facilities, and the fees being charged,” the guidelines stated.
According to new guidelines, due to tough competition and academic pressure on students, coaching centres should take steps for the mental well-being of students and may conduct classes without putting undue pressure on them.
“They should establish a mechanism for immediate intervention to provide targeted and sustained assistance to students in distress and stressful situations. The competent authority may take steps to ensure that a counselling system is developed by the coaching centre and is easily available for the students and parents,” the MoE said.
The guidelines detailing the framework on mental wellbeing come against the backdrop of student suicides in coaching hub Kota in 2023. The rapid increase in the number of student suicides flagged various issues plaguing the coaching industry.
According to the guidelines, the tuition fees for different courses and curricula being charged shall be fair and reasonable and receipts for the fee charged must be made available.
Giving teeth to the policy, the Centre has suggested that coaching centres be penalised up to Rs 1 lakh or their registration be cancelled for charging exorbitant fees that cause undue stress leading to student suicide or for other malpractices.
To ensure proper monitoring of the coaching institutes, the government has proposed registration of new and existing centres within three months after the guidelines come into effect.
The state government will be responsible for monitoring the activities of the coaching centre and enquiring about any coaching centre regarding the fulfilment of required eligibility of registration and satisfactory activities of the coaching centre.
Odisha Abhibhabak Mahasangha (OAM) president Basudev Bhatta welcomed the Centre’s move.
“It is a welcome step by the Union government. We had approached the NHRC in 2020 for a set of guidelines to regulate private coaching centres. This will definitely control the monopoly of those private entities in education,” the OAM chief said.