Editorial 2: What Rajasthan's coaching centre Bill says, why it matters
Context:
Rajasthan Government has passed the Rajasthan Coaching Centers (Control and Regulation) Bill to regulate the coaching industry. It aims to create health and supportive environment to help students achieve their academic and professional goals.
Reasons for its enactment:
- 88 coaching centre students had dies, including 70 in the Kota, the “coaching capital” of India. In the past five years 78 students have died by suicide.
- Rajasthan high court has commissioned a study into student stress by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
- In the report submitted by Department related Standing Committee on Women, Education, Children and Youth, it is highlighted that there lacks a regulatory framework at national level to regulate the proliferating coaching industry in India.
- There are widespread reports of financial frauds in these coaching centers. Also, there are many instances of student suicide, drug abuse, and mental health struggles.
- This law makes provisions for registration, control, and regulation of coaching centers. It also aims to set minimum standards and requirements for their registration.
- It is a decisive step to curb the commercialization f coaching institutes. It encourages coaching centers to take appropriate measures provide security and reduces student stress in the preparation of different competitive exams.
Important provisions of the Bill:
- The proposed law will be enforced by the state level authority comprising of senior education and police officials, a psychiatrist, and representatives of coaching centers and parents’ body.
- It also constitute the district level committees having district magistrate, superintendent of police, and chief medical and health officer among their members. This committee will ensure the registration of coaching centers, their compliance with the law and the setting up of grievance readdressal cells.
- These district committees will regulate the various functions of coaching centers including the fee charged by them, grievance readdress mechanism and their pedagogy.
- Coaching centers must apply within a period of 3 months after the enforcement of this Act.
- The coaching centers must have a physical area of not less than 1 sq meter per student. They must engage tutors with minimal graduation degrees.
- It curbs the misleading promises or guarantee of good ranks or good marks. They must provide weekdays off to their students and teachers.
- They must have s system of counseling and a website having updated details of qualification of tutors, hostel facilities, fees, and the data on success rates.
- Violation of the act is punishable with the fine of Rs.50, 000 in first instance and Rs. 2 lakh on further violations. Subsequent violation may lead to cancellation of registration.
- It applies to coaching centers having more than 100 students.
Criticism of provisions:
- It fails to set the minimum age requirement for the student to enroll in the coaching center.
- It fails to address the problem of student suicides. It does not make psychological or career counseling mandatory. This bill disregards the central guidelines.
- The committees are over represented by state officials. This may lead to red-tapism and inspector raj.
- It could adversely affect small coaching institutes and force coaching centers out of the state, adversely impacting the economy of Kota.
Way Forward:
This bill can merely be considered as the first aid on the problems that plague the Indian education system. Rote learning is emphasized in the schools. Also there is significant gap in the curriculum of school and the syllabus of these competitive exams. New Education Policy is the stepping stone in correcting education system. Government must consult all stakeholders to tackle the menace of student suicide.