CET Students quizzed to tighten screws on private tuition centers
State Pre-university Education (PUE) Department is pulling
up its socks to check private coaching and tuition centers that are functioning
in the state without the permission of the government.
Working towards it, the department has decided to strengthen the existing rules
and regulations related to private coaching and tuition. As a point of fact, the
education department lacks data on the percentage of students opting for private
coaching during the pre-university courses and for the Common Entrance Test (CET).
So, the PUE department is collecting information about private tuitions from the
students who attend the ongoing CET counseling for admissions to professional courses.
Students who appear for the counseling sessions are given a questionnaire
and asked to fill. Apart from others, it has questions related to private coaching
classes. Students are asked to answer questions like did they attended coaching
classes for PUC and CET and for which subjects they underwent coaching. They are
also asked to provide details about the coaching institutes. The students also offer
their opinions on the PU examination and CET systems and suggestions for reforms.
What Next?
Through this process, the PUE department aims to collect information and student
feedback on private tuitions. After collating the data, the department will send
it to the state government and put forth a proposal to amend the existing rules
related to private coaching.
"If we have specific data on how many students prefer tuitions, then it will help
us strengthen the existing rules related to them," said a senior official from the
department.
On the issue, PUE department director Rashmi V said: "I have to review the existing
rules on tuitions. Feedback about coaching classes is also a part of the questionnaire
because we need to get honest feedbacks from the end users. After getting the required
information we will analyse it and decide on the recommendations."
Existing Rules
According to the existing rules, teachers of government and government-aided colleges
are prohibited from taking private tuitions. "Unemployed graduates are allowed to
take tuition classes after gaining the permission of the department by paying Rs.
25,000 as a registration fee. But majority of people who are taking private tuitions
are unregistered," said another official. But many take private tuitions without
the permission of the department.
To set up a private coaching center, one has to follow the department rules. These
rules are similar to those for setting up a new college. "There are specific rules
about infrastructure, space, faculty, number of students in each classroom, etc,"
the official added. At present, the authority to grant permission to set up coaching
centers is with the deputy directors of the PUE department.
Courtesy: DNA India
