Pvt coaching centres ‘Fleece’ students by charging exorbitant tuition fee

The private coaching centres are fleecing the students by charging exorbitant tuition fee.
Among the 182 coaching centres granted registration recently by the education department, not even a single centre has notified its fee structure. This was made mandatory by the education department vide order no 1246 DESK of 2017 dated 7 October 2017.
The registration list issued by the Education department was formulated on recommendations of joint inspection teams of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Chief Education Officers (CEOs). These teams were constituted after directions by the High Court in PIL no 17/2014.
As many as 66 centres in Srinagar, 25 in Budgam, six in Bandipora, 33 in Baramulla, 14 in Kupwara, 18 in Anantnag, 15 in Pulwama and five in Shopian district have been registered for tuitions.
The Race Naryana, a coaching centre, is charging Rs 1,20000 as fee for the 12-th class in medical stream and the fee for the admission form is Rs 500. The Race Narayana operating from Solina doesn’t figure in the recently released list of registered coaching centres by Directorate of school education.
S.N Das Gupta, which operates from Iqbal Park area, charges Rs 30000 for 12-th class coaching. The Career Point charges Rs 98594 along with additional 18 percent goods and service tax (GST).
Another coaching centre Bansal Classes charges Rs 59000 for the tuition of three subjects of 12-th class. Likewise the Nature Institute of Basic Sciences charges Rs 35000, Pace Academy, which operates from Kangan and Srinagar, charges Rs 21000 for 12-th class.
The Crescent Classes makes students pay Rs 28000 as fee for 12 th class and extra 18 percent GST. The coaching centre registered with education department doesn’t highlight the fee details in its advertisement camping. It also charges Rs 200 for admission form.
Bright Career Institute, operating from various areas in Srinagar, charges Rs 24000 for 12 th class coaching. It may charge additional GST. The Brilliant Coaching Centre charges Rs 21000 for 12-th class and additional 18 percent GST.
There are also at least 36 coaching centre in Srinagar that operate without any registration and their advertisement hoardings have been put up outside the Directorate of School Education Office. Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari, last month warned the coaching centres “to mend their ways or face closure.” However there is no impact.
As per government order each coaching centre has to reserve 10 percent seats for orphans and low-income background students and there should be proper arrangement of electricity, heating and comfortable seating arrangement along with adequate drinking water and toilet facility for boys and girls separately.
Most of the registered and unregistered coaching centres aren’t adhering to the guidelines.
Recently the education department sealed six institutes for “varied reasons including non-availability of requisite heating arrangements.’’ The sealed coaching centres include Ignited Minds, Brainic Coaching Institute, ZED Education, Nature Institute of Basic Sciences, Excel Coaching Centre and Panaash Coaching Institute.
The ringtone of admission helpline of one leading coaching centre begins with“Paisa Bolta hai” (money speaks).
Most of the coaching centres also haven’t installed the CCTV cameras and the teacher-pupil ratio is higher than the prescribed 1:30.
A student of KIE, wishing anonymity, told Kashmir Post that he had last year “enrolled in the institute as some prominent teachers of various subjects were scheduled to teach there but then no one among the faculty members actually taught them.”
Imtiyaz Ahmad, parent of a class 12 student said, “The whole sector is unregulated and there is nobody to monitor or regulate the fees charged by these centres. These are money minting centres putting an extra burden on children.” He added that the centres are even charging money for the tuition notes provided to students.
Joint Director of school education, Abid Hussain, who is incharge of private coaching centres, siad that a detailed report from all the CEOs has been sought and the department will “initiate action against these erring coaching centres.” He said the coaching centres have already been directed to make “public their fee details and in case of failure, the defaulting centres will be sealed.’’