There's actually no need for coaching if students attend school regularly. Many skip classes to join coaching centres, where they receive just 19 hours of lessons per week, compared to 29 hours in schools. Schools also provide extra classes for students who need additional help—Official, NPS School
A recent announcement by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding the distribution of two-wheelers (scooties) to students enrolling in coaching centres instead of regular courses has sparked widespread debate in Guwahati. The initiative, declared on February 7 via a Facebook post, has been met with mixed reactions from educators, parents, and officials, many of whom believe the move could disrupt the state's education system.
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The chief minister’s post stated that, as a special initiative, the Assam government would provide scooties to all eligible students enrolled in coaching centres instead of regular courses. However, from the next academic year, only students enrolling in regular courses would qualify for this scheme. Students taking a gap year would also be eligible upon rejoining regular courses.
The announcement has sparked a traditional school versus coaching centre debate.
Many educationists argue that coaching centres should not replace formal schooling. An official from NPS School told GPlus: "There's actually no need for coaching if students attend school regularly. Many skip classes to join coaching centres, where they receive just 19 hours of lessons per week, compared to 29 hours in schools. Schools also provide extra classes for students who need additional help. Yes, some students succeed through coaching, but they are a minority. Schools even have tie-ups with coaching institutions to provide training on-campus. Enrolling in a coaching centre doesn’t necessarily enhance academics.”
"Coaching centres charge anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh per year, which not every parent can afford. Rewarding coaching centres should not become a norm. Instead of rewarding coaching institutes, the government should work on improving regular schools. That would actually help all students, not just those who can pay for private coaching," a parent, Nishtha Kalita, said.
One senior official highlighted the issue of private schools partnering with coaching institutes to bypass traditional schooling.
"Many private schools are unofficially tied up with coaching centres. They claim their students are attending school when, in reality, they are at coaching centres."
He added, "For example, there is a private school in the Rajgarh area that operates in collaboration with a well-known coaching centre. The school exists on paper, but students rarely attend. This is illegal, yet it continues."
The official further added, "CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) has warned schools against running coaching classes or tying up with private coaching centres.
Schools are supposed to focus on academic education, not competitive exam coaching. But despite these warnings, many private schools in Assam have partnered with coaching institutes. Now, by providing scooties, the government is indirectly encouraging this trend instead of controlling it."
The concern here is that if more students opt for coaching centres, schools may see a decline in enrollment, affecting the overall education system.
As for the decision to reward coaching centre students with scooties, a senior official from the Education Department said, "Initially, the government had a policy where girl students who passed the Higher Secondary final examination with 60% marks and boys with 75% or above were given scooties, but only if they enrolled in government colleges for further studies. However, many students who are attending coaching centres started demanding the same benefit. The government, under pressure, made an exception for them."
This raises an important question: Should policies be made based on demand, or should they be structured to strengthen the education system?
A teacher from a private school talking to GPlus said, " Instead of giving scooties to coaching students, why not improve government schools? If students need extra help, schools should provide it instead of pushing them towards private institutions. The government should focus on making schools better so students don’t feel the need to attend coaching centres."
For now, the debate continues: Should coaching centres be given more importance, or should the focus remain on strengthening schools?
