Don't forget us, coaching classes tell Maharashtra government

Coaching classes say in-person classes will also give students a breather from screen time. Representational pic

If schools are reopening, why can't coaching classes resume too? After the state government said the former would reopen after Diwali, some in the coaching classes sector are going to consider it as a green light for them, while some have demanded clarity.

The government's latest decision has sparked discussions among various stakeholders. "The standards allowed to resume include two crucial board exam years. We have been holding online classes. But resuming in-person classes will be a great help," said a coaching class owner from Dahisar. "School and coaching classes together are leading to major screen time for children. Reopening coaching classes will give kids a breather and us an opportunity to organise practice tests and sessions to solve doubts," owner of another coaching class said.

"The government specifically mentioned coaching classes while closing things down. Now they have forgotten about us," said Sachin Karnavat, president of Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA). He continued, "Not only should government include coaching institutes in their guidelines, but they should also provide clarity for all standards. They have issued guidelines for standards IX-XII, but what about college students? There should be uniformity."

Karnavat said that of the 98,000 coaching classes in the state, 20,000 closed down amid the lockdown. The industry and its allied businesses suffered an estimated Rs 10,000-crore loss.

Rural areas suffered more

Coaching classes in rural areas found it especially difficult to cope. "In rural Maharashtra, coaching classes were closed with no easy access to facilities for online learning. There were several consequences - some classes shut down, many teachers lost their jobs. The government cannot skip this major industry," said a coaching class owner who has a business on Mumbai outskirts.'

Bandopant Bhuyar, president, Coaching Classes Teachers Association, said, "It is established how important coaching classes are. In many cases, students and parents rely more on them. There are lakhs of coaching classes across the state and thousands of teachers working in this sector. If the government is issuing guidelines for senior standards to reopen in schools, it should provide clarity for coaching institutes too." Around 5 lakh teachers are dependent on coaching classes, he added.

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