Mumbai: Coaching classes to have minimum benchmarks

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While the state government is yet to frame a policy to regulate the functioning of coaching classes across the city, the Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA) has gone a step forward and decided to prepare a charter of minimum operating standards, which would also help them to become a self-regulatory body.

Starting from minimum fee structure to minimum qualification for teachers, specific standards to ensure fire safety and provide hygienic learning conditions, all of it will be mentioned in the charter. The MCOA took the decision at a conclave held on Saturday. According to sources, the objective of the conclave was to discuss the survival of coaching classes in this hyper-competitive market. More than 300 owners of different coaching classes from Vasai-Virar-Dahanu and Mira-Bhyander zone attended the event, which would be held in other parts of the city too.

Speaking to mid-day, Sachin Karnavat, president of MCOA, said, "The association wants to become a self-regulatory body so that there are minimum standards of functioning, which will give this industry the respect it deserves. This is why we are working on the minimum quality benchmark."

Other topics discussed at the conclave included adopting technology, offering supplementary skill education to children to increase employability among all. Karnavat further said, "There isn't an option of not having coaching classes, because it's the need of the time. But with setting up of coaching classes becoming so easy, we do not want the standards to go down. This is why the least we can do is bring in a minimum benchmark so that students from across the city receive quality education." While the association is still working on the basic charter of minimum benchmarks, it would be finalised soon.

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