The other day, I observed a tiny tot not more than 30 months old who was trudging along forlornly with her mother, the little one was on her way to tuition classes! When the child's mother was enquired about the nature and the necessity of tuitions for an otherwise chirpy child, I was told that the young one was being trained to write the alphabet and numbers and learn some rudimentary vocabulary and rhymes so that she could admit the child in a high profile school in the kindergarten section!

If you happen to interact with the educated people who have stepped out of the portals of their educational institutions three or four decades ago, they will tell you that tuition classes were not a novelty to them, but then the students who attended these classes were considered to be dullards. The students availed special classes in subjects which were their weak points to make up their performance in key examinations. When this scenario is compared to a contemporary one, you will find the best tuition centres and individual tuition teachers carefully select their students, sometimes after an entrance test especially when they take pride in the fact that, their coaching is result oriented in "public exams" at the level of the tenth and twelfth standards.

Well, if you do observe the lives of school and college-going students belonging to all age groups you will find that besides attending their respective schools and colleges more than eighty per cent of the students attend tuition classes in order to supplement their learning at their institutions. When students are in classes that are milestones in their educational journey the graph showing the number of students attending extra coaching classes touches an all time high. Parents, teachers and the students themselves do not find the situation to be anomalous. Just about everyone concerned have accepted availing tuition classes as an integral part of their learning days. When students attend tuition classes, their teachers or the institutions they study in do not consider the phenomenon to be an indirect remark on the performance of their duty. In fact, you will find that many teachers who work in various institutions themselves run these classes to supplement their income while helping students to hone their skills. If one takes a survey on the subject it will become obvious that the one main characteristic feature that is common among the students of rural and urban India happens to be these extra classes though they are termed and treated differently in either place.

When teachers, students and parents were consulted on the relevance of coaching classes, they all reflected one common way of thinking. None of them wanted to risk not taking tuition classes by way of a hasty decision and then repent in leisure. Most teachers work very hard and see to that they reach every pupil in the class and help them out academically, but then just about every class has a percentage of students who will simply not learn or put in efforts construing to the expectations of the teacher or the requirement of the subject. In such cases, the teachers and the institutions do not want their students to fail and hence are not averse to their students taking up tuitions. Parents are sometimes advised to put their   coaching classes conducted after school hours by the teachers.

Though many parents and the public at large consider that conducting such classes amount to a money making racket, one must not forget that they are precisely the people who help it thrive. The most calculative among parents and even parents who are constantly struggling with their budget admit that they do not want to be proved to be "penny wise pound foolish" hence they put their children into tuition classes. There are several parents who are away at work or on business most of the time and they do not want their children to suffer from want of their academic attention. In such cases, even the most educated parents prefer to put their child in the care of a tuition teacher to supplement their absence. Then there is another category of parents who send their little children to tuitions because they think they can save on day care expenses while the child reinforces his learning at a tuition centre.

When the students of various age groups were consulted on their stand on tuition classes, nobody seemed to like them much. These classes meant more reading, writing and learning and less fun and games and yet most children go to these centres reluctantly because they believe that it will do them a world of good. It was surprising to note that some children actually felt slighted and neglected when they were not put into these classes when just about all their classmates were attending the classes. When these children were asked what happened in these classes, they revealed that they completed their homework and assignment in these classes besides practising what was taught in classrooms earlier on during the day. Though the thought of spending two to three hours a day on tuitions is a tiring experience it was surprising to note that none of them dared to drop out of the classes for they dreaded the thought of studying on their own especially if they were in the tenth or twelfth standards. These students actually forego their vacation and put in several hours of study hoping to do well in the rat race they are running in.

Huge portions, limited study hours in institutions, unforeseen holidays and events sometimes do not permit the subject teachers at schools and colleges to complete the portions with uniform intensity. These shortcomings are usually made up in tuition classes. Besides the large number of students in a classroom makes it difficult for some students to grapple the basics of a subject which is set right in the coaching classes.

These students do not undergo the travails of tuition classes fro nothing; apparently many students who received extra coaching from their own teachers at school or college are suitably prepared for answering "important questions". Many tuition centres train them thoroughly to beat the system. Teachers who conduct tuition classes feel that they need not plead guilty for carrying out their trade because the students who are trained under them invariably experience a gradient growth curve which translates into their academic success.
When all factors are taken into consideration, it becomes obvious that the tuition culture is here to stay. Besides qualified teachers, educated housewives, retired teachers and professionals have taken up teaching during their free time. The time has come when every street and every block of flats has a tuition teacher who teaches various subjects to various age groups of students.