State seeks to curb integrated coaching

The state government has approached the Union government in order to check the mushrooming of integrated coaching/education institutes across Karnataka.

With no provision in state education rules to regulate such courses and flooded with complaints from parents, the primary and secondary education has written to the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) seeking a regulatory policy at the national level.

Confirming the government’s move, S R Umashankar, principal secretary, Primary and Secondary Education said, “The issue of integrated education is not just related to Karnataka but there are discussions going on at the national level as there is a mention of it in the draft NEP. As the Karnataka Education Act is mute about such institutes, we cannot exert any control over them. Hence, we have written to the HRD ministry seeking action.”

Such institutes, besides imparting coaching in the regular syllabus, train students for professional competitive exams like IIT.

“We are aware that a few of the integrated coaching centres are violating the norms by sending children to other cities for specialised coaching for one complete year besides providing them with 75% attendance. All of these have been explained in the letter. Karnataka is not the lone state but there are other states too with a similar problem,” Umashankar explained.

Officials in the education department told DH that the trend of integrated coaching is only seen in the last three to four years as the Karnataka Education Act is silent about it.

“We are awaiting a reply by Ministry of Human Resource Development. Following the reply, we will discuss with stakeholders and the public before framing a policy,” Umashankar clarified.

Parents have petitioned the government that these colleges charge a fee of anywhere between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 7 lakh a year besides retaining children in classrooms from 6 am to 8.30 pm.

Present status

Currently, integrated coaching centres need not register with the Pre-University Department.

Despite warnings to the private pre-university colleges at the beginning of the academic year to desist from integrated coaching, none of the colleges or coaching institutes has complied with the government's order due to the legal loophole.