Coaching centres :
Private coaching centres are responsible for the deterioration of the quality of education in the country. These are involved in all sorts of unethical activities, including leakage of question papers. The proliferation of coaching centres, which has rendered many schools and colleges almost redundant, is a long identified problem. But no worthwhile measures have been adopted so far to contain it for the benefit of all concerned. Obviously, the problem originates from the unmistakable truth that most of the schools or colleges, even in the cities, do not impart the kind of education that students need for doing well in exams. The teachers themselves are found to be involved in the business of setting up coaching centres and compelling their students to attend it. The poor guardians find themselves in a very awkward position, as they know that good results are as important as acquiring knowledge in today’s context. And they do not want their wards to develop any kind of antagonism with their teachers.
Only that can explain the growth of coaching centres at the cost of education based on moral and ethical values. Coaching centres favour the affluent, as money becomes the sole determinant factor in the development of a student’s academic career. The honest and the less affluent suffer as they can neither pay the hefty amounts charged by such centres, nor can they send their children to the best schools where tuition fees are too high.
The education system based on coaching centres has certainly led to crass commercialisation of education, with all its concomitant ills. Is this a problem that we will have to live with perpetually?
A plethora of suggestions and recommendations have come our way insofar as lessening the influence of such parallel educational institutions is concerned. Obviously, the rot set in long ago and it might just not be easy to set things right quickly. Most of the schools do not have good teachers, and the situation is critical in rural areas. This is the crux of the problem which has to be addressed in right earnest. Teaching has to be turned into an acceptable profession.
The education authorities must be aware of the acute shortage of qualified teachers, but they have not yet succeeded in creating the conditions where we will have qualified and efficient school and college teachers. A breakthrough in this respect is the crying need of the hour.
Private coaching centres are responsible for the deterioration of the quality of education in the country. These are involved in all sorts of unethical activities, including leakage of question papers. The proliferation of coaching centres, which has rendered many schools and colleges almost redundant, is a long identified problem. But no worthwhile measures have been adopted so far to contain it for the benefit of all concerned. Obviously, the problem originates from the unmistakable truth that most of the schools or colleges, even in the cities, do not impart the kind of education that students need for doing well in exams. The teachers themselves are found to be involved in the business of setting up coaching centres and compelling their students to attend it. The poor guardians find themselves in a very awkward position, as they know that good results are as important as acquiring knowledge in today’s context. And they do not want their wards to develop any kind of antagonism with their teachers.
Only that can explain the growth of coaching centres at the cost of education based on moral and ethical values. Coaching centres favour the affluent, as money becomes the sole determinant factor in the development of a student’s academic career. The honest and the less affluent suffer as they can neither pay the hefty amounts charged by such centres, nor can they send their children to the best schools where tuition fees are too high.
The education system based on coaching centres has certainly led to crass commercialisation of education, with all its concomitant ills. Is this a problem that we will have to live with perpetually?
A plethora of suggestions and recommendations have come our way insofar as lessening the influence of such parallel educational institutions is concerned. Obviously, the rot set in long ago and it might just not be easy to set things right quickly. Most of the schools do not have good teachers, and the situation is critical in rural areas. This is the crux of the problem which has to be addressed in right earnest. Teaching has to be turned into an acceptable profession.
The education authorities must be aware of the acute shortage of qualified teachers, but they have not yet succeeded in creating the conditions where we will have qualified and efficient school and college teachers. A breakthrough in this respect is the crying need of the hour.
Tanim
Dhanmondi, Dhaka
