Mumbai: State Education Minister Vinod Tawde announced on Friday that the government will close down junior colleges instituted by private coaching classes, where the actual teaching takes place in the classes and not in the colleges.
Mr. Tawde was responding to a calling-attention motion in the Assembly over the syllabus taught in State and central board schools. “The State Education Department noticed that some students with high scores in Class X had sought admission to ordinary colleges. As we dug further, the department came to know that these students had enrolled in colleges instituted by private coaching classes. The coaching classes charge the students exorbitant fees. Hence, we have decided to close them down.”
The Minister added that the State would introduce measures like biometric attendance for students and an attendance audit, and mandatory attendance in government-run or -aided colleges from the next academic year.
Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray later asked who would investigate the scam of integrated coaching classes. “Who is responsible for this? Will the colleges and classes face action from the government over this scam? And most importantly, why did the government neglect the issue until it was exposed by Yuva Sena’s sting operation?” Mr. Thackeray asked.
Earlier this month, Yuva Sena had carried out sting operations in three city colleges, offering such “integrated courses” despite a Bombay High Court order against the same in December 2016.
The Maharashtra Coaching Classes Owners’ Association (MCCOA) had moved the High Court against colleges allegedly running the integrated programmes. “We moved the court because the education department had failed to take any action. It is basically against the ethics of the college industry. Colleges are becoming a factory to provide certificates. They are not educating students, but only interested in earning money,” Narendra Bhambwani, vice-president, MCCOA, told The Hindu .
He said that the business had grown into a ₹2,500-crore industry, leaving students and parents vulnerable, and at the mercy of the college and the single coaching class attached to it.
Bridging syllabus gap
Meanwhile, while commenting on the State board syllabus, Mr. Tawde said, “As of now, the syllabi of the State board, CBSE and ICSE are almost same. But the State board syllabus is divided into compartments; for instance the Class IX course is not taught in Class X. But in other boards, the subjects are taught in a holistic way. We are making some changes in the syllabus to bridge the gap between the State board and CBSE.”
The Minister also said that new Class IX textbooks have been printed as required, and no student will be left without a textbook.
