The Union Education Ministry in India has issued new guidelines for coaching centers.
Age Restriction:
Coaching centers are prohibited from enrolling students below 16 years of age.
Restrictions on Misleading Practices:
Guidelines prohibit coaching centers from making misleading promises and guaranteeing ranks or good marks.
Objective of Guidelines:
The guidelines aim to establish a legal framework and manage the unregulated growth of private coaching centers.
Legal Consequences for Violations:
Penalties for violations include fines starting at Rs. 25,000, escalating with repeated offenses, and potential registration revocation.
Educational Qualifications for Tutors:
Tutors at coaching centers are required to have a minimum qualification of graduation.
Enrollment Criteria:
Student enrollment is allowed only after completing the secondary school examination.
Counseling System:
Coaching centers are mandated to have a counseling system as per the guidelines.
Website Requirement:
Coaching centers must maintain a website with updated details on tutors' qualifications, courses, duration, hostel facilities, and fees.
Focus on Mental Well-being:
Guidelines recommend conducting classes without undue pressure on students and establishing mechanisms for immediate intervention in distress.
Tuition Fee Fairness:
Tuition fees for different courses must be fair and reasonable, with a refund policy for students leaving courses mid-period.
Registration and Monitoring:
The government proposes registration of coaching centers within three months of guideline implementation for effective monitoring.
Responsibility for Monitoring:
State governments will be responsible for monitoring coaching center activities and verifying their eligibility for registration.
Infrastructure Requirements:
Guidelines address infrastructure requirements and code of conduct for coaching centers.
Definition of Coaching Centers:
The guidelines define coaching centers, distinguishing them from activities such as counseling, sports, dance, theater, and other creative pursuits.
Industry Standardization:
The guidelines reflect the government's efforts to bring structure and accountability to the coaching industry amid its rapid growth and challenges related to student well-being and ethical practices.
NEW DELHI: India's Union Education Ministry has introduced guidelines for coaching centers, emphasizing that they cannot enroll students below 16 years of age.
This key provision is part of efforts to establish a legal framework and manage the uncontrolled growth of private coaching centers. The guidelines also prohibit these institutes from making misleading promises and guaranteeing ranks or good marks. This move reflects a commitment to standardizing the coaching industry and addressing concerns about unregulated practices.
The regulations have also been framed following several complaints received by the government about rising number of student suicides, fire incidents, lack of facilities in these mushrooming coaching centre as well as methodologies of teaching adopted by them.
The guidelines now stipulates that if any coaching center breaches any terms or conditions of registration or general requirements, it will now face penalties, which means Rs. 25,000 for the first violation, Rs 1 lakh for a second offense, and registration revocation for subsequent breaches.
The guidelines also set educational qualifications for tutors, requiring them to have a minimum of a graduation degree. Coaching institutes are not allowed to engage tutors with qualifications less than graduation. Additionally, coaching centres are barred from making misleading promises through advertisements and or guarantees regarding ranks or marks to parents for enrolling students.
The coaching centres cannot hire the services of any tutor or person who has been convicted of any offence involving moral turpitude. An institute will not be registered unless it has a counselling system as per the requirement of these guidelines.
"Coaching centres shall have a website with updated details of the qualification of tutors, courses/curriculum, duration of completion, hostel facilities, and the fees being charged," the guidelines stated.
It also stipulated that due to tough competition and academic pressure on students, coaching centres should take steps for the mental well-being of students and may conduct classes without putting undue pressure on them.
The centres should establish a mechanism for immediate intervention to provide targeted and sustained assistance to students in distress and stressful situations. The competent authority may take steps to ensure that a counselling system is developed by the coaching centre and is easily available for the students and parents, it said.
"Information about the names of psychologists, counsellors and the time they render services may be given to all students and parents. Trained counsellors could be appointed in the coaching centre to facilitate effective guidance and counselling for students and parents," the guidelines stated.
It also mentioned that tutors "may undergo training in mental health issues to convey information effectively and sensitively to students about their areas of improvement".
The guidelines detailing the framework on mental wellbeing comes against the backdrop of student suicides in coaching hub Kota in 2023. The rapid increase in the number of student suicides flagged various issues plaguing the coaching industry.
According to the guidelines, the tuition fees for different courses and curricula being charged shall be fair and reasonable and receipts for the fee charged must be made available.
"If the student has paid for the course in full and is leaving the course in the middle of the prescribed period, a student will be refunded out of the fees deposited earlier for the remaining period on a pro-rata basis within 10 days.
"If the student was staying in the hostel of the coaching centre then the hostel fees and mess fee etc. will also be refunded. Under no circumstances, the fee based on which enrolment has been made for a particular course and duration shall be increased during the course of the course," it said.
To ensure proper monitoring of the coaching institutes, the government has proposed registration of new and existing centres within three months after the guidelines come into effect.
The state government will be responsible for monitoring the activities of the coaching centre and enquiring about any coaching centre regarding the fulfilment of required eligibility of registration and satisfactory activities of the coaching centre.
The guideline also focuses on infrastructure requirements and code of conduct of these coaching centres.
It also defined the term coaching – as tuition, instructions or guidance in any branch of learning imparted to more than 50 students but does not include counselling, sports, dance, theatre and other creative activities.
It also said that ‘coaching center’ includes a center, established, run, or administered by any person to provide coaching for any study programme or competitive examinations or academic support to students at school, college, and university level, for more than 50 students.
