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It is a universal experience for kids in India to have studied in coaching centres. Thousands of older teens and young adults have formed friendships, created memories, and more through these coaching centres.
While some may have positive memories, others may have negative ones. But what about those students who could never go to a coaching centre? Are these students who are preparing for the same competitive exams at a disadvantage? What are these coaching centres teaching that schools seem to lack? Is there even any benefit to going to a coaching centre?
While none of these pressing questions have an answer yet, we may soon be able to find out.
Take a look at some other educational blogs here:
Analyzing Why Students Rely on Coaching Centres
In a move that could reshape the very fabric of our secondary schools, the Ministry of Education has announced the formation of a nine‑member panel under the leadership of Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi. Its mandate is to investigate why so many students feel compelled to rely on private coaching centres when preparing for high‑stakes entrance exams such as the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). Early reports suggest that the panel will explore multiple dimensions of this reliance, relating both to what happens inside the classroom and what happens beyond school walls.
According to insiders, the panel will begin its inquiry by examining curriculum alignment across state boards, central boards and the syllabi used by leading coaching institutes. The expectation is that significant overlaps and gaps create a mismatch so severe that families feel school alone is insufficient.
Investigators will also turn their attention to so‑called “dummy schools,” institutions that exist in name only while students spend their days in external tuition centres. At the same time, the panel intends to evaluate whether entrance exams are truly testing analytical and creative skills rather than rote memorisation, and it will look closely at coaching centres’ promotional tactics that showcase only top scorers as proof of success.
How this Affects Us
Finally, there will be an assessment of the quality and availability of career counselling in schools, to broaden students’ awareness of options beyond the traditional engineering or medical routes.
For teachers, this initiative represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Many educators have lamented the loss of instructional time when students arrive late after early‑morning coaching sessions or leave early to catch evening classes. Should the panel recommend integrating supplementary academic support into the regular school timetable, teachers could reclaim those hours and offer enriched lessons or hands‑on activities within school premises. A renewed emphasis on formative in‑class assessments could enable them to provide timely feedback, shift away from the teach‑to‑the‑test mentality and rebuild genuine engagement with core subjects.
Principals, too, stand to gain from the panel’s findings. Armed with clear data on curriculum relevance and student needs, they can reassure concerned parents that their schools are fully capable of preparing learners for entrance examinations. By publicising transparent performance metrics and sharing examples of innovative classroom practices, leadership teams can strengthen community trust and discourage families from seeking external alternatives. Moreover, if the panel secures funding for targeted professional development, principals could arrange workshops on problem‑based learning, critical‑thinking strategies and multimedia instruction to upskill their staff.
Looking at the Next Big Shift
Ultimately, while regulations and oversight will set the stage for change, the most impactful shift can happen right in our classrooms. Project‑based learning offers a proven pathway to reduce students’ dependence on coaching by immersing them in real‑world problems that demand interdisciplinary research, collaboration and higher‑order thinking.
Whether learners are designing a water‑filtration prototype for their neighbourhood or developing a data‑driven report on local traffic patterns, these extended projects build the analytical and communication skills that entrance exams seek to assess. When students present their work to peers, subject‑matter experts or community stakeholders, they gain confidence, ownership and the intrinsic motivation that no scripted coaching module can replicate.
As teachers and principals, we are uniquely positioned to champion project‑based learning as the heart of our pedagogy rather than an optional add‑on. By weaving sustained, meaningful projects into every subject area, we demonstrate that rigorous school education is not an alternative to coaching but the very foundation of lasting academic success.
The panel’s work may guide policy, but true transformation begins when we place inquiry, creativity and passion at the centre of every lesson.
