The Directorate of School Education (DSE) of Chandigarh, led by newly appointed nodal officer Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar, met with the heads of 15 prominent coaching facilities to discuss the Union Ministry of Education’s recommendations for regulating coaching centres. The purpose of this gathering was to get input from coaching centres on the new regulations.
During the debate, the leaders of the coaching centres emphasised the importance of flexibility in working during school hours, particularly to help students prepare for postgraduate and higher-level exams. They also expressed reservations about specific standards, such as the obligation to provide one square metre of space per kid in classes, claiming that this would be difficult to achieve across all centres.
In response, DSE Brar clarified that the primary goal of these regulations is to ensure the safety and well-being of students, rather than to impose strict controls on the operations of coaching centres. He encouraged the centres to submit their suggestions in writing for further consideration.
Other significant components of the rules were discussed during the conference, including the requirement for coaching facilities to register on the NIC site and adherence to current legislation, such as the option for fee refunds.
As part of the ongoing consultation process, the Chandigarh Education Department intends to meet with parents in the next week to get feedback on the recommendations. Chandigarh is the first Union Territory or state in India to begin adopting these federal recommendations, which were issued earlier this year.
With the new role, the DSE now holds the authority to impose fines or even cancel the registration of non-compliant coaching centres. Additionally, coaching centres will be required to renew their registration with the UT every three years.
