By Our Special Correspondent

Goa, which has the second highest literacy rate of 75 per cent in the country, has an equally impressive education chart. The 15-lakh strong state has over 2,250 institutions from primary to college with an annual enrolment figure touching three lakhS. But not all is well on the educational front.

Classroom education is being supplemented by private coaching classes. These institutions have mushroomed by the dozens with employed teachers making additional thousands under the guise of ‘personalized attention’. The ever-increasing competition, examination-centred education system and efforts on the part of the parents to obtain maximum marks for their wards have made private tuitions very expensive. The market of private tuition classes has expanded in such a big way that it has become a major business. A business that needed to be controlled if not abolished.

Though the Maharashtra government was the first to make the move to curtail the practice, it was the Goa government that took the cue and decided to streamline coaching classes while debarring any teacher of government or aided school to conduct private tuitions. The Goa Coaching Classes (regulation) Act, 2001 was enforced which made registration of coaching classes in the state mandatory. It includes tuitions from kindergarten level to post-graduation. The legislation which has provision for punitive action against such teachers including fine, punishment and even imprisonment is a cognisable offence. Defaulters could be made to cough up as much as Rs 50,000. The last date for registration of private coaching classes with the Directorate of Education (DoE) was August 31 and the department received over 150 applications.

A TOUGH LESSON: The Private coaching classes and Tutors Association hold deliberations in the city to chalk out an action plan.

But the implementation of the Act has rubbed the coaching community on the wrong shoulder. The 80-member strong Private Coaching Classes and Tutors Association of Goa have sent a communiqué to the authorities of the Education Department to lift the restrictions, failing which it would seek the help of the judiciary, stated the Association Vice-President, Anthony D’Silva.

The Act stipulates the number of students that can be accommodated in each batch, the fee structure per subject and the maximum fee chargeable and even the area of the teaching hall. What has infuriated the community is the fee structure, which they say is ridiculously low. “One must understand that tuition classes are like any other business venture and should be given the right to fix their own fee as they realize what their services are worth. The ultimate demand for a particular class would depend upon various market forces such as quality of the education, competition etc, averred, the President of the Association, Sabino Cotta. “The circular issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) in this respect is totally unjust,” he said. He opined that the skilled, semi-skilled and the unskilled tutors are all treated by the government in the same measure with same restrictions imposed over them.

“The motive behind the ceiling that the poor and needy cannnot afford tuitions is far fetched. We do not fleece the students. Infact I do not charge some of my poor students. Cotta revealed. “It is obvious that the government has fully realized that they cannot impart quality education in schools neither can they improve the standard of the teachers in the schools and so it wants private classes to share their burden,” he added.

“Rather than targeting private classes, the Directorate of Education should take the responsibility of providing quality education so that a student does not require external tuitions. Which is not the case as most employed teachers neglect students in the classroom and encourage them to take tuitions with them, he said. This should be stopped. We do not employ teachers that are on school rolls, Cotta said. Adding to this the vice-president, D’Silva said that the DoE circular regarding restrictions on the private coaching classes has not mentioned whether the restrictions pertain to the teachers of the government-aided schools or private self-employed tutors. Why should we be clubbed along with them, he questioned.

Over the years, a number of complaints have been lodged with the Education Department by the parents that the teachers in general are neglecting their students in the schools and concentrating on their students at the tuition classes.
In fact, the vicious circle can be compared to the government doctors who also indulge in private practice, one source pointed out. If an allowance is introduced for remedial teaching hours, then the employed teachers may have no objection for the same, the source suggested.

This apart, the government has improved the status of the teaching community. It has reduced retirement age of teachers to 58, and has implemented part B of the fifth pay commission, which deals with various schemes for the teaching community, the source revealed.

Though this Act which was primarily aimed at controlling employed teachers from engaging in private tuitions who seem to take the flak are the private coaching classes. The only beneficiaries will be the students if all goes well.

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