student mental health

The Ministry of Education has constituted a nine-member committee to investigate the growing dependence of students on coaching centres, the phenomenon of ‘dummy schools,’ and the integrity and fairness of competitive entrance exams like JEE and NEET, officials confirmed. Chaired by Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, the committee will delve into systemic shortcomings within the school education framework that push students towards coaching hubs. The panel will examine the limited emphasis on critical thinking, analytical reasoning, innovation, and conceptual understanding in traditional schooling — factors that fuel rote learning and, in turn, coaching culture. One major concern to be addressed is the rise of ‘dummy schools’ — institutions where students enroll merely for board exam eligibility while devoting their full attention to intensive coaching. These setups allow aspirants to bypass classroom learning altogether, focusing solely on entrance exam preparation. Many also exploit state domicile criteria through such enrollments to gain regional admission advantages, such as eligibility for the Delhi state quota in medical colleges. “The committee will study how dummy schools undermine formal education and promote exclusive dependence on coaching. It will recommend ways to address this growing issue,” a senior ministry official said. The panel will also scrutinize the current model of entrance exams to assess their fairness and relevance in the context of mainstream schooling. It will investigate whether the absence of formative assessments and a weak focus on concept clarity in school systems are inadvertently supporting the proliferation of coaching institutes. Another key focus area is the imbalance between the rising demand for quality higher education and the limited seats available in top institutions — a gap that often drives students toward costly and stressful coaching environments. The panel’s mandate also includes evaluating students’ and parents’ awareness of diverse career opportunities beyond elite engineering and medical colleges. It aims to assess the status of career counselling mechanisms in schools and recommend strategies to enhance career guidance systems nationwide. Alongside Vineet Joshi, the committee comprises the CBSE chairperson, joint secretaries from the school and higher education ministries, representatives from IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, NIT Trichy, NCERT, and principals from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Navodaya Vidyalaya, and a private school. This initiative follows increasing concerns over the coaching industry’s practices, including rising student suicides, fire hazards, inadequate infrastructure, and questionable teaching methods. The government hopes the panel’s findings will lead to more balanced, student-centric reforms in education and examination systems. Source: PTI