Coaching centres cannot enroll students below age of 16: Government new rules

Coaching Centres cannot enroll students below age of 16: The Ministry of Education has introduced new rules and guidelines stating that coaching centres are not allowed to admit students below the age of 16. Admission procedures will only be permissible after the successful completion of the secondary school examination. 

These regulations have been formulated to establish a legal framework and address the uncontrolled expansion of private coaching centers. The government's decision is in response to complaints about issues such as student suicides, fire incidents, inadequate facilities, and teaching methodologies in coaching centers.

Objective of the Guidelines 

To provide guidelines for the regulation of coaching centres for better guidance and assistance to the students in any study programme, competitive examinations, or academic support.

Need for the Guidelines 

• To provide framework for registration and regulation of coaching centres 
• To suggest minimum standard requirements to run a coaching centres 
• To safeguard the interest of students enrolled in coaching centres 
• To advise coaching centers’ focus on co-curricular activities as well for holistic development of students 
• To provide career guidance and psychological counseling for mental well-being of the students

Conditions for Registration 

No coaching center shall – 

• Engage tutors having qualification less than graduation
• Make misleading promises or guarantee of rank or good marks to parents/students for enrolling them in the coaching center. 
• Enroll student below 16 years of age or the student enrolment should be only after secondary school examination. 
• Be registered, if it has less than minimum space requirement per student. 
• Hire the services of any tutor or person who has been convicted for any offence involving moral turpitude. 
• Be registered unless it has counseling system as per the requirement of this guidelines. 

According to the guidelines, coaching centres could face penalties for violating the rules. For the first offense, a penalty of Rs 25,000 is proposed, followed by Rs one lakh for a second offense. Subsequent offenses could lead to the revocation of registration. These penalties are specifically targeted at instances where coaching centers charge exorbitant fees, causing undue stress that may result in student suicides or engaging in other malpractices.