Students come out of a private coaching class in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, April 18: Barely a week after her class X board exams, students such as 15-year-old Adwiti Aishwarya, was sucked into the vortex of coaching centres which have which have sprung up in every nook and corner of the city.

“I last had fun about two years ago. I have been immersed in books since Class IX. Nothing much has happened in my life beyond tuitions and school,” Adwiti said.

Tuitions are no longer confined to academically weaker students and, in the last decade, has transformed into a staple for many. In fact, it is becoming more of a norm and a lifestyle choice for the students, irrespective of their academic abilities. Blame it on overzealous parents or demanding teachers who aggressively promote the sense of competition among the younger generation, but cashing in on this obsession are the mushrooming tuition centres.

The trend has assumed such an alarming significance that every family is setting aside a major chunk of their monthly budget on tuition fee of their school-going children. The target is set and nothing less than 90 per cent marks is considered satisfactory for making a mark in a competitive world.

“As parents, we want our child to fair well in exams. Therefore, we are willing to pay through our nose. The coaching centres provide apt study material and have expert teachers who can give them accurate tips and help them prepare for competitive exams,” said Snigdha Mukherjee, mother of a Class X student.

While a huge number of students are becoming dependent on tuitions as supplementary guidance, several others have embraced the idea as a substitute to classroom teaching. “It is unfortunate that some teachers tend to skip a few areas during classes to draw students to private tuitions being offered by them. Those who do not attend tuitions become victims of poor grades or the butt of all criticism during class hours,” said a schoolteacher on the condition of anonymity.

Assistant general manager (East) of IMS Learning Resources, Kumar Mohanty, said: “Education is becoming commercialised and private tuition centres are concentrating on enrolling as many students as they can.”