Each coaching centre earns Tk 100 cr annually
Golam Mostafa Jibon: Thousands of named and unnamed coaching traders across the country have become active again in the beginning of New Year. They are carrying massive campaigns using banners, leaflets and posters to attract the students despite the government ban.
They distribute leaflets and prospectus among the students and their guardians taking shelter in front of different educational institutions. Even, some of them are using the images of former and incumbent education ministers in the leaflets to proof their muscle power.
Though, the government imposed ban on coaching business especially by the teachers, the effort is not coming to effect as there is no monitoring activity by the authorities concerned.
Taking the advantage, a section of unscrupulous people including teachers is running brisk business over education. They are also supplying various types of printed note and guide books to the students in the name of hand notes.
In an investigation, this correspondent comes to know that, people from district and upazila level are hiring the names of different coaching centers like Shahin coaching, Shahid coaching, Ambition, Shreejon, Anushilon, Shafollyo and Daffodil, which are known as highly circulated across the country. Later, they are opening branches of those at district and upazila levels so that students and their guardians are attracted to the coaching centers on the basis of names. Such coaching centers’ owners collect students saying their institutions are branches of Dhaka based prominent coaching centers.
There is a complaint that, education administration doesn’t take action against those except like a visitor.
It is to be mentioned that, the government formulated a policy in 2012 with a view to stop coaching business. But, the effort did not come to work as class teachers of most educational institutions force the students to go to their coaching centers. If any student declines to go to the coaching, he or she faces various threats even gets low marks in the class and school exams.
During a recent visit to different parts of the Dhaka city, this correspondent found that, Abdul Halim Patwary, also a BNP supporter, owner of UCC Coaching center and founder of Abdul Halim Patwary Foundation established many billboards at different places in the city greeting to the education minister Dr Dipu Moni. Behind the greetings, he is basically carrying the campaign of his coaching centers so that students and their guardians are attracted to the UCC, which have over 300 branches in around 61 districts.
On the other hand, Udvas coaching is running brisk business across the country opening around 50 branches, while Saifur’s are running business by opening over 100 branches. Each of the coaching traders earns over Tk 100 crore each year, locals said.
Prof. Sheikh Ikramul Kabir, former DG of NAEM and Secretary General of the then National Education Policy-2010 forming committee said, “It is not possible to prevent coaching trade by imposing any law or applying force. There is needed self-perception. If there was proper law and its application, the trade of coaching, note and guide books would stop more ago. “
Police sources said, they produced a list of 488 coaching centers in Dhaka on October last. Of them, some 46 are located in Ramna, 51 in Lalbagh, 96 in Motijheel, 52 in Wary, 20 in Gulshan, 64 in Tejgaon, 88 in Mirpur and 31 in Uttara area.
RAB also conducted drives at different coaching centers in the last few months and fined some of the coaching owners. However, the coaching trade is running open secrete on the top of nose of the concerned authorities still now.
Civil society members urged the government to take steps to stop such coaching centers right now for the sake of students.
