The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuition menace continues unabated

Doraha, June 6
With the tuition menace continuing unabated, schools and colleges have apparently failed to cater to the learning needs of the students. The latter, who are bewildered by an increasing pressure to excel, have made such coaching centres much sought-after places.

The tuition menace has enveloped the entire education scenario. The ‘business’ has proved lucrative for tutors. A school teacher, who pockets Rs 4,000 to 5,000 per month from his job, earns four times more from the tuition business. Housewives, who want to busy themselves in part-time jobs, also take up tuition work. Besides morning and evening shifts, even vacations are spent in earning big money.

Such coaching centres are easily identifiable in the city. A couple of two-wheelers or even four-wheelers, parked outside a house, indicate such centres. These ‘shops’ have a way of luring students by promising them “sure success.”

Parents feel that their children are being regularly tutored. Their ambition for their children to score well finds an easy outlet at these centres. The parents feel that tuition can help their children to be regular in their studies. “We can’t let our children lag behind. Only a tutor can give them the right help”.

Teachers at schools and colleges encourage the continuation of the system. A school teacher said on condition of anonymity that some of the teachers did not answer the queries inquisitive children. They coerced them into taking private tuitions from them. The students who fail to take tuitions from such teachers were humiliated in the class and underwent a lot of mental stress.

Students who willingly join these coaching centres, however, feel that they simply can not do without them. They feel, “Regular tests and evaluation keeps us on our toes. Moreover, we get personal attention and our doubts are clarified in a better way. As our school teachers entirely leave us to ourselves, we are left at the mercy of our private tutors.”

There are such institutions where tuitions are discouraged, but the children care a fig as the real instigators are the parents and, in some cases, the teachers.

GGNIMT signs MoU with UK college
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 6
The Gujranwala Guru Nanak Institute of Management and Technology (GGNIMT) has entered in collaboration with City College, Birmingham, (UK), and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here yesterday. Under the programme, City College would open its study centre at GGNIMT and the students would be taught courses from City College.

“We have entered in the collaboration after minutely assessing the management, faculty and standard of infrastructure being offered by this institute,” said Mr Snowdon Reid international officer development of the college. The GGNIMT and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, signed an MoU later in the evening at Jalandhar.

The curriculum director of the college, Ms Anne Davaney, while interacting with the institute’s faculty, expressed satisfaction over the Indian system of education. She said, “Fiftyone per cent of our student are black and from ethnic origin and many of them are Indians. We are offering more than 1,000 academic and vocational courses and a few of them will be made available in this institute.”

The annual fee of City College is £ 3,000. The team later had a lengthy discussion with the director of the institute, Mr Kuldip Singh, and the coordinator, Mr Gurwant Singh Dua.

Devotional songs’ album released
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, June 6
Shiv Bhardwaj’s devotional VCD “Ghar Aao Maa” (T-Series) was released by the Rashtriya Vikas Manch at a function held here yesterday. Bhardwaj is a renowned singer and son of Mr Manjit Rai Bhardwaj. He has dedicated himself to devotional singing.

This VCD shows Bhardwaj singing devotional songs in praise of Mata Vaishno Devi, Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman. Mr Gurinder Sood, national president of the RVM, along with Mr Ravi Raj Soi, Mr Shiv Soni and Ms Rajni Jain wished Bhardwaj success for his new album.