Coaching class owners meet edu minister, want to resume physical sessions

MUMBAI: As schools and colleges are reopening in the state, coaching classes too want the government to allow them to resume offline classes. The Maharashtra Class Owners Association met the higher and technical education minister, Uday Samant and submitted their Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) while putting forth their demand.
Schools in the state, except for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region have reopened for classes VI to XII while colleges are set to resume physical sessions from February 15. However, the state is yet to allow coaching classes to reopen.
The association’s representatives on Monday met Samant demanding permission for the same. The group will also meet school education minister Varsha Gaikwad. “Not only are the students losing out on examinations preparation that mostly happens at coaching classes, but the coaching classes have only few students signing up for the next academic year. Most class owners are unable to operate with the very few students. If the classes continue to remain shut, we might not be able to sustain ourselves. A lot of teachers, administrative staff might lose their jobs. We are also losing out on our rented spaces because we are unable to pay the landlords,” said Santosh Vasakar, president of the association.

The association has drafted a SoP for coaching classes and home tuitions which its members will follow to ensure student safety. Among the procedure is RT-PCR tests for staff, allowing only one student per bench, requiring students to carry a bottle of water and sanitizer, ensuring social distancing and reporting to the authorities in case a student or staff member shows symptoms of Covid-19. “We are willing to follow all safety measures to ensure the reopening doesn’t impact anyone adversely,” said Vasakar.