After 5 days of reopening, coaching classes shut down again

Nagpur: Association of Coaching Institutes (ACI) has expressed disappointment over being asked to shut down, just five days after getting permission to reopen. On Friday evening Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) issued a revised order in which coaching classes were categorized as ‘closed’.
Officials in the civic body told TOI, “In the new order by the government it (coaching classes) is not mentioned. Let’s hope they (state) will relax further in the coming weeks”.
Rajnikant Bondre, a coaching institute owner said, “Education fraternity is totally fed up with the government approach towards our sector. They have spoiled the entire academic session even though it could have been managed in a better way. Government should resign on moral grounds.”
He said this move actually makes students more vulnerable to getting infected in public places. Bondre said, “These students, who could have been sitting for hours inside the safe environment of our coaching institutes, will now be roaming around in public places or visiting friends. Their parents are anyway back to office and these kids are unsupervised because even schools and junior colleges are closed.”
Though permission had been granted to reopen from August 9, not all coaching classes had started physical operations. Most were planning to start full fledged operations after the long weekend.
A coaching institute owner said, “There are a few holidays lined up next week, so thought it’s best to start a little later. Now it seems we did the smart thing because our Maharashtra government just does not want education to reopen. Restaurants, bars, wine shops, paan shops are all functioning but a safe and secure place like coaching institute will definitely spread the virus according to our policy makers.”
Bondre, who is also president of Association of Coaching Institutes (ACI), said with competitive exam NEET coming up soon, physical coaching is need of the hour. “Strangely, students are free to visit restaurants, resorts and many public places. They are even attending schools in rural area but for some reason, they can’t attend coaching classes. There is absolutely no logic in any decision now,” said Bondre.
Another coaching institute owner said, “Students’ mental health has been affected by staying indoors. Tuitions go beyond the regular classes at college and it is the value addition which they provide that can’t be replicated in online platforms. If schools or colleges were so effective then the entire tuition or coaching industry would have collapsed long time ago. By shutting down physical mode of learning in coaching institutes, local authorities and state government has proved that it does not care for students.”
For ACI, the other issue in collector’s order is being clubbed together with schools. Bondre said, “We are a commercial venture, unlike schools that are a not-for-profit venture. How can we be put in the same category? We pay 18% GST and other professional taxes like every other business which has now been allowed to reopen but we are being kept closed,” said Bondre.