'Coaching Classes:' Gateway to a Bright Career

Avadhani, Ramesh, The World and I

One aspect of education in India that's becoming more and more conspicuous is the plethora of 'coaching classes.' Be it Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai or even a smaller town like Lucknow, you can't fail to see them--either advertised on a billboard or in the local newspaper. I assumed that such classes were almost always conducted by retired school or college teachers but I was in for a big surprise when I went to meet a couple of them.

Take the case of Sanjay Kumar Singh who runs the rather grandiosely named Albert Einstein Classes in Lucknow. Soon after post graduation in physics, Sanjay appeared for the reputed Indian Administrative Services entrance examination but failed to score the required marks. Undeterred, he wrote the exams again the following year--and failed. Realizing he hadn't obtained appropriate guidance for the examination, he decided to help students succeed in such competitive examinations. "That's how my coaching institute was born. My failure led me to success."

He and his colleague, the rather stern-looking DK Singh who teaches computer science, have coached over a thousand boys and girls in these last ten years. The success rate is well over 70% in students appearing for entrance tests to nationally renowned medical and engineering colleges. "We also prepare students for the 12th standard school-leaving examinations," added Sanjay. More than 90% of such students have scored distinction. He plans to open another center next year.

Sanjay has 150 students drawn from top schools like St Francis Intermediate, City Montessori School, Jaipuria, Delhi Public School, Lucknow Public School, Loreto Convent, and even the renowned La Martiniere. "Quite a few are from the middle class. Some are from poor families. We don't …

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Publication information: Article title: 'Coaching Classes:' Gateway to a Bright Career. Contributors: Avadhani, Ramesh - Author. Magazine title: The World and I. Volume: 25. Issue: 11 Publication date: November 2010. Page number: Not available. © 1999 News World Communications, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2010 Gale Group.

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