PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Geeta Khanna laid stress on the need for mandatory guidelines for coaching institutes. This statement follows a disturbing incident in Dehradun in which a student’s ligaments were allegedly damaged after a teacher at a coaching centre made him perform 400 sit-ups.
Khanna said that upon receiving information about this incident, the commission has taken a stern note of the cruelty the child was subjected to. “A letter has been sent to senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ajai Singh, urging him to take stringent action regarding this matter. Moreover, the commission has summoned the owners and management of the institute for questioning,” she added.
She further said that the commission is also concerned about irregularities and deficiencies prevailing in the teaching methods being followed by these institutes. “We received numerous complaints against such institutes in the past, including arbitrary fee collection, overcrowding, unhealthy studying conditions for the children and neglect of academic education. We also intervened in some of these cases,” she said.
Khanna expressed concern over some coaching centres ignoring the norms of school education. “This is harmful to the overall development, mental health and life skills of children,” she said.
“This is why the commission is of the firm view that there must be mandatory guidelines for the coaching institutes, especially those dealing with school children. Further, a clear and binding guideline system is necessary for children residing in hostels, particularly for those coming from other states,” Khanna noted.
Through a formal letter written to the State government, the commission has urged the chief minister to firm up a special policy and monitoring mechanism for coaching institutes to safeguard the educational rights and safety of the studying children.
