How many tuition or coaching centres are there in Bengaluru? A simple internet search for SSLC/ PUC or other subject coaching centres in Bengaluru will throw thousands of results at you. No one knows the exact number.

Yet, of all these tutorials, only 28 are legal, while the rest are functioning illegally, right under the nose of Education department!

Information collected by Citizen Matters from various education departments has revealed that only a handful of tutorials in the city have obtained necessary permission from the department to operate. Majority of the coaching centres that promise to give a bright future to students are functioning in complete violation of Karnataka Tutorial Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2001.

What do the Tutorial Rules say?

According to the Karnataka Tutorial Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Rules, 2001, every tutorial has to submit an application to the concerned branch of Education Department seeking registration of the centre within 90 days of commencing the institution. Here are other conditions.

• The centres can function only if the department approves the registration after inspecting the centre. Approval is given if the particular coaching centre meets certain criteria as prescribed in the Rules, including infrastructure facility, sufficient faculty members, proper maintenance etc.
• The tutorial institution seeking registration has to pay an amount ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000, to the concerned department, as registration fee. Tutorials offering coaching upto lower primary institutions should pay a fee of Rs 5,000. Secondary school coaching should pay a fee of Rs 10,000. PU, degree and other courses should pay Rs 25,000.
• The registration has to be done with the concerned department itself. That is, tutorials for primary and secondary classes have to be registered with the Deputy Director of Public Instructions of the particular district.
• PUC coachings, including CET coaching centres have to be registered with the Deputy Director of Pre-university.
• Degree courses including MBA coaching have to be registered with the Joint Director of Collegiate Education.
• Technical Education courses have to be registered with the Joint Director of Technical Education.
• After the registration, tutorial centres should submit an annual report to the department every academic year. They should be duly inspected by the inspection authority for the renewal of registration every year.
• It is also mandatory for the tutorial institution to obtain a certificate from the appropriate authority of the Municipal Corporation regarding the sanitary conditions of the building. This has to be produced before the registering authority along with the application for registration.

Registered tutorials are minimum in Bengaluru

Obviously, majority of the tutorials / coaching centres have flouted the Rules and are functioning without a registration certificate. In normal conditions this will not cause any problem, but the registration and other issues are cared about when untoward incidents happen in such centres. An alleged molestation incident that took place in a coaching centre in Koramangala, led to closing down of the tutorial despite good reviews and scores for the students.

Here is the number of registered coaching centres in Bengaluru city, as per the official information available with various departments, obtained through RTI and direct contacts.

DDPU Bangalore North, G N Eshwarmurthy informed Citizen Matters that most of the coaching centres do not submit application for registration at all. Though a few of the institutes apply, most of them are not granted the registration certificates as they do not meet the criteria under the Tutorial Institution Rules.

“The Department has the power to raid the institutes that are not registered. But, with the kind of work burden we have, we do not go for raids on our own. Weconduct raids if we receive a specific complaint about the functioning of an institute from any individual,” he said.

Another official, on the condition of anonymity, said that there have been instances of the department staff raiding the institutes, but institutes backed by elected representatives and higher officials reopen within no time. “Let alone common man, even the children of politicians, law enforces, IAS/ IPS officers study in the coaching centres that are not registered,” he said.

Bangalore North Assistant DDPI Giriyappa criticised the coaching centres of showing audacity of not even responding to the notices served by the department. “We had received four applications for registration last year, but we rejected them as they did not have good infrastructure and enough faculty members. We serve notices to coaching centres every year instructing to renew their registration, but they do not turn up” he said.

However, most of the deputy directors and junior officials admitted that they rarely carry out raids on such institutes. Department of Technical Education Deputy Director R Manjunath said that the department has been issuing circulars and newspaper advertisements, instructing coaching centres to follow rules and register with the department. “But, they do not pay heed to the instructions and continue to function recklessly,” he said.

Seven institutes were registered under the Technical Education Department three years ago. Their registration was subsequently cancelled as the institutes failed to submit annual reports to the department the next academic year. “Institutes need not pay registration fee every year, but they have to submit the annual academic and maintenance report and renew the registration,” he said, adding that criminal cases can be booked against the institutes if they are found to be functioning without registration.

Rules only on paper?

The Tutorial Institutions Rule makes following aspects mandatory to run a tuition centre:

• The centre should have suitable building with one room for each class, course or section.
• Each student should have five to seven square feet space.
• The number of students in each class, course or section should not exceed thirty.
• Each classroom shall have sufficient number of long benches of dual desks and one table and chair for the teacher.
• Each classroom shall have one black-board, either of wooden or roll up or walled one.
• The building shall have sufficient sanitary facilities with proper ventilation and safe drinking water facilities. There shall be separate lavatories for boys, girls and staff.
• There shall be adequate number to teachers possessing qualification prescribed for the teachers teaching at the corresponding level of Institutions.
• No person in the employment of government or an aided institution as a lecturer, teacher or non-teaching staff shall be appointed in the tutorial institutions.
• Every tutorial institution shall maintain the attendance, inspection registers and keep regular accounts of all receipts and expenditure.

However, observing the pattern of tutorials, it appears that rules have been outrightly violated. While some tutorials have dedicated buildings for the purpose, several of them function in residential buildings.

Tutorials integrated with courses: Are they legal?

Significantly, a large number of well-known educational institutions are conducting integrated courses (regular classes as well as coaching centres). This category finds no mention in the Tutorial Institutions Rules.

However, the Department of Pre-University Education has been issuing circulars to the colleges every year, directing them not to conduct integrated courses and tie up with other private coaching centres.

In a circular issued to colleges last May, the Department of Pre-university warned of punishing the principal of a college if the college offers coaching or charges additional fee for students to conduct coaching for competitive exams. The department had alerted the colleges of suspending affiliation of those colleges that conduct integrated courses.

Department of Pre-university Joint Director (Education) V K Nagaraj said that colleges offering integrated courses is considered illegal. “We will conduct an inquiry on receiving complaints against specific colleges. Based on the inquiry report the department takes action. The college can be disaffiliated if found guilty,” he said.

However, the list of registered tutorials available with the Department of Public Instructions (Primary and Secondary Education) includes even the educational institutions having registered as tutorials for conducting integrated courses. DDPI Bangalore North said that they have been issuing permission to schools if they apply seeking integrated courses.

Govt safety guidelines don’t cover tutorials

In the wake of sexual harassment cases in schools and colleges, strict guidelines have been imposed on the educational institutions, but tutorials appear to be free from such guidelines. There is no mention of tutorials in the safety guidelines issued by the Police Department and Education Department now and then. There is no clarity on who is accountable in case of occurrence of an untoward incident in coaching centre.

Most of the parents do not really bother to verify about the registration of the coaching centre while admitting their children. Sumana Nagesh, a bank employee and a resident of Basavanagudi said that she was sending her 17-year-old daughter to a coaching centre, but was not aware if the institute is registered or not. “I did not know that they had to be registered. I do not even know if they have a mechanism in place to address the issue of students facing harassment in the institute,” she said.

The example of a sexual harassment complaint against the founder of a coaching institute in Koramangala is an eye-opener for all coaching centres and parents.

List of registered tutorials in Bengaluru for SSLC, PUC, Degree and Engineering:

DDPI (Bangalore North)

1. Focus English Institute, Kammanahalli
2. Shankar English School
3. MES English School, Kamakshipalya – 2 branches
4. PGK Academy Education Trust, Kammanahalli
5. Horizon English Institute, Kammanahalli
6. A-1 Study Centre, Anjana Nagar – 2 branches

DDPU (Bangalore North)

1. Gururaj Tutorials, Malleswaram
2. Shastri Tutorials, Malleswaram
3. Aakash Institute – one branch each in Hebbal and Rajaji Nagar
4. Ace Academy (Deeksha), Kattigenahalli

DDPU (Bangalore South)

1. Ace Academy (Deeksha) – 3 branches at Kanakapura road, Basavangudi and Vijaya Nagar
2. Aakash Institute – one branch each in Jayanagar and Indira Nagar
3. BASE, Basavangudi

Joint Director of Collegiate Education, Bengaluru

1. SJES-GIAAM College of Management Studies, Medahalli
2. NICT Computer Education Pvt Ltd, Jayanagar
3. Quality College of Management Studies & Science – GIAAM, Uttarahalli
4. Kings Learning Pvt Ltd, Oxford Engineering College premises
5. Universal English Academy, Kammanahalli
6. Success English Academy, HRBR Layout Extension
7. UK Institute of English, Kammanahalli Main Road
8. IPIXIO Education Trust, Koramangala
9. Outgrow Academy, HSR Layout

Related Articles

BBMP schools producing a miserable 33% SSLC passes, here’s why
Private schools should follow school safety guidelines and protect kids: Govt
Will school bus safety rules make life better for kids?
Safety norms for govt schools relaxed: Why?