The Coaching Conundrum: Are Coaching Classes Just Expensive Band-Aids on a Broken School System? Need for an Education Regulator

In India, the sight of students lugging backpacks to coaching classes after school is as common as morning chai. Brands like Physics Wallah, Aakash, and others have become household names, promising to unlock the secrets of JEE, NEET, and academic success. But a growing chorus of voices—echoed in tweets like “Coaching classes are just an expensive extension of bad schooling”—is questioning their necessity. If schools were doing their job, why are parents shelling out twice for the same education? Is this a symptom of a deeper failure, or are we missing the bigger picture? Let’s unpack this.

The Rise of the Coaching Empire

Coaching institutes have ballooned into a multi-billion-rupee industry in India. What started as small tutorial setups in the 1980s has morphed into a parallel education system, complete with celebrity teachers, slick marketing, and online platforms that rival Netflix in production value. Physics Wallah, for instance, rose to fame with its affordable, no-nonsense approach, while Aakash built its reputation on rigorous test prep for competitive exams. These institutes aren’t just filling a gap—they’ve become a cultural rite of passage for students aiming for IITs, AIIMS, or even a decent board exam score.

But here’s the rub: the very existence of this industry hinges on the assumption that schools aren’t enough. The fact that nearly every student—from urban metros to small towns—attends some form of tuition suggests a tacit admission: our classrooms are failing us. Why else would parents, already stretched thin by school fees, fork over additional lakhs for coaching?

Schools: Where the Problem Begins

Let’s start with the root. India’s schooling system, despite its vast reach, is riddled with cracks. Overcrowded classrooms, outdated curricula, and a one-size-fits-all approach leave little room for individualized learning. Teachers, often underpaid and overworked, struggle to cater to diverse needs. The focus remains on rote memorization—mugging up formulas, dates, and essays—rather than fostering critical thinking or conceptual clarity.

Take science and math, the bread and butter of coaching classes. In many schools, these subjects are taught as a series of disjointed facts, not as living, breathing disciplines. A student might ace a chapter on Newton’s laws but falter when asked to apply them to a real-world problem—a skill coaching institutes drill relentlessly. Add to this the pressure of board exams and entrance tests, and schools simply don’t have the time or resources to bridge the gap between “teaching” and “understanding.”

The stats back this up. A 2022 ASER report found that even after years of schooling, many students lack foundational skills in math and reading. If the basics aren’t solid, how can we expect mastery of advanced topics like organic chemistry or calculus? Enter coaching classes, swooping in like academic superheroes to save the day—or at least to cash in on the chaos.

The Coaching Promise: Salvation or Scam?

Coaching institutes thrive by offering what schools can’t: focus, structure, and results. They break down complex syllabi into bite-sized chunks, provide endless practice tests, and teach exam-specific hacks. For competitive exams like JEE and NEET, where a single mark can make or break a dream, this precision is a godsend. Physics Wallah’s Alakh Pandey, with his relatable teaching style, or Aakash’s meticulously curated modules, give students a fighting chance in a cutthroat system.

But at what cost? Fees for top-tier coaching programs can run into lakhs, and even “affordable” online options add up over time. Beyond the financial burden, there’s the toll on students: grueling schedules, sleepless nights, and a relentless grind that leaves little room for curiosity or joy in learning. Critics argue this isn’t education—it’s training for a race. And when every child is enrolled, it’s less an advantage and more a necessity, like paying a premium for air in a polluted city.

The hashtag #CoachingScam captures this frustration. If schools taught effectively, wouldn’t coaching be optional, not mandatory? Why are we paying twice—once for a broken system and again for a patch job? It’s a fair question, but the answer isn’t black-and-white.

The Other Side: A System Too Big to Fix?

Defenders of coaching argue it’s unfair to pin the blame on institutes for a problem they didn’t create. India’s education system is a behemoth, serving over 250 million students with varying resources and needs. Reforming it—hiring better teachers, updating syllabi, reducing exam pressure—is a Herculean task that governments have wrestled with for decades. In the meantime, coaching fills a void, giving students a lifeline in a hyper-competitive world.

Moreover, not all coaching is about弥补ing deficits. For ambitious students, it’s a way to go beyond the basics—to master advanced concepts schools don’t touch. Aakash’s NEET crash courses or Physics Wallah’s problem-solving marathons cater to those aiming for the top percentiles, not just passing grades. In a country where a degree from IIT or AIIMS is a ticket out of poverty for many, can we fault parents for betting on every possible edge?

The Real Scam: A Culture of Competition

Perhaps the true issue isn’t coaching or schools—it’s the ecosystem they operate in. India’s obsession with entrance exams as the sole measure of worth drives this madness. When a child’s future hinges on a three-hour test, of course parents will pay anything, and institutes will charge it. Schools, caught in the same web, prioritize exam prep over holistic learning, perpetuating the cycle.

Contrast this with countries like Finland, where education emphasizes creativity and critical thinking over standardized tests. Coaching there is rare because it’s not needed—the system works. India’s challenge isn’t just fixing schools or regulating coaching; it’s rethinking what “success” means.

The Missing Piece: An Education Regulator

One glaring gap in this chaotic landscape is oversight. India lacks a unified, empowered education regulator to streamline both schools and coaching institutes. Imagine an authority tasked with two key mandates: ensuring schools deliver quality education and capping the runaway fees of coaching classes. Such a body could set standards—mandating smaller class sizes, teacher training, and a curriculum that balances exams with real learning. It could hold schools accountable, reducing the need for external tuition in the first place.

On the coaching front, regulation is overdue. Right now, institutes operate in a free-for-all market, charging what they please with little transparency. A regulator could enforce fee caps, ensure fair advertising (no more “100% success” claims), and monitor the quality of teaching. Physics Wallah’s low-cost model shows affordability is possible—why not make it the norm rather than the exception? With oversight, coaching could shift from a profiteering juggernaut to a supplementary tool, accessible to all, not just the well-off.

Critics might argue regulation stifles innovation, but unchecked growth has its own perils—exploitation, inequality, and burnout. A regulator wouldn’t kill coaching; it would tame it, aligning it with a broader vision of education that doesn’t fleece families or break students.

Breaking the Cycle

So, are coaching classes an expensive extension of bad schooling? Yes, in part—they’re a symptom of a system that’s lost its way. But they’re also a pragmatic response to a reality where dreams are tied to rank lists. Shutting down coaching won’t fix schools, and fixing schools won’t happen overnight. And without oversight, neither will change fast enough.

The solution lies in balance—and accountability. Schools need to reclaim their role as places of learning, not exam factories—smaller classes, better training for teachers, and a curriculum that values understanding over marks. Coaching should be a choice, not a crutch—affordable, optional, and focused on enrichment, not survival. An education regulator could be the linchpin, ensuring neither schools nor institutes treat education as a cash cow. And parents? They deserve a system that doesn’t force them to pay twice for what’s promised once.

Until then, the Physics Wallahs and Aakashes will keep booming, and students will keep cramming. The #CoachingScam isn’t just about money—it’s about a generation caught in a race they didn’t design, paying a price they shouldn’t have to.

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