Education experts have largely welcomed a proposal by a committee under the Ministry of Education to cap private coaching hours at 2–3 hours per day, saying it could help reduce the mounting academic pressure on students preparing for competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET. However, they cautioned that restricting coaching hours alone will not address deeper structural challenges within the school education system, particularly issues related to curriculum design and teacher quality.
Professor Lalit Agrawal, Vice-Chairman of the Mery Group of Institutions, described India’s coaching ecosystem as both a “necessity and a problem.” He said coaching institutes continue to thrive because of a persistent gap between school board examinations and the expectations of entrance tests for premier institutions. At the same time, he warned that excessive dependence on coaching increases mental stress for both students and parents.
CALL FOR HOLISTIC STUDENT EVALUATION
Agrawal stressed the need to strengthen schools so that they can independently equip students with exam-relevant skills. He advocated a “360-degree mapping” of student abilities, focusing on overall personality development rather than performance in a single high-stakes examination.
Other education experts echoed concerns over student burnout, noting that many aspirants juggle school and coaching schedules that stretch to 12 hours or more each day.
They welcomed proposals to increase the weightage of Class 12 board examination scores and introduce more MCQ-based, time-bound assessments within schools, which they say could help narrow the gap between classroom learning and competitive exam preparation.
TEACHER QUALITY LINKED TO PAY AND TRAINING
Experts emphasised that meaningful school-level reforms would require better-trained and better-paid teachers. Aditya Jain, Director of Neet Kaka JEE, said limiting coaching hours is a necessary intervention given the current “unsustainable” study schedules followed by students. While supporting the committee’s recommendations, he questioned whether schools are adequately prepared to deliver more rigorous, exam-aligned curricula.
LOW SALARIES, STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES PERSIST
Jain pointed out that most private school teachers earn between Rs 7,000 and Rs 25,000 per month, making it difficult to attract and retain high-quality educators. Experts argue that unless issues such as low teacher salaries, uneven infrastructure in private schools, and rising school fees are addressed, the impact of coaching restrictions may remain limited.
EXPERTS CALL FOR INTEGRATED REFORMS
Several experts have urged the government to consider implementing a minimum wage framework for teachers alongside examination reforms. They maintain that meaningful and lasting change will only be possible when a strong school education system naturally reduces students’ reliance on private coaching
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