Srinagar, Dec 19: Terming winter schooling as “punishment” to the students, the coaching centre operators on Sunday castigated the state government’s decision of keeping schools open during winter and appealed to the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to reconsider it.
 Addressing media here, Coaching Centre Association chairman, Ghulam Nabi Var said, “As per our past experience of uncertainty in Valley, winter schooling has proved punishment for the students.”
 He said, “The government has taken the decision of winter schooling with good intent, but it is full of flaws. Government is silent on examination calendar and the part of syllabus to be taught in winters.”
 Var said, “The academic loss students suffered in 2010 should not affect their 2011 academic session, which has already commenced. Government is silent about the students of class 1st to 8th standard.”
 “Education provided by coaching centres has always been victimized by politics. The character of the owners of coaching centres has been assassinated by government and people with vested interests,” he said.
 Var also demanded industry status to the coaching centre business. “We accept that providing coaching is a business, but it is genuine and we do contribute in return. There is nothing wrong in giving this business an industry status. Everybody knows a government higher secondary school in J&K cannot prepare a candidate for All India Level exams, so coaching centres play a key role in this regard,” he said.
 He said the Government had turned blind eye towards the services provided by the coaching centres. 
 Var said coaching centre culture had promoted competition among students and professionalism among teachers. “It has become a source of employment for hundreds of educated youth,” he said.
 CCA said it had formulated certain guidelines to streamline the functioning of coaching centers. “Segregation of male and female students to safeguard moral values is one among them,” he said.
 The Association has put forward its demands before the chief minister, Omar Abdullah including reconsideration of the decision of winter schooling and recognition of coaching business as an industry.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 19 Dec 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 IST