Srinagar, Apr 3, KNT: The private coaching industry in Kashmir, particularly in Srinagar, has transformed into a lucrative business, capitalizing on the anxieties of parents desperate for their children’s academic success. With hefty fees, exaggerated success stories, and aggressive marketing tactics, coaching institutes have prioritized profit-making over genuine academic mentorship.
According to insiders, many of these coaching centers lure students and parents by showcasing the achievements of a handful of successful candidates, often from outside Kashmir, to create an illusion of widespread success. “If an institute trains 100 students and only one or two qualify for a competitive exam, the entire marketing campaign revolves around these few names, making it seem like the entire batch has succeeded,” an insider familiar with the operations of coaching centers told the news agency Kashmir News Trust. “In reality, a 1-2% success rate is as good as zero, but desperate parents fall for this illusion.”
The obsession with maintaining institutional reputation over student welfare is evident in the way these centers function. Overburdened schedules, excessive pressure, and little concern for individual learning outcomes have made these institutes more of cash machines than centers of learning. “Their concern is not how many students actually learn but how many students they can enroll each year,” said a disgruntled student who attended one such institute in Srinagar.
Adding to the chaos is the internal bickering among coaching centers. The frequent switching of faculty members between institutes has become a common phenomenon. “A teacher moving from one coaching center to another is no longer news,” said a senior faculty member who recently left a reputed coaching center. “Every center wants to poach the best faculty to attract more students, and this constant movement affects students the most, as they are left without stable guidance.”
To further entice students, many coaching centers organize so-called ‘free scholarship tests,’ claiming to offer financial aid to deserving candidates. However, sources reveal that these tests are nothing more than publicity stunts, with only a select few receiving actual benefits, while the rest are pressured into paying hefty fees under various pretexts.
With no regulatory body effectively monitoring the operations of these institutes, coaching centers in Srinagar continue to flourish, exploiting the hopes and fears of parents and students alike. Unless proper oversight and transparent policies are introduced, the industry is likely to remain a profit-driven enterprise rather than a genuine academic support system. [KNT]
