90% Of Offline Coaching Centres Will Vanish Within 15 Years: Educator Anand Kumar

Anand Kumar, the founder of the Super 30 educational program, predicts that within the next decade or so, 90 per cent of offline coaching centres will vanish. He shared this view in an exclusive interview with ANI following a tragic incident in Delhi where three students lost their lives.

When asked why students still travel to Delhi for studies despite abundant online resources, Kumar responded, "They can read. It's my prediction that might be wrong. In the coming 10 to 15 years, 90 per cent of these coaching institutes are going to disappear. I can say this from my experience."

Future of Online Education

Kumar believes that only a small fraction of potential online education has been explored so far. "Now only one per cent of experiments have been done in the field of online classes. Syllabus for online classes with good-quality content is yet to be prepared. If some dedicated group of teachers prepare such content, the students can do online classes by sitting in their homes and they will benefit much more than the offline classes," he said.

He also urged the government to support UPSC aspirants by forming a team to provide free coaching. "I would like to appeal to the government for form a team for UPSC aspirants and free coaching. After years of effort, a good book like NCERT has been written. I am praising the book and not the government. I am praising the team involved in writing the book. I do read Class 11 and 12 books and it feels good. So the education department should come up with a similar initiative and launch a big portal dedicated to online coaching," Kumar added.

Concerns Over Coaching Centres

Addressing the Old Rajender Nagar tragedy where three UPSC aspirants died, Kumar expressed his sorrow and highlighted how students are now treated as clients by coaching centres. "It was extremely saddening to hear that three innocent students who had come to Delhi to qualify for the UPSC exam died in the accident. I want to express my deepest condolences and pray to god that their souls rest in peace," he said.

Kumar stressed that such incidents bring attention to underlying issues but emphasised that regular inspections by authorities are crucial. He also advised coaching centres not to prioritise profit over student welfare: "Such an issue comes to light when these incidents occur but it is the responsibility of the government to carry out inspections from time to time and I request the coaching institutes to not rush just to earn money."

Quality Over Quantity

Kumar suggested limiting student enrolment numbers for better seating arrangements and overall quality of education. "Even though I got a lot of offers from investors to sell the franchise of my coaching institute so that it could be expanded, my conscience did not allow me to do that," he mentioned.

He urged educational institutions not to turn education into a business but rather focus on student interests: "I request coaching institutions that education should not become a business but rather, continue the teaching process by keeping the interests of the children at the centre."

The Super 30 founder also noted how parents are now referred to as "clients" in many coaching centres today.