Title: Supply creates its own demand: the great multi-billion rupee coaching business in India

Authors: Jehangir Bharucha

Addresses: H.R. College, D.W. Road, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020, India; Lincoln University College, Wisma Lincoln, Jalan SS 6/12, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Abstract: Coaching classes and private tuitions have become ubiquitous in the lives of Indian students. Every single school student who was interviewed was found to be taking tuitions for regular studies and 40% of these school students take coaching classes for courses outside the purview of regular studies. Out of 80 college students covered in this study, 56 took private tuitions for the college syllabus and 25 took coaching for professional examinations. Students who attend coaching class feel well prepared for the examinations as they are taught according to the examination pattern. Private coaching expenditures can be substantial for these students by Indian standards considering that the formal higher education in India is heavily subsidised. The rising trend towards taking private tuitions in India strongly reflects the poor quality of education being imparted in schools and colleges. One possible response could be making available remedial education in schools and colleges itself.

Keywords: private coaching; private tuitions; Indian education; examinations; regulation; academic stress; India.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2018.096374

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2018 Vol.17 No.4, pp.561 - 574

Received: 03 Dec 2016
Accepted: 26 Aug 2017
Published online: 27 Nov 2018 *

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