Won't shut till confusion around closure order cleared: J-K coaching centres

A day after the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered closure of coaching centres here in the wake of widespread student protests demanding justice for Kathua rape-and-murder victim, the private tuition institutes' body said they would not shut till "confusion" surrounding the decision is cleared.

"The coaching centres will remain open from tomorrow as we have received no official communication ordering us to close such institutions, G N Var of Coaching Centres' Association of Kashmir (CCAK) said.

He said there was confusion over the announcement made yesterday by education minister Syed Altaf Bukhari.

There is confusion. We have not received anything written. We do not know which centres are to be shut. So, we will resume our coaching centres from tomorrow, he said.

Var said they do not want the students to come out on roads.

We want them to continue their classes. We are not raising fingers on the intention of the government, but we want them (government) to come up with a concrete order, he said.

He said the government should take all stakeholders on board and then frame a policy.

The state government yesterday ordered closure of coaching centres offering tuition up to class 12 in order to remove distractions in and around schools.

In order to remove distractions in and around schools and to put in place a regulatory mechanism for improving the academic environment in the state, minister for education Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today said all those private tuition centers which offer tuition up to class 12th will be closed for time being, an official spokesman said yesterday.