Coaching centres study age-limit guidelines of education ministry

Some say parents, students, institutes will find alternatives to cater to demand

A day after the education ministry issued guidelines prohibiting coac­hing centres from enrolling stud­ents under 16 years of age, institutes on Fri­day assessed the potential hit to business.

At Kota in Rajasthan, where more than 200,000 students pour in every year to enroll for coaching classes, a record number of suicides last year drew media attention and prompted the administration and institutes to address mental health of aspirants.
 

An official at one of the city’s oldest coaching centres pointed out that the institute does not admit students who are still in high school. “We take students from Classes XI and