With no plan for online classes yet coaching centres are facing a hard time to survive.
According to the city’s coaching association head Chandrashekar Samant, there are no regular online classes by coaching institutes in Pithoragarh. Fifty per cent of students have left coaching institutes in the city. There were nearly 2,200 students registered collectively in ten major coaching centres. Now, due to the Covid-19 spread students are not willing to attend physical classes.
Coaching institutes were closed for more than eight months because of lockdown and post restrictions. Therefore, there was no income for owners as well as teachers associated with the coaching business. said Hemant Kholiya owner of Knowledge Tree coaching institute.
Bharat Singh Bhatia used to work in one of the institutes said “I received no salary for months, then I went back to my village.” Another teacher Chandini Kholiya said, “I am preparing for a government job because I feel this job does not have job security.” One of the teachers who shifted to online said “Switching to an online medium is the only way out of this crisis for teachers and businesses.”
Palak Bhandari who was studying in one of the coaching institutes said “It is really unsafe to attend physical classes, also now I have the option to look for online assistance online which is accessible round the clock.”
According to Dr Maya Joshi, Faculty of Education at Kumaon University. Engagement in online education platforms has increased in the pandemic. Coaching businesses have a lot of opportunities if they undertake online medium and work on their marketing.
