Coaching classes owners seek state govt’s approval to reopen

MUMBAI: A delegation of owners of coaching classes met state minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant and submitted a draft of a standard operating procedure (SOP) that they would follow if allowed to reopen.

Owners of coaching classes associated with the Maharashtra Class Owners’ Association (MCOA) said they received a positive response from the government. “We are hoping the government allows us to reopen soon. The minister has assured us they are considering the demand positively. We are hoping to get permission to reopen within the next two to three days,” said Santosh Vaskar, president of MCOA.

Officials from the department of higher and technical education offered no comment and said the government is yet to make any announcement on this issue. Following a directive from the University Grants Commission, colleges in the state have been permitted to reopen at 50% capacity from February 15. MCOA’S suggested SOP includes mandatory consent forms from parents; compulsory use of masks; allowing only one student per bench; and testing all teachers for Covid-19 before classes reopen. The association it submitted the SOP since the government has not come up with guidelines for coaching classes so far.

With more sectors being allowed to reopen by the state, owners of coaching classes in the city have been protesting the government’s delay in allowing them to reopen. Members of MCOA have been meeting state officials and ministers since September, requesting permission to reopen.

In December, the Coaching Classes Teachers’ Federation, a state body, wrote to the education department, urging that coaching classes be allowed to resume.

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