Maharashtra: ‘Allow coaching classes to open for e-lectures & admissions’

MUMBAI: Coaching classes have requested the government to allow them to stay open for online lectures and students’ admissions, and resume offline classes after the lockdown-like restrictions were lifted. But the government directives issued on Tuesday for the stringent restrictions in the state for 15 days starting Wednesday night stated that coaching classes won't open for now.
The Maharashtra Class Owners’ Association said its members have suffered immense financial losses since the first lockdown in March 2020 and would not be able to sustain another one. “It is now one year since coaching classes are shut due to the pandemic. Most municipalities did not allow us to reopen even briefly...We have constantly followed up with the school and higher education department, but to no avail,” said the association in a statement. Only a few distr-icts had briefly allowed coaching classes to start offline lectures.
There are over 98,000 coaching class owners who employ 30 lakh people in the state. “Balance fee collection, student enrolments and other revenue generating avenues have dried up, but our overheads like commercial rent, salaries and electricity bills continue to pile up... The mismatch in revenue-liability is overwhelming.... Many of us are forced to shut operations,” said Santosh Vaskar, president of the association. “In competition are big companies working in the digital learning space. If we do not remain open during the admission season, a lot of students will move to these companies that spend a lot on technology and marketing.”