A suitable alternative

Setting up a tutorial college can be lucrative yet at the same time a challenging and responsible vocation. Coaching young minds to help them realise their dreams can be a rewarding experience in itself.

ALTERNATIVE education can be divided into two categories; one, the supplementary tuition classes that are offered by many individuals, especially to school students right from standard I. The other is the consolidated coaching classes that are organised for professional exam entrants.

Supplementary coaching

With the schools packed chockablock with more than sixty students per class clamoring for the teacher's attention giving individual attention is highly impossible. As a result children are left to cope with studies on their own which often hamper their performance in the examination.

This is where the supplementary tuition classes come in to fill the inadequacy. These classes are conducted after school hours by school teachers, retired professors, or qualified professionals who may be specialists in a particular subject. As the group of students is limited in number and the age group varied, the teaching is modified to the learning capability of each and every student. The time period allotted is also much more than what's given at schools.

Since individual attention is given the students get a chance to concentrate on strengthening their weak areas of study by practicing more. However, one of the biggest disadvantages is that very few these classes are well organised.

Scope

This is more of an unorganised sector where the tutors just follow the school syllabus therefore there are no set standards for teaching. The minimum qualification is basic education with maximum experience or excellence in a particular subject. People with teaching experience are preferred since they can also give intensive coaching during exams and know the pattern of the question paper and the most effective way to solve it.

These educators charge per subject either monthly or per quarter and the upper limit have been known to hit even Rs. 200 for an hour of coaching daily or on alternate days.

Professional coaching

Coaching for professional exams of all kinds has become a very profitable business now. Classes and study material for Civil Service Examination, MBBS, MCA, CAT, IIT entrance, GAT, GMAT, GRE, TOEFL and more are offered by various institutes like Brilliants, and other private study circles.

The institutes offer course material for the subjects chosen, the previous year's question papers and even conduct contact classes and tests to prepare the candidate for facing these exams. These institutes are more professionally managed and employ people at different levels to make sure that each student gets his study material on time and is well prepared for the exam.

The better known tutorial colleges have branches in various metros and smaller towns in the country so that students have an easy access to the best coaching centers. These branches have to coordinate with the head office and make sure that the course material reaches the students on time. These institutes charge a registration fee and a fixed amount for the course material and the previous year's question papers that can run into thousands.

Creating the curriculum

Tutorial institutions like Brilliants employ professionals to formulate the syllabus and the study material for various exams. For example, the course material for the Civil Services Examinations is usually structured by a retired or even a serving IAS officer.

These kind of institutions are ideally started by retired professionals who have had ample experience in their respective professional careers. Setting up of a professional coaching centre requires a lot of contacts, methodical planning, coordination between the various professionals for formulating the syllabus, setting up of facilities for contact classes, and the right amount of manpower.

The course material is well researched and in depth, giving the candidate a thorough knowledge about the various subjects. The programme also equips the candidate with various techniques of solving the question paper and exposing him to case studies and group discussions through contact classes.

Professionals from various fields who structure the curriculum are paid handsomely and they are also responsible for constantly updating the syllabus and the various rules and regulations pertaining to that particular professional course.

Counsellors

Each centre has a counsellor to explain to the candidate all the different study programmes that are available, in detail. These counsellors coordinate with the candidates and help them select the most suited study package and the mode of payment. Apart from a regular salary counsellors are also given a bonus depending on the number of candidates they are able to enroll into the various study programs.

Coordinators

They are responsible for making sure that the relevant study material reaches each and every candidate on time. They also keep track of the progress of the candidates, get their assignments evaluated and constantly upgrade their performance. Usually each coordinator is assigned not more than five candidates. They act as the vital link between the candidate and the professionals and make sure that each gets complete training and is well prepared to take the exam.

Marketing

Each of these institutions has a strong marketing team to market their programs to school and college students. They are responsible for conducting student fairs in schools and colleges to attract potential candidates. They coordinate with the career counselling department of educational institutions and organise career conunselling sessions for the students.Many teachers find profitable part time employment in these professional coaching institutions. They are in-charge of certain subjects right from the stage of structuring the syllabus.

Any kind of doubts regarding that particular subject is forwarded to the teacher by the coordinator and they are the ones who evaluate the various assignments and tests that are submitted by the candidates.

The field of alternative education is fast catching up though one has to be wary of the many fly- by- night operators who have entered the arena. It is a lucrative but highly responsible profession as one has the power to make or break the dreams of scores of students who invest a lot of time and money in the hope of making a successful career.

MALINI SURYANARAYANAN

maalini.mds@careercommunity.co.in