Ludhiana: Offline exams coaching eludes Meritorious School students
In Bathinda and Mohali, Meritorious Schools continue to offer offline coaching year-round, giving their students a clear advantage over others
Despite the state government’s repeated assurances of providing offline coaching to students of meritorious schools for competitive exams like JEE and NEET, the situation on the ground tells a different story. The students continue to rely on online classes in the majority of the districts, which they say are not effective in clearing their doubts or giving them the personal guidance they need.
Students say that while the government had earlier announced classroom coaching to help them prepare better for engineering and medical entrance exams, most schools still follow the online format. This, according to them, is affecting their preparation and confidence.
A student from Ludhiana Meritorious School said, “We have two hours of online coaching every day, but there are many doubts that remain unresolved. We can only send our questions through messages, and sometimes we do not get satisfactory replies. Offline coaching gives us more clarity and motivation, which is missing in the online mode.”
Another student shared that last year, commerce students were given offline coaching, but this year even their classes have shifted online. “Offline classes help us interact better and clear doubts instantly,” the student said.
Currently, the state government conducts short-term summer and winter camps for students of Meritorious Schools and Schools of Eminence, during which they receive offline coaching for a few days. However, students have been demanding that offline classes be held throughout the academic year instead of being limited to just camps.
Interestingly, in Bathinda and Mohali, meritorious schools continue to offer offline coaching year-round, giving their students a clear advantage over others.
When contacted, Amandeep Kaur, project director of the Meritorious Society, admitted that online coaching is less effective than in-person teaching. “At present, we are providing offline coaching only during the summer and winter camps. But we understand the concerns of students and are planning to start regular offline coaching across all districts soon,” she said.
