Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Veteran educationist and Founding President of the Private Schools Association Jammu and Kashmir, Dr G.N. Var, has called for collective efforts to address the practice of “dummy schools” and to safeguard the role of formal schooling in students’ academic, personal and social development. The term is commonly used for arrangements in which students are enrolled in a school but do not attend regular classes, relying on coaching instead while the admission secures eligibility for examinations.
In a statement to the press, Dr Var said the Government’s initiatives to promote ease of doing business and create a conducive environment for the private education sector are welcome. They must, he said, be matched by a renewed commitment to educational quality, institutional accountability and the best interests of students.
He urged private schools to ensure regular attendance, effective classroom teaching and meaningful student engagement, stressing that formal education must not become a mere formality or a requirement for appearing in examinations. He also asked tuition centres to hold classes outside regular school hours in accordance with Government guidelines, and said students should neither be encouraged nor compelled to miss school lessons to attend coaching. “Schools must remain the foundation of a child’s education. No student should have to choose between regular schooling and coaching, as both serve different purposes,” he said.
Dr Var warned that excessive dependence on coaching at the expense of school attendance could weaken foundational learning and deprive students of classroom interaction, collaborative activities and the chance to build confidence, discipline and critical-thinking skills.
He also highlighted the financial burden of dummy admissions. Parents may end up paying school fees for admissions in which students do not attend regular classes, while also paying for private tuition or coaching. “Parents invest their hard-earned money in the hope of securing a better future for their children. Dummy admissions can place an avoidable financial burden on families without ensuring the benefits of regular schooling,” he said.
Dr Var said schools, coaching centres and parents must work together to create a balanced and student-friendly learning environment, and that academic success should be measured by good values, independent thinking, emotional maturity and life skills as well as examination results. “The true purpose of education goes far beyond marks, ranks and competitive examinations,” he said.
He added that the J&K Government’s efforts to strengthen the education sector can deliver meaningful results when institutions and other stakeholders act with sincerity and accountability. Reiterating the need to protect the sanctity of formal schooling while allowing responsible supplementary coaching, he said the focus must remain on students’ long-term interests, with every child having access to meaningful classroom learning, appropriate academic support and opportunities for all-round development.
