For almost 30 years from the 1990s, the private coaching syndicate had a strong presence outside the college system. Students who enrolled in a PU college also attended private tuition either before or after college. Around 2010, there arose a nationwide massive awareness about all India entrance exams, such as IIT-JEE, AIPMT and CLAT, and the introduction of NEET in 2013 enhanced the competition.
Preparing for these examinations became the sole purpose of almost all students who enrolled themselves for science courses in PU and it was this demand that contributed to the popularity of integrated PU colleges. Realising the need to make students prepare for competitive exams right from the first day of I PU, popular private coaching centres wanted to make students work for 10 – 12 hours with laser-sharp focus. This led many coaching centres to start integrated PU colleges.
Students who have a clear aim to crack the IIT-JEE or NEET only must join an integrated PU college. Integrated colleges are like a giant wheel in an amusement park. If one does not have the strength and stamina, they may get the shock of their life and have a terrible experience. Students who are not capable of meeting the deadlines, doing self-study and generally succumb to stress, must avoid integrated PU colleges. However, if a student is determined, their time is productively utilised and never wasted at such colleges. They will also find a similarly focused peer group, the right atmosphere and fewer distractions.
But even with all of its glitz, a holistic approach towards a student’s career building is lacking in such courses. The thrust is always centred around completing the vast syllabus, which exhausts the students and causes burnout easily. For two years, students are made to see the world only through the lens of becoming a doctor or an engineer, and everything else is projected as lesser achievements in life. This has a huge psychological impact on students who do not make it even after two years into medicine or IIT, and for the rest of their life believe that they are incapable of achieving big things.
There is absolutely no mercy shown by integrated PU colleges when it comes to assessment and coaching. Most of them divide the students into three batches: rankers — the top 1% of students who are kept in a separate batch and given special coaching and all amenities; achievers — the top 20% who are given enough coaching to make it to rankers, and are a hope that they will make it finally and the last batch; money baggers — the remaining 80% of the students who get average marks but the college promises them a ride on the giant wheel.
While most integrated colleges are aware of how stressful it is for an average student to cope with rigorous coaching, they still admit many average and below-average students, which only helps them to achieve their financial target. Bright students scoring more than 90% are generally offered scholarships as there is not much effort required by the college to mentor or coach them.
Integrated PU colleges must make sure that they admit students only if the student proves that they are capable of coping with the pressure of two years. One must not sell false hopes to parents and students as they are mostly first timers and have absolutely no realistic idea about the giant wheel. Parents must not force their children to take up competitive exams unless they have a good understanding of the preparation it requires. Colleges will continue to make their courses available to everyone as their business is a number game, but parents should exercise caution.
Ameen-e-Mudassar is Founder & CEO, CIGMA India
