THE rise of coaching centres and home tuition culture has transformed education into a business, depriving students of real learning experiences. Coaching centres prioritise grades over genuine understanding, and tend to focus on rote memorisation. This pressure of good performance discourages students from developing problem-solving skills.

Another drawback of coaching centres is the unhealthy competition they promote.

Instead of encouraging curiosity and knowledge-sharing, they foster rivalry, jealousy, stress, anxiety and even unethical practices, such as cheating. Besides, they often operate in the evening, a time when the human brain is less receptive to learning.

Beyond academic concerns, coaching centres also limit skill development.

Students spend excessive time in these institutions, leaving themselves little room for acquiringessentiallife skills, such as communication, information technology (IT) proficiency, teamwork as well as problem-solving.

Many of these institutions employ the same teachers who teach in schools during the day, making it difficult for them to maintain the same level of enthusiasm and energy.

To address the crisis, schools should embrace 21st-century educational models that emphasise skill-based learning over rote memorisation. Teachers should also be provided with fair salaries to reduce their dependence on coaching jobs. If we strive to transform our education system and shift the focus from commercialised learning to intellectual development, we can create a future where knowledge empowers rather than confines.

Naeem Ullah Baig Gilgit-Baltistan