Authors: S. Shyamsundar, Dr. M. Uma Raman
Abstract: This study offers a critical analysis of the widespread influence of private supplementary tuition, commonly known as “coaching,” in the urban education landscape of India, with a particular focus on Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. It explores the interconnections between students' participation in coaching institutes, their perceived academic performance in school, and the socio-economic factors that inform parental choices regarding secondary education. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, the research began with quantitative surveys administered to 483 students and 366 parents, followed by qualitative insights from 42 semi-structured interviews with parents, students, and teachers. The results show that more than 78% of the students surveyed attend coaching classes, driven largely by parental concerns over intense examination competition and doubts about the adequacy of school teaching. Regression analyses reveal a modest but statistically significant positive relationship between the number of coaching hours and students’ self-reported academic achievement (β = .18, p < .01), with this effect being influenced by factors such as family income and prior academic record. Qualitative thematic analysis further uncovers a nuanced parental logic, wherein coaching is viewed not just as additional academic support but as a deliberate strategy for social advancement and risk management in the face of a perceived unreliable school system. Accordingly, the study argues that the coaching industry operates as a quasi-independent educational subsystem, subtly reshaping notions of school accountability and reinforcing socio-economic inequalities. These findings highlight the pressing need for policymakers and educators to reevaluate current pedagogical practices, examination systems, and the core aims of formal education within an increasingly market-oriented context.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17936683
