Lucknow: As academic pressure mounts, there is a rise in number of students in the city turning to private tuitions after school, saying regular classroom teaching often falls short of building conceptual clarity.Many now spend 6-8 hours in school and another 2-4 hours in coaching, leaving little time for rest, self-study or recreation.“I leave home at 7 am for school and return by 3 pm, then attend tuition till 7 pm. By the end of the day, I’m too tired to revise on my own and still have worksheets and board-related assignments to finish,” said Class X student Prithika Gupta.Class IX student, Priyanshi Gupta, said her daily routine is now limited to studies. “After school and coaching, I barely get time to meet friends or step out,” she said.Students say lack of individual attention in crowded classrooms is one of the main reasons behind growing dependence on coaching. “Teachers focus on completing syllabus. If someone doesn’t understand a topic, there is rarely time to revisit it,” said Class XI student Aditya Singh, adding that tuition classes help bridge this gap.Another factor fuelling the trend is rise of nuclear families with working parents. “Tuition is not just about studies, but about supervision too. Since we return home late, coaching helps by keeping our child engaged productively,” said Ritu Sharma, mother of a Class VI student.Parents say children are being enrolled in tuition at younger ages. “My son is in Class IV, but most of his classmates already attend coaching. There is a fear that if we don’t start early, he may have to struggle later,” said Rahul Mishra.Younger students echo similar concerns. Yashasvi Singh, father of a class III student, said worksheets are often assigned with minimal explanation, leaving students to complete most exercises on their own.Some parents also question whether schools are shifting teaching responsibilities onto families. “My daughter is in LKG, but we are expected to teach basic concepts like alphabets and colours at home. So, what is the role of school teachers,” asked Apoorva Singh.A section of students admitted attending tuition classes run by their own school teachers. “It becomes easier because they know what to expect in exams,” said a Class X student.Counsellor Neha Saxena said competition, peer pressure and fear of falling behind are pushing students towards coaching, while limited classroom time for doubt-solving increases dependence on tuition. She warned that long study hours without breaks can lead to burnout, anxiety and reduced productivity, turning coaching into a parallel education system.
