Allow us to reopen, coaching class owners in Maharashtra urge

On Thursday, several members of the Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA) protested with a green band while conducting online classes, asking the government to allow them to reopen with certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place

With almost all businesses in the state being allowed to open in the last few days, owners of coaching classes in the city are now protesting the government’s delay in allowing them to reopen.

Officials from the education department said that they were awaiting instructions from the state government in this regard. (HT FILE)

On Thursday, several members of the Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA) protested with a green band while conducting online classes, asking the government to allow them to reopen with certain standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place.

Members of the MCOA said that despite requesting the government on multiple occasions, they were still awaiting a green signal to start operations. “We understand the risks involved after we reopen, and are equally concerned about the health of our staff and the children. However, classes have lost a substantial amount of revenue as enrolments have gone down by up to 70% this year. We also have rents to pay and with poor business, it is becoming difficult for us to sustain,” said Santosh Vaskar, a class owner and the president of MCOA.

Classes protested by tying green bands on their wrists in their online classes and said that they would continue to do so until Saturday. “We have requested the government to come up with SOPs for us. In many parts of the state, the local administration has allowed classes to partially reopen, but in Mumbai, no decision has been taken yet, even as the schools are likely to start soon,” said Vaskar.

Since September, members of MCOA have been meeting government officials and ministers, requesting them to allow the reopening of classes. In December, the Coaching Classes Teachers’ Federation, a pan-Maharashtra body of classes, wrote to the department urging them to allow classes to reopen. Officials from the education department said that they were awaiting instructions from the state government in this regard.