Srinagar, July 10 -- However, this is not an isolated phenomenon in Kashmir but across India, millions of students do the same: opt for coaching institutes over schools. This trend has hollowed out the school system to an alarming degree. According to reports, in many institutions, over 90% of science students are "dummy admissions." These students hardly attend class, and instead choose to attend private coaching institutes to prepare for various competitive examinations.

The issue here is not that many students prefer to attend coaching centres and online platforms after enrolling in government and private schools but why haven't the schools adapted to this reality. Why can't they also offer what what coaching institutes offer: prepare...