Anxious parents have been visiting the campus of FIIT-JEE (Forum for Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination) in Vijayawada following reports of its possible abrupt closure.
FIIT-JEE coaching centres have been facing trouble in the northern States for last couple of months with many campuses shutting down unexpectedly and teachers resigning en masse over non-payment of salaries for months.
On Tuesday, a large number of parents gathered at the coaching centre’s campus behind PVP mall in Vijayawada raising serious concerns on the “uncertainty over the future of their children should the centre shut down operations abruptly.”
The fact that director of the Vijayawada centre P. Ramesh Babu quit the organisation and established another independent coaching centre of his own has added fuel to the unrest among parents.
Some parents said they rushed to the centre after receiving phone calls from other private coaching institutions which tried to woo them into their fold saying they should consider sending their children to them, as FIITJEE would close its operations soon. “Our children’s future is at stake. There is no clarity on the issue. We want the management to hold a meeting with the parents and clarify the situation,” demanded a parent, who is worried about his son’s admission into 10th class at this juncture.
Citing a phone message she received from the management saying that parents who wanted refund of their fee could apply for it, a mother of a Class 9 student said at the institution, she was being convinced that the campus would operate for the entire academic year and that there would not be any abrupt closure. “I am not convinced. Even if classes resume, how can I trust the system again,” she asked.
Board exams are over and Class 10 and 12 students are starting to frequent coaching institutes to prepare for entrance exams for competitive courses. Parents say that 70 % of the fee was collected by the management in October last year for admission of their wards in the coaching centre and even if they opted for a refund at this point, they were not sure how long the process would take, or whether they would get back their money at all.
“A new head for this centre will join the institute next week. We have been informed by our Delhi office that uninterrupted classes will continue during this academic year,” said Sumesh, who takes care of the academics wing in the institution.
Published – April 17, 2025 02:50 pm IST
