15 January,2021 06:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Pallavi Smart
Students and teachers wore green bands to online classes, to mark their demand for a nod to reopen coaching centres
The BMC is getting a new demand their way, with coaching institutes, teachers and students demanding a green signal for classes to resume. This comes after the Pune Municipal Corporation recently allowed coaching centres to reopen after being shut for over 10 months.
Under the Maharashtra Class Owners Association (MCOA), city's coaching institutes launched a social media campaign on Thursday. Teachers and students attended online sessions wearing green bands as a mark of their demand for a green signal to reopen centres.
They will be sharing these photos with the authorities, and also on social media with #GreenSignalToCoachingClasses.
"We approached the state government so many times, but never got a proper response. Almost everything has reopened now. Schools for higher classes have begun in almost all parts of the state. In Pune, coaching classes are resuming. The BMC is contemplating starting schools too. Then why are we not given any clarity?" asked MCOA President Santosh Vaskar.
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Vaskar clarified they are not protesting, but only trying to get the attention of the authorities. "The green band signifies our demand for a green signal to restart," he explained.
MCOA members said if allowed, they will follow all the standard operating procedures created in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The government can act against anyone violating the norms. But a blanket ban is causing us harm. Our revenue has dropped substantially, with a 70 per cent drop in enrolment," Vaskar said.
He said most coaching institutes operate from rented properties, and with no clarity on reopening, those running the business are incurring huge losses. "We understand the situation and are equally concerned about the health of our staff and students," he added.
The Coaching Classes Teachers' Federation and Social Forum had also reached out to the state government in the past, as several teachers have lost their jobs while some are not getting salary on time.
