Infosys co-founder, Narayana Murthy said that coaching is only required by the students who does not pay attention in regular school classes. According to him, coaching isn't the best option for students looking to pass the exams and that the true purpose of education is to promote critical thinking rather than rote learning in order to prepare students for exams.
Murthy stated that the purpose of education is to learn how to learn, emphasising that comprehension and critical thinking—rather than memorization—should be the cornerstones of a child's education.
Murthy was speaking at the Bengaluru launch of Paul Hewitt's 13th edition of Conceptual Physics about the increasing reliance on coaching classes, particularly in Kota, according to Business Today. "Coaching classes are the wrong way to help children pass examinations," he said.
With the tutoring sector growing at a rate of 19–20% yearly and reaching over ₹58,000 crore annually, Murthy voiced concerns. Although this rise indicates a growing demand, Murthy contended that it also highlights a more serious issue with India's educational system, which frequently prioritises rote memorisation above actual learning.
Murthy was responding to the question about coaching centres and whether they act as a pathway to institutions such as IITs and NITs.
"Most people who go to coaching classes don't listen to their teachers carefully in school. And parents, who are often unable to help their children academically, see coaching centers as the only solution, he further said as per Business Today.
The abilities of observation, analysis, and hypothesis testing are essential for resolving real-world issues, and he underlined that these should be the main focusses of education. He further went on to discuss how he believed this kind of teaching may encourage creativity.
