Narayana Murthy launches a strong critique against coaching classes

He says they are not an effective means for academic success

He is known to speak in a straightforward manner

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy has launched a strong critique against coaching classes, arguing that they are not an effective means for academic success. Speaking at the launch of Paul Hewitt’s 13th edition of Conceptual Physics by Pearson, Murthy stated, “Coaching classes are the wrong way to help children to pass examinations.”

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Murthy emphasized that students who rely heavily on coaching often do so because they are not fully engaged in their regular school classes. “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 centres as the only solution,” he said, as reported by India Today. He further asserted that education should focus on developing skills such as observation, analysis, and hypothesis-testing rather than rote memorisation.

In his remarks, Murthy also highlighted the importance of high-quality learning resources, pointing to Conceptual Physics as a prime example. He underscored that the book’s emphasis on conceptual understanding and real-world applications makes physics more relatable and reinforces the goal of education: “to learn how to learn.”

Murthy’s comments come amid ongoing discussions about the role of coaching institutes in preparing students for prestigious institutions like IITs and NITs.