In India, tuitions have quietly become the norm—even for children already spending eight hours a day in school. But are they truly helping, or simply worsening the problem? In this honest conversation, Dr. Malpani explains why tuitions have turned into a toxic crutch for a broken education system, and what parents can do instead to bring back joyful, independent learning through community-led digital learning pods.
Parent: Dr. Malpani, I don’t know what else to do. My daughter attends school from 8 AM to 3 PM, then rushes to tuition until 7 PM, and still has homework left at night. She’s constantly tired and stressed. Is this the new normal?
Dr. Malpani: Unfortunately, for many children in India today, it is the normal — but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy or necessary. In fact, I’d go as far as saying tuitions are a plague that’s eating away at the soul of our education system.
Parent: That’s a strong statement. But aren’t tuitions supposed to help children improve? What’s wrong with extra support?
Dr. Malpani: Nothing is wrong with helping a child who genuinely needs support. But what’s happening today is something entirely different. Tuitions have become a parallel schooling system, driven by fear, competition, and profit — not learning. And they’ve turned education into a soul-crushing rat race.
Let me explain why.
1. Schools Are Failing — So Tuitions Are Filling the Gap
In theory, schools should be enough. A full school day should cover a child’s academic needs. But today, schools have become so exam-focused and teacher-centric that many children don’t actually learn — they just memorize.
Tuitions step in as a band-aid solution — but instead of healing the wound, they deepen it by repeating the same broken methods: lectures, rote learning, and fear of marks.
2. Tuitions Breed Dependency, Not Independence
Children who go to tuitions for every subject start believing they can’t learn on their own. They lose their curiosity and confidence. Every doubt is outsourced. Every answer is spoon-fed.
Parent: That’s true — my daughter doesn’t even try solving problems herself anymore. She just waits for tuition class to explain it.
Dr. Malpani: Exactly. That’s the real damage. Instead of building learners, we’re producing tuition zombies — passive, anxious, and overly dependent.
3. Time Drain, Brain Drain
Children spend 10–12 hours a day on school + tuitions. When do they play? Think? Explore? Read for fun?
They are constantly rushing — from class to class, from one worksheet to another. There’s no time to be bored, and no room for creativity. The irony is: we say we want holistic education, but we kill the very spirit of childhood.
4. It’s a Business — Not a Service
Let’s not sugarcoat it — the tuition industry is a multi-billion-rupee business. It profits from your fear and guilt as a parent. The messaging is always the same:
“If your child doesn’t join, they’ll fall behind.”
“Everyone else is doing it, why aren’t you?”
They sell anxiety in shiny packaging — and charge a premium for it.
And the worst part? Many schools have a silent arrangement with tuition teachers. Some even deliberately teach poorly in class to push students toward after-school coaching.
5. No Focus on Real Learning
Ask a child what they learned in tuition today, and the answer will usually be:
“We revised this chapter again… sir gave us some tricks for the exam… he told us what’s likely to come.”
There’s no room for understanding, just exam hacks. Kids are taught what to think — never how to think.
Parent: But isn’t this just the system we live in? With board exams, entrance tests, and pressure to perform — how can we afford not to send our kids to tuitions?
Dr. Malpani: That’s precisely what the system wants you to believe — that you’re helpless, that you must follow the herd.
But let me ask you this: Is it working?
Are kids happier? Smarter? More confident? More curious?
If the answer is no — then it’s time to stop being passive consumers of a broken system and start becoming active co-creators of something better.
6. There Is Another Way — Learning Pods That Empower Children
What if learning wasn’t about chasing marks, but about nurturing minds?
What if, instead of sending your child to yet another tuition class, you gave them access to a quiet, safe space with a computer and internet — where they could explore free online resources, work on real-world problems, and learn at their own pace?
That’s the idea behind Teach to Earn Digital Learning Pods.
No teachers shouting. No marks pressure. No tuitions. Just freedom, curiosity, and peer learning, guided by a caring adult who acts like a coach — not a dictator.
Parent: But will they actually learn enough? What about exams and competition?
Dr. Malpani: Kids who learn for the right reasons — because they’re curious, excited, and in charge of their learning — do better in the long run. And they don’t burn out by the time they’re 14.
They don’t need constant hand-holding. They develop real problem-solving skills. And most importantly, they learn to learn.
That’s far more valuable than memorizing formulas or rehearsing sample papers.
7. Let’s Stop Normalising Tuitions
Sending your child to three tuitions every day shouldn’t be seen as dedication — it’s a sign that the system has failed. The answer isn’t more tuitions — it’s a complete reset.
We need to stop pretending that pushing our kids harder will prepare them for life. What they need is space to grow, freedom to explore, and trust to fail and try again.
Take matters in your own hands by starting your own digital learning pod — your children will not get a second chance! 👉 https://www.teachtoearn.in/start-a-teach-to-earn-learning-pod/