Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy doesn't believe coaching classes are the right way for students to pass exams.
"Coaching classes are the wrong way to help children pass examinations," Murthy told an audience at the launch of Paul Hewitt’s 13th edition of Conceptual Physics in Bengaluru, stressing that only students who fail to pay attention in regular school classes end up needing them.
For him, the real goal of education isn’t about preparing for tests through rote learning but about fostering critical thinking.
Murthy addressed the growing dependency on coaching centers, especially in cities like Kota, known for its high-pressure environment.
When asked whether coaching institutes serve as a pathway to prestigious institutions like IITs and NITs, Murthy was straightforward in his response. "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."
Murthy expressed concern about the booming coaching industry, which has grown to over ₹58,000 crore annually and continues to rise at 19-20% per year. While this growth reflects an increasing demand, Murthy argued it points to a deeper problem in India’s education system, where rote memorization often takes precedence over genuine learning.
He emphasized that education should focus on observation, analysis, and hypothesis testing—skills that are critical to solving real-world problems. "The purpose of education is to learn how to learn," Murthy remarked, reiterating that understanding and critical thinking, not cramming, should be at the core of a child’s education.
He further shared his thoughts on how this approach to education could foster innovation. Murthy recalled a 1993 workshop at Infosys, where a peon asked him what innovation truly meant. Murthy’s response was simple yet impactful: "Innovation is about doing things faster, cheaper, and with better quality than before. Whether you’re cleaning a table or solving complex problems, it's about improving every day."