NEW DELHI: A central panel tasked with reducing students’ dependence on coaching centres is considering wide-ranging reforms, including holding competitive examinations as early as Class XI, restricting daily coaching hours to two to three hours, and exploring a hybrid assessment model combining board exam performance with aptitude testing.These proposals were discussed at a meeting of the 11-member committee on reducing dependency of students on coaching centres on Nov 15, where members reviewed systemic pressures that push students into extensive after-school coaching.TOI learnt that one major proposal under review is whether national entrance examinations such as JEE, NEET and CUET can be conducted in Class XI. The committee will study syllabus alignment across boards before finalising recommendations, with several members arguing that an earlier exam window could ease academic pressure and reduce the high-stakes build-up in Class XII. The panel also discussed conducting entrance exams twice a year – potentially in April and Nov – in line with NEP-2020.Another significant suggestion was limiting coaching classes to a maximum of two to three hours daily, a sharp shift from the five to six hours many students currently spend at private centres after school. Members said such a cap could help restore academic balance, reduce fatigue and reaffirm the primacy of school-based learning. The committee also examined a hybrid assessment model for entrance examinations that gives weightage to both board marks and aptitude-based tests. Officials said this could strengthen classroom learning, improve internal assessments and reduce excessive dependence on coaching.Deliberations covered broader systemic challenges – syllabus gaps across school boards, the rise of dummy schools, weak formative assessments, uneven teacher competency and the lack of structured career counselling in schools. According to members present in the Nov 15 meeting, as part of the action points, NCERT was assigned responsibility to coordinate with CBSE and state boards to compare Class XI and XII syllabi with the expectations of competitive exams, aiming to reduce disparities and align school curricula with entrance requirements.