Hold up, did we always have schools for dummies? Does it really make your IQ go BOOM? Well, in reality, it doesn’t. The dummy schools serve an entirely different purpose, and yes, it’s not limited to Real Dummies. This specific term refers to those schools and colleges that do not require attendance, or we can say No Classes to Attend. Students are free to study on their own, making it similar to a distance course, but with much more freedom.
This was designed for those students who want to solely focus on one goal, Competitive Exams. It’s given that these exams are tough and require months, if not years, of dedication. Given that, it’s not always sunny on the other side. Not attending class may sound good on one hand, but on the other, it may cause life-changing effects that may turn out to be significant in the future. So, in this blog, we will discuss what is dummy school? Are dummy schools legal? And what kind of dummy school fees should you be expecting to pay.
What is Dummy School?
Let’s start from the top. So, what is Dummy School in broader terms? Well, it has two elements: first, you no longer have to attend regular classes, and second, you can attend board exams without worrying about the attendance scores. It goes without saying that this specific system was designed for medical and engineering students in particular. The entrance exams for those studies are NEET and JEE, two of the toughest exams in the entire nation. It takes a lot of time and preparation just to clear the minimum cutoff, and if you want to join top colleges, well, you need more than 85% marks, that’s for sure.
Most of the dummy schools are officially partnered with coaching institutes, further allowing their students to fully immerse themselves in the study they desire. But always remember one thing: this is only for the serious folks who have more than just a passion for study. They need a strong mind and also a lot of bank balance, since these combined institutions can easily cost 5 to 10 times higher than an ordinary postgraduate program in just a year. And if we include study materials, well, you can already guess.
The Good and the Bad Side of Dummy School in India
Dummy schools have always been a hot topic in our parliament. As it stands, this industry boomed in the COVID era when students had no choice but to become Dummy Students. We know it sounds dumb! But once students got hooked, there was no going back. And in 2025, Dummy Schools became one of the top choices for students prepping for competitive exams. But that’s only one of many benefits that these schools provide!
Pros of Dummy School
These schools have tons of advantages over the regular schools, from not requiring them to appear in classes to having all the time to themselves. So, let’s break it down one by one:
- Complete focus on competitive exams: These schools are designed for such students, so it just goes without saying that students from Dummy School will have the ability to focus more on their NEET or JEE needs while still being able to attend their regular school programs.
- Zero Distractions: Schools are rowdy places, and most students cannot focus or concentrate well in such an environment. But dummy classes completely negate that part and allow students to study from the comfort of their homes.
- Better for Introverts and Autism: Studies show that homeschooling and dummy school can have a better impact on mentally impaired students. It also saves them from potential bullying in schools and lets them focus on their learning process fully.
- Flexibility: Students have the choice to pick when they study, where they study, and how much time they should distribute between their competitive exam syllabus and the dummy school. Only dummy students can achieve such freedom.
The Cons of Dummy School
The dummy school, on paper, sounds good, a bit Too Good in our opinion. Which in return, has given birth to many conflicts over the years. Like, what about the attendance? Aren't schools and colleges an important part of your social development? Why does a dummy school charge so much for literally doing nothing in return? There are a lot of logical reasons like these, and that's why you must know how many cons you will be facing if Dummy School becomes your first priority:
- CBSE Mandate: CBSE has been the top challenger of Dummy School for years, and in 2025, they may just ban students from such institutes altogether. If we are being honest, this was an inevitable result since Dummy School isn’t even fundamentally a school anymore.
- Bad Social Life Growth: The regular school offers more than just study, and it’s social growth. Meeting new students whose thoughts aligns with yours, maybe even making a girlfriend or two, and of course, making connections that will last a lifetime. These parts are annihilated in the case of Dummy School, and it can have massive negative effects on the students in the long run.
- Social Isolation: This is dedicated to after-school activities that also play a crucial role in socially developing students from the inside out. But no regular classes means no after-school activities at all. Solely focusing on studies may sound good to your parents, but as a result, those students may suffer lifelong traumas all thanks to that.
- Lack of Discipline: No one can deny that every single student will not take self-discipline seriously, further straying them from their studies. Lack of discipline can also cause bad habits to appear. Like, bad time management, messed-up sleep schedule, depression, anxiety, and so on.
Dummy School vs. Open Distance Learning (ODL)
Distance learning and the dummy schools have much more in common than you might think. For example, dummy schools are comparably a toned-down version of distance learning, whereas, in ODL, or Open Distance Learning, you get all your study materials in either physical, digital, or in both forms. But in the case of Dummy Schools, it is mostly physical textbooks, as you’ll get in your ordinary UG programs. Some provide the books directly and charge extra, while others may charge less but leave the students to buy their own study materials. That’s why sometimes it becomes an additional hassle for students.
The ultimate decision is totally based on the students. It is common for parents to barge in and decide what their kids should be doing after class 10. But can they really predict which career path is the right one for you? Maybe you will succeed with the Dummy School path, or maybe not. Alternatively, you can take career counselling to further clarify exactly that. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide. Go for distance learning if you want to focus on a competitive exam alongside your undergraduate program or a dummy school if you are 100% sure to crack JEE or NEET right after the 12th board exam.
Frequently Asked Question
Q1. Are dummy schools legal in India?
Ans. Keep in mind that Dummy Schools are neither legal nor illegal. They kind of act on a grey area, which only exists as long as CBSE wants it to. As of today, CBSE started a big initiative to mandate the Dummy Schools, and in the future either these will be deemed illegal or will be regulated heavily.
Q2. Is the dummy admission process the same as regular schools?
Ans. Each dummy school has its own admission process. Unlike the regular schools, where the enrollment system is usually the same across the board.
Q3. Is dummy students a real term?
Ans. It is not an official term, but unofficially every student of Dummy School likes to call themselves Dummy Students. So the short answer is both yes and no.
Q4. How can I find a CBSE dummy school near me?
Ans. You can search for “dummy schools near me” in Google, and it will list your closest dummy school that you can enroll in.
Q5. Will class 11 exam be held offline for 2025?
Ans. This is not set in stone just yet. But the academic year 2025-26, which will start this year, may face the final verdict of CBSE. And yes, that includes offline exams.
