Colaba BMC school shutdown: Lack of devices, poor internet push hundreds of students out of class

Parents say the closure has disrupted children’s lives far beyond academics. “Two of my daughters haven’t been to school for over a month,” says Neru Rathod, father of three. “Even when my eighth-grade daughter uses my phone, I don’t know if she’s attending class or just playing games. In our community, children are often seen outside playing during school hours now

MUMBAI: Nearly a month after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) declared two buildings of the Mumbai Public School in Colaba unsafe and moved 1,500 English-medium students to online classes, the experiment is collapsing. Families say the lack of devices, poor internet connectivity and absence of a structured routine have left hundreds of children without access to education — with many simply dropping out.

Mumbai, India – 10, Aug 2025: Mumbai Public School at Colaba, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Aug 10, 2025. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The school at A M Sawant Marg was shut on July 15 after the BMC’s School Infrastructure Cell (SIC) categorised one building as C1 (dilapidated) and ordered the demolition of both structures. While students from Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and Urdu sections were shifted to other municipal schools, there was no physical relocation for the two English-medium sections from kindergarten to Class 8.

For children in Ambedkar Nagar and Ganesh Murti Nagar, where most of the students live, virtual classes have proved unworkable. Many households have just one smartphone — if any — which must be shared among siblings and working parents. Mobile data is costly and unreliable, and the narrow lanes and crowded rooms offer no quiet place to study.

Parents say the closure has disrupted children’s lives far beyond academics. “Two of my daughters haven’t been to school for over a month,” says Neru Rathod, father of three. “Even when my eighth-grade daughter uses my phone, I don’t know if she’s attending class or just playing games. In our community, children are often seen outside playing during school hours now.”

Some parents recall being assured of a quick solution. “They told us it would reopen within ten days,” says Charan Rathod, whose sixth-grade daughter Kritika now spends her mornings chasing a stable network signal. “We’ve had no updates since. Authorities promised to shift students to another school, but nothing has happened.”

Antu Rathod, whose son Krishna was in Class 8, says the uncertainty is demoralising. “He went to school on June 12, then in July they said stop coming. We live ten minutes away, yet now he has nowhere to go for classes.”

The 60-year-old school, established in 1964, has educated generations in Colaba’s fishing villages, slums and chawls. Known for committed teachers and good results, it was a preferred choice for working-class families. Community representatives have questioned why both buildings were shut simultaneously, pointing out that one was categorised as C2 — needing major repairs but not demolition. “They could have demolished one and kept the other open,” says a local activist.

Former corporator Makarand Narwekar has been working to find an interim solution. He took parents to inspect Mukesh Mills, where a temporary cabin system was suggested, and negotiated with MTNL for its building. Rent demands — initially ₹22 lakh, later reduced to ₹16 lakh — stalled the talks. “Every week lost makes it harder to bring these kids back to learning,” he warns. Narwekar says other spaces, such as the World Trade Centre, could be considered.

On August 6, Narwekar wrote to civic commissioner and administrator Bhushan Gagrani, and to the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, urging immediate action. His letter calls for the identification of temporary learning spaces and an urgent meeting with local representatives, school authorities and parents. “This is how dropouts happen,” he says. “This is how kids go astray.”

BMC education officer Sujata Khare says some children have been shifted to other schools but accommodating all 1,500 remains a challenge. “We are exploring nearby spaces to relocate the students,” she said. Deputy municipal commissioner (Education) Prachi Jambhekar has previously stated that no suitable welfare or amenity spaces are available in the vicinity, and the Colaba Market location used for some students was only freed after the election office vacated it.