From lifeline to neglect: Night schools need revival

For thousands of working adults, night schools are a gateway to a better life. Now, these institutions are struggling to stay afloat

MUMBAI: At 26, Rakesh Khorwal has achieved what once seemed impossible. He completed his Chartered Accountancy studies last year, an accomplishment he attributes to an unlikely springboard – the night school where he studied from Class 10 to 12.

Stories of hope abound in Mumbai’s night schools and yet these institutions are in need of resuscitation. (Raju Shinde / HT PHOTO)

“My father runs a small workshop making ladies’ shoes in Chembur. We helped him during the day and attended a night school in Kurla in the evening,” says Khorwal, who pursued his chartered accountancy with support from Massom, a non-profit that helps night schoolers pursue a higher education.

Stories of hope abound in Mumbai’s night schools and yet these institutions are in need of resuscitation. More than 15,000 students enrolled in night schools across Maharashtra are struggling to get a proper education due to a severe shortage of teachers. Despite being the only state in the country that continues to run these government-aided schools, Maharashtra’s education department hasn’t appointed any full-time teachers in these schools since 2012.

Earlier, teachers from day schools taught in night schools for additional pay, but the practice was discontinued in 2017. Later, the government decided to deploy surplus teachers from day schools, but many students were left without mathematics and science instructors.

A separate plan was drawn up to appoint teachers based on student enrolment, but the government’s UDISE system restricts registration of students above the age of 22. Since most night school students are older working adults, this rule has created a major obstacle in assigning sufficient teachers.

Currently, around 120 teachers are provided by non-profits in Mumbai’s night schools to teach key subjects. However, with over 200 night schools across Maharashtra – 95 of them are in Mumbai, with 6,500 enrolments – administrators alike are struggling to keep the system afloat.

According to sources from the school education department, there are zero teachers in four night schools in Mumbai; 12 have only one teacher, and 28 only two teachers.

Ashok Belsare, president of Shikshak Bharati, and a member of the 2022 government-appointed committee on night schools, “The government is doing nothing to solve the challenges faced by night schools.”

The committee has recommended reinstating teachers who lost their jobs after a 2017 government decision that terminated 1,358 night-school employees, including 1,010 teachers and 348 non-teaching staff. It has also proposed appointing qualified teachers with at least three years of experience in day schools to fill vacancies in night schools. The report also pointed out that night-school teachers receive only half the salary of their counterparts in day schools, which is a huge deterrent.

To improve learning conditions, the committee suggested free textbooks and notebooks, evening meal schemes for working students, fee waivers for the Class 10 and 12 board examinations, and mobile libraries and laboratories. It further proposed a dedicated institute in Mumbai to train night-school teachers.

The first night school in Maharashtra was started in 1885 by social reformer Jyotiba Phule in Pune. The concept later spread to Mumbai in the 1950s, to educate migrant mill workers, opening the door to literacy for the city’s working-class adults and children.

But, it seems, the government is not giving these institutions the priority they deserve. Educational advisor Sudam Kumbhar from Vidya Vikas Education Society, Vikhroli, who runs three night schools including a junior college, said, “In a city full of opportunities, many young men and women work during the day and cannot attend regular school. Night schools are their lifeline, helping them complete their education while allowing them to earn.”

Rajesh Kankal, deputy director of education, Mumbai, said the school education department is addressing the challenges faced by night schools, step by step. “We are resolving issues from time to time. Recently, we allowed schools to enrol new students in the UDISE system. As for the age-related cap, that problem will also be sorted out soon,” he said.

Kankal added that teachers are being appointed in night schools, but technical difficulties in linking their data to the existing system have caused some delays.

Stories of Grit

Breaking the mould

Harita K P is breaking the stereotype about night schools. The 16-year-old scored 92% in the Class 10 exam and chose to enrol at Vikas Night Junior College, to focus on prep for NEET and JEE, competitive exams that open the door to engineering courses. “There’s a bad perception about night schools, but they actually give students more flexibility,” says Harita. “I have not joined any coaching class, as I use my mornings and afternoons to study for competitive exams, and attend school in the evening. This way, I can focus fully on my goal to pursue a professional education.”

Beacon of hope

For 30-year-old Raju Tambde from Jalna, night school was a lifeline after moving to Mumbai. “I started working in a workshop in Worli, and that’s where I heard about night school,” he says. “I completed Class 10 there, which motivated me to study further. I earned a BA degree and now work at the Bank of India.”

For her children

Pratima Mohite, 36, is enrolled at Karmveer Bhaurao Patil Night School in Jogeshwari to complete her Class 10 education. She’s determined to pass the exam so that her children can be educated in private schools. “My family didn’t have much money, so I dropped out of school in 2005,” she says. “I want to give my children a better education in private schools, but many schools check the parents’ educational background before giving admission.” Mohite says clearing Class 10 will also enhance her own job prospects.

Refusing to give up

For 31-year-old Sharman Patil, working at the Mumbai airport, night school was a stepping stone to a stable career. “I studied in a day school but when my teacher moved to a night school, we followed because we needed a Kannada-medium school,” he recalls. “I completed Class 10 from Guru Narayan Night School in Santacruz. The guidance we received there helped me complete my BSc and later an IATA course, which led to my current job.”

Lofty academic goals

Reshma Masurkar, 36, is pursuing a PhD in Hindi while teaching in college. Her educational journey began in a night school after a long break. “When my father fell ill, we moved back to our native place and I lost two years of schooling,” she recalls. “After returning to Mumbai, my siblings and I joined a night school in Goregaon. I completed Class 10 there, which inspired me to continue studying. I am now in the final stage of my PhD.”