Amid staff crunch and lack of infrastructure, the number of night schools in Mumbai is shrinking – it has come down to 120 this year from 130 a year ago
It's 6.45 pm and Salman Shah is sweating and panting as he reaches his night school at Wadala. The 19-year-old is late by 15 mins. A waiter at a city restaurant, Salman is dejected when he learns that their History teacher hasn't turned up.
“Most of the time, we don’t have teachers for English, Mathematics and now History-Geography too. Ma’am, if you could tell the government to provide us teachers for at least two more subjects, it would become easier to understand as it’s really tough,” said Salman, a student of Class 8.
The plight of Salman is emblematic of the government apathy towards 4,000 people, engaged in places like eateries, small factories, courier companies, households and housekeeping firms, dashing to a school after a day's hard work to educate themselves and dream of a better future.
Amid staff crunch and lack of infrastructure, the number of night schools in Mumbai is shrinking – it has come down to 120 this year from 130 a year ago, said officials. While these schools operate from a few classrooms at BMC schools, they are run by the state government. Marathi, English, Hindi, and Urdu are the most popular mediums, said officials. Ironically, the first night school in India had been established in Mumbai by social reformer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in 1885.
DNA visited four night schools in Chembur, Worli, Sion and Mulund. None of the schools has more than three teachers. They also lack books and benches. While those, including Salman, from Class 1 and 8 get free books under the Sarva Shikshan Abhiyan, for students in Class 9 and 10 books become an additional expense.
Class 10 student Nikita Chawla said, "I don’t have enough money to buy textbooks of eight subjects which cost Rs 50 each as I am the only earning member in my family.” The 19-year-old couldn’t complete her education after she lost her father. “In Class 9, I somehow managed to get second-hand books. Since the syllabus was changed last year, there are no old books. It will get difficult for me to study,” she added.
Some schools like Dnyanvikas Night High School in Sion collect books from pass-out students and others and give them to their existing students.
"It cannot be said that the focus is put on day schools more than night schools. All our students are equally important to us, nevertheless the medium or time of the school. It's not like we are not trying to make things better," countered a senior official from the office of the deputy director of education.
The official said they are doing their best to improve the conditions at Mumbai's night schools. "Recently, we had a meeting with night school teachers where they submitted their requests and suggestions to us. We have assured that we will act on their suggestions soon," added the official on the condition of anonymity.
Between hope and disappointment, there are scores of students who are grateful to the night schools. One of them is Nayan Verma (name changed). The 26-year-old left behind his ailing mother and a younger brother in Lucknow to work at a juice centre in Bandra. Now a Dharavi resident, Verma said, "Moving to Mumbai was the best decision. It has given me an opportunity to study at night and earn during the day."
"
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Night schools")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}