Mumbai: A government resolution in May of 2017 left night schools in the city understaffed. Subjects like Maths and English have had few or no teachers, along with other fund-related issues pertaining to aid from the government. These schools have yet managed to remain afloat and produce 100% results in SSC class 10 examinations.
The idea of night schools is a government aided adult learning school that takes lessons in the evening or at night to accommodate those who work during the day. It was first introduced in 1885 by social reformers Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule. These schools typically run from 7 in the evening to 10 at night.
In May 2017, the government decided to stop allowing regular daytime school employees to also work at night, which resulted in the dismissal of approximately 1,010 teachers and 348 non-teaching staff from night schools. The move was made with the intention of lowering the amount of money spent by the state on the additional salaries that night school teachers receive. In regular schools, as many as 174 of these teachers were replaced by surplus teachers; however, the majority of night school positions remained vacant.
Head Master Santosh Ganpat Dhavade from Chembur Nightschool said, “Night schools are no different in terms of syllabus than day schools yet, we are treated differently at every level. Our salaries are one-third that of day school teachers, our timings have been reduced to two and a half hours each day and what has affected us the most is reduced teacher allocations.”
According to an expert committee that was appointed by the MVA government, the lack of teachers, particularly in subjects like English and mathematics, contributed to the deterioration of the learning process in schools. The panel made a new policy that calls for regular teachers to be hired again for night schools. Among different measures, it likewise suggested lessening the showing time around evening time schools from three and a half hours to more than two hours.
The decision, which was originally taken by the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June last year, was put on hold in December by the new ruling alliance of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and BJP. The state issued a government resolution (GR) in April this year, announcing to lift the stay on the policy of letting regular teachers work double shifts. However, it is yet to be implemented.
“It is humanly not possible for one teacher to do two jobs with equal dedication, while many eligible teachers are helplessly selling vada pavs to fuel their kitchens” Dhavade added.
"Our aim is to educate every student that takes admission irrespective of the backend problems we face with the government. We are happy to be delivering 100% pass results despite the limitations." Bhushana Pathare, School Committee Chairperson said.
Bhushana cited a few past student cases who have immensely benefited from attending night schools. One of the stories that was promptly told was about a BMC worker whose job was in danger because he didn't have a class 10 certificate. He returned to school at the age of 56 to complete his education and received a 76%.
“These are the kind of students who come to us and are our responsibility. Management troubles have lurked around for ages but that has never been an excuse to not provide quality education to our students. However, timely help from the government would be highly appreciated.” Bhushana added.
Night schools cater to students from a variety of backgrounds. Students who are continuing school after a gap, students who assist their parents during the day to earn money so they can only study at night, and so on. Mother-daughter and father-son pairs are frequently observed studying together.
Chandrakant Mhatre, President of Maharashtra State Night School Headmasters Association, welcomed the recent decision. He is of the opinion that night schools are mostly attended by working and poor students, many of whom are older than their years. Teachers who worked double shifts were removed by the government, but they were not replaced. Night schools suffered greatly as a result.
Mother-Daughter duo wait to complete admission processes at Chembur night high school. | Pushpita Chatterjee
