Now, this legacy is under threat, the report explained.
The students studying before the exam at the Chintamani Ratra Prashala in Chinchwad
For many in Maharashtra, night schools offer the only chance to improve their future or fulfil long-lost educational dreams. However, these institutions are struggling to survive due to budget cuts and political apathy, relying heavily on non-profit organisations for support, a report said in this paper. Over a century ago, Maharashtra pioneered the concept of night schools, enabling working-class men and women to continue their education without sacrificing their livelihoods. Now, this legacy is under threat, the report explained.
Despite a slight increase in the number of night schools—210 across the state, with Mumbai hosting 150—funding shortages and staff cuts jeopardise their future. Night schools cater to diverse students—those returning after a break, those juggling work and studies, and even parents studying alongside their children. The authorities need to keep the night school tradition going, seeing how many lives it has enhanced. Night schools cannot be solely dependent on NGOs. The state needs to come up with a comprehensive plan about how to keep these educational hubs going without concerns about how they will survive for the next year.
Funds must be allocated and, more importantly, reach the schools on time. Education leaders have to sit together to seek a solution for the night school problem. If there is a teacher and fund crunch, there has to be a way to tackle that.
Go back to the drawing board and see why there is a teacher crunch? Can educators be drawn from elsewhere? Is there a way in which one can have night school educators, who can make a decent salary only by teaching at night. Recognise the value of these schools, identify lacunae and fill them up and keep the night light burning.
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