We are a group of 5 students from the Dhirubhai Ambani International School and we want to make a change.

Whilst doing our Global Perspectives Team Project on poverty and inequality, we stumbled across the concept of night schools. Since we didn’t know anything about them prior to this, we wondered if this was the case with all our schoolmates too. To verify, we conducted a survey, and the results were shocking. Only 20% of students from the seventh to the eleventh grade were aware of what a night school was. What’s more appalling was that 98% of students weren’t even aware of night schools in their localities. Therefore, the aim of our project was to spread awareness regarding the importance of night schools.

Night schools are places where underprivileged adults who did not receive an adequate education in their childhood go to study during the night as they have to work during the day. 

On the 29th of November, we went to Uttkarsh Night School in Prabhadevi, to gain a better understanding of them. What we found was greatly saddening. 

Firstly, Google Maps provided an incorrect address and phone number for this school, showing how the importance of night schools has been dismissed by society. Secondly, we found that the locals in the area were under the impression that this school has been closed for over a decade when in reality it operates on a daily basis. This is when it struck us that we had in fact underestimated the lack of awareness about night schools.

The headteacher there, Mr. Jayant agreed with the aim of our project, saying, “Awareness about night schools is the most important thing of all, people living in this locality don’t even know about our school.” 

We also realised how poor the facilities were in night schools, with dirty classrooms and students without proper books from which to study. Additionally, there was a noticeable lack of students there, with only 6 or 7 attending regularly, which highlighted the fact that there is a lack of awareness about these facilities. 

Night schools are quintessential and can make a massive to an underprivileged person’s life. Receiving education increases their chances of gaining better employment and leading a life of higher quality.  Students can also learn basic computer skills that can help them in gaining more income.

This is why night schools are of paramount importance, and the sad truth is that a majority of the population is unaware of their existence. You can help make an impact by making your household staff aware of this facility and its benefits. Additionally, you can donate to NGOs such as Masoom which help organize these night schools. These night schools in Mumbai have the potential to have profound impacts on the lives of individuals, and you can help make that happen! 

Written by Anirudh Fadia, Ananya Sachdev, Rohaan Batra, Aadit Tibrewala and Naman Pushp (Students of Dhirubhai Ambani International School).