India: Kohima Village Students’ Union starts night schools

Kohima, India: In addition to preserving children’s welfare and protecting their rights, night schools in Kohima village, run by the Kohima Village Students’ Union (KVSU), offer a glimmer of hope for youngsters.

The night schools were established in the early 1980s with the intention of providing equitable learning opportunities for everybody so that each student may fulfil his or her potential and contribute to the advancement of society, according to KVSU general secretary Albert Rutsa in an interview with Nagaland Post.

He claimed that educators at the institutions gave each kid individual attention and offered coaching based on their skills for overall development. He added that the hamlet had four-night schools that offered free tuition to all students, regardless of their financial situation, as well as a place where they could express themselves freely.

He asserted that pupils of various backgrounds could easily enter the schools. While two-night schools ran in the government school building, the other one was held in a community hall and the other one in a public library.

According to Rutsa, there were 122 teachers teaching 275 pupils, for an average student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1. The schools were open for at least two hours each working day, five days a week. In order to provide the students with more time and attention during exams, the tuition hours were extended. Numerous recent graduates who wanted to become teachers used the schools as training grounds as well.

Currently, the community, organisations, and individuals contribute to the management and administration of the schools. To cover the costs and maintain the operations of the schools, KVSU and its divisions also held fundraising events.

Speaking of the main obstacles, Rutsa acknowledged that finance was the most difficult aspect and stated that sometimes student activities had to be reduced as a result.

It should be noted that night schools have a strong track record and have consistently produced top students and subject students in the State Board examination. The most recent example is Viwenuo Suohu, who placed first in both the HSLC (2020) and HSSLC (2022) exams.

Rutsa acknowledged that because classes were online and notes were distributed via WhatsApp and other channels, many students had trouble keeping up with their notes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Because of this, the night schools were forced to assist the students by getting printouts and setting up libraries so that they could consult the books and also clear up any issues they might have had.

To give students a chance to discover their abilities and gain experiences outside of the four walls of the classroom, numerous activities, such as literary events, movie evenings, exposure trips, personality development activities, etc., are held all year long. Teachers and students who exhibit merit receive rewards for their efforts.