MUMBAI, Feb. 28 -- In a staggering display of systemic neglect, a single teacher is currently standing between 101 students and the collapse of their education at a night school in Goregaon. The 75-year-old state-run institution has been left with just one faculty member to manage every subject, every grade, and the entire administration, raising serious concerns about the school's future. The school, established in 1950, is among Mumbai's oldest night schools and has long served working-class students who attend evening classes after a full day's labour. This academic year, 101 students from Classes 8 to 10 are enrolled. But with no headmaster, clerk or attendant appointed, the burden of running the institution has fallen entirely on one teacher. Students say the situation is severely affecting their learning. "We work during the day and come to study at night so that we can get promotions in our jobs," said one student. "But with only one teacher, it becomes very difficult to understand all subjects properly. It is affecting our studies and exam preparation." Currently, NGO Masoom provides academic support to Class 10 students, partially filling the gap. However, students and teachers' organisations argue that such stop-gap arrangements cannot substitute for a full-fledged teaching and administrative staff. The crisis in Goregaon reflects a larger collapse in Mumbai's night school system. According to the Teachers Democratic Front (TDF), Mumbai, many night schools across the city have been functioning for years without clerks or attendants. Basic operational issues, including electricity management during evening hours, remain unresolved due to lack of staff. Janardan Jangle, president of TDF Mumbai, said the Goregaon school has no headmaster, clerk or attendant at present. He alleged that the lone teacher has not received a salary for the past few months. "If the only teacher falls ill or is absent, what happens to the students?" Jangle asked, questioning the government's inaction. He said TDF has repeatedly raised the issue with the government. In 2024, the organisation sent a legal notice, and in 2025 approached the High Court through a public interest litigation. Following the court's directions, a meeting was held with the Principal Secretary. However, Jangle claimed that there has been no substantial improvement on the ground. Data shared in the ongoing legislature paints a grim picture. Of the 92 night schools in Mumbai, 21 are reportedly on the verge of closure due to shortage of teachers. In 42 schools, only one teacher is available to run the entire institution....