The Students’ Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation are set to launch a statewide campaign to assess the condition of government school infrastructure in Maharashtra from September 1. The organisations have said the campaign will focus particularly on rural government schools and will seek measures to protect and strengthen them.
The announcement was made by Maharashtra SFI president Rohidas Jadhav, who said the campaign would be conducted in several phases across the state. The first phase will begin on September 1 with sit ins outside Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti offices. Demonstrations outside government offices are planned on Teachers’ Day on September 5.
The organisations are opposing the closure of government schools in rural areas on the grounds of low student enrolment. They argue that government schools play an important role in providing access to education for children, particularly in rural and economically weaker communities.
According to the organisations, closing schools because of lower enrolment could make education less accessible for students who depend on nearby government institutions. They have therefore demanded that the state government focus on improving facilities and strengthening these schools instead of shutting them down.
A major demand of the campaign is the filling of vacant teacher positions. SFI and DYFI have said that schools need adequate teaching staff to ensure that students receive quality education. Teacher vacancies can place additional pressure on existing staff and may affect the availability of subject specific instruction.
The organisations have also called for infrastructure audits of government schools across Maharashtra. The proposed assessment is intended to identify deficiencies in classrooms and other essential facilities and highlight areas requiring government investment.
Libraries are among the facilities specifically mentioned in their demands. The organisations want government schools to have adequate library resources so students can access books and supplementary learning materials beyond their regular textbooks.
Laboratories are another focus of the campaign. SFI and DYFI have demanded improved laboratory facilities, particularly in schools where students require practical learning opportunities in science and other subjects.
Digital infrastructure also forms part of the demands. The organisations have called for better digital facilities and essential educational materials, arguing that students in government schools should have access to modern learning resources.
The campaign comes shortly after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke launched a School Theek Karo campaign on August 15. That initiative also highlighted concerns about the condition of government schools and the need for improvements in basic educational infrastructure.
The latest announcement has placed the condition of government schools at the centre of a wider public discussion in Maharashtra. The issue is particularly relevant in rural districts, where government schools often serve as important local educational institutions.
The proposed infrastructure audit is not an official government audit. It is a campaign announced by SFI and DYFI to assess school conditions and draw attention to their demands. The organisations intend to use information gathered during the campaign to highlight shortages and press the government for corrective action.
The campaign will be carried out in multiple phases, according to Jadhav. In the first stage, activists will conduct demonstrations and sit ins outside local administrative offices. These actions are intended to bring attention to school related issues at the district and local levels.
The organisations have also linked the campaign to the broader question of public education. They have argued that improving government schools is important for maintaining access to quality education and reducing disparities between students from different social and economic backgrounds.
Another issue raised by the groups is the availability of adequate financial resources. They have demanded sufficient government funding to address infrastructure deficiencies identified in schools.
Funding is particularly important for maintaining classrooms, sanitation facilities, drinking water systems, laboratories, libraries and digital equipment. The organisations have said that infrastructure deficiencies should be identified systematically and addressed through planned government investment.
The campaign also seeks protection for rural schools facing the possibility of closure because of declining student numbers. SFI and DYFI have rejected enrolment based closure as a solution and instead called for measures that could make government schools more attractive to students and families.
Such measures, according to their demands, could include better facilities, adequate teachers and improved learning resources.
The organisations have also said that government schools should receive essential educational materials. Access to appropriate learning resources can support classroom teaching and provide students with additional opportunities for academic development.
Teachers are expected to be a major focus of the campaign. The demand to fill vacant posts reflects concerns about the availability of sufficient teaching staff across government schools. The exact number of vacancies and their distribution across Maharashtra were not specified in the reports announcing the campaign.
The campaign is expected to involve local activists and students’ and youth organisations across different districts. Details of individual school assessments and the methodology to be used have not been fully announced.
The Maharashtra government has not, in the reports reviewed, announced that it will formally adopt the SFI and DYFI audit as an official state assessment exercise. Any findings produced by the organisations would therefore represent an advocacy campaign rather than an official government evaluation.
At the same time, the concerns raised by the organisations are part of a broader conversation about school infrastructure in Maharashtra. A recent demand from a principals’ organisation for 10 percent of District Planning Committee funds to be reserved for government school infrastructure also reflects continuing concerns about facilities such as classrooms, sanitation, drinking water and digital resources.
Maharashtra’s education authorities already operate systems for school assessment and monitoring. The Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training has information related to school quality assessment and assurance, including self assessment and external evaluation processes.
The existence of these official mechanisms means that the SFI and DYFI campaign will function separately as a pressure and awareness initiative. Its stated objective is to highlight gaps that the organisations believe require greater government attention.
The timing of the campaign is also significant because September begins with Teachers’ Day activities. SFI and DYFI have announced demonstrations outside government offices on September 5, linking the campaign to a broader discussion about the needs of teachers and students.
The organisations are expected to raise several issues during these demonstrations, including teacher recruitment, school infrastructure, government funding and the protection of rural educational institutions.
For students and parents, the quality of school facilities can influence the overall learning environment. Functional classrooms, trained teachers, laboratories, libraries, digital resources and essential educational materials are all important components of a school system.
However, the availability and condition of these facilities can differ considerably between districts and individual schools. A statewide campaign seeking to document such differences could draw attention to areas requiring additional investment, although any claims would need to be independently verified through official records.
The campaign also highlights the continuing debate over how governments should respond when rural schools face declining enrolment. While authorities may consider consolidation or other administrative measures in certain circumstances, SFI and DYFI are calling for investment and strengthening rather than closure.
The organisations have stated that government schools should be treated as public institutions that require long term support. Their campaign therefore combines an infrastructure assessment with demands for policy changes concerning teacher recruitment, funding and school protection.
The first phase beginning September 1 is expected to focus on local administrative offices. Further phases may include visits to schools and additional public demonstrations, although the organisations have not yet provided a complete statewide schedule.
The campaign will therefore be closely watched by education groups, teachers, parents and local communities across Maharashtra. Its impact will depend on the extent of participation and whether the concerns raised result in specific responses from education authorities.
For now, SFI and DYFI have made four broad areas central to their campaign: preventing the closure of rural government schools, filling vacant teacher posts, improving infrastructure and ensuring adequate funding.
They have also specifically called for libraries, laboratories, digital facilities and essential educational materials in government schools. The organisations believe these improvements are necessary to strengthen public education and provide students with a better learning environment.
The statewide campaign begins on September 1, followed by planned demonstrations on September 5. As the programme progresses, the findings collected by the organisations and the response from the Maharashtra government will determine whether the issue leads to further policy discussions.
For students in rural areas, the larger question remains whether government schools will receive the resources and staff required to provide consistent quality education. The SFI and DYFI campaign has brought that question into the public spotlight once again, with infrastructure, teacher recruitment and financial support at the centre of their demands.