Board exam class 10 results: Pune night school students hustle to the top

The school has a pass percentage of 83.33%. Six students from the school registered for the examination, and five of them have passed. Aditya Pawar has secured the first position with 59%, followed by Ketan Karande at 54.8% and Ketki Patsupe at 54.2%.

Surprised by the result, Pawar told The Indian Express, “I left my day job in January to focus on the board exam. I was stressed that I had not studied enough previously.” Normally, Pawar would return from school at 10 pm and study until 5 am in the morning. Then, later in the day, he would go to his job. “My family has been struggling with money due to circumstances. So, with me being the son, I took on a day job to pitch in,” he said. Until January this year, Pawar was solely focused on his job. With his topping 59% results, he plans to enrol in a college with a commerce programme.

Ketan, a 22-year-old deliveryman, left education in 2016 due to circumstances at home. His family did not expect him to continue, but Ketan was surprised to be second in his school. Ketan said, “The flexible hours and constant support of the teachers helped me secure this result.

Even 50 per cent is a huge deal for us, and I expected only 40 per cent.” He especially mentioned his class teacher, Mahesh Pisalkar, who has guided him throughout his journey.

“He gave us notes and took regular tests. He helped me in the tenth and assured me he would also guide me during the twelfth standard,” he said. Ketan told The Indian Express that he has always loved studying history. He also plans to enrol in the Poona Night School for junior college.

Ketki, a 30-year-old woman, said, “The school gave me new hope.” Ketki had left education at the age of 16 without appearing for the tenth grade. She got married in 2022 and decided to get back to education. She used to work in a cafe that would shut down soon. She said, “I was looking for a new job when I realised I needed to continue my education if I wanted a stable job. The school greatly helped me and I attribute my success to the teachers.”

At first, her in-laws did not know she was going to school, but after the results, they became very proud of her. Ketki aspires to pursue arts and be a lawyer in the future.

Pawar, Ketan and Ketki’s stories will stand as a testament to their hard work and a source of inspiration for those night school students caught in circumstances looking to foray into academia.