'Schools are useless!' Indian man blasts 'rotten' edu system as son works on project past midnight

A viral video posted by Niteen S Dharmawat, an investor and co-founder of Aurum Capital, has sparked outrage and empathy among parents and educators alike. The video shows Dharmawat's son, who is in Class VIII, working on a school project at midnight, highlighting the excessive pressure and stress faced by students in India's schooling system.

Dharmawat's frustration is palpable as he writes, "Schools are useless. This is 12 midnight. 8th std kid is still doing some nonsense project after completing homework. Terror is such that if he doesn't do it, he won't be allowed to participate in his favourite PE period." He laments the impact on his son's well-being, saying, "Every day he is awake till 12-1230. As a parent, I'm feeling so helpless from this rotten system."

Schools are useless. This is 12 midnight. 8th std Kid is still doing some nonsense project after completing homework. Terror is such that if he doesn't do it he won't be allowed to participate in his favorite PE period. Everyday he is awake till 12-1230. As a parent I'm feeling… pic.twitter.com/piLvVYdXQZ

— Niteen S Dharmawat, CFA (@niteen_india) October 15, 2025

The video has garnered over 3.7 lakh views and hundreds of comments, with many users echoing Dharmawat's concerns.

"This is where our kids learn the wrong mindset of 996 and how to be 'yes men'. Stop holding your teachers and schools on a pedestal for unreasonable demands," said one user, while another added: "They are wasting time, energy and resources of everyone involved with the student. Such a waste of precious human life."

A third said: "Couldn't agree more. Most of these projects are not only a sheer waste of time, but also of precious resources like paper! It would be much better if kids were taught some basic life skills at that time instead."