Government schools in Delhi matching up to private ones seemed to be a distant dream 10 years ago but it is now a reality because of the AAP dispensation that prioritises education, Chief Minister Atishi said on Tuesday.
Inaugurating a four-storey academic block at Government Girls Senior Secondary School in Mukundpur Village, she said it was “even more impressive than private schools”.
“Earlier there were 80 students in one classroom and it affected the quality of learning. But with the new building, the education standards will improve significantly,” she said.
According to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office, the new building features 36 classrooms, three state-of-the-art laboratories and a principal’s office.
Around 1,000 students from Samta Vihar and Mukundpur village are expected to benefit from it, it said.
“The AAP government has built over 22,000 classrooms in the last 10 years, surpassing the work done in previous decades,” Atishi said.
“I studied in a big private school. But even there we did not have such a well-equipped geography lab. The models and equipment students once only read about are now accessible here.” Atishi praised the confidence of students, saying, “There was a time when students were not even allowed to touch lab equipment. Today, they are confidently explaining its use, reflecting the progress in our education system.” “Ten years ago, it seemed like a dream that government schools could match private ones. Today, it is a reality because the people of Delhi chose a government that prioritises education,” she said.
AAP MLA from Burari Sanjeev Jha said, “The new building marks a significant milestone, reducing the burden on nearby schools in Model Town and Adarsh Nagar, where many Mukundpur students currently go.”
She further elaborated on the broader education reforms undertaken since 2015: “Ten years ago, government schools were in shambles, often referred to as ‘tent schools,’ with leaking roofs and students sitting on mats. Today, Delhi allocates 25% of its budget to education, the highest in the country. We have also sent our teachers to world-class institutions like Cambridge, Harvard, and Singapore for training, enabling them to deliver quality education.” Atishi noted the impact of these reforms, stating, “For the past eight years, Delhi’s government schools have consistently outperformed private schools. Thousands of students from poor families are now qualifying for competitive exams like JEE and NEET, gaining admission to prestigious institutions.
Last year alone, over 2,000 students cleared these exams.”
