The number of students in Delhi government schools has increased by 21 per cent in the last seven years, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said on Monday.

Sisodia was speaking at the World Education Forum, 2022 in London in the presence of 122 education ministers and experts from across the world.

“When I speak about the future of education, I do not only mean the future of the students who are studying in schools but also of families, societies and nations. Education today is not only about educating those who are uneducated and under-educated but also about educating those who are being miseducated,” he said.

“In 2015, there were student accounts of a collapsing government school system — dilapidated classrooms, outdated curriculum, zero facilities and no dignity in learning. Government school students were certain that they could never contribute to India’s future.

“However, we changed that perception in just a few years. Today, Delhi government schools have become world-class. The schools are equipped with modern buildings, smart classrooms, and grounds with excellent sports facilities,” he added.

Sisodia, who is also the national capital’s education minister, said Delhi government schools have become better than private schools. Due to this, parents send their children to Delhi government schools with great pride.

“Compared to 2015, at present, the number of students in Delhi government schools has increased by 21 per cent. Our students now achieve nearly 100 per cent pass percentage, surpassing private schools’ results. Also, there has been a steep rise in the number of students qualifying for prestigious exams every year,” he said.

“As a government, first of all, we asked the school principals and teachers to share their vision for their schools rather than telling them what they need to do.

“There was a 10-fold increase in principals’ financial power and they also got the authority to appoint support staff and resource persons. Capacity building and exposure of school principals and teachers in Cambridge, Finland, Singapore and Indian Institute of Management paid rich dividends. About 25 per cent of the total state budget is allocated to education every year, making it the highest in India among the state governments,” he added.

Sisodia also briefed the gathering about various curriculums introduced by the Delhi government including Happiness Curriculum, Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum and Deshbhakti Curriculum.

Responding to queries of the education minister of Zimbabwe on reducing dropout rates in schools, Sisodia said, “We, as a part of the government, just need to make the educational spaces interesting and dignified, students will definitely come back.”

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