Delhi CM urges teachers to make govt schools better than private schools

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Chief Minister Rekha Gupta made an appeal to teachers to make Delhi government schools better than private schools, promising to help them solve their problems.

Addressing a gathering of the State Teachers Award function, "Shikshak Mahakumbh", held at Thyagraj stadium on Teachers Day, she lauded the role of government school teachers in nation-building and added their task was more difficult than that of private school teachers.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who also participated in the event, called upon Delhi to become the top state in the country in terms of "functional literacy and numeracy".

Citing Chanakya, the Delhi chief minister said the glory of teachers is enhanced alongside the country's rise. "Your role is more difficult and important than that of private school teachers because facilities and infrastructure available to you may not be as good," she said.

"My dream is that Delhi government schools, with their 70,000 teachers and 19 lakh students, become better than the private schools, and the parents do not think that they were helpless to send their children to these schools because of financial reasons," she said.

The CM asked the gathering of teachers to message her about any problem they faced in performing their duty and assured to help them. "The previous government in Delhi made big claims of transforming education but paid more attention to advertisements, she stated.

"Not a single school building was constructed and there was a lack of teachers and principals. We will correct these shortcomings in time," she said.

Pradhan, lauding the talent and skill of Delhi education officials and government school children, said that he was confident that the education was heading towards the right direction under the current leadership.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a goal of making India a developed country by 2047 and education was key to achieving the goal.

Reforms in education, including the implementation of the National Education Policy, 2020, are underway with the aim to make India a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, he said.

"The key to it lies with the education officials and the students who have to shape up the future," he added.

Pradhan urged the gathering of teachers and students to work on the three tasks suggested by the prime minister -- to reduce edible oil consumption in their households by 10 per cent, adopt Swadeshi by buying products made in the country, and associate themselves with sporting activities to remain physically and mentally fit.

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government has decided to change every classroom for students of class IX-XII into smart classrooms in the next four years. The government will also fully adopt the NEP 2020 and use artificial intelligence to boost teacher quality, educational planning, monitor learning outcomes and dropout prediction, he added. PTI SHB VIT VIT SKY SKY