Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said education is "a priority" for the AAP-led dispensations and work will be done to make government schools in both Delhi and Punjab the "best in the world". AAP is the ruling party in Delhi and Punjab.
Kejriwal was addressing a gathering of principals at an event in the presence of his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann. Mann said that teachers in Punjab will not be engaged in anything other than teaching. The first batch of 36 academic staff from Punjab has returned on Saturday after their training module in Singapore.
In his address, Kejriwal said, "Improving and fixing education system in Delhi since we took charge here was very difficult." Infrastructure was given a push earlier and then the AAP government focused on training teachers and principals, the party supremo said.
Until teachers and principals are motivated, the impact will not be visible, he said. "If government wants, they can give best schools and education, but intentions and priorities matter. And, education is our priority. We took seven years in Delhi, but it will take less time in Punjab," he said. "We will make government schools in Delhi and Punjab the best in the world," Kejriwal said.
Punjab will also experiment and Delhi will learn from it, the AAP chief said. Delhi government has so far sent 1,079 of its teachers to different countries through its various foreign exposure visits or training programmes. Of these, 59 teachers have gone to Finland, 420 to Cambridge and 600 to Singapore for training. Apart from this, till date 860 school principals have taken training in institutes like IIM Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
Earlier this month, Kejriwal had cited Punjab’s example while requesting Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to clear a file related to a foreign training module in Finland planned for the academic staff of Delhi.
A group of principals from Punjab government schools who underwent professional training in Singapore from February 6 to 10, shared their experiences during the event.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was present on the occasion. At event, Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister who also holds the education portfolio, said this is perhaps first time that chief ministers and education ministers of both Punjab and Delhi have come together along with principals from both sides to have such a feedback session.
Punjab Chief Minister Mann on February 4 had flagged off first batch of 36 state government school principals to participate in a professional teacher training seminar in Singapore. With naming anyone, Mann said there are leaders who have never appeared in any examination but give advice on exams.