Ashish Sood shifts meetings with Govt school heads to virtual mode

Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood has decided to conduct his ongoing interaction programme with heads of Government schools entirely through virtual mode following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to adopt measures aimed at reducing avoidable travel and promoting efficient governance practices.

The interaction programme, organised by the Directorate of Education (DoE), is aimed at strengthening the school education system through direct discussions with heads of schools on academic planning, implementation of educational initiatives, learning outcomes, infrastructure, administrative coordination and student welfare.

According to a statement, the first interaction session, covering East Delhi Zones 1 and 2, was held on May 12. Sood travelled to the venue by Delhi Metro and later by battery-operated rickshaw to underscore the importance of sustainable and accessible public transport. Subsequently, the remaining meetings under the programme will now be conducted online, it said.

Interaction sessions totalling 11 have been planned to cover all 28 education zones in the national Capital. The next session, covering zones 24, 26, 27 and 28 of South, Central and New Delhi districts, will be held online on May 15, the DoE said.

The Directorate has directed all regional directors of education and deputy directors of education to ensure participation of heads of Government schools under their jurisdiction. The statement also laid down guidelines for participation, including punctual login, use of official designation and school names, maintaining professional decorum and safeguarding confidentiality of meeting links and proceedings.

On Tuesday, Sood launched an 11-day district-wise drive covering around 1,000 schools to review academic standards, infrastructure, administrative issues and student welfare through interactions with heads of schools and education officials.

The exercise also aims to identify and address dark spots in school premises from a safety perspective, it said.