NEW DELHI:“If Delhiites don’t vote for Arvind Kejriwal, no one will work for their children’s education in the future,” affirmed Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, as she laid the foundation stone to a world-class school with state-of-the-art facilities in Dwarka Sector-19, Matiala assembly constituency.
The school will include 104 classrooms, 6 modern laboratories, a library, lifts, an amphitheater with a capacity of 750, basketball and badminton courts, and other facilities. It is expected to be completed within a year and will become a world-class education hub for thousands of children from Amberhai, Qutub Vihar, Sarita Vihar, Pochanpur, Bhagat Singh Enclave, and surrounding areas.
At the event, CM Atishi was welcomed with a ceremonial ’tilak,’ and the program began with the lighting of a lamp, followed by the traditional breaking of a coconut to lay the foundation. She unveiled the name plaque of the new Government Senior Secondary School and reviewed the building model, learning about the facilities that would be provided to students. During this ceremony, local MLA Gulab Singh ‘Matiala,’ officials, and a large number of residents were also present.
On this occasion, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said, “The school we are inaugurating today will surpass even the largest private schools in Delhi and Dwarka. It will have 104 classrooms, 6 state-of-the-art laboratories, a library, activity rooms, and two lifts, along with an amphitheater that can accommodate 750 people—something even big private schools may not have.” She highlighted the extensive sports facilities, including playgrounds, basketball, and badminton courts.
“This new school will benefit 2,500 children from Amberhai Village, Qutub Vihar, Sarita Vihar, Pochanpur Village, Bhagat Singh Enclave, and nearby areas by providing them with quality education,” added the Delhi Chief Minister.
Reflecting on the past, CM Atishi said, “Until 2015, government schools in Delhi were in a dismal state. They operated in tin sheds, and as soon as you entered, you would be greeted by the smell of unclean toilets. Due to a lack of classrooms, children had to sit on mats outside toilets to study.”
The Chief Minister further added that there were no desks or chairs in classrooms, windows and lights were broken, and there was no drinking water. Teachers were often absent as they were assigned other duties like pulse polio campaigns or Aadhaar enrollment. Parents did not want to send their children to government schools.
“Families would cut back on household expenses to send their kids to private schools, and if a family could afford to educate only one child in a private school, it was usually the son, while the daughter would go to the run-down government school,” she shared.
CM Atishi said that statistics show that only 50% of children studying in government schools in our country are able to complete their studies. And if they complete their studies, they have to do informal jobs. Some work as mechanics, some work in grocery shops and some in someone’s house. No work is small but doing that work should not be a compulsion for anyone. Every child should get an opportunity to move forward.
The Chief Minister mentioned that in our country it is said that the future of children is written in the lines of their palms. It is also true that in our country the future of a child is decided at the age of three. If someone was from a family where parents could pay the fees of an expensive private school, they would go to a good school, go to a good college and get a good job. But on the other hand, a child who came from a poor family would go to a dilapidated tin-roofed government school for studies.
“And his future was decided that he would become a mechanic or work in someone’s shop. The result was that if a child was born in a rich family, they would become rich and a child born in a poor family would remain poor. This was written in their fate by government schools,” she highlighted.
CM Atishi recalled, “In 2015, a miracle happened in Delhi when the people elected Arvind Kejriwal as Chief Minister. He promised that whether a child was born in a poor or a rich family, they would receive the best education and opportunities.”
She elaborated, “Arvind Kejriwal didn’t just make promises; he took steps to fulfill them. In 2015, Delhi became the first state to double its education budget, dedicating nearly a quarter of its total budget to education. Since then, the government has constructed over 22,000 new classrooms, almost matching the total number built since India’s independence until 2015. Today, the buildings of Delhi’s government schools rival even the grandest private schools.”
CM Atishi pointed out that under previous administrations, only politicians went on foreign trips. In contrast, under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, teachers from Delhi government schools were sent for training at world-renowned institutions like Cambridge, Harvard, and in Singapore.
Highlighting the Delhi Government Schools’ performances, the Delhi CM stated that for the past seven years, Delhi government schools have consistently outperformed private schools in 12th-grade results. “No one could have imagined such success in government schools. Today, Delhi is the only state in the country where parents are transferring their children from private to government schools,” she said, noting that over 400,000 students have made the switch in recent years.
“In 2020 alone, 2,020 students from Delhi government schools qualified for engineering and medical entrance exams (JEE, NEET), gaining admission to top institutions. This is the impact of Delhi’s education revolution,” CM Atishi emphasized.
She mentioned, “When we meet leaders from other parties, they tell us that education and school development don’t win votes; people vote based on caste, religion, or money. That is why I am here to tell you that if Delhiites don’t vote based on education and a better future for their children, no leader will work to improve schools or increase the education budget.”
Addressing the crowd, CM Atishi said, “The future of our city and our children is in the hands of Delhiites. You must decide whether you want leaders who focus on building good schools or those who engage in divisive politics.”
“If Delhiites don’t vote for those who work on education, then no one will work for the future of our children. Therefore, the future of Delhi’s children is in the hands of Delhiites. And I hope that Delhiites will vote wisely for a better future for their children,” concluded the Delhi Chief Minister.
