Sisodia accuses LG of destroying Delhi education model

Sisodia’s allegations came a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had accused the LG of stopping the Delhi government from sending the teachers to Finland.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and lieutenant governor Vinai Kumar Saxena of “destroying” the Delhi government’s education model, urging the LG to allow 30 teachers at state-run schools to travel to Finland for a training programme and exposure visit.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said the file regarding the project will once again be sent to the LG’s office for his approval, but there was no clarity regarding when they will be moved for the third time. (ANI)

Sisodia’s allegations came a day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had accused the LG of stopping the Delhi government from sending the teachers to Finland.

The LG’s office dismissed the accusations, saying that the LG merely wanted to LG merely advised the government to evaluate the proposal and record its cost benefit so as to assess its effectiveness. The BJP, meanwhile, accused the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government of only creating controversy and not working towards development or education reforms.

According to officials, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi had prepared a proposal for a five-day training programme for primary in-charges of Delhi government schools and teacher educators at Jyväskylä University in Finland. This proposal for the training of 30 teachers was accepted by the state government and sent to the LG, who however sent the file back, asking for a cost benefit analysis and exploring such training programme within country.

On Friday, Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, tweeted in Hindi, “Finland’s education system is famous across the world. The training given to our teachers here has played an important role in Delhi’s education revolution. But BJP has stooped so much that it wants to destroy Delhi’s education system through the LG… LG sir is requested not to play with the future of poor children.”

He added, “LG sir first delays the training of teachers of Delhi Government in Finland, then to stop it, asks to do a cost benefit analysis of the training. What nonsense is this? What will be the cost benefit analysis of changes in schools, increasing confidence of children and parents, excellent results?”

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said, Kejriwal said, “The people of Delhi elected us and sent us to power; we are in government and we are sending our teachers abroad by saving money, how can anyone object to it? Politicians and officers constantly go abroad in our country, but no one has sent teachers and principals abroad in the last 75 years.”

While the deputy CM said the file regarding the project will once again be sent to the LG’s office for his approval, there was no clarity regarding when they will be moved for the third time.

Later, addressing a press conference, Sisodia said BJP is unable to improve the education system in states run by them, but they are trying to demolish Delhi’s education system. “Delhi’s school buildings have better buildings, and results have gone up… Teachers’ training has played a critical role in it and this has been reiterated in National Education Policy. We have so far sent 11,00 teachers to countries like Singapore, Britain and Finland for training but BJP wants to stall this now,” he said.

The deputy CM added that unlike other governments, Delhi has not sent ministers and bureaucrats on foreign trips.

In the afternoon, AAP workers held a protest near Raj Bhawan to protest against the LG. Party legislator Atishi said, “These teachers provide world-class education to poor children studying in government schools of Delhi… Why is the LG stopping their training? LG should not let his hatred for CM Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party turn into hatred for the poor children of Delhi.”

Responding to the allegations, an official from the LG’s office said Saxena has not rejected the proposal for the training programme. “The government has been advised to evaluate the proposal in totality and record the cost benefit analysis in tangible terms so as to assess the effectiveness of various foreign training programmes for teachers undertaken in the past,” the official said.

“LG has also advised for examining and identifying similar training programmes in the institutions of excellence within the country so as to ensure optimal utilisation of resources, fiscal prudence and administrative effectiveness,” the official added.

Meanwhile, the BJP accused the AAP government of only being interested in courting controversies.

“Delhi government is under the scanner over the advertisement scam, and in order to avoid accountability on it, the LG has been accused of withholding the file related to the training of government school teachers in Finland. The CM should understand that the people of Delhi will no longer be misled, and to improve the education system of Delhi, just training of some teachers in Finland is not important, but the appointment of headmasters and teachers in all the schools of Delhi is needed. Moreover, Science and Commerce courses need to be taught in all schools,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.