Will end inspector raj in schools, says Kejri

The Aam Aadmi Party will make government schools as attractive as private ones if voted to power again, party chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday.

At a function organised by NGO Tech For India at St Stephen’s College, the former chief minister said his party will ensure “good” education for all.

He said vested interests have led to degradation of quality of education in government schools.

“We are not against schools being run by private organisations, but some of them are run by big businessmen and politicians who have destroyed government schools so that they can have a large number of students in order to earn more and more,” Kejriwal said.

“We will improve the education level in government schools to a level that well-off people will voluntarily send their students to study there rather than in private schools,” he said.

He said the AAP will abolish “inspector raj” in the education system if voted to power in Delhi. “If we form the government, we plan to put an end to inspector raj in education system. Principals will be given autonomy and their accountability will increase too,” he said.

There is no shortage of money to improve the education system in the country, he added.

“The government has turned teachers into clerks. They are engaged in all sorts of work but teaching. Teachers are put on election duties and all kinds of assignments are given to them,” he said.

Local committees should be formed to improve the school admission system, he said. Expressing his concern over the dropout rate in schools, Kejriwal said, “Five lakh students get admitted to schools every year, but only half of them finish schooling.”