'Japan training kids to rule AI world, we're not even making AI workers': AAP slams Centre

New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on the Centre with regard to India's education policies, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced a nationwide campaign to audit government schools, deploying 3,000 trained volunteers across 20 states.

The move comes in response to what the AAP described as decades of neglect by successive BJP and Congress governments.

There was no immediate response available from the ruling BJP on the allegations.

"Most of the government schools across the country are ruins. Only 4.8 per cent schools have computer labs. Only 29 per cent students in fifth standard can do maths of second class," senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia told a press conference.

"The NEP (National Education Policy), which the government is celebrating on completion of five years, says that 6 per cent of GDP should be invested in education. Forget about GDP, the Central government is not even using 2.5 per cent of its budget," he said.

Sisodia accused the BJP and the Congress of having "looted and cheated" people in the name of education for the past 70 years.

"Countries like Japan are training their kids to rule the AI world and we are not even training them to be AI workers. China made AI mandatory in high school syllabus in 2018 and what we are doing is changing syllabus in some history books and having discussions around that," the AAP leader said.

"Why are we not taking steps like Japan and China instead of making our students fight in the name of caste and religion?" he asked.

Citing that over 31 crore students are enrolled in schools and colleges in India, Sisodia announced that his party has selected 3,000 workers to inspect the condition of schools from August 1 to 7.

"We had a meeting with 20 state AAP chiefs and decided incidents like the one in Jhalawar must not happen again," he said.

Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who was also present during the press conference, threw light on the progress made in the education sector in the state under the AAP.

"In 2022, girls had to wait for eight hours to use a toilet and sat on the floor in schools. Today, every school in Punjab has clean washrooms, WiFi and top-class furniture. 260 students from Punjab's government schools passed JEE Mains and 800 cleared NEET," said Bains.

"We are now investing Rs 400 crore to set up AI labs in every government school," he added.

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on his part accused the BJP of attempting to "keep the next generation uneducated to carry their narrative of hate".

"When we think of hatred and incidents like Jhalawar, we think of the BJP. But when we think of free quality education, electricity, water and healthcare, we think of the AAP," said Singh.

"They want to keep the next generation uneducated to carry their narrative of hate, but we will not let that happen," he added.

Announcing a demonstration in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow on August 2 as part of the education campaign, Singh said the AAP's fight will continue "on the streets, in Parliament and in the Supreme Court".

Earlier on Friday, a portion of the roof of Government Upper Primary School at Piplodi village in Rajasthan's Jhalawar district collapsed, killing seven students and injuring 28 others.