AAP govt has dealt blow to education system: Puri

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday alleged that the AAP government has dealt a crushing blow to the education system, and accused the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation of failing to reimburse 70 per cent of the education expense borne by the municipal corporations in Delhi.

Alleging that the civic body-run schools in Delhi are made to operate with only 57 per cent of the sanctioned teachers strength, the Union Housing and Urban Affairs minister took a swipe at the AAP government's education model, saying, "They call this a success."

"It (AAP government) has failed to reimburse ₹3,941 cr to North MCD, ₹569 cr to East MCD & ₹223 cr to South MCD. As a result, the MCDs have been unable to pay salaries, seventh central pay commission arrears and other benefits to the teachers. The schools operate with only 57 per cent of teachers... they call this a success," Puri tweeted.

All the three municipal corporations in Delhi are ruled by the BJP.

In a series of tweets, Puri said, "Delhi government has dealt a crushing blow to the education system & morale of teachers in MCD run schools..."

Earlier this week, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia had challenged the BJP to present its education model while claiming that 109 primary schools run by the saffron party-administered civic bodies of the city have been shut in the last nine years.

Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, had claimed that enrolment of students in Delhi government schools has increased in the last five years, whereas according to the central government data on elementary education, it has witnessed a huge drop in schools run by the city's civic bodies.

"It is appalling how Delhi govt claims success in the education system where none exists. They have craftily built a fake narrative to divert attention from their failures.

"Pass percentages of students have steadily declined. They are imperilling the future of the children," Puri, who is also co-incharge of Delhi BJP for assembly elections, said in another tweet.

"Amongst secondary school students alone, it has come down from 99.4% in 2014 to 68.9% in 2018. Is this something they are proud of? Learning outcomes of classes 3,5 & 8 are nearly 10 percentage points lower than the national average & they call this a success story," the Union minister said.