NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demonstrated that education can yield political dividends, staying in the limelight through initiatives such as school inaugurations, new curriculum launches, and the establishment of excellence schools. However, with the education minister in jail and the chief minister in the ED custody ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next month, the question arises: can their education model propel them to victory once more?
Recall Manish Sisodia’s statement in 2020 after winning the third assembly election: “I had a dream five years ago … I wished that elections in our country would be held on the issue of education. Today I am happy that this dream is coming true.”
The vision articulated by the leadership was clear from day one — making education a political issue.
Over the years, the AAP-led Delhi government has touted its so-called ‘education model,’ but upon closer examination, the reality appears far from the rosy picture painted by top city leaders.
A fundamental parameter for assessing a school is the school-classroom ratio (SCR). Quality schools ensure a low ratio to ensure effective education delivery, as a teacher can effectively engage only a limited number of students at a time.
However, Delhi government-run schools have often failed to meet these standards. Some schools have as many as 190 students per class, while around a dozen schools in northeast Delhi have over 100 students in a classroom — far exceeding the Right to Education (RTE) norms, which recommend only 30 students in primary and 35 students in upper primary classes.
Despite former Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia’s frequent inaugurations of new schools, many existing classrooms were overcrowded, leading to situations where children were compelled to sit in verandahs due to a lack of benches or were forced to stay at home during rainy days.
According to a petition filed in the Delhi High Court, the student-classroom ratio in 18 government schools in northeast Delhi is alarming. The petition highlighted that these schools have been providing only 2 hours of instruction per day or calling students on alternate days due to insufficient infrastructure. However, the Delhi Government has responded in an affidavit, stating that upon the completion of proposed school buildings and classrooms, the student-classroom ratio will decrease to 37% from the current 83.55%.