Senior AAP leader and former Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia launched a new initiative called ‘Shiksha Par Baat’ on Thursday, aiming to involve parents in shaping the future of Delhi’s education policy. As part of this outreach, Sisodia will interact with parents from every constituency, gathering their feedback on the city’s education model and discussing the future of government schools.
The first session, held in Patparganj, saw over 500 parents participating in discussions with Sisodia. Parents shared their thoughts on various initiatives such as modern school infrastructure, teacher training programs, and free coaching for competitive exams like NEET, JEE, and CUET.
Sisodia, in an invitation letter to the parents before the event, said: “When I became deputy CM ten years ago, Arvind Kejriwal gave me one directive – ‘Provide an education system for every child in Delhi, even those from the poorest families, as if you were doing it for your own son or daughter.’ And we have done just that. Today, Kejriwal’s son is studying at a top IIT for engineering, and so is the son of a person who earns his living by ironing clothes on a street corner.”
The letter emphasised the AAP government’s efforts to provide quality education to all children. It highlighted initiatives such as sending teachers and principals for world-class training, regular parent-teacher meetings (PTMs), and implementing innovative curricula. Sisodia also noted the free coaching for exams like NEET, JEE, NDA, and CUET, which has helped Delhi government schools consistently outperform private schools over the last seven years.
“Every year, thousands of students from Delhi government schools pass competitive exams like IIT-JEE and NEET, advancing to top studies in engineering and medicine,” the letter added.
Sisodia served as education minister from 2015 until his resignation last year following his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is credited with doubling the education budget, introducing labs and smart classrooms, and organizing regular PTMs in Delhi’s government schools.
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Through his letter, Sisodia encouraged parents to provide suggestions for the next five years, focusing on how to further improve government schools and prepare students for the future. “We need to think about equipping our children with the skills needed for tomorrow’s world. Technology is changing rapidly, and many of today’s jobs may not exist in the future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva criticised the AAP government, stating that despite its promise to open 500 new schools since coming to power in 2015, no new schools have been opened in the last 10 years.
