The Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) are now working together to improve the quality of education for every child in Delhi. Education Minister Ms. Atishi and Delhi Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi recently interacted with principals from various schools under the Directorate of Education (DoE) and the MCD during their orientation on the Mission Buniyaad held on Saturday at Thyagraj Stadium. Education Minister Ms. Atishi said that Mission Buniyaad is a platform that aims to ensure better education for every child in Delhi, regardless of their socioeconomic status. She emphasized that every child should have access to good education and equal opportunities, as dreamt by Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar 75 years ago.
The Education Minister said, “I am happy that the Delhi government and the MCD teams are now working together on a platform to ensure better education for every child in Delhi. 75 years ago, Babasaheb had dreamt that every child in the country irrespective of their background should have access to good education and equal opportunities. It is a happy occasion that on the day after Ambedkar Jayanti, our entire education team is discussing how we can provide quality education to every child.”
She further said that the past governments have not given enough attention to education and government schools, resulting in families losing faith in the government school system. As a result, most children who attend government schools today are first-generation learners. Thus, Mission Buniyaad becomes an essential initiative to bridge this gap and provide quality education to every child.
“Through Mission Buniyaad, the Delhi government seeks to improve children’s language and basic math skills while also providing equal opportunities to every child. Regardless of whether their parents are educated or not or whether they receive support for studying at home or not, every child studying in government schools will be able to read and write, and move forward with equal opportunities,” said Ms. Atishi.
The Education Minister added that at a young age, the future of many children is already determined. Those with resources send their children to private schools, where they receive a better education and find better job opportunities. Meanwhile, those without resources are forced to send their children to government schools, where the quality of education is often not as high. Therefore, the Delhi government is determined to ensure that every child studying in government schools receives the same level of education as those in private schools. Mission Buniyaad aims to strengthen the foundation of every child sitting in the classroom to prepare engineers, doctors, and CEOs for the country’s future.
The Education Minister urged teachers to remember that they are not just teaching basic math and language skills but are also preparing the country’s future. She emphasized that the future of the country is sitting in the classroom, and it is essential to strengthening the foundation of every child to make the country’s future strong.
Ms Atishi said, “Mission Buniyaad is a critical initiative that aims to bridge the gap between private and government schools in Delhi. The Delhi government is committed to providing every child with quality education and equal opportunities to create a brighter future for the country.”
Also present at the occasion MCD Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi said, “The education sector has been severely affected due to the Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years, and Mission Buniyaad has helped to fill in this gap. The primary objective of the program is to take students from basic to advanced stages, which necessitates the provision of an environment that enables students to learn while playing, rather than limiting them to bookish knowledge.”
Dr Shelly Oberoi observed that the level of education increases significantly when a student reaches class VI, necessitating an improvement in the learning process from 1st to 5th grades. “To prepare students for competitive exams such as JEE-NEET, it is necessary to provide them with competitive knowledge, which can be achieved through the effective implementation of Mission Buniyaad,” she said.
She further asserted that the Delhi government has a well-designed education model, and it is imperative to replicate the same at the MCD level. “The contribution of students to nation-building is substantial, and therefore, it is necessary to develop an education model that fosters their overall development. The training of teachers plays a critical role in this regard, and to that end, the MCD will also send teachers abroad for training, similar to the Kejriwal government,” she said.
What is the current status of Mission Buniyaad?
In the previous academic session, 47% of class 5 students in MCD schools and 70% of class 5 students in Delhi government schools could read simple text. In the current academic session 2023-24, all these students are now in the sixth grade of Delhi government schools. To make this 100%, the team is working with determination.
Preparations for Mission Buniyaad in the new academic year
This year various approaches will be implemented to strengthen the foundational learning levels in DoE and MCD schools and bridge the learning gap for all children from grades 3 to 8.
-> Children in grades 3 to 5 will be prepared to read short stories smoothly, and all remaining children in grades 6 to 8 will be prepared to read advanced stories. This will help them in reading their textbooks. In addition, all children will be taught how to simplify fractions.
-> Attention will be given to activities that help children read fluently, write without mistakes, and understand high-order math problems related to multiplication and division with a clear understanding.
In addition, under the leadership of SCERT, the Directorate of Education and senior officials of the MCD, a nodal team has prepared a joint teaching strategy to monitor the progress of children in detail. Now, MCD schools and teachers will ensure that every child in their school who goes to the school of the Directorate of Education in the sixth grade will be completely skilled in reading, writing, and solving math problems in the coming year.
It is to be noted that the Education Department, MCD, and NCERT are working together to prepare learning material. In addition, training will be organized for principals, teachers, mentor teachers, and Mission Buniyaad coordinators of schools under the Education Department and the MCD. After this, a baseline assessment of students will be done, according to which they will be given learning and their assessment will be done continuously to know what the children have learned. Summer camps will also be organized during the summer holidays. To inform parents about this, a mega PTM will be organized in schools under the MCD and the DoE.
During the orientation program, Education Secretary Shri Ashok Kumar, MCD commissioner Shri Gyanesh Bharti, Education Director Shri Himanshu Gupta, Education Director (MCD) Shri Vikas Tripathi, SCERT director Smt. Rita Sharma, Additional Education Director Smt. Nandini Maharaj, Principal Education Advisor Shri Shailendra Sharma along with other senior officials of the education department were also present.
