Delhi’s CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal says that if every child in the country is provided with good education, these children will indeed make the nation developed. In Delhi, we have demonstrated this by providing excellent education to all children. I believe that every child in the country, whether rich or poor, should receive equal education. Our government has achieved the feat of providing the same education to all children in Delhi. For this, we have created a positive environment in all government schools, provided excellent facilities, and sent teachers abroad for training. As a result, our teachers have brought about an educational revolution in Delhi in just 7-8 years. The credit for the discussion about the education revolution in Delhi, happening nationally and internationally, goes to our government school teachers. During the ‘Excellence in Education Awards 2023’ ceremony held at Thyagaraj Stadium on Thursday, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal praised 218 children and schools for their outstanding performance in the 10th and 12th exams.
Delhi’s government, aided, and private school children were honoured for their outstanding performance in the 10th and 12th exams with the ‘Excellence in Education Awards 2023’. Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal participated as the chief guest in the award ceremony held at Thyagraj Stadium. At the gates of Thyagraj Stadium, the Chief Minister was received with the Guard of Honor by the band, and NCC cadets brought him to the program venue. The Chief Minister, along with other dignitaries, ceremoniously lit the lamp, marking the formal inauguration of the program. Teachers from the Directorate of Education (DEO) presented a welcome song, and the Chief Minister was honoured on the stage. On this occasion, Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi, area MLA Madan Lal, MLAs Shivcharan Goyal, Bhupendra Joon, Rajesh Gupta, and Mahendra, along with senior officials of the Education Department, were present.
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal stated, “The noticeable confidence in the body language and movements of students is the fruition of sheer hard work of the last 7-8 years. Teachers, principals, parents, students, and the Delhi government have worked remarkably well to instil such confidence in the students. I want to congratulate all the awardees, including SKV Rajokri which is the recipient of the ‘Delhi’s Best School’ (Chief Minister Trophy) award. If any school is awarded, then it has immense contributions in hard work by its principal, vice-principal, teachers, parents, and students. When everyone works hard then only schools shine bright. Congratulations to all students, and toppers and I bless them from my core. May their dreams get realized, and they serve their people and serve Bharat.”
Encouraging the students, the Delhi Chief Minister further added that every child is a gift from God. Each kid has their own life, their journey. Today, some students received awards in the field of academics, and this does not mean that those who have not received awards are less in comparison to the awardees. Each kid is blessed by God with certain special attributes, some are good in sports, arts, and other fields. “It’s the responsibility of our schools and education system to provide opportunities to each student so that they can attain their potential. In the same direction within all of Delhi’s government schools, we are providing every kind of facility to students such as sports facilities, art facilities, cultural facilities etc. The Delhi Government stands tall with every student whether they have achieved any award or not, we’re with them,” he added.
The CM continued, “The ‘Delhi’s Education Revolution’, which happened in the last 7-8 years, is being talked about highly worldwide, including our country. I want to give the biggest credit to our teachers. These are the same 60,000-70,000 teachers. The AAP government hasn’t changed any teachers. But we have provided them with a favourable environment. Today government schools have the best facilities, teachers are being honoured, and getting trained in IIMs and foreign institutions. It seemed that the teachers were already waiting for the right environment and opportunities to show their best work. Within 5-7 years, these teachers have done a miraculous job.”
“Today government schools’ students are cracking the toughest entrance exams of the country be it IIT, Medical, or others, not just one student, thousands of them are qualifying for such exams. During my interaction with students and their parents, every student credited their teachers for their success. Many students narrated that they didn’t have resources at home, and their teachers purchased books for these students from their salaries. This shows the level of commitment within our teachers. These teachers are remembered for life because the 10th-12th standard is when a student decides his prospects whether to opt for engineering, medical, Arts, or commerce. Even today, I remember my 10th standard teachers and will remember them forever. I salute and respect all these teachers who have done such significant miracles in Delhi’s education system,” the Chief Minister said.
Sharing an anecdote from the interaction with students, Shri Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that upon being asked what profession students want to choose for the rest of their lives, more than 70% of them expressed their desire to become teachers. Among them, a few of them expressed their willingness to become an IAS officer, a doctor, an engineer, a Chartered Accountant, and a lawyer. Teachers must be doing something magical, that’s why they have become role models for the students.
The Delhi CM further expressed his views on the Indian education system. He shared, “Before 1830, the education system of our country was excellent. In ancient India, students from all over the globe used to come to ‘Nalanda and Takshashila Vishwavidyalaya’ for studies. These universities were top-class in the world. Before British rule, there used to be a ‘Gurukul’ in every village and teachers were respected the most in the society. Even in ‘Ramayana and Mahabharata’ it’s evident. Each village had a school, and Britishers realized that until this education system was destroyed, it would be very difficult to rule India. For this, the British sent a person namely McCauley. During 1830-40 they destroyed each of our ‘gurukuls’ in every village. They destroyed our education system which heavily emphasized skill-based education useful in life and brought a ‘ratta (rote learning) education system’. This education system only facilitated degrees of various kinds, but employment. McCauley’s Education System laid the foundation of these perennial problems in our present-day education system.”
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal further added, “Unfortunately we didn’t change this education system, because there were so many other existing problems at that time. There was a need for expansion of schools on a village-to-village basis, and there was a need to change this ‘Clerk-producing education system’. Today, we have initiated this change from Delhi’s little government. We are doing everything that we can. I believe that if each child in the country receives quality education, we don’t have to worry about removing poverty, these children will alleviate poverty. Today, even the poorest children in Delhi are receiving a good education.”
The Chief Minister mentioned that like the entire country, Delhi also had two types of education systems – private and government. If you had money, you could send your child to a private school, and if not, people had to send their children to government schools. Government schools lacked facilities, and not all private schools were well-equipped. Before entering politics, I worked in slums through an NGO. I witnessed many people sending their kids to government schools, only to withdraw them in a few months due to poor education. However, now the education system in Delhi has changed. Government schools in Delhi are now competing with private schools.
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal talked about the beginning of the phase of changes in government schools, stating, “When our government took charge, there were suggestions to fix government schools by making it mandatory for all ministers, MLAs, and officials to enroll their children in government schools. I disagreed with making it mandatory and instead aimed to improve government schools to a level where people willingly choose them over private ones. The achievement was expected to take 15-20 years, but it’s a matter of joy that within 7-8 years, Delhi’s government schools are now competing and excelling in various aspects compared to private schools. The results of government schools in areas like NEET and JEE surpass those of private schools. Sports, cultural and various other facilities in government schools are over 90% better than those in private schools.”
CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal mentioned that his aim in Delhi was to provide an equal education system. “We believe that both rich and poor children should receive the same education, and today we have achieved this goal. In Delhi’s government schools today, children from both affluent and poor backgrounds are studying.” The CM cited an incident in a government school where he learned that many affluent individuals had withdrawn their children from private schools and enrolled them in a government school. When he inquired about the children studying in that class after transferring from private schools, he found that 7-8 children had made such a transition. One child mentioned transferring from St. Columbus School, emphasizing the significant achievement of establishing an equitable education system within Delhi.
The CM continued, stating that a significant unemployment issue has arisen within our country today. Despite completing their education and obtaining multiple degrees, our children struggle to find jobs. If jobs are not available, what is the use of such degrees and education? To address this, the Delhi government initiated the ‘Business Blasters Program’ in schools. This program, designed for 11th and 12th-grade students, teaches them about entrepreneurship. Each student is provided seed money to start small businesses. The noteworthy outcome of this program is that when interacting with 11th and 12th-grade students in government schools, all of them expressed the intention to start their own businesses and provide jobs instead of seeking employment. This change in mindset is now prevalent among all the children.
“Now we want to start Business Blasters and Entrepreneurship programs in colleges. We will bring the final year and pre-final year students in colleges into the Business Blasters program so that when these students graduate, they don’t become job seekers but start becoming job providers. Today, there are various opportunities within our economy. If children, with this mindset, graduate from college thinking that they want to start a business, not seek employment, it will bring a significant revolution in the country’s economy. We are allocating funds for the Business Blasters program and Entrepreneurship within Delhi’s colleges in this year’s budget. I hope that, just like the program succeeded in schools, it will be successful in colleges as well. After that, the true meaning of our education will only be meaningful when a child, after receiving education, becomes capable of self-employment,” CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal concluded.
While addressing the awardees, Education Minister Atishi said, “The transformative changes that we are witnessing today in our children and Delhi government schools do not just represent the present. Their performances today and their outstanding academic results show how progressive the future of India will be. The excellence that we are witnessing today in our children, and the performance of our teachers that we observed today, indicate the future of India and the heights these children are going to reach in the coming 30 years.”
She added that developed countries, which we look up to for inspiration, such as the UK, US, Finland, Canada, etc., all these countries became developed because they ensured the best quality and free education for every child, regardless of their background. The same dream was seen by CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal for every child of Delhi about 9 years ago. He ensured that every child gets equal access to high-quality education irrespective of their background. It is because of him that there has been a revolution in Delhi’s education system in the past 9 years.
The Education Minister further said, “Now, we need not put our efforts into words because today our children are showing the results of our efforts through their academic and extracurricular excellence in front of the world. We often dreamt that one day our Delhi Government Schools will surpass private schools in the country. People used to laugh at us. They didn’t trust us initially.”
She added that after 9 years of efforts, today, our Delhi government schools have surpassed private schools in every field. For the past 7 years, Delhi Government Schools have been showing better academic results than private schools. There were times when people used to approach us for recommendations in private schools. Today, when admissions for the Kejriwal Government’s Schools of Specialized Education were opened for 6000 seats, 1.5 lakh children applied for it.
Today, children from private schools are standing in queues to take admission to Delhi government schools. In the last 4 years, more than 3 lakh children have shifted from private schools to Delhi Government Schools. Children of our government schools are reaching new heights and passing tough competitive exams like the IIT, JEE, and NEET examinations. And their number is increasing year after year. Last year, their number was more than 2000.
Atishi said, “Apart from academics, our children are excelling in other fields as well. Be it sports, debate, or any extracurricular activity. Earlier, it was believed that everything happens only in private schools, but now our children in Delhi government schools are excelling in every field.”
She said that another important thing is that special emphasis is given to the holistic development of children with special needs in our schools. There was a time when educating children with special needs in a household meant keeping them confined within the home, but today, Delhi government schools have provided them with the opportunity to progress. Currently, in our schools, more than 23,000 children with special needs are receiving excellent education. Specialized teachers are available to cater to their various special needs. It is a matter of pride for us that when children with special needs are provided education up to the 8th grade throughout the country under the Right to Education, at that time, the Delhi government provides facilities for these children up to the 12th grade in schools.
Education Minister Atishi said that today, our schools have reached where they are because our principals and teachers have played a significant role. Alongside them, the parents of our school and our school management committee have also contributed significantly to making our schools excellent. Our School Management Committee has been working tirelessly for the past 8 years to make schools better. And I am pleased that today, under the Excellence in Education Awards, we are also honouring our School Management Committees for their commendable work.
She said that, due to the dream envisioned by CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal nine years ago, our government schools and the children studying in them are reaching new heights. Today, a child studying in government schools cannot only dream but also materialize those dreams. I believe this is happening for the first time in the history of our country.
Meritorious Divyang Children impressed the CM
Initially, 49 divyang (differently abled) children, who excelled in the 10th and 12th board exams from Delhi government schools and 5 government-aided schools, were honoured. CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal personally honoured these ‘divyang’ children. During this, the CM interacted with these children, and their enthusiasm and performance left a profound impact.
Schools Honoured Alongside Students’ Outstanding Performances
Awards were given in two categories. In the first category, students from the 10th and 12th grades were honoured for their outstanding performance in exams. In the second category, schools were honoured. Schools within Delhi, performing well at the state, district, and zonal levels, were recognized and honoured. This included government, aided, and private schools. Additionally, schools achieving commendable accomplishments in their management were also acknowledged.
Children Presented Haryanvi Folk Song, Mesmerizing All
During this event, school children also presented a Haryanvi folk song. The song highlighted the joy of receiving gifts in weddings among newlyweds. The school children presented the song magnificently, leaving the audience in the stadium spellbound.
CM Honours Schools in These Categories
The Chief Minister presented the coveted ‘Chief Minister Trophy’ to 1 school for being the State Best School. Thirteen schools were conferred the Education Minister Trophy for being the District Best School. 20 schools received recognition for being the Zone Best School. The trophy for the Best RPV/SOE/SOSE was awarded to one school. The title of the Best Government Aided School in the region was awarded to one school. Additionally, awards for the Best Recognized Private Unaided Schools in the region were given to 3 schools. Twelve schools received the Government School with Best SMC Award 2023 (District Level).
218 Children Achieve Top Positions
A total of 218 children, including 54 differently abled students studying in Delhi government and government-aided schools, secured top positions at various levels. Among them, 19 excelled at the state level, 141 at the district level, and 58 at the zonal level.
Topper Children from Government Schools
A total of 91 students from government schools in the 12th grade achieved top positions in various streams. Among them, 3 students topped at the state level, 50 at the district level, and 38 at the zonal level. Regarding 10th-grade students in government schools, 30 children secured top positions. Two students topped at the state level, 17 at the district level, and 11 at the zonal level.
Topper Children from Government-Aided Schools
In the 12th grade, 23 students from government-aided schools topped at the district level in various streams. Regarding 10th-grade students, 10 children secured top positions at the district level.
Topper Children from Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RPVV)
Speaking of the 12th-grade students at RPVV, 3 students from various streams have topped at the state level. Similarly, in the 10th grade, one student has secured the top position at the state level.
Topper Children from School of Excellence (SOE) and School of Specialized Excellence (SOSE)
In SOE and SOSE, 5 students from various streams in the 12th grade have topped at the state level. Additionally, in the 10th grade, 1 student from these schools has secured the top position at the state level.
Topper Differently abled Children from Government Schools
In government schools, among differently abled students studying in the 12th grade in various streams, a total of 31 students have secured top positions. Among them, 3 have topped at the state level, 22 at the district level, and 6 at the zonal level. Similarly, in the 10th grade, among differently abled students, 18 have topped. Among them, one has topped at the state level, 14 at the district level, and 3 at the zonal level.
Topper Differently abled Children from Government-Aided Schools
In government-aided schools, among differently abled students studying in the 12th grade in various streams, 2 have topped at the district level. In the 10th grade, 3 students have secured their positions at the district level.
