First-ever PTMs in govt schools a huge success.

For the first time in Delhi, more than a 1000 government schools held parent teacher meetings (PTMs) in which parents and students met with teachers to discuss their performance. The scene outside government schools in the capital wore a festive air with hundreds of students accompanied by parents queuing to discuss their performance and other issues with the class teachers.

Earlier, while announcing the PTMs Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Mr Manish Sisodia had urged every parent to participate in the PTM and explaining the Educations Department’s efforts to improve the quality of education in government schools.

Today Mr Sisodia visited several schools in every zone of Delhi and interacted with parents, students and teachers and said he was pleased to see the overwhelming response to the government’s initiative.

At the Rashtriya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya (RRPV) in Civil Lines Mr Sisodia visited several classrooms where PTMs were in progress and talked to parents as well as students. “I am happy that I have been able to provide in Delhi’s government schools that which every parent looks forward to for their children,” he said. “I noted how students are happy that teachers were praising them in front of their parents. Such meetings will inspire not just students but parents and teachers as well,” he added.

Mr Sisodia spoke about the Delhi “model” of education and hoped that it would inspire other states to improve the quality of education provided in their schools. He said “Chunauti 2018” was a radical measure of the Delhi Government aimed at providing “age-appropriate learning” to students. “Delhi has some 16 lakh students in government schools. No change is possible unless we change and improve our government schools,” he insisted.

The Deputy CM was praised by several parents for starting PTMs and they urged him to make PTMs a regular part of the school curriculum. For starters, Mr Sisodia said that the Delhi Government had allotted a separate budget for two Mega-Parent Teacher Meets every year in every school. He said PMTs will be held every quarter to ensure that this vital dialogue between teachers, students and parents continues.

Delhi Chief Minister Mr Arvind Kejriwal congratulated Mr Sisodia in a tweet: “Congrats Manish for organizing Mega PTM in govt schools. V heart warming stories coming from various schools.” Mr Satyendar Jain, Minister of Health also tweeted about the “first ever Parents Teacher Meeting in govt schools of Delhi.

Many ministers and several AAP MLA also visited various government schools in the capital to see the first PTMs being held. The twitter handle #MegaPTMInDelhi was trending as social media users discussed the AAP Government’s initiative.

At the RPVV in Civil Lines, Mr Sisodia met three alumni of the school who did not realise the special occasion and simply happened to be revisiting their alma mater today. “We’re from the 1998 batch and came back today to revisit our memories of school,” said Nitin to Mr Sisodia. “I wish we had this concept in our days. But we are thrilled to see it being implemented now,” he added.

Mr Sisodia said that the success of the Mega PTM showed that it was possible to improve standards at government schools so that there is no difference between them and the education provided by private schools.