Amid an ongoing war of words between the AAP and the BJP on the condition of government-run schools in States governed by each other, AAP MLA Atishi has said that the AAP was forcing politicians to talk about education.
“I am happy that the BJP’s Central government, their MPs and leaders, who have always been doing politics in the name of religion and caste, are today at least talking about education,” Ms. Atishi said.
She said that it was the success of the AAP that “every party in the country” has been forced to talk about schools.
The AAP leader claimed that BJP leaders Manoj Tiwari, Ramesh Bidhuri, and Parvesh Verma could not find a single school in Delhi without teachers or benches for students to sit.
Ms. Atishi also urged Mr. Tiwari and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to visit some schools in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.
“They will then come to know how schools are being run by their governments in junkyards, children have no benches to sit, no water to drink, no toilets,” she noted.
On the shortage of principals in Delhi government-run schools, she said that it was the Central government’s duty to appoint them.
“We have said time and again that we should have the right to recruit our principals, get their exams done, but the UPSC is sitting on that file for a very long time,” Ms. Atishi said.
She said that if Mr. Tiwari was also worried about students, then he should urge the UPSC to appoint principals.
The AAP leader pointed out that students from Delhi government-run schools were now clearing IIT-JEE and and the results were better than private schools, which showed the quality of the schools.
