Will upgrade govt. schools to draw students from across country: CM

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday inaugurated 75 CM Shri Schools and said her administration aims to raise Delhi’s government schools to a level where parents from across the country will aspire to enrol their children in them.

Speaking at the launch event held at a CM Shri School in south-west Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar, Ms. Gupta, in an apparent reference to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), said the previous government had run a “corruption revolution instead of an education revolution”. “Delhi’s residents used their vote to bring us in, and now our education model is changing,” she said.

AAP hit back, saying the schools were not newly built but merely rebranded. “Out of all these schools, not even a single one has been constructed by the BJP government. They are misleading the people of Delhi by merely replacing the signboards of existing schools,” said AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj.

Rebranding exercise

He said in a statement that the money spent on advertisements was higher than the amount spent on rebranding each school. Mr. Bharadwaj said the government had used the “same tactics” while rebranding Mohalla Clinics and dispensaries and presenting them as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

Education Minister Ashish Sood said the initiative signals a shift towards technology-driven learning. “Today, as the AI summit is being held, a historic beginning of an AI-enabled, technology-driven education system is taking place in Delhi. This sends a powerful message that Delhi is fully committed to integrating technology with the future of education,” he said.

Of the 75 schools, at least 32 were B.R. Ambedkar Schools of Specialised Excellence while others were regular government schools. 

The schools are equipped with information and communication technology labs, digital libraries and language laboratories.

Mr. Sood said by March 31, all 7,000 smart classrooms would be fully operational.