Ajay Maken exposes Arvind Kejriwal’s narrative of Delhi govt schools outshining private institutions

The Kejriwal government in Delhi has been running a high-octane advertisement campaign that gives the impression that Delhi has a robust healthcare system and ‘education model’ in the country. But the ground reality belies that. Thousands of people witnessed firsthand during the pandemic where the healthcare facilities stand in Delhi.

During the devastating second wave, the people of Delhi were afraid of going to government hospitals whereas the affluent preferred private hospitals. Even as hapless patients and their loved ones were forced to run helter-skelter to arrange for oxygen, the government of Delhi was nowhere to be seen.

Even some embassies had approached Indian Youth Congress for oxygen rather than the state government.

Kejriwal had promised to build 500 hospitals in a year has not build a single one so far.

The Kejriwal government has tried to spread a false narrative about education facilities too.

Recently, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal endorsed a glaring falsehood through his Twitter handle. “It is first time in the country that in past few years more than two lakh students from private schools have enrolled themselves in Delhi Government Schools,” he tweeted.

This may have sounded true due to the financial crisis being faced by millions of people owing to COVID lockdowns. However, former minister and senior Congress leader Ajay Maken came out with facts and figures to junk this claim.

Maken first threw a challenge to Kejriwal to come out with facts in support of his statement, failing which, he said, he would do so. When Kejriwal did not respond, Maken posted a series of tweets.

He tweeted, “Don’t know about country but in year 2019 it happened in Delhi that more students were studying in private schools than government schools.” He shared figures indicating that 16.47 lakh students were studying in government schools and 16.61 lakh students were studying in private schools in year 2019 in Delhi.

Maken wrote that in 2013-14, government schools had 4.18 lakh more students enrolled in them compared to private schools. He asked that was it not true that before 2013, students’ number was increasing in government schools but after the Kejriwal govt took over, an exodus started from government schools to private schools.

He shared data that in 2013, the total number of students enrolled in government schools was 17.75 lakh whereas in 2018-19 the number was 16.47. This happened despite the increase in population. In 2013, 13.57 lakh students were enrolled in private schools whereas in 2019 this number has increased to 16.61 lakh, he said.

“Is this your education model?” Maken asked Kejriwal.

Ajay Maken further says, “Credibility of a school is normally judged by its results in Board examination. Here also, the Delhi Government has failed miserably.”

He shared the data in this regard also. “Before 2013-14, the number of students passing 12th Board exams from Delhi Government schools constantly increased year after year. Soon after AAP came to power, a reverse trend started. In 2013-14 a total of 1,47,420 students passed from Delhi Government schools. This number almost constantly came down to 1,09,098 (1.09 lakhs) in 2020,” he said.

“As it can be seen in the chart, before 2013-14, there was a yearly surge -- but it has reversed drastically ever since AAP came to power,” Maken said.

Quite clearly, the people of Delhi who voted Kejriwal to power on the promise of free water and electricity are now paying the price, as the children, who are the future of the country, are not getting proper education and people are forced to enrol their kids in private hospitals even by paying fee beyond their capability.

People have seen the crumbling health sector during the pandemic and are now witnessing the pathetic condition of roads and water logging in the capital during the ongoing monsoon.