The Delhi government has constructed a new, world-class academic block at Sarvodaya School No. 2 in Mandawali, Patparganj Assembly. On Tuesday, the father of Delhi’s Education Revolution, Manish Sisodia, and Chief Minister Atishi inaugurated the new facility. Notably, this academic block boasts 64 rooms, 9 state-of-the-art labs, a library, and an elevator, offering advanced amenities. The new building will enable over 3,000 children to receive quality education.
At the event, Manish Sisodia and CM Atishi were welcomed with a ceremonial tilak, followed by the unveiling of the school plaque. Both leaders met with students showcasing their products under the Business Blasters program and toured the new facilities.
During this, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia shared, “This is a moment of great joy and emotion for me. When I used to visit schools earlier, I would see buildings that appeared lifeless. I believe a country cannot be happy if its schools are in despair. If we want a happy, confident nation, we may not need to build much, but we must make our school buildings smile.”
The former Education Minister continued, “These buildings should be welcoming and warm, as they lay the foundation for a happy and prosperous nation. Today, in place of that sorrowful building, we have a splendid new one. For this, I thank all engineers and officials involved,”
Sharing an anecdote, Manish Sisodia stated, “Around 10-12 years ago, when I came here as a politician asking for votes, a woman approached me with her young child and said, ‘Sir, we like you and will vote for you, but please get us a good home.’ Being new to politics, I didn’t want to make empty promises, so I told her, ‘Sister, I can’t promise you a house, but I vow that I will ensure your child gets such a quality education that they will be able to get you a good home’.”
“It brings me immense happiness that children of countless mothers like her have graduated from Delhi’s government schools over the past decade, going on to study at IITs, become doctors, and engineers. Students from our government schools are even becoming IAS officers now. It fills me with pride that we are building a solid foundation for our future,” he added.
Reflecting further, the former Deputy Chief Minister shared, “Once, I told a student, ‘Study hard, you are the future of the country.’ But that child, with immense courage, replied, ‘Sir, we are not the country’s future; that’s reserved for those in private schools. We are just government school kids.’ His words continue to resonate with me. It was then that I realized the need to uplift government schools to secure our nation’s future.”
He added, “Arvind Kejriwal wants every child in Delhi to feel that their school is the best, surpassing even private institutions. With this vision, today, Delhi’s schools offer excellent education and facilities. Teachers are more dedicated than ever, and our infrastructure has greatly improved.”
Manish Sisodia emphasized, “Today’s inauguration is not merely of bricks and mortar but of dreams—yours, mine, the parents, teachers, and children’s dreams. This school is a foundation for those dreams, a place where students will dream, soar, and achieve their aspirations.”
He recalled, “Before going to jail, I laid the foundation for this school. Now, after my release, it is the first school I am inaugurating. Even in jail, I kept thinking about the two schools in my constituency and messaged Atishi to complete them. I am delighted that this splendid school is ready, and in a month, we will inaugurate another grand school in East Vinod Nagar. Each inauguration feels like the launch of a bright future for the country.”
Addressing the parents present, Delhi CM Atishi encouraged them to tour the building, saying, “I studied in one of Delhi’s prominent private schools, but even it did not have such an outstanding facility.” She highlighted that the new building, with 64 rooms and 9 labs, also includes a lift and a grand library for the students.
Reflecting on the state of Delhi’s government schools pre-2015, CM Atishi recalled, “Government schools were operated in tin sheds, with classrooms lacking basic amenities like tables, chairs, blackboards, windows, and drinking water. Due to a shortage of classrooms, children often sat on the floor outside toilets to study, and teachers were frequently diverted to other administrative duties.”
CM Atishi shared that previously, children’s destinies seemed set by their family backgrounds. Those with wealth could afford private schooling and secure good jobs, while those from disadvantaged backgrounds attended crumbling government schools and often faced limited job opportunities.
She emphasized that the AAP government has changed this narrative, saying, “Arvind Kejriwal’s education revolution has given equal opportunities to children from every family, rich or poor.”
She elaborated, “In 2015, the education system in Delhi’s crumbling government schools underwent a transformation, driven by the miracle of Delhi choosing Arvind Kejriwal as their CM and Patparganj electing Manish Sisodia as their MLA.”
CM Atishi emphasized, “As a result, Delhi became the first state to double its education budget, allocating nearly a quarter of the state’s total budget to education. For the past decade, Delhi remains the only state to dedicate the largest share of its budget to the future of its children.”
She explained, “This led to the rapid construction of school buildings and classrooms. From 1947 to 2015, successive governments in Delhi built only 24,000 classrooms in government schools. In contrast, since 2015, over 22,400 new classrooms have been added, putting government schools on par with top private institutions.”
The Delhi Chief Minister added, “While previous governments sent only politicians on foreign tours, under Kejriwal’s leadership, Delhi sent its teachers to Cambridge, Harvard, Singapore, and Finland for training to ensure they provide world-class education to our children.”
CM Atishi noted that as a result, “For the past eight years, Delhi government schools have consistently outperformed private schools in Class 12 results. This year, 2,020 students from government schools qualified for JEE and NEET, enrolling in prestigious institutions across the country.”
“Today, Delhi is the only state where parents are transferring their children from private to government schools. Over the past few years, more than 400,000 children have left private schools to join Delhi government schools,” asserted the Chief Minister.
Concluding her remarks, CM Atishi stated, “Delhi’s education revolution must continue, and this responsibility now lies with the people of Delhi. Our opponents question the need for free education. They (BJP) govern 22 states, yet none have government schools like Delhi. They continue shutting down government schools in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.”
“If another party comes to power in Delhi, government schools may close down here too. Therefore, if Delhi’s citizens want their children to receive world-class, free education, it’s in their hands,” affirmed CM Atishi.
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