Oppn AAP attributes Covid, other factors for students moving to EDMC schools

Leader of Opposition in the EDMC House Friday sought to puncture the claims of its education committee head, saying the enrollment of students in its schools has increased due to Covid and other factors, and not owing to the claimed "improvement" in quality of education.

Chairman of the education committee of the BJP-led East Delhi Municipal Corporation Rajiv Kumar had Thursday claimed that over 40,000 children have been enrolled in its schools for the new academic session, and a lot of these students had left private institutions to join.

AAP councillor and Leader of Opposition Manoj Kumar Tyagi held a press conference Friday and pooh-poohed Kumar's claim.

Tyagi alleged that the BJP in leading the corporations in the last decade or so, have been ''promoting corruption'' in its working, a charge denied by the civic leaders from the ruling party.

The BJP is responsible for the delay in the constitution of the various committees of the civic body, including the education committee, he charged.

The education committee on Friday patted its own back claiming that over 40,000 students enrolled in the new academic session and that many of these had left private schools to join, he said.

''It has increased not because of those factors, but due to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia allowing parents to get their wards admitted without bringing any transfer certificate. And, also due to the COVID-19 pandemic, people's jobs have been hit and many people are not in a position to pay fees in private schools, so the enrollment in EDMC schools have gone up,'' Tyagi claimed.

The education committee head had said that the trend indicated improved quality of education being imparted at civic-run schools.

The EDMC has two zones -- Shahdara (North) and Shahdara (South).

In each zone, 15 schools are being developed as model schools, with smart classrooms, computer labs, English medium instruction, among other facilities, Kumar had said.

Tyagi said this plan for model schools appeared like ''empty dreams''.

''If they were serious about it, they would have started this earlier, but they are talking about it now, to leverage it in the upcoming civic elections,'' he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)