Creating model schools in Tamil Nadu on lines of Delhi, says CM Stalin

New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said his government has been creating model schools in the southern state on the lines of Delhi and invited Arvind Kejriwal to visit them. Stalin along with his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal visited a Delhi government school where officials briefed the Tamil Nadu chief minister on the change in the education system in the city under the AAP government.

An official informed Stalin that the Delhi government has been spending around 25 per cent of its budget on education consistently for the last six to seven years.

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"In 2014-15, government schools had a pass percentage of 88 in Class 12, which was less than private schools. It increased to 98 per cent in 2019-20 as compared to 92 per cent in private schools," he said. Stalin said his government has been replicating Delhi's model schools in the southern state.

"After coming to power in Tamil Nadu, we have been giving the highest priority to the education and medical sectors. Just like how model schools are running in Delhi, we are doing in Tamil Nadu also. "We will invite Chief Minister Kejriwal after the completion of work there. He should come, I invite him on the behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu," he said.

Kejriwal told Stalin that principals of government schools are sent for training abroad and teachers are trained in Indian Institutes of Management. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told Stalin that the Delhi government is moving children away from rote learning to mindful learning.

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When Stalin asked about improvement in terms of English, Kejriwal told him that they have tied up with the British Council and the US Embassy to train teachers in the language. The Delhi chief minister also briefed Stalin about the new education board, happiness curriculum, deshbhakti curriculum and the entrepreneurship programme -- Business Blasters. Kejriwal told his Tamil Nadu counterpart that his government focused on improving school infrastructure in the first few years.

"We have sports facilities, including swimming pools. One cannot even think of swimming schools in government schools. We have a very good infrastructure," he said. "At the second stage, we started sending all principals and teachers for training. They are now full of energy and confidence. And now we are focusing on the content being taught in the schools," he said.