L-G VK Saxena making false allegations against Education Department, says Manish Sisodia

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

A day after Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) VK Saxena pointed out the falling enrolment in government schools of the state, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday wrote back to the L-G, asking him not to ridicule teachers and instead focus on law and order.

Don’t mock teachers

The L-G wrote the letter (to Kejriwal) with a political motive and said no work has been done in the Education Department of Delhi. I am requesting the L-G not to mock the work of our teachers. Manish Sisodia, Delhi Deputy CM

He said the L-G’s letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday was written with a political motive and his “false allegations” against the Education Department were an “insult” to the students and teachers of Delhi.

In his letter to Kejriwal on Friday, the L-G had said the average attendance in government schools had been falling every year, dropping to 60.65 per cent in 2019-20 from 70.73 per cent in 2012-2013.

Responding to the allegations, Sisodia said, “May be, harassing us has become L-G’s political commitment, but it ill behoves him to hamper the education of children and insult the work of Delhi teachers. The figures quoted by the L-G are false. Contrary to his claims, 14.66 lakh children were enrolled in Delhi schools in 2015-16. It increased to 18 lakh this year.”

He further added the pass percentage had increased from 75 to 80 to 99.6, with several students scoring 95-100 per cent.

“Children of rickshaw-pullers and domestic helps are becoming doctors and engineers, but the L-G is out to insult their hard work. Echoes of the Delhi model have already reached the White House,” said Sisodia in the letter to the L-G.

Sisodia said, “I am not saying that everything is excellent in government schools of Delhi. There are several shortcomings. We value your criticism. But I request you with folded hands, you can say whatever you want to say politically, but do not try to undermine the hard work of the teachers.”