In heart of Delhi, one school is at centre of AAP’s education claims

Both Hasan and Rahul, residents of Darya Ganj, joined the school last year, around the time renovation started. The air has since been heavy with dust and construction noise is often a distraction. So, teachers keep the doors shut and push students to concentrate. They admit it has been a tough year, but the school’s renovated building is finally set for inauguration on Wednesday — with a new air-conditioned hall, granite-tiled passages and pillars, six new ‘smart classrooms’, a refurbished gym and 11 new classrooms. The 1,115 students have been assured that the school can now “match up to any upscale private school”. The library is the only section that awaits new furniture.

“Bilkul naya sa ho gaya hai, ab acha lagta hai. It makes us very proud,” said Rahul. Pointing to the projector in a ‘smart classroom’, he added, “Teachers have been trained on how to conduct smart classes using that. We will start soon, it should be fun.”

Principal Arvind Sharma, posted at the school for the last two years, said, “Walls were peeling off, parapets were crumbling, there was seepage all over. From there to what you see today has been a difficult journey. Only we know how we managed. Sometimes, we held classes in labs, at other times we took combined classes.”

As the school prepares for an “inaugural ceremony” by Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday, the AAP has held it up as a model of the “revolutionised government schools that are now attracting students from private schools”.

Over the past few days, the party’s top functionaries have tweeted pictures of the school to showcase their achievements in the education sector.

“Initially, 54 schools were taken up for the pilot project, for us to gauge how much time and money is required. This school on Rouse Avenue cost us about Rs 10 crore. Now, based on our experience, we will refurbish the remaining 1,000 schools,” said Atishi Marlena, adviser to Sisodia.

“All these years, government schools were poorly maintained and their students treated like second-class citizens. We want to change that,” she added.