‘Quality education is the backbone of a strong & responsible society,' Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta

Speaker, Delhi Legislative Assembly, and Local MLA Vijender Gupta on Saturday opened the newly established SMART CLASSROOMS at Delhi Municipal Corporation School, Rohini Sector-8, said an official release by Delhi Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

"Smart classrooms are much more about unlocking the potential of our children and reviving trust in public education. It's about giving the city's youngsters the best possible education and a bright future," he stated after the inauguration ceremony. "This initiative reiterates the Corporation's commitment to quality education," stated a press release.

Inauguration ceremony also included presence of Pravesh Wahi, leader of house of MCD, Yogesh Verma, chairman of Education Committee, school principals, teachers, RWA members, parents, and students.

Inaugurating the program, Speaker Vijender Gupta said, “There is an urgent need to make our municipal schools functional again. We previously had some 2,000 municipal schools with nine lakh students enrolled in them, but now the number of our municipal schools has come down to 1,500, with only 6.58 lakh students enrolled.”

“Rather than arguing about statistics, we need to concentrate on reality in the here and now, and the future that our children face,” he said. “These children are talented, have the ability, and are brimming with possibilities,” he said, before continuing, “What is our role? To develop this talent by improving our schools, certainly.”

The Speaker was worried about the rise in the preference for private schools, even among those in the lower income groups, which, according to him, is an indication of the erosion of confidence in government schools by the people. This, he said, is an alarming situation which has been developing through several decades but has become a reality through the gradual ‘commercialization of education’.

It is necessary that government schools become everyone's first choice. Education is free here, and the facilities here are also free. Primary education until Class 5 is the basis on which the foundation stone of his or her whole life is set,” Gupta said. They can change the mindset and regain everyone's confidence by implementing smart classrooms, Gupta said.

Gupta further stressed the importance of involvement by teachers, school managements, and the communities in turning-around municipal schools. Gupta asked Resident Welfare Associations and communities to visit the schools, participate in activities, and observe the performance of the children.

During the course, the students performed a relevant and interesting act on the subject of cleanliness and civic duties, which was much appreciated. After the act, Gupta appealed to the citizens to make a collective promise to not litter.

"Cleanliness is not a matter of other people's business." Not spreading trash is my business, and cleanliness is a community obligation to uphold," Gupta continued.

Speaking on this occasion, Education Committee Chairman Yogesh Verma and the Leader of the House, Pravesh Wahi, reiterated the Municipal Corporation's commitment to the modernization and techno-upgradation of schools and the provision of quality education to all children enrolled in the municipal schools. The newly unfurled smart classes are likely to improve student engagement, increased learning outcomes, and act as a prototype for the development of the existing municipal schools in Delhi, a press release explained.