New Delhi, May 8
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced a comprehensive structural audit of all government schools in the national capital to assess the actual condition of infrastructure and essential facilities, an official said on Friday.
The audit will examine the structural strength and safety of school buildings, along with basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, cleanliness and fire safety systems.
The decision was taken after the Chief Minister conducted a surprise inspection of a government school on Friday following complaints regarding poor basic facilities.
During the visit, Chief Minister Gupta also took aim at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, saying that while its education model was heavily promoted, essential ground-level issues remained unaddressed.
The Chief Minister visited Government Sarvodaya Vidyalaya in Roop Nagar Number 4 early Friday morning and carried out a detailed inspection of the campus.
She interacted directly with students in classrooms and sought feedback on drinking water facilities, fire safety measures, the condition of toilets, cleanliness, arrangements to tackle the heat, availability of teachers and the overall academic environment.
Students told Chief Minister Gupta that the school lacked proper access to clean drinking water, with water coolers and RO systems lying non-functional for a long time.
"As a result, many students were forced to drink tap water directly. They also complained about the poor condition of toilets, saying several doors were broken, regular cleaning was not carried out and water supply remained inconsistent," an official statement said.
During the inspection, Chief Minister Gupta found that the school's fire safety system was also non-functional.
Expressing strong displeasure over the lapses, she reprimanded officials and said negligence related to children's safety would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
She directed the departments to immediately fix all safety-related shortcomings in the school.
Students also raised the issue of shortage of teachers during the interaction.
Calling schools 'temples of education', the Chief Minister said the BJP-led Delhi government was committed to ensuring sensitivity, accountability and fulfilment of students' real needs within the education system.
She added that the structural audit would help assess the actual condition of infrastructure and essential facilities across all government schools.
Chief Minister Gupta said that nearly 700 schools in Delhi require new buildings or large-scale redevelopment, as many structures are 40 to 50-years-old and have become severely dilapidated.
The audit will cover structural stability, drinking water arrangements, sanitation, hygiene, and fire safety preparedness.
Directions for the exercise are being issued to the concerned departments.
Questioning the education model of the previous AAP government, the Chief Minister added that the condition of government schools had exposed the gap between publicity and reality.
"Had the previous government genuinely strengthened the education system, students would not be struggling for basic facilities today," she said, adding that advertisements and publicity alone cannot improve education.
"What matters is ensuring real facilities, a safe environment and quality education for children."
- IANS
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