Over 2 lakh students fail annual exam in Delhi govt schools: Is AAP model of education dwindling?

The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government has always boasted of its model of education, with several leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that the entire nation wants to follow in its footsteps in revolutionising the school system.

Amid this, a report by the Delhi Directorate of Education (DDE) shows that more than one lakh ninth-class students studying in government schools failed their annual examination while more than 46 thousand children in eighth and 50 thousand students could not pass their exams.

The DDE provided the information in response to an application filed under the Right to Information Act by news agency PTI.

There are 1,050 government schools and 37 Dr BR Ambedkar School of Specialised Excellence schools in Delhi.

The numbers

According to the information received, 1,01,331 children studying in class IX in Delhi government schools failed in the academic session 2023-24, while 88,409 students failed in 2022-23, 28,531 in 2021-22 and 31,540 in 2020-21.

In class XI, 51,914 children failed in the academic session 2023-24, 54,755 in 2022-23, 7,246 in 2021-22 and only 2,169 children failed in 2020-21.

According to the DDE, after the cancellation of the ‘no-detention policy’ under the Right to Education, 46,622 students failed class VIII in the academic session 2023-24.

Is the Delhi govt model failing?

The Delhi Model of Education was gaining momentum during the AAP government’s initial few years of rule in the national capital. In fact, in 2020, the Maharashtra government under the then Shiv Sena with Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister announced that it would emulate the Delhi government’s model to improve education in the state.

The infrastructure of government schools in Delhi was enhanced to accommodate more students, more teachers were hired and classrooms were made more interactive to mimic the education system of a private school. Government school students were even introduced to smartboards and were familiarised with other forms of technological tools.

However, recently, cracks have appeared to develop within the system with the Delhi High Court in April, slamming the Delhi government over “inadequate” infrastructure and other amenities like textbooks and furniture in schools.

The court also observed that the conditions in the government schools were “terrible”.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Delhi government of “damaging” the education system in the national capital.