Summary:
- 4 main components of the Delhi Education model
- Features of each initiative
Over the last few years, the Delhi education model has become well known throughout Delhi and beyond.
In 2015, the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) government sought out to transform the education system by improving the infrastructure, facilitating better teaching strategies, and providing training to teaching faculty.
Their aim was to incorporate innovative teaching strategies to make the learning experience more effective and enjoyable for the students.
The ‘Education model of Delhi’ has been widely acclaimed not only in Delhi but across the world.
There were stark differences between private and government schools. Private schools are a popular choice for schooling among the urban population due to the availability of better infrastructural facilities.
The Delhi government wanted to bridge the gap between the private and government schools. For this reason, the education budget of Delhi has increased dramatically during the previous six years.
It was Rs 9,863 crore (in 2015), Rs 10,960 crore (in 2016), and Rs 11,300 crore (in 2017). The budget amount was raised to Rs 13,518 crore in 2019, and up to Rs 15,815 crore in 2020.
For the financial year 2021-22, the Delhi government allotted Rs 16,377 crore, which is again a significant increase from the previous year.
The Delhi education system launched many programs like Chunauti, Reading campaign, Mission Buniyad, Happiness curriculum, Spoken English classes, etc., to promote the educational revolution in Delhi.
Components of Delhi Education System
There are mainly four components in the Delhi education model. Let us learn more about them.
1. School Infrastructure
The first component of the model involved the rebuilding of school infrastructure. Some of the schools were in a dilapidated state and lacked basic facilities.
This not only affected the motivation of the students but also brought down the morale of the teachers. The AAP government attempted to change this by constructing aesthetically designed classrooms equipped with furniture, smart boards, staff rooms, auditoriums, laboratories, sports facilities, and other amenities.
Due to the major transformation, the government schools are now on par with the private schools in Delhi.
Impact of The Initiative
- Schools now have labs with cutting-edge technology to meet the needs of students, as well as SMART classrooms and e-modules to make learning more engaging.
- The staff rooms in government schools underwent renovations to make them more comfortable for teachers.
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2. Training of Teachers and Principals
The second component of the Delhi education model was to carry out the training of teachers and principals. Peer learning was encouraged among the teachers to facilitate collaboration.
The teachers and principals attended sessions on different aspects of school and leadership at IIM Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
They also visited Cambridge University and National Institute of Education in Singapore to understand the educational models and practices that can be implemented in the education system of Delhi.
The various initiatives targeted at principals and teachers were the Principal Development Program, Mentor Teacher Program, and Jeevan Vidhya Shivir. Let us explore each of them in detail.
Principal Development Program
- In collaboration with Creatnet Education, monthly sessions were held for Heads of Schools to improve their leadership abilities through peer learning.
- About 500 principals have attended sessions at IIM Ahmedabad, and Lucknow on various aspects of school leadership, and 102 Heads of Schools have attended an educational program at Cambridge University.
Mentor Teacher Program
- Each mentor teacher is assigned five to six schools, which they visit on a regular basis to observe classroom practice and provide on-the-spot learning support to teachers.
- In consultation with other teachers, mentor teachers also help in creating supplementary learning materials.
Jeevan Vidya Shivir
- Based on the co-existential philosophy of A. Nagraj, the Jeevan Vidya Shivir workshop focuses on enabling the participants to live life with purpose and meaning.
- It was conducted either through a 7-days residential workshop or through short sessions of 1-3 days.
3. School Management Committees
The third component of the Delhi education system involved the establishment of the School Management Committees (SMC) to encourage engagement with the community. Each SMC has a budget of 5-7 lakhs every year.
The SMCs can use this money for any type of material or activity, including hiring teachers on a temporary basis.
Mega parent-teacher sessions were held to encourage regular interaction between the teachers and the parents. Teachers are given guidelines on how to interact with them.
Impact of The Initiative
- An increase in the number of students attending school.
- Encouraged the participation of parents and community members in the school’s operations.
4. Curricular Reforms
Major curricular reforms in teaching-learning methods were the fourth component of the Delhi education model.
In 2016, the AAP government found out that there was almost a 50% failure rate in class 9. They came to the conclusion that low fundamental skills among pupils could be the cause.
The idea was to bring out special initiatives in schools to ensure that all children learn to read, write, and do basic Maths.
These included initiatives like Chunauti, Reading Campaigns, Pragati Series, Summer Camps, Mission Buniyaad, Happiness Curriculum, and Spoken English Classes. Let us learn about them in detail.
Chunauti
- In June 2016, Chunauti was launched with the goal of bridging the learning gaps of nearly 9.5 lakh pupils in classes 6, 7, and 8.
- Students were divided into three groups based on their foundational learning abilities (ability to read and do basic maths).
- With the three groups, different learning methods were applied, which were aimed at strengthening and promoting active learning with an understanding of all topics.
Reading Campaign
- A special reading campaign was launched on Teachers’ Day.
- Every day, one hour of focused reading activities were conducted using basic reading materials such as short stories, and paragraphs.
- During the campaign, nearly 1,00,000 students of classes 6, 7, and 8 learnt to read their textbooks, leading to an improvement of education in Delhi schools.
Pragati Series
- The Pragati initiative aimed at creating supplementary learning materials in English, Hindi, Maths, Science, and Social Science for students in Classes 6–8.
- Pragati textbooks use simple language, examples, illustrations, and worksheets to help children understand the concepts in a better way.
Summer Camps
- Since 2016, the Delhi government has been holding summer camps for students every year.
- The theme of the Summer Camps was “Kuch Masti, Kuch Padhai.” (Little fun, little learning)
- Basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, as well as art and craft, music, role play, and other activities were part of the summer camps.
Mission Buniyaad
- Mission Buniyaad was launched after the National Achievement Survey (NAS) found that the majority of students in Government Schools in Classes 3, 5, and 8 did not perform well in studies based on their grade level assessment.
- At the start of the academic year in April 2018, a three-month campaign was launched to strengthen the foundational knowledge of students.
Happiness Curriculum
- For over 6 months, a team consisting of education experts, teachers, teacher educators, Mentor Teachers from the Delhi Government, and NGOs worked on the Happiness Curriculum.
- As per the Happiness Curriculum, every day, there is a ‘happiness period’ that begins with a few minutes of mindfulness practice. It is followed by an activity or story and reflective discussion.
- Each student is given the opportunity to think about the story or activity and express their opinions about it.
Spoken English Classes
- Spoken English classes were held to improve the language skills in Delhi government schools.
- Renowned agencies like Macmillan Publishers India Pvt. Ltd., British Council India, and Academy for Computers Training (Gujarat) Pvt. Ltd took up the classes.
- The course lasted 160 hours and was carried out between 23 to 80 days.
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Conclusion
Under the AAP government, 85.9% of Class 12 students passed their exams in 2016. In 2017, it was 88.2%; in 2018, it was 90.6%; in 2019, it was 94.24%; and in 2020, it was 97.8%.
Moreover, the government school results were 5.9 percentage points higher than private schools.
The success of the educational reform in Delhi is due to its innovative strategy and clear vision. Moreover, swift action and a collaborative effort by the government enabled them to address the issues that affected the education system in Delhi.
The AAP government brought education to the forefront and made it a top priority. No doubt, the education revolution in Delhi serves as an inspiration to other states in India.
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