Kejriwal welcomes national debate on education, says it has become a movement

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday welcomed the growing nationwide discussion on education, saying it should have begun much earlier. He claimed that government schools improved by his party in Delhi and Punjab now competed with private institutions in facilities and educational quality.Education and healthcare had always been the AAP’s two most important priorities, the former Delhi Chief Minister said.“I am so happy that education and schools are being discussed everywhere in the country today. It has become a people’s movement. This should have happened long ago,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.He claimed the AAP had introduced several improvements in government schools, first in Delhi and later in Punjab, with some becoming better than leading private institutions. “There are thousands of instances in Delhi and Punjab where parents have shifted their children from private to government schools,” he added.Kejriwal was responding to a video posted by Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, who visited Government High School in Jhalla village to verify claims in another video about poor facilities there. Bains said the video being circulated was old and did not reflect the school’s current condition.“Someone posted an old video of a Punjab government school today. I am glad that the Education Minister himself visited the school to verify the situation on the ground. Do read his report,” Kejriwal said.The AAP leader said no country could progress without providing high-quality, free education and healthcare to all citizens, describing the two sectors as the foundation of national development.He acknowledged that improvements to Punjab’s government schools were still underway but said most had received basic facilities.“Barring a few, most schools have been provided basic facilities. The remaining schools will also receive them soon. Many government schools in Punjab now compete with the best private schools in terms of facilities and quality of education,” Kejriwal said.- EndsPublished By: Aprameya RaoPublished On: Aug 18, 2026 22:36 IST