Kejriwal promises free education if AAP elected to power in Gujarat

BHUJ, (PTI): In another pre-poll guarantee for Gujarat, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced free and quality education to the people of the poll-bound state and auditing of private schools if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was elected to power in the year-end Assembly elections.

The AAP convener also promised to improve infrastructure of the existing government schools and open new ones in large numbers across the state if his party comes to power in the state currently ruled by the BJP.

”All those born in Gujarat will get free and quality education. We will not force anybody. If parents have money, they can send their kids to private schools. But if they do not have money, we will not let the lack of money come in the way of good education for their kids. We will provide them best education for free,” he said at a town hall meeting here.

Kejriwal said if the AAP forms the next government in Gujarat, all private schools will be audited and made to return ”extra money” collected from parents like what has been done in Delhi, where his party is in power.

The Delhi CM said an AAP government will ensure that the practice of private schools selling textbooks and uniforms to students is stopped forthwith.

When the AAP forms a government in Gujarat, service of teachers working on a contract basis will be regularised and they will be offered job security, he said.

It will also be ensured that government schoolteachers are not given non-teaching jobs, the AAP leader said.

Kejriwal guaranteed creation of teaching jobs in new schools.

The government will also make sure that facilities of higher education for women are created across the state and issues faced by ”Vidya Sahayaks” (education assistants) are sorted out, he added.

Kejriwal, during his earlier visits to Gujarat, had announced a host of pre-poll guarantees related to electricity, jobs, unemployment allowance, women and tribals, among others. (PTI)