Delhi govt to fund education of school teachers selected in world\'s top universities

New Delhi: The Delhi government will fund the education of government school teachers who get selected in the world's top 100 universities for pursuing courses, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said on Sunday.

He was speaking at a function where 122 teachers and principals were honoured with the State Teacher Award.

"In the last five years, we have sent our teachers and principals to Cambridge, Finland, Singapore and the US. The courses for which our teachers went there were such courses which these universities had prepared for us," Sisodia said.

"All the best universities in the world are known for their own tailored courses. We believe that if our teachers apply for such courses, they can get selected on the basis of their abilities. That's why the Delhi government has decided today on Teachers' Day, that our teachers will be able to apply for prestigious courses in the field of education in the world's 100 top ranked universities," the deputy chief minister said.

He said the Delhi government will bear the full cost of their programme and in the next few days, the Department of Education will issue necessary guidelines regarding this.

Sisodia appreciated the efforts made by the teachers for improving the quality of education in schools.

Noting that the education system has been badly affected due to the Covid pandemic, he said after the closure of schools, no one had any idea how to proceed with the teaching-learning process.

"But the teachers and principals of our schools showed incredible grit and determination in responding to this situation in the face of difficulties. Our teachers delivered the message of 'Learning Never Stops', ensuring how to reach out to their students through new mediums and innovations, and continue their studies. Their efforts are really commendable," he added.

Sisodia said teachers have been the biggest contributor to nation building.

"Our teachers influence millions of lives everyday with their work. These teachers prepare our children who are the foundation of our nation. Today, the revolutionary changes that have come in the education system of Delhi are a result of the collective efforts of Team Education of Delhi," he said.

Every year on the occasion of Teachers' Day, the Delhi government honours the teachers with the State Teacher Award and expresses gratitude through a grand celebration.

This time, many changes have been made in the award.

Earlier, this award was given only in the academic field but this time many people belonging to other fields were felicitated.

This year, the number of awards has been increased from 103 to 122 as compared to last year.

Sisodia also released the first edition of the Education Department's e-magazine 'Nai Udaan'.

This year, the Delhi government has introduced the 'Face of DOE' (Directorate of Education) award and it was given to Raj Kumar, a music teacher who entered the Guinness Book of World Records, and Suman Arora, who had helped government school students crack IIT.