New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS): Ahead of Delhi Assembly elections, AAP Convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday highlighted the strides made by government schools here, claiming that students from poor families are now clearing exams like NEET and IIT-JEE.

Paying tribute to the country’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad on his birth anniversary, observed as National Education Day, Kejriwal said, “We have proven in Delhi that a government can make high-class schools.”

Highlighting the education model of the AAP government, Kejriwal said in a post on social media handle X, “Students are leaving private schools to join Delhi government schools.”

He said that the AAP government has helped parents realise their dream of making their children officers by getting good education in high-quality institutions.

“I interacted with some parents on Sunday. I met the parents of children studying in Delhi government schools, I was touched by their trust and confidence in us. They were very happy... What bigger certificate than this do we need?” said Kejriwal.

He said that if parents visit the big schools of the city and check out the facilities there, they would be surprised to note that we are offering comparable provisions in our government schools.

Kejriwal, however, cautioned that it was not the time to sit over laurels related to the education reform in the city.

“What we have achieved in the education sector so far is like a sapling. We need to nurture into a big tree, if it is trampled at this stage then it will spell doom for the future of children in the country,” he said.

Looking to seek voters’ support for the upcoming Assembly election, Kejriwal said, “We are not power-hungry but our aim is that there should be continuity in the good work initiated in the fields of education, health, water and power.”

“We want these achievements to become permanent or irreversible so that the future generations continue to benefit from it, whether we remain in power or not,” he said.

Elections to pick a new 70-member Delhi Assembly are likely to be held in February. The AAP is looking to score a hat-trick while the Opposition BJP and Congress are desperate to return to power after a decade.