Amid the ongoing tussle between Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Delhi Government over the Finland-based training for the city Government school teachers, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said that more than building bridges and roads in the country, it is necessary to provide international teacher training to the teachers of the country.

“It has been 8 years since I became the Chief Minister, I have gone abroad only twice. Went to Rome on the death anniversary of Mother Teresa, and once to South Africa. I have no interest in going abroad… the Delhi Government wants to send its teachers for good training abroad,” Kejriwal said during an interaction with Government school teachers.

He said that education in the Delhi Government schools has improved because of teachers’ training.

Kejriwal said that it is believed that only the children of the underprivileged study in Government schools which needs to be changed.

He said that the Delhi Government has broken the myth that there is no need to send government school teachers for training.

Stressing teachers’ training, he said that poverty can only be eradicated with the help of proper education.

“For 75 years, all the parties have been giving the slogan of removing poverty, but till now poverty has not been removed, poverty can be removed only through education. The Delhi Government wants to provide better education to the Delhi children,” Kejriwal said.

“Today children of the Government schools in Delhi are passing the entrance exam of IIT, IIM, and medical entrance without taking coaching classes. Due to the improvement in the education system, now no student wants to commit suicide,” he added.

Addressing the teachers, Kejriwal said that, in any case, teachers will be sent abroad for training.

“Now education is also changing in Punjab, Punjab government is also sending 30 of its teachers abroad for training,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was also present during the discussion.

Earlier on January 20, Sisodia sent the proposal of Finland-based training for Delhi Government school teachers twice to the Lieutenant Governor for his final nod, stating that the cost-benefit analysis of the proposal was duly done, as asked by the LG.

“The Government has examined the proposal to send its teachers to Finland from all aspects, including cost-benefit analysis, and finds it to be essential to enhance the capacity of teachers and improve the quality of education,” Sisodia noted in the proposal.

He further noted, “The elite class of our country suffers from a feudal mindset. Whereas they want to send their own children abroad for the best education but they strongly object and seek a cost-benefit analysis, when even the teachers teaching poor children are proposed to be sent abroad for training. Such a regressive feudal mindset should have no place in 21st-century India. Today, India needs a modern outlook wherein all children, rich or poor, whichever class or religion they belong to, must get the best quality education.”