MINISTERS AND MLAs DECIDING THE FATE OF CHILDREN OF GOA? UNJUSTIFIED. WHY? By Ashley J. Fernandes Margao

While a majority of the Goan population are of the same opinion that “ENGLISH” be made the medium of instruction in all schools in the state, with the mother tongue as a compulsory language, a section of the irresponsible ministers and MLAs appear to be still trying to gather support against it, in various evil minded ways.

Well, it’s plain and simple, these guys have no right to decide for the people, for reasons listed below:

1. It is because of the people, who have voted them into power, that they are ruling today. So they need to allow the people to decide, what’s best for their children and not go about betraying their trust in them.

2. While they have offered sub standard education by forcing upon the mother tongue as the medium of instruction, to the average Goan , a number that could be in lakhs, they have selfishly sent their own children to GOVT. RECOGNISED UNAIDED schools in the state, offering ENGLISH as the medium of instruction. Where is the love for the mother tongue gone in this case? Can the GOAN masses afford to send their kids to schools charging an hefty amount as fees? Let me tell you, the ministers and the MLAs alike, including the D.O.E. are ignorant of the “GOA SCHOOL EDUCATION ACT 1984, so how can you expect them to implement R.T.E. correctly?

3. These irresponsible rulers have not only stopped merely at this, but also allowed the growth in population of GOVT. RECOGNISED UNAIDED PRIVATE SCHOOLS from a mere two to begin with to 118 or more and still more to come. Without any CBI enquiry, it is an open secret, that those directly responsible for running these private institutions , as business houses, are closely linked to both those in the ruling government and those in the opposition too. Hence the medium of instruction in GOVT AIDED SCHOOLS is “KONKANI” paving the way for “UNAIDED SCHOOLS” to loot the people in the name of “QUALITY EDUCATION”.

4. Most of them in the ruling government do not possess the basic educational qualification, to take any decision in the field of education, leave aside for it’s betterment and the so called educationists that are supposed to to contribute, are reduced to mere puppets in the hands of these uneducated ministers and MLAs.

5. It is because of these ministers and MLAs that there is a growing drop out rate year after year and they have sure led to the fall in attendance and demand for GOVT. AIDED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, who are equally capable of giving the best to our children, not just academically , but also as a responsible individual.

5. Can any of these rascals in the ruling government explain, as to how 40% of the schools in GOA have MARATHI as the “MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION” and mere 13% have “KONKANI” as the medium of instruction as per the latest statistics. Are they trying to tell the”GOAN” masses, that a majority of the goan population speak “MARATHI”? They need to examine their conscience, “WHAT IS THE MOTHER TONGUE OF AN AVERAGE GOAN”? I seriously feel the influx of migrants in areas like MOTI DONGOR and BAINA, have made them forget their own mother tongue. Sad state of affairs CM Kamat, Goan are now not only in the process of losing their identity, but also their belongings to the migrants, for the sake of swelling your vote bank.

However, there have been some so called educationists, fielded by our uneducated rulers and educated rascals , that have passed comments in the press and at public meetings in the past one week, the most unjustified being, by one Mr. Naik, who had the audacity to tell us Goans, that our children in the lower classes would be able to grasp the matter faster in their own mother tongue.

For the sake of argument, on behalf of the Goan masses, if this is the intention of offering Konkani as the medium of instruction for Std 1 to 4, then why not compulsory have the same offered, even in “unaided private schools”, as those attending these schools are also children of Goan families in the same age group. So why the divide? If the commitment of the schools to provide “quality education” is really true, then it would be there for everyone to see. But for this”the medium of instruction needs to be the same, be it “English” or “Konkani”.

The GOA GOVERNMENT needs to realize that if GOANS send their children to an UNAIDED PRIVATE SCHOOL, it is not because of “quality education” but because they offer “PRIMARY EDUCATION in “ENGLISH” , a social and a business language worldwide and every one of us parents would like to see our children to well in life. The pseudo educationists running these schools and those elected in the ruling government past and present, used the medium of instruction “ENGLISH” to fleece the Goan masses and are very well aware that changing the medium of instruction now, would have an adverse effect on these “PRIVATE UNAIDED GOVT. RECOGNISED SCHOOLS”, some of whom have been given recognition without proper infrastructure.

LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, LET THE DECISION LIE WITH THE PARENTS AND NOT THESE RULING RASCALS, CAUSE THEY’VE FLEECED US AND ARE STILL TRYING TO DO SO IN THE NAME OF EDUCATION QUOTING R.T.E!!!