MOTHER TONGUE AND PRIMARY EDUCATION by Tomazinho Cardozo

The massive rally of parents the Azad Maidan, Panjim recently demanded in one voice that option may be given to parents to choose the medium of instruction in government aided primary schools. Some news persons with ulterior motive distorted the content of the demand and published that the parents want English language only at the primary level.

Such distorted information gave an impression as if the parents wanted to stop primary education in Konkani and Marathi. This was intentionally done in order to create anti English emotions among the people.

The content of the demand put forth by FORCE is crystal clear. Today there is option to choose Konkani or Marathi as the medium of instruction at the primary level. The parents demand that this option may be extended to English also. In other words the parents want that the government give them the right to chose Konkani, Marathi or English instead of Konkani or Marathi only at the primary level.

There is no doubt that the universal pedagogy is to have primary education in the mother tongue. This concept is very effective because the rest of their higher education is also done in the same language – the mother tongue. Most of the European nations are concrete examples in which elementary as well as higher education including professional education is done through their mother tongue. Is it appropriate to make this concept applicable to educational situations in our country including Goa where the education from Std. V onwards is in English?

For argument sake, let’s consider that the mother tongue is the best language for primary education in Goa. Is primary education in Goa imparted in the mother tongue? In 1990 the government made Konkani or Marathi the languages of primary education in Goa through the circular No. DE/Acad.I/Policy Decision/Medium/Pry/344/90/1234 dated 21.5.1990. I quote the first statement of that circular, “The medium of instruction at the Primary stage in all Government and non-government recognized schools shall be the Mother Tongue of the child i.e. Konkani/Marathi/Regional language of the state.” From the sentence it appears that Konkani, Marathi and Regional language of the state are all mother tongues. How many mother tongues does Goa have? As far as I am concerned the mother tongue of Goans is Konkani. If this is the fact then how Marathi language fits into the pedagogic concept of primary education? ( Mind you I am not against Primary education in Marathi at all because it existed even during Portuguese time.) Can the educationists who are the protagonists of mother tongue explain us in clear terms the position of Marathi as far as the universal concept of primary education in Mother tongue in Goa is concerned? Otherwise accept that Goa has two mother tongues Konkani and Marathi. Or else do not apply pedagogical definition to the Primary education in Goa.

If Goa government can give grants to have primary education in any language other than the mother tongue of Goans then where is the hustle to give grants to primary education in English, which is also not the mother tongue of Goans? What the parents are asking is their democratic right to secure a better future for their children. Are the parents of students demanding their right to choose the medium of instruction not the tax payers like the parents of students learning primary education through Konkani or Marathi?

The accusation by some protagonists of mother tongue that the primary education in English will render our children de-nationalized and de-cultured is also a myth. No language inculcates nationalism and love for culture in our children. Therefore the language is not important. What is significant is the content of teaching i.e the curriculum. Besides it is the influence of teachers, parents and the society which helps in inculcating the values of nationalism, patriotism, love for culture, etc., etc in our children. Today we observe anti-social activities throughout the country. Terrorism, murders and rapes are increasing day after day. According to me these are the people who are already de-nationalized and de-cultured. I wonder in which language all these terrorists, murderers and rapists had their primary education. Is it not through their mother tongues? These elements have turned themselves into dreaded human beings not because of the language of their primary education but because of the atmosphere and circumstances through which they grew. Let us not therefore link de-nationalization and de-culturization to the language of medium of instruction.

The time has come for the government to act decisively. We live in the 21st century. The government has to keep pace with the rest of the world if it wishes to achieve greater heights for Goa and its people. Hence it is the duty of the government to give all required facilities to its citizens to develop their skills – intellectual, physical, emotional - to face the challenges of the modern world without any discrimination. And Primary education in the English medium with one compulsory subject in the mother tongue is one such facility that will help the citizens to face the challenges of modern times