PANJIM: A three-option proposal with detailed pros and cons has been submitted to the Congress high command on the medium of instruction issue. The high command is expected to deliberate on it before taking a final decision by Tuesday.
Congress leaders present for the series of meetings spread over three days in New Delhi confirmed that a three-option proposal was submitted to Goa desk in-charge J S Brar.
They refused to elaborate on the options, but indications are that the proposal includes a provision to give parents the choice to choose the medium of instruction for their wards. The financial and political implications of this have been discussed.
There's also a strong move to give an option to aided Konkani/Marathi/regional language medium schools to switch to English if medium they want.
Observers say this will not put any financial burden on the government as the schools get grants from the government anyway. "Brar, union HRD minister Kapil Sibal and other Congress leaders in Delhi will deliberate on these options before announcing the decision," sources said.
Chief minister Digambar Kamat, on returning to Goa from New Delhi, added that the Congress high command will go through the deliberations made by various stakeholders and a final decision will be given within two days. "It is a very important decision. The high command will go through the video recordings of the last two days and based on the deliberations, the high command will take a decision," Kamat said.
Kamat, GPCC president Subhash Shirodkar, education minister Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate, PWD minister Churchill Alemao, transport minister Ramkrishna 'Sudin' Dhavalikar and power minister Aleixo Sequeira met with Sibal late Wednesday night.
Sources said Sibal made it clear that the Centre has no direct role on the medium of instruction issue in the state.
He is believed to have told the delegation that the respective government should take a final decision on the implementation of RTE Act. "We have discussed and deliberated on how to implement the Act in Goa and we have also discussed the impact of implementing the Act in other states," said Kamat.
Alemao said the MoI decision is likely to be announced by Monday and will be based on provisions in the RTE Act. Shirodkar echoed the CM on the Sibal meeting and said the MoI decision is expected by Tuesday.
Was it necessary for Union Minister Mr Kapil Sibal to make it clear that "the Centre has no direct role on the medium of instruction issue in the State"? Even then, what important final decision is the high command going to take? It is well known that the decision is to be taken by the State government. The Official Language Act and the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act are very clear.
ReplyDeleteThere was no need for Mr Sibal to "clarify" what is clear - that the RTE does not make mother tongue or regional language as the compulsory medium of instruction. This has been stressed before. Our own Dr Wilfred de Sousa has already made it clear more than once.
The important decision of the high command can only be that the final decision is to be taken by the State government. Will indecisiveness personified take the right decision?