PANJIM: Konkani is the state's official language, but the talukas of Pernem, Bicholim, Satari and Ponda have no state-run Konkani-medium primary school. Satari has three private English-medium schools and one private Konkani-medium school.
With the medium of instruction row over aid to English-medium primary schools set to be debated in Delhi on May 18, these statistics from the education directorate are rather telling. The 'List of Recognized Educational Institutions in Goa, 2009-10' shows there are 130 private English-medium schools spread across Goa's 11 talukas. Pernem has six, Bardez 30, Bicholim 5; Satari 3; Tiswadi 24, Ponda 9, Sanguem 1, Quepem 1, Canacona 2, Salcete 35 and Mormugao 14.
Along with five central-government English-medium primary schools, Goa has 53,332 students getting their basic education in English.
Incidentally, Goa had just 11 private English-medium schools prior to 1992-when a government circular announced grants to primary schools teaching in vernacular languages alone. Salcete-which has been labeled anti-Konkani by those opposed to grants to English-medium primary schools -has been holding the language's fortress. It has the highest number of Konkani-medium primary schools in Goa-43 private, 41 state-run.
Of the 67 state-run Konkani primary schools in Goa, Bardez has 4, Tiswadi 6, Sanguem 1, Quepem 5, Canacona 2, and Mormugao 14. At 143, Ponda has the highest number of Marathi-medium primary schools, while Mormugao has the least at 17. In fact, 887 of 937 government-run primary schools in Goa are Marathi-medium. And there is not a single Konkani-medium high school (Classes V to X) in Goa, although there are 16 Marathi, 6 Kannada and 4 Urdu-medium high schools.
That's what the majority of the people are saying. Konkani may be our mother tongue but it can't feed our stomach. There are no enough jobs in Goa for all so most of the Goans go abroad and has to depend on English. Let Bhemro and Co. go the HELL. For them Konkani and KONRATHI (marathi and & Konkani Mix)
ReplyDeletehas become their potacho adhar.
konkanni is not like chinese or japanese. it cannot be compared to tamil or kannada. Its vocabularly is limited. (see Konkani - english dictionaries)
ReplyDeleteIt is alright to explain history or geography in konkani, but not mathematics and science. Konkanni has to develop. tiartist write hotpotch scripts. Just watch the cheap words they use.
The konkanni litteratti should evelove technical words in konkani and then impose it as a medium of instruction.
Simple, today Goa is infected with virus.
ReplyDeleteThe onus strictly lies with the ruling party to see to it that our mother tongue is brought to the status it truly deserves.Even some Goan journos feel ashamed to speak in Konkani -prfering Marathi instead. Sadly, the only place we Goans can enjoy true Konkani atmosphere is in the corridors of kala academy and no where else!!!
ReplyDelete