Politics and Medium of Instruction - Such a Mess Created by our CM dearest

Of Politics, Statistics and Medium of Instruction

‘Podon Ghelo Podon Ghelo, Digambar Podon Ghelo!’ These were the chants that rent the air when the parents went over to the Chief Minister’s residence at Margao to try and get answers on issue of English as medium of instruction. What we did see, though, is his now traditional vanishing act. ‘Podon ghelo’,surely because he had no answers.

But there is one interesting story that is doing the rounds. Who is Mr Pawar? There is a gentleman who works at a high position in the department of education, we hear, who decides everything. reportedly a henchman of the CM, he has final say in every matter pertaining to education. He even does not have any regard for his present boss, the Education Minister. He is really the defacto director of education with the present incumbent just a figure-head. Of course he is tipped to be the next Director and rules have been amended to suit him, we hear. When it comes to the Director, her tenure is best described in the words on the CM spoken to some people some while ago: “I have inherited her!”

The statistics we see about the business called education growing in Goa is mind-blowing. While most of the private unaided schools that have English as medium of instruction are run by the majority community, the schools have bloomed over the years despite the notification issued in 1990 that no more permissions to start new ENGLISH MEDIUM primary schools would be issued.

The Manch that is opposing the introduction of English also as medium of instruction at primary level, is dominated by those who have stakes in these private unaided schools. Business will suffer if aided schools get a chance to include English as medium of instruction. Could Mr Bhatikar explain his stand on this issue very clearly? He surely seems to have a great stake if the demand of FORCE is fulfilled.

Well, elections are now near and Mr Digambar Kamat need not take things for granted about his victory. He has misrepresented things to the centre along with tacit support from Subhash Shirodkar, we hear. But we will surely quell this nonsense of the issue being communal. FORCE never made the issue communal. It was the so called Manch that did. Two Catholic priests, who are totally alien to the global reality, are the ones who were called upon to make this issue communal. It is a pity that they never understood the implications. It is a pity that they have not understood the need of the hour. Digu bab must take care and mind his ways or even better mend his ways. He may pay for it dearly at the hustling. We have learnt his modus operandi and will work towards ensuring that he will not get too far this time. All routes across the state, especially on the Goa-Karnataka border, will be watched for his ploys.

States like Gujarat and West Bengal have already implemented English in aided schools. It seems that only the Congress government in Goa is always afraid of educating their people. It is their great idea to keep the electorate suppressed with little or no education so that they can trample over them. This is especially true amongst the rural people. I remember some time ago when some MLAs and ministers were heard telling the people of Mopa that their children did not have to travel all the way to Dabholim to go abroad now since the airport would be close to them! There was yet another point made by these rascals to the people some years ago that they would not have to sell batatawadas outside on the streets since stalls would be arranged for them inside the airport to sell batatawadas! The people of Mopa have become very smart today and have seen through this game. I think those in favour of English as medium of instruction by choice have also seen through this game.

There is so much being said about the UN charter and education in the mother-tongue. Well that would hold mostly in cases where there is one mother-tongue right across the whole country. It would be good in France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, USA and maybe even Pakistan. But with a few hundred languages spoken in India, this cannot hold true. It is a messy situation and can only cause chaos in the field of education. We have seen our children suffer because of the present policy and if the government insists on keeping to this system, we are going to see the destruction of the educational system. We have a good number of Marathi schools a few Konkani schools. There is even a Tamil medium school in Goa! Wonder how many Konkani or even Marathi medium schools exist in Tamil Nadu! This is what we call medium of instruction in mother-tongue. The government policy on this is so weird and downright unacceptable.

We have mind-boggling figures provided by the department of education. Out of the 937 government primary schools in Goa, 887 schools have Marathi as the medium of instruction and 61,270 study in them. In stark contrast, just about 67 government schools offer Konkani as the medium of instruction and 3,912 students study in them.

There are also more figures that provide food for thought. The private schools with English as medium of instruction are business houses run as Trusts by some corporate honchos. There are 315 private primary schools of which 130 are English medium primary schools with 50,272 students and most are run by the Hindu managements. There are also 46 private Marathi-medium schools with 15,512 students and again mostly owned by Hindus managements. 139 non-government Konkani-medium schools exist around Goa with an enrolled capacity of 61,256 students and 127 belong to Christian managements, six to Hindu managements, one to the Muslim community and five belong to managements with of various communities at the helm. The number also includes three Urdu medium private schools with 644 students.

This is something we need to think about. These figures tell us a story of what has brought about the formation of the Manch to protect the business interests of the Bhatikars and other families. The Manch is also out to protect the political interests of the Kakodkar clan. Shashikala Kakodkar should realize now that she is a spent force in politics. She is passed her prime and really is no more of use to the Goan electorate. It was surprising to see her among the prominent guests to celebrate Opinion Poll Day. What an irony! Can this plot get any thicker?

Parents ONLY Can Make Decision for their Children

Medium of Instruction – Only Parents should decide

It is nice to see a very positive debate developing on the subject of medium of instruction. The views are varied and the debate now seems to be raging.

But the crux of the matter is still alive. The parents know what is best for the child and the parents must have the right to decide. Who are the first educators of the child? Certainly not the educationalists. Certainly not the pre-primary teachers. The first educators of the child are the parents. The parents, therefore, have every right to decide what is best for their child.

"Why do you want to enforce the mother tongue,” is what a Supreme Court bench, that was headed by no less than the chief justice of India KG Balakrishnan, noted in a judgement passed some while ago. "English enjoys universal acceptability," the court also observed. What we need to note are the thoughts, though the words were pronounced in a slightly different context.

West Bengal has also been in the forefront as far as imparting English as medium of instruction goes. The state’s School education minister Partha De is reported to have said not so long ago: “We had to introduce English medium of instruction in the government and government-aided schools because despite good performances in the board examinations, our students fail to perform well in the competitive examinations.” A fact that Goan parents have learnt the hard way in the last two decades and a fact that we don’t want to live with anymore.

In Goa it is a well-known fact that most parents admit their children in the unaided English medium schools and let them study there only until Std IV. After that they are shifted on to prominent aided schools, in Std V, because the medium of instruction then is English everywhere. Does Marathi/Konkani as medium of instruction really help? Or is this a ploy to ensure that the business of education flourishes?

The students who study in English medium unaided schools certainly have an edge. Most ministers and other political stalwarts have verified this fact by sending their children to these schools. ‘O Heraldo’ has been in the forefront of exposing this. While the double standards have been in play since long, it is time that some realization dawned.

The issue of which language is the mother tongue and what mother tongue really means is something that can be debated endlessly with both sides making some good points to defend their point of view. Does it mean that if I speak English or Portuguese at home that I become anti-Indian? Or does it make me anti-Indian Culture? Or does it even make me anti-social or anti-national? People will speak the language that they are most comfortable with. What is the harm in that? In fact, that is what keeps families together and that is also what keeps friends together.

What the parents are asking for in Goa is something very practical. We say that English should be included as one of the approved languages for medium of instruction in primary schools. Konkani and Marathi can continue to be the other languages of instructions. We need to have the parents exercise their right to decide on this. Only they can make the best choises for their children.

The Azad Maidan and the Lohia Maidan rallies that were by the parents, of the parents and for the parents, said it all. “Actions speak louder than words; don’t be deceived by all those fancy talkers’ is what the lyrics of a famous song of yesteryear tells us. It is so true for Goa at the present time. The ‘action’ (the crowds that swarmed together at Azad Maidan and Lohia Maidan) spoke louder than any words proclaimed by anyone. The ‘fancy talkers’ are now raising their heads. We won’t be deceived. We have our focus right.

I am surprised that a forum called Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has sprung up against English being made one of the mediums of instruction. While we do respect what our elders have to say in this regard, we do not really know what the whole idea behind this Manch really is. Those who attended their rally in Panjim were definitely not parents. They were probably activists and politicians and a few educationalists. Also, it is really appreciable that the Manch tried to show its secular colors with even two Catholic priests in its fold. We parents have nothing against the Manch and its thinking. What we say is let the grants also be extended to schools who wish to switch to English medium and let the grants to Konkani/Marathi medium school continue as before.

What we would like to tell the Manch, though, is that the times have evolved. One of the Manch members is the former education minister and former chief minister. I would like to ask her what she has done to promote Konkani as a medium of instruction. There is not even a DEd college that trains teachers to teach in Konkani. Why has this happened? Many of us do say Konkani is our mother tongue but is this not step-motherly treatment to the official language of our state! The education ministers over the years have not even considered how quality education could be imparted in Konkani. Why is this former chief/education minister now making noises along with a few individuals who are probably not in touch with reality? Why the hypocrisy? I would direct this question to the Manch and more specifically to the former minister. As a result of this, is it true that our students today are being taught by unqualified teachers?

All said and done I think we need to focus on the right to education for our children. But the right to education must take into consideration the will of the people. The right to education must take into account the will of the parents and the right to education must look into the overall betterment of education. Finally, the right to education must ensure quality education for the child so that he/she can surf the net, participate in debates and group discussions, join in any discussion and air his/her views and grow in stature with good inclusive education.

The kids face numerous problems while they think in Konkani/Marathi, translate mentally into English and then speak or write. They are then surely bound to come up with statements that can cause humiliation and ridicule. We must avoid these situations at any cost.

The call centre offers good opportunities for those passing out from college to kick-start their careers. But no call centre would like to employ youth who have an influence of their mother tongue on their English speaking. I have witnessed this personally when a friend of mine from Maharashtra made attempts in vain and got rejected at every attempt. He evolved from the Marathi medium primary school. Also on a recent visit to Delhi I leant that a young Goan singer was told by a popular band member of a rock band who also organizes events, “Goans cannot speak English.” And in yet another instance, I was asked by a corporate honcho on a visit to Mumbai, “Where are the great English speakers from Goa gone?” The time has come for us to think and contemplate on these aspects.

It is time to grow out of our small world and look at the larger globe around us. Opportunity is immense and we need to grab it with both hands. Goa was known for ‘good English speakers’ until a few years ago. We have lost out because we have lost our focus.

In a democracy we must be offered choices to choose from. English has always been accepted as an Indian language and must be one of the choices for medium of instruction at primary level. Political compulsions should not play with the quality of education and the lives of our young minds. We parents know what is best for our kids. Let the parents decide.