Saturday, April 30, 2011

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?

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