Village Coms to educate parents on MoI

PTI, PANAJI | 13 April 2011 18:34 IST

Intellectuals in Goa supporting Indian languages as medium of instruction (MOI) have decided to form 100-odd village committees that would educate the parents about the essence of Right to Education (RTE) Act.

Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) leader and noted academician Subhash Velingkar told a press conference yesterday that 176 village-level committees would be formed in each panchayat to create awareness about education in the mother tongue.

The panel will also be mandated to weed out "confusion and misconception" spread by supporters of English language about MOI, he said.

"Wrong impressions are being created by telling parents that the child will be forced to learn Konkani or Marathi till Std X, which is absolutely weird," he said.

The parents will be told that only education from Std I to IV would be in Konkani and Marathi and from Std V onwards, the pupil can learn in English, Velingkar said.

BBSM demanded that the Goa Government implement the Madhav Kamat Committee report, which had put forth suggestions to improve the quality of primary education.

The MOI issue had surfaced in the state in the wake of implementation of RTE Act. While several intellectuals and parents support Konkani and Marathi as MOI, there is another section of parents which wants English as MOI.

Education Minister Atanasio Monserrate recently told the Assembly that Konkani and Marathi will continue to be MOI.

BBSM convenor and former Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar said MOI in local language helps in fostering nationalism and culture values in the next generation.


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The RTE Act 2009, takes the primary section as from I-VIII or the age upto 14 years. Nothing can be done about that except by changing the RTE Act itself. If everything after the 4th Std is going to be taught in English, then why confuse the children from I-IV Std by forcing Konkani orMarathi on them? The weaker sections of society want access to English from Ist Std itself as is done in respect of affluent professionals, who can afford to pay donations (in whatever name) and high fees. Why do the BBSM not ask for closure of English medium schools as per status quo ante? Nationalism would more appropriately be fostered by learning a national language, like Hindi, rather than mother tongue or regional language. For the greater part Indians are well known for knowledge of Hindi (spoken in Arabia by Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, besides Indians, and even some Arabs who have links with India) and English and India is integrated and held together by these two languages. So who is misguiding whom? And are these issues mired by vested interests? Self proclaimed educationists and intellectuals, are they ?

- Ludovico, Old-Goa | 13 th May 2011 16:22

 

In addition to Hindi, English is a widely spoken language in many parts of India and binds Indians together.

Konkani & Marathi are localised languages & State specific.

English is well known to be a productive language as it is widely used everywhere in India and the world.

English is like a Passport that allows one entry to many parts & countries of the world.

Konkani & Marathi are limited in their scope & use.

- N.Fernandes, London | 12 th May 2011 15:39

 

I think as a father I know what is good to my kids, why you guys are forcing me to teach my kids konkani first and then English. When the foundation is bad then I dont think the building will stay still. So if you can just build up new schools where you can only learn Konkani and then put your own kids in this schools. So I think all schools should be in English Medium.

- james braganza, chinchinim | 12 th May 2011 04:43

 

The parents are the best judges as to what is good for their kids. The experts should not try to force their views on the masses or try to bring in politics in education or to divide the society on MOI issue. One should never forget the thousands of locals securing jobs in foreign countries and ships just because they know elementary english. Knowledge of english is the bread and butter of thousands...Let the experts concentrate on eradicating the use of english from Courts, Parliament, Legislations, higher education etc, before advising the common man.

All these are sensitive issues and one should not forget that it was a small CD which brought down the whole Government a few years back....

I many times wonder as for a Goan child--learning of which language is more difficult---english or south Indian language like tamil/Malayalam....????

- vishwas prabhudesai, loliem | 15 th April 2011 09:01

 

Spent fossil fuels whose usefulness has been and now wish to be re-cycled, never letting go. Americans are sending unmanned drones to hunt down evil in the valleys, perhaps their wandering eye reaches here somehow. They would be useful then.

- Ludovico, Old-Goa | 14 th April 2011 17:40

 

'What a joke! Frogs in the well in Goa are termed as 'Intellectuals" haha.

I strongly recommend that all those who claim to be the 'leaders' of this movement should get out of Goa and stay elsewhere for atleast a year. Perhaps that will make them realize the world is much bigger than their well.

- Janardan Kamat, USA | 14 th April 2011 11:16

 

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