Grants to Church-run Eng schools will become a law: Parsekar

GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 11 August 2015 20:54 IST

Following footsteps of the Congress government, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has decided to make it a law to give grants to ‘only’ Church-run English medium primary schools.

“Let the bill come to the Assembly from the select committee in the next session. Let us pass it without much discussion”, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar requested members of the House today.

As the Assembly was discussing demands on education today, everybody was waiting to see what announcement Parsekar – also the education minister – makes on the controversial issue of Medium of Instruction.

“We still hold the universal view of imparting primary education in the mother tongue. But I will not change what exists today. The grants which we give to English medium primary schools will not stop”, he made it amply clear.

He also appealed the members not to bring politics in education and create new confusion in the state, on the MoI issue.

The bill in this regard is before the select committee.

Forum for the Right of Children’s Education (FORCE) had paralysed the whole state on 31 July, demanding salary grants to all the English medium schools, besides staging a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Panaji.

In retaliation, the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch had marched in the capital city on 7 August, while threatening to make it an issue of majority versus minority communities of Goa.

Subhash Velingkar, Goa’s RSS chief and leader of BBSM, had also said they would not mind if the BJP government falls on this issue and loses 2017 Assembly election.

MoI was one of the issues on which the BJP had rode to power by opposing the policy of erstwhile Congress government in 2011, to give grants to Church-run English medium primary schools.

While BJP swept the polls by reducing the Congress to mere nine in the 40-member House, it formed the government with five Christian MLAs in the BJP and four other Christian MLAs from Salcete supporting the government.

BJP’s then chief minister Manohar Parrikar had assured to reverse the Congress policy on MoI, making it a prime issue during election campaign.

But in reality, he continued giving grants to Church-run schools and appointed a committee of educationists to decide it.

He ‘heard’ the educationists, majority of whom opposed giving grants to English medium primary schools.

In spite of this, Parrikar continued giving government grants to the Church-run English medium schools.

Meanwhile, he brought a bill in the Assembly to take a policy decision on MoI and the House referred it to the select committee.

FORCE came on roads this month, demanding to pass the bill and make it a law.

In order to pacify the agitation of FORCE, 11 legislators of the coalition government had given to its leaders in writing that the bill would be brought in the next Assembly session.

Parsekar has now announced that the bill would state that government grants for salary of teachers to the existing (Church-run) English medium primary schools would continue. 


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Previous Comments

There are far too many excellent schools beyond the ambit of the Christian churches, why this preferential treatment?

- Ashit Baran Kanjilal , Agra | 26 th August 2015 07:30

 

What these morons don't realize is that English is the mother tongue of a large number of Indians including Hindus.

- Shiv Kumar, Mumbai | 12 th August 2015 12:01

 

The best post on MOI i have ever read.This is from Heraldo People Edit.(August 12, 2015)

Few questions to BBSM

"I respect all the BBSM members, as they are seniors and well experienced people. But I don't know why they talk such silly things which have no sense at all. I could not stop laughing when I heard some of them saying that we parents have no right over our children. It is so foolish to say so. Is it that we should give all the responsibility to BBSM or the government and we sit idle. You say that by educating the primary children in English medium, Goan culture will die. I have many questions to ask you, but I am asking a few of them.

1. Why only the primary children are targeted. I feel the full education system should be changed. Till graduation it should be in mother tongue. It is of no use teaching from 1 to IV in mother tongue and then in English. By changing the education system in Konkani medium there is no fear of our Goan culture to die.

2. Why are the private schools given permission to run English medium schools. This means that who have money can go against Goan culture. So only the rich have right over their children.

3. Just imagine Maths being taught in Konkani, which is of no use at all. The education should be useful and not burden on our children. In Konkani children are taught about rupees where they are confused as the numbers on the notes are in English.

4. Why is all the office work not done in Konkani. Whichever office you may go whether it may be government or private, all is done in English. It should not happen because English is not our language, but we can do nothing without English. You go to any part of the world. English is the only language to communicate.

We are proud to be Goans and are proud of our mother tongue. I don't think anyone will be ashamed of Konkani. Why are you'll making a big confusion by saying we don't love Konkani. You educate your children and grandchildren in English and outside you make a big noise.

Education in English medium has nothing to do with Goan culture. So don't think only by educating these small kids in Konkani we are going to save the Goan culture. Find out why our Goan beauty is dying. There are many reason behind that. Don't dig where it is soft."

This BBSM want their close relatives to study in ENGLISH medium schools or run english medium school.Basically a bunch of old suckers want our children to follow their stupid cunning mentality.

Are this BBSM members getting hafta from private english schools?Or do they want only their selected class to know english?.

- Rudolph, goa | 12 th August 2015 05:05

 

Its really a shame for BJP. I don't understand why there are differences created. Why does government falls, whether its congress or BJP. These practises should be stopped, I strongly oppose the system of favouring minorities in govt. Job and also providung relaxation in education sector. Is not it unfair for people of general category??? Has govt. Answer for this? Or do we have to also come out and fight for our rights?

- Yuvraj Sinari, Margao | 11 th August 2015 23:42

 

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