CALANGUTE: Parents in the Calangute coastal belt have joined hands with FORCE (Forum for Rights of Children to Education) to strengthen its demand for grants to English-medium schools. FORCE expects its demand to be translated into legislation at the monsoon Assembly session. Parent-teacher associations of Candolim, Calangute and Arpora submitted a memorandum to Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, who assured to support them.
The utterances of ruling BJP MLAs that they have never supported English as a medium of instruction (MoI) have confused the parents. A few of them said they had supported their MLAs in the hopes that the BJP government would back their freedom to choose the MoI. They stated that the government’s dilly-dallying was not acceptable.
“With elections around the corner, the then opposition BJP MLAs supported the parents and assured a firm decision if given an opportunity to serve Goans. However, they failed to meet the parents’ demand. We are being told that some BJP MLAs said they were given a mandate by people for Konkani and Marathi-medium schools. It was corruption that gave them an opportunity to govern Goa. People cutting across religious lines support English as MoI,” said local Agnelo D’Souza.
“The Cabinet’s decision was acceptable to one and all, so why was there a delay in implementing it? We as parents have been demanding freedom to choose a MoI for our children and we have every right to do it. I do not understand why a few politicians are making it an issue. The parents who favour Konkani or Marathi have sent their children to English Schools, while their grandchildren are also studying in English schools, so why not our children? FORCE is a movement of parents and is not a political party or religious body, but a few politicians are trying to politicize the issue for no reason,” said parent Rose D’Souza.
“My children are no longer in primary school, but I was still a part of the people’s agitation. I will continue to be until justice is given to the parents and children. English is a language understood by everyone. The government should continue the grants to English-medium schools by making the cabinet decision an Act,” said parent Sandeep Naik.
After accepting the memorandum from the parents, Lobo said, “It is unfortunate that a few politicians with ego problems are trying their best to politicise the issue and divide the community while their children and grandchildren have been studying in private English schools. Why shouldn’t middleclass parents be privileged to impart education for their children in English-medium schools with government funding? A few politicians are blaming the Church for starting the agitation, but the issue is not of the Church as there are children from various religions and caste in Diocesan schools. The parents should be given the freedom to choose the MoI for their children as education is a necessity in life.”
He added, “The Cabinet decision providing grants to English-medium schools with compulsory subject of Konkani or Marathi should be implemented and passed in the Assembly to resolve the issue once for all. Unfortunately, the issue has been kept on hold far too long, provoking the parents to launch another agitation for their children.”
