This is with regards to the news item which appeared in Herald titled “Hue and cry over MoI, but English still catches the eye”. It has been reported that the number of students enrolling in the English medium schools is on the rise every year as compared to regional languages as per the records vetted by the Directorate of Education. It also says that in the last academic year 2013 -14, the department recorded 58,685 students studying in English medium from class I to IV, while Marathi, which stands second in the list had 32,497 students. Marathi has about eight times more students than the 4782 students who opted for education in Goa’s official language, Konkani.
These figures clearly show that English alone rocks in most primary schools with the full backing of parents in Goa. The report has exposed the lies of all Marathi supporters posing as Mai-Bhaas, Konkani lovers fighting against English primary education by misguiding Goans misusing the definition of mother tongue and shown that there are actually no real takers for ‘mai-bhaas’, Konkani from both the major communities for unknown reasons in Goa.
Goan parents are definitely not illiterate fools but are highly educated and they know what is best for their children in today’s modern globalised world. Simply misguiding parents by claiming that English is a foreign language just to keep their children backward won’t help anymore because today when we Goans find nothing wrong in wearing foreign outfits, watches, using electronic gadgets like mobile phones, music systems, hi-fi cars and even passionately following a imported sport like cricket then why the fuss only about English?
It’s time for everyone to finally accept the facts and figures of primary education with an open mind and to respect the same for the betterment of the future generations in Goa. It’s time to stop communalizing primary education, playing dirty politics and focus on saving our children’s future in Goa. English primary education rocks in primary schools with the active support of Goan parents.
