SUNDAY, JULY 28, 2024
Ban sale of liquor to minors
Two persons were reportedly killed when the speeding luxury car driven by a minor, hit their motorcycle in Pune city on Sunday. A case was registered against the father of the teen.
Since the youth was driving under the influence of alcohol, a case has also been registered against the bar owner for serving the boy liquor at the bar. As per Section 77, Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, he who serves drugs, tobacco, or any such intoxicating substance or liquor can be sentenced up to 7 years imprisonment and up to 1 lakh rupees fine or both.
However, the cut-off to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages legally is not the same across the country. However in some states including Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, among others, the permissible age is 18.
The earlier a person starts drinking alcohol at harmful levels, the greater the risk of changing the development of the brain.
The ban on sale of liquor to underage youth needs to be strictly implemented.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Schools need to be proactive
This year 97 students (normally it is 20-30) were placed in the “reserved category” i.e., their marks were not declared because the schools failed to upload their internal assessment marks, practical marks and information concerning change of subjects on the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) website. As per the Chairman of GBSHSE, the concerned schools were repeatedly called and informed to do the needful but they failed to do so.
Undoubtedly, nowadays teachers are over-burdened with work and have their personal lives to deal with but such oversights and casual approach by the schools result in tension for the parents and students and puts the academic prospects of the students in a doldrums.
The Board plans to issue show cause notice to the schools and hold them accountable.
Besides sending show cause notices, the GBSHSE could warn the aided schools that 10% of their grants would be cut while the unaided schools could lose their license for one term. The Parents-Teachers Association could play a role by nudging the schools to upload the students’ marks before commencement of the Board exams. Could the Board change the “reserved” category to “results deferred” category, as the former gives a different meaning altogether?
Sridhar D Iyer, Caranzalem
Public money goes down the KA drain
When everybody’s favourite Charles Correia Foundation built the famous Kala Academy of Goa, every Goan was happy to see a unique structure with two auditoriums one outside and one inside nicely designed for the satisfaction of Goans with a good ambience.
For many years, Goans enjoyed watching programmes be it tiatr competition, nataks, or any other function. Now after many years, the Goa government thought of renovating the Kala Academy auditoriums and the renovation job was given to someone without tender for Rs 75 crores.
When the minister was questioned over the issue, he replied that Shah Jahan did not issue tenders to build Taj Mahal without knowing that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz with his own money whereas Govind Gaude was renovating Kala Academy not with his own money but our public money.
Soon after the renovation job was over, one slab collapsed and after a few days, the interior ceiling collapsed.
Now during the pre-monsoon rain, the inside auditorium was leaking when people were watching Roseferns tiatr; Girgirem forcing the audience to run helter skelter. If this is the case during pre monsoon showers, one wonders as to what will happen during when the South West monsoon advances and lashes the State.
Even sound system, lights etc are of low quality and therefore artists are forced to hire the same. The renovation of kala Academy is a total failure which is a waste of Rs 75 crores.
Natividade Fernandes, Cavelossim
Schools charging extra fees is unlawful
The Government aided schools cannot charge extra fees according to their whims and fancies. With excessive commercialisation of education, the cost to send your children to a good school in the city has become unaffordable for many.
Good infrastructure and quality teachers can increase government schools’ enrolment numbers and it is the school management's responsibility to carry out the work with the aid they get from the government.
All institutions must display details of items and the amount of fees prescribed for each item on the notice board for the information of parents and students. Due to lack of supervision or monitoring by the officials of the education department and district official machinery, the schools are plundering the parents with additional fees.
Schools must also display a class-wise list of books and writing materials to be introduced in the coming session on school website and also communicated to the parents clearly. Parents can also escalate matter to Goa State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
K G Vilop, Chorao
