Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recently tried to allay concerns expressed by several educationists about the closure of government primary schools in Goa, claiming that the State did not deliberately shut down any of them but was forced to do so because of declining student numbers.
According to Sawant, the closures are not policy-driven but because parents increasingly opt for urban and aided schools. “Many are alleging that we have shut down Marathi government primary schools. We have renovated and rebuilt many government primary schools. We did not shut any school. It is due to parents. In some government primary schools, when student numbers were not there, they had to be shut. The government does not want to close any school,” Sawant explained.
“Yes, we have merged some schools that are close to one another, so they can benefit from having two to three teachers.”
However, educators and experts argue that the root cause of parents abandoning government schools in favour of private or aided institutions lies in the quality of education and infrastructure or the lack of it.
Anant Agni, Headmaster of Ravindra Kelekar Dnyanmandir in Margao, questioned, “The syllabus is the same in all schools, exams too. Then why are parents sending their kids to private or aided schools? It’s because the quality of education in those schools is better. Parents want quality education.”
Agni highlighted the positive impact of initiatives like those by the Konkani Bhasha Mandal, which significantly increased the availability of educational material in Konkani and led to a fourfold rise in student enrollment in Konkani-medium schools over the past 14 years. Still, he emphasised that quality teaching and strong infrastructure remain the key factors influencing parents’ decisions.
“There are a few government schools that have good student strength, but that’s because of the dedicated teachers in those schools,” he said. “Private schools organise a variety of activities focused on the overall development of a child. Unless the government improves the quality of teaching and infrastructure, there is no point in blaming parents.”
Dr Sabina Martins, a retired school teacher and activist, echoed similar sentiments. “If the standard of government primary schools is good, with the requisite infrastructure and staff, then parents will naturally seek admission there,” she said. “There was a time when parents preferred Marathi schools because subjects like Maths were taught very well.”
Martins added that quality matters more than the type of school. “Any good school—government, aided, or private — with proper infrastructure, a good building, playground, library and qualified staff will attract students. If it’s a government school, even better, since they don’t charge fees. When the Delhi government upgraded its schools, many parents shifted their children there because of the improved quality of education and co-curricular activities.”
However, Joseph D'Souza, a parent, said, "Medium of instruction plays an important role in parents deciding which school their kids go to. Being taught in your mother tongue is okay but considering the number of Goans working abroad, it becomes important to learn English well, a language accepted across the world."
Dayanand Shirodkar, another parent said," Why will any parent send children to government schools which lack proper buildings and lack teachers? It is the government's responsibility to provide better schools and education systems because ultimately it is taxpayers' money which is spent on that."
Goa Mahila Congress President Pratiksha Khalap said, "We are surprised that the chief minister who also holds the education portfolio is blaming parents. The fact is that roofs are falling, there are no toilets, nor benches for the students. There is no guarantee of food or security. Is it the responsibility of the parents to provide infrastructure to the schools? Why should any parent send kids when there is a fear of the school roof falling down? Instead of taking responsibility, the chief minister is blaming parents."