Changes made at the sudden whims and fancies of ministers are what could be the reason why there is no proper direction to the development of this State. The latest example of how the government reacts and makes announcements without considering the various implications of a proposal is the chief minister’s statement that a new subject will be started in schools on traffic management and safety. There is nothing wrong in having such a subject, it is even required given the number of accidents on the roads of Goa. There are almost 300 deaths reported in Goa every year and as pointed out by the chief minister, what is most serious is that 80 percent of deaths resulting from accidents are of persons in the age group of 16 to 25 years, youth in the prime of their life and lot of productive years ahead of them. But, it is the Chief Minister’s assertion that the subject will be introduced in the second term of the current academic year that raises questions of timing and preparation.
Three months of the academic year are already over and within a few weeks the first term will draw to a close. The second term, therefore, is but some nine to ten weeks away. Is that enough time to prepare the course material for a new subject? We have to assume that the course material for the new subject is not ready, for in the same speech, the Chief Minister said that the departments of Education, Transport, PWD, Police and others would be ‘taken into confidence’ in preparing the syllabus.
The few weeks, just over two months at the most, that remain before the new term starts surely does not leave the Education department enough time to formulate the syllabus and prepare the course material and books. Given that it is a child’s education that is being discussed here, there can be no sloppy preparation made. The chief minister even said that students ‘might’ have to answer exams and marks obtained in the subject would be considered at the end of the academic year. This assertion that a subject will start in the next term and then the use of the word ‘might’ about the marks does create confusion.
Just how developed is this idea of a new subject that is set to be introduced in the second term of the current academic year? Did any planning take place before the announcement was made or was it a reaction to a statement made by the Speaker of the Assembly a few minutes before the chief minister spoke? Speaker Rajendra Arlekar had minutes earlier said that the government should consider traffic safety curriculum for students and the chief minister responded not just positively, but even giving himself, as he is he Education minister, a deadline by which to start this curriculum.
The government needs to come clear on this new subject. Is it serious about starting this curriculum or, as has happened in the past, especially with the previous chief minister, just a matter of loud thinking that then remains forgotten?
There is nothing wrong with such a subject, even if it is made compulsory, but there has to be proper planning and thinking before the subject is introduced in educational institutions in the State. The government would do well to think out this proposal, invite suggestions from educationists and transport and traffic experts and then introduce this subject in the next academic year after having planned the syllabus, prepared the course material and decided how to grade students in the new subject. Students who are already focused on their academic goals for the year cannot be suddenly burdened with a new subject. That would be akin to causing an accident, maybe not on the road but definitely in the classroom.
