The Directorate of Education has rejected all eight applications it received seeking to start primary schools in the State only because the medium of instruction in these proposed schools was to be English. The rejection, said the Director of Education, is because the government wants to promote the regional languages as the medium of instruction at the primary level. According to past statements of Directorate of Education there is already a surfeit of English language primary schools in the State and opening more would not benefit students.
The Department also rejected a few other applications for primary schools in Konkani and Marathi as these were being sought to be established in areas where other schools already exist. The reasoning given for the rejection of the Konkani and Marathi schools is based on government policy and certain rules that state that in areas where other schools already exist, there should be no new schools permitted as this could affect enrolment of students in the existing schools. It has been seen that government schools in certain areas are experiencing a dip in enrolments leading to their closure, as parents prefer to send their children to private schools. Promoting schools that have the regional language as the medium of instruction is acceptable, but summarily rejecting English language private schools is questionable.
The question of medium of instruction has been playing around in Goa since 1990, when a change in policy by the then PDF government linked government grants for primary schools to the medium of instruction forcing hundreds of schools to change their medium of instruction from English to either Konkani or Marathi practically overnight, if they wanted to avail of salary grants. It was in 2011 that the then government changed its policy and a large number of primary schools reverted back to English and benefited from grants. While these schools still continue to receive grants, there is an ongoing fight that the cabinet decision that paved the way for grants to certain English language primaries be legislated.
In the run-up to the February 4, 2017 elections, the Goa Suraksha Manch was the only party to state that it opposed grants to English medium primary schools. It did not win a single seat in the elections. Its alliance partner, Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had remained silent on the issue during the campaign and is today a coalition partner in the government. In the light of this, the government should perhaps look at revising its policy on opening of new English primary schools.
There is currently a committee constituted to advise the government on the medium of education. It has had its term extended once already and is seeking another. At least until this committee completes its consultations and submits its report, the Directorate of Education should refrain from rejecting the applications to English language schools based on the policy of promotion of regional languages. As long as there is a demand for English language schools, applications to start new English language primary schools should be considered with an open mind.
Besides, it is government policy not to give grants to English medium primary schools, so eight new schools in that language would in no way dent the exchequer. The government, therefore, could have considered these applications positively, as these English primary schools would in no way be eligible for government grants, or even ask for grants in the future, unless the grants policy was revised.
The government needs to clearly spell out its policy when it comes to setting up of new English primary schools.
