April school calender
draws heat from parents
In a powerful display of unity, citizens, children, and parents gathered at the historic Lohia Maidan in Margao to voice their opposition to the Education Department's decision to commence the new academic year on April 7. The campaign, aptly titled "No Schools in April," resonated strongly among the attendees, who criticised the lack of stakeholder consultation and the absence of orientation regarding the National Education Policy (NEP).
The fraternity argued that the decision disregards Goa's unique realities, particularly the challenges posed by the state's scorching summer. They accused the government of blindly implementing policies from Delhi without considering the intricacies of Goa's time-tested educational fabric. The slogan "No Schools in April" resonated through the Maidan, symbolising the collective frustration of the stakeholders.
Speakers at the event highlighted the need for a more inclusive approach to policy-making, emphasising the importance of understanding regional differences. They warned that applying a uniform policy across states risks undermining the delicate balance that has been carefully maintained over the years.
The campaign has sparked a broader conversation about the importance of tailoring educational policies to suit the specific needs of each state, ensuring that the voices of stakeholders are heard and respected. As the debate continues, the fraternity remains steadfast in its commitment to preserving Goa's educational heritage and advocating for a more thoughtful approach to policy implementation.
Everette Assis Telles, Margao
Shortage of staff in
govt departments
When visiting a government office, it is not uncommon to encounter a shortage of personnel, with employees expressing their concerns about limited resources and the burden of additional work. The government departments in the state has revealed significant staff shortages thereby presenting challenges to effective service delivery and administration. Police, PWD, Health Department, University needs a swift recruitment.
The shortage has been exacerbated by the government’s failure to recruit new employees, further straining services. With no new recruitment and a number of employees retiring, the practice of extending service tenures and re-employing retiring officials has to be re-looked.
The rising crime, population and traffic directly point to the mismatch in the police-to-public ratio as police strength has remained unchanged for years.
Despite the growing need for more officers, the government has failed to increase the numbers because of concerns over the higher expenditure involved. A clear assessment of the requirement of doctors and paramedical staff at different levels and regions should be made so that human resources availability is ensured in hospitals as per the standards stipulated in the Indian Public Health Standards or the National Medical Commission (NMC). The government should fill vacancies in a timely manner.
K G Vilop, Chorao
Well balanced editoral
Being a career guide and counselor in many institutions at the school and college level, I would like to express my sincere appreciation for your Editorial “Education Dept. should help students discover aptitudes” on March 31. Your insightful perspective on the said topic was both thought-provoking and well-articulated. It provided a balanced and compelling analysis that truly resonated with my beliefs and thinking. Thank you for shedding light on such important issues.
Menino Furtado, Fatorda
Urban areas expose
higher temperatures
Increased urbanisation in metropolitan cities has given rise to what is termed the heat island effect. With vast tracts of open land being covered by buildings, roads, pavements, parking lots and other hardscape there is a quantum increase in ambient temperature due to heat reflecting off these surfaces and slowing down of wind speed.
Hard surfaces also ensure that ground water recharge is next to zero, thus exacerbating the water crisis. A case in point is Mumbai where a difference of 13⁰C in temperature was recorded between dense congested suburbs like Ghatkopar (33⁰C) and the relatively more green areas like Powai (20⁰C). Heat islands like Ghatkopar are complex urban phenomena, destructive micro-climate zones within mega cities. Yet city planners, builders and government regulating bodies do nothing to check the cancer of construction, most of it illegal for the simple reason that there is money to be made all around.
An analysis of 14 cities in 13 countries has established that heat trapping infrastructure such as concrete roads, asphalt, poor vegetation cover, air pollution, stubble burning, garbage incineration etc amplify the difference in temperature between urban sprawls and rural areas. To beat the heat, city dwellers resort to air-conditioning which in turn dials up the temperature, it is a vicious cycle. But there seems to be no sense of urgency to tackle this climate crisis. The simple act of planting trees will provide shade and heat insulation which will also have a direct impact on energy consumption. But we are busy cutting down trees for 'development' and 'progress'; this won't end well for humankind, we have reached a point of no return.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim