I have been motivated to write my views on the contentious issue of Goan children having the option of choosing English as the medium of instruction. Protests against this option have been a kind of a political dogma to some politicians just to garner votes during election.
Vinod Sharma and Shiv Kumar Yadav both true characters, hail from UP. Sharma is a painting contractor for small and medium sized buildings in Goa, while Yadav works for Sharma as part-time partner. Fixing cracks on external walls is his specialty. They earn enough money to live reasonably comfortable lives, both are married and have their families residing in Goa. Their children are studying in aided English medium Schools. Both men are extremely happy about the facility for educating their wards in English medium. Sharma says that he is a graduate but in Hindi medium while Yadav has attended school up to Class XII in his mother tongue. Sharma and Yadav came as migrant workers to Goa as their education in regional medium of education did not get them any decent jobs that could pay them a steady income. However their friends who had studied in English medium schools are employed either in UP or in other cities of India with hefty pays. They strongly feel that education in English medium offers better prospects for getting well paid jobs. Nevertheless both are grateful to Goa for providing them a decent livelihood and English as a medium of instruction to their children.
Coming to our own children in Goa, they are extremely fortunate to have the option of a CHOICE of the medium of instruction, which is a luxury that their counterparts in other States don’t enjoy. However many of our politicians don’t seem to appreciate this provision that is beneficial to our children.
So come election these politicians having no other developmental issues on which they can fight an election and win convincingly, start raising the bogey of medium of instruction, which is already a settled issue for the majority of Goans.
Really speaking the concern of all the stakeholders such as educators, parents, teachers and even politicians should be now, how to improve, modernise and enrich the quality of education especially in government schools. Many schools still lack adequate infrastructure and well-qualified teachers to take care of our children, immaterial in which medium they are studying. For sensible people it’s the need of the hour.
Very often some of these politicians incite ignorant parents and compel them to come openly on the streets along with their children and shout slogans against the managements of schools that follow or impart education in English medium, which is legally permitted by the government. This is despicable and disgusting and doesn’t augur well to the development of education and progressive future for our children. It is time to see through such false prophets of doom and ignore them for good.
