PANJIM: Rural Development
Minister Alina Saldanha on Wednesday endorsed her government decision on the
medium of instruction (MoI) policy to continue grants to 127 English medium
primary schools.
“Chief Minister’s (Laxmikant
Parsekar) stand on MoI is right. We should continue with the policy decision of
giving grants to English medium primary schools,” Saldanha told media persons.
“At the same time parents should be given freedom to decide the medium of
education for their children at the elementary level,” she added.
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Saldanha also said that the
government cannot be accused of betraying the mother tongue, as all efforts are
being made to promote Konkani and Marathi medium primary schools. “We had
assured an amicable solution to the problem. BJP never betrayed the mother
tongue or anyone,” she said.
She, however, preferred not
to comment on her colleagues – Minister Rajendra Arlekar and deputy Speaker
Vishnu Wagh’s – unhappiness over the decision. Both the BJP leaders are of the
opinion that the government should withdraw grants to English schools.
The Chief Minister on
Tuesday met with BJP MLAs and apprised them on the BJP national president Amit
Shah’s green signal to continue with the existing policy. The party’s central
leadership was of the view that the policy need not be introduced in the
Assembly for debate and passing as a law.
Meanwhile, Saldanha said
that fresh efforts would be made to grant Special Status to Goa, though the
proposal has already been rejected by the Union Government.
