Team Herald
PANJIM: In what could again spark debate on the medium of instruction (MoI) at the primary level, senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Eduardo Faleiro has urged the Diocesan Society of Education (DSE) to ensure its schools adopt Konkani or Marathi as the MoI at the elementary level.
Addressing media persons on Thursday, Faleiro said that in Goa, the language of study at the primary level should be either Konkani or Marathi. He stated that while Konkani is the mother tongue of the people of Goa, Marathi is and has been the literary language of a large segment of the population.
He said, “There is no justification for English as a medium of instruction at the primary level. It could be the second language from the third standard onwards. The Diocesan Society of Education should ensure that its primary schools teach through Konkani and Marathi and stop teaching through the English medium.”
He emphasised that Konkani be taught in the Devanagri script only as it will provide access to Marathi and Hindi. “Children will learn Konkani in the Roman script when they learn English,” he added.
Defending his demand he said the importance of national languages and assertion of national cultural identity is growing. “In emerging India it will be necessary to be fluent in at least two Indian languages – the local language and Hindi for success,” he stated.
He added, “In the next generation those who are not fully conversant with national languages are likely to be deprived of jobs. Emigration will also become difficult. In the globalised world, the importance of English is inescapable and English may be taught as a subject from the third standard.”
Faleiro also demanded that the government provide quality education to students. He said the government needs to fill up vacancies of teachers in government schools to ensure quality education.
He reiterated his demand that a gallery of portraits of Goa’s freedom fighters be established in the State Legislative Assembly.
