Team Herald
PANJIM: The State government’s decision notifying draft rules to commence the academic year from April and giving five days to submit suggestions has not gone down well with the educationists and parents, who have opined that adequate time be given.
However, Director of Education Shailesh Zingde has defended the government’s move saying that it will be five working days to submit suggestions.
O Heraldo spoke to some of the educationists and parents to know what they had to say.
Former principal and educationist Prabhakar Timble said, “Change of academic year departing from the long established practice is a major and material departure. Such changes should be made in consultation with the key stakeholders. It seems the State government is under pressure from the Union Ministry and hence the tearing hurry and last minute interventions.”
The intentions of the government are suspect as the decision is taken first and the rules are formulated later calling for comments, objections and inputs from stakeholders. This is in the nature of putting “the cart before the horse,” he said.
According to principal Timble, the time of five days provided to respond before final publication of the rules is an eye-wash to show that the government has followed the required procedures. Probably, this is to satisfy the High Court and puncture the argument of the petitioners that the government has violated the procedures governing the publication of the rules. It is for the Courts to read into this game of the government, he said.
Educationist Prof Pandurang Nadkarni said, “In fact the government should have given more time for the parents, teachers and others to submit their suggestions since there was a three-day long weekend including a public holiday for Holi. But it is up to the government to decide because I am unaware of the legal provisions of giving time. I feel that the government should have started this exercise early so that the people could get ample time to submit their suggestions. It now appears to be an after-thought because parents are opposing the decision and have approached the High Court.”
Former headmaster Filastro Cardozo of Varca said, “The draft rules to commence the academic year from April have been notified without proper application of mind and without understanding the ground realities. The decision is not in consonance with the National Education Policy (NEP) and done in haste for reasons best known to the concerned. The draft rules have been imposed without taking stakeholders into confidence and it is done irrespective of rational application of mind.”
