Team Herald
PANJIM: Despite the sweltering summer heat, students returned to classrooms even as some parents, accompanied by their wards, staged a silent protest on Monday at the Directorate of Education in Porvorim, voicing their opposition to the reopening of schools from April 7.
Schools across the State reopened for Classes VI to X and XII on April 7 under the new academic calendar marking a major change in the education system much to the annoyance of many parents.
However as students returned to the classrooms despite the scorching summer, a group of convened parents and some students staged a protest holding placards bearing messages such as ‘Democracy is dying, children are crying’, ‘No school in April’, and ‘Start schools in June’, expressing concern over the decision to advance the academic calendar.
Cecille Rodrigues, a parent leading the protest, stated, “Around 390 headmasters of government-aided schools submitted their objections to the proposal. There was also resistance from the teachers’ association, which includes between 7,000 to 8,000 teachers. Despite this, not a single meeting was held to discuss the issue, even though Education Secretary Prasad Loliyekar had assured parents that consultations would be arranged.”
“We are not against the National Education Policy (NEP), but the way it has been implemented is alarming,” she added. “April and May are extremely hot months, which is why objections were raised in the first place. There are multiple discrepancies in the current system, and if changes aren’t made now, they never will be.”
Another parent, Prasad Harmalkar, pointed out that education falls under the concurrent list of the Constitution, stating, “The state government cannot simply claim that the decision is because of the NEP. We don’t have to follow what suits others—we can stick to the traditional academic calendar from June to March.”
He further commented, “We’re not opposing the NEP itself, just how it’s being rolled out. The government preponed Class X exams last year due to heat. If Class X students struggled, imagine what Class VI students will face.”
Savio Norvin Menzes, who has filed a writ petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa against the school reopening date, said, “We were told the academic year was shifted three years ago, yet as parents, we were never informed. I believe the High Court's decision has gone against us because of such assumptions.”
The protest underscores growing dissatisfaction among stakeholders over what they describe as a lack of transparency and disregard for environmental and health concerns in the educational policy rollout.
The academic year will now begin from April 7 with a one-week break between the old and new academic years. The students will get a summer break in May, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.