PANJIM: Stating that the State government is of the firm view that the medium of instruction (MoI) at the elementary level should be in the mother tongue, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Monday announced that grant-in-aid to the English Medium primary schools, as proposed in the MoI policy, will continue.
Parsekar, who is also the Education Minister, however, refused to commit as to when the MoI bill, currently with the Legislative Assembly’s select committee would be finalized and made into an Act. “The policy is currently pending before the select committee and it won’t be wise on my part to speak on that,” he said.
“Government view is that primary education should be in the mother tongue. However, as per the policy grant-in-aid is and will continue to all the English medium primary schools,” Parsekar said in the Assembly. He said that as per government information, all primary schools are following the MoI policy as adopted by the cabinet.
He was responding to a question raised by BJP Calangute MLA Michael Lobo who informed the House about misconceptions in the minds of parents that government will not continue with grant-in-aid to English medium primary schools. He pointed out that of the schools covered under grant-in-aid, 70 percent are run by the Diocesan Society of Education.
The ruling party MLA pointed out that the government through a cabinet decision last year had approved a MoI policy, which is pending before the select committee. “So far, the committee has held three seatings. I would like to know from the government as by when the MoI issue would be settled and when the bill would be incorporated into an act,” he said.
BJP MLA Vishnu Wagh raised a point of order on the matter and informed the House that the Chief Minister cannot speak on MoI policy as the matter is pending before the select committee.
Stating that the government is committed towards promotion and upgradation of government primary schools, the Chief Minister appealed to parents to enroll their children in government schools. He said that in the last two and half years Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) has upgraded infrastructure of nearly 150 government primary schools by spending nearly Rs 60 crore.
“When government is spending so much to provide better education to children, it is the moral responsibility of the parents to send their children to government schools,” Parsekar said.
