Navelim School PTA asks Collector, Panchayat for stay order on feast fair in view of SSC Board exams

MARGAO: As SSC first term exams will coincide with the upcoming Navelim feast, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of Perpetual Succour Convent High School, which is opposite to the feast fair venue, has requested the District Collector and Navelim Panchayat to issue a stay order on the feast fair in order to avoid hardships to students. 

The feast of the Our Lady of Rosary Church, Navelim will be celebrated on November 16, and the feast fair has been planned at the open ground opposite the Perpetual Succour Convent High School, which is one of the sub-centres for the Goa Board SSC examination. The examinations are scheduled from November 10 to November 26 from 2 pm to 5 pm. 

Taking serious note of the petition, Village panchayat Navelim has convened a meeting to deliberate on the issue on November 9.  

In the letter to South Goa District Collector and to the Navelim panchayat, the PTA of the school stated that they have observed that the ground, opposite to the school is being cleaned and prepared in view of the fair for the upcoming Navelim Church feast. 

“If the fair is organized in the open place opposite the school the gaiety, music and fanfare activities will create a lot of disturbance for the students answering their Board Exam, which will affect their performance and future,” the PTA stated in the letter. 

The PTA has also said that in addition the by-lane in front of the school is extremely narrow and this will cause a traffic menace, and hence they have requested to issue a stay-order in the best interest of the students. Not to dampen the feast spirits, the PTA has further suggested that the fair could be relocated to another venue. 

Sr. Liberata Fernandes, Headmistress of the school told Herald that they have requested the concerned authorities to look into the matter so that the students are not faced with hardships because of the fair. 

Paul Pereira, Sarpanch of Village Panchayat Navelim informed Herald that the panchayat has convened a meeting on November 9 to deliberate on the issue and a decision will be taken. 

“We also are not in favour of creating disturbance to the student community, besides to dampen the feast spirits,” he stated.