PANJIM: Looks like it will be the new State Government that will
decide the Medium of Instruction (MOI) police for the elementary education,
with the 17-member Advisory Committee on MOI deciding to wait for the ongoing
election code of conduct to end for seeking further extension to submit its
report on the contentious issue.
The three month extension granted to the Director of Higher Education Bhaskar
Nayak headed committee ended on February 12; failing to hold any meetings in
South Goa. The 120-days time period granted to the Advisory committee in August
had first ended on November 12, 2016.
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“Yes, the three month
extension term is ended and we have not yet prepared the report. We will
require more time. Once the code of conduct ends, we will put up proposal
before the Government for extension in term,” Nayak told HERALD.
“Since the election code was
imposed in January, we could not initiate any process to hold meetings. The
entire process came to halt,” he added.
As the Election Commission of India enforced the model code
of conduct from January 4, the 17-member committee deferred the meetings. The
code of conduct ends on March 11 evening.
The committee had earlier planned its first meeting at
Canacona on January 10 followed by two meetings in Salcete on January 13 and
January 17, and three meetings on January 21, 30 and 31 at Mormugao, Sanguem
and Dharbandora respectively. However,
the dates were cancelled and before fresh dates could be announced, the term of
the committee ended.
It has already completed six meetings in the North Goa which include Sattari, Bicholim,
Pernem, Bardez and Tiswadi. There was poor response from the schools and
parents teachers association (PTAs) but it saw huge demand for primary
education in mother tongue- Marathi or Konkani.
Very few supported that
grants should continue to English medium schools being a government decision.
Another section demanded that the MOI choice should be left to the
parents.
After the taluka meetings, the advisory committee had decided
to hold separate meetings with pro-English group Forum for Rights of Children
to Education and regional language supporter Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch
for their views, suggestions and objections.
