PANJIM: Chief Minister
Laxmikant Parsekar on Monday told the State Legislative Assembly that there is
no proposal before the government to change the medium of instruction (MoI)
policy at the primary level.
“There is no such proposal
presently under consideration of the government,” Parsekar said replying to a
question on whether there will be any change in the government’s MoI policy.
The question was tabled by Congress MLA Vishwajit Rane, who sought details of
the government decision on MoI taken by the cabinet.
The Chief Minister said that
the cabinet on June 6, 2012 decided that the minority institutions which were
imparting primary education in Konkani or Marathi prior to June 2011 and
subsequently shifted to English as an MoI will continue to get grants to ensure
that students do not suffer.
He added that to promote
primary education in the regional languages, the government will provide
support, including financial grants, to increase the number of such schools in
the State.
In another question tabled
by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, Parsekar said the government has received
representations from FORCE (the pro-English MoI group) and BBSM (anti-English
group) with their respective demands. “The matter is presently under
examination,” he said.
The Chief Minister said BBSM
has demanded discontinuation of grants to English medium primary schools owned
and managed by the Diocesan Society of Education and Archdiocesan Board of
Education, while FORCE has asked that the cabinet decision on MoI be converted
into legislation.
Parsekar informed the House
that in a bid to encourage primary education in Marathi or Konkani, the government
has introduced a scheme to provide special grants of Rs 400 per student per
month to aided primary schools.
