Parents from Priol, Corgao-Pernem oppose merger of primary schools

PERNEM/PRIOL: The sudden move of the Assistant Director of Education Inspector (ADEI) to merge primary government schools in the State has met stiff resistance from parents in Priol in Ponda and Corgao in Pernem.

Unhappy over the decision, irate parents have now decided to stand their ground and threatened to take to the streets in protest.

Anxious parents of primary school students from Priol on Tuesday strongly opposed the merger of four government primary schools located in Priol into a Querim-based school.

The parents gathered at the Galwada Primary school and threatened to stage a protest if they are forced to send their children to the primary school in Querim. “This problem has arisen because the government wants to support private primary schools located in the vicinity of government schools. This will only lead to the closure of government schools,” alleged Sadanand Gaude, a parent. 

“We want to protect the school in the village as it is in perfect condition and was renovated by former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. We don’t support this merger,” said Mangaldas Gaude, another parent. 

The ADEI’s decision to merge four government primary schools located in Priol into the Querim-based school will force parents to send their children to Satode, Querim, which is almost 5 kilometres away. “We are just not ready to send our children there,” said a parent. 

“Our kids study well here and even the teachers do a great job. Children have studied at small village government schools and reached great heights,” said Sadanand Gaude, demanding that the government implement the ‘One village, one school’ policy proposed by former CM Dayanand Bandodkar. 

Parents from Bhatwadi, Corgao in Pernem share similar sentiments too and said that the present government primary school located at Bhatwadi caters to three wards of the village and has all the required facilities and there is absolutely no need to merge it.

They also said that this school is located at a close distance and if the government wants to merge the schools only to provide better facilities then the authorities should upgrade the existing school premises.