Ponda: Concerned parents and members of the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) rallied together in Priol, Ponda, to express their fears over the potential closure of six Government Primary Schools (GPS) in the area. These longstanding GPS institutions, which have been operating for the past half-century, face the threat of shutting down due to the unauthorized commencement of a private primary school by a single school management group. This action is seen as an attempt to privatize primary education in the region.
The PTAs of these six GPS schools gathered at the Mardol Ground to bring their concerns to the forefront and urge Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to intervene and halt the illegal private primary school’s operations. They conducted a meeting and displayed signs to emphasize the importance of preserving their GPS schools.
These parents and PTAs have been protesting for nearly a year against the unauthorized private school operating within the panchayat area. Despite numerous complaints to the education department, the private school has continued to function. The school management has allegedly been attempting to persuade parents to withdraw their children from GPS schools and enroll them in the unauthorized private school. Thus far, 13 children have been enrolled in this private school.
The PTAs firmly believe that there is no need for private schools in the area as the government-run GPS schools are well-equipped, have qualified teachers, and are effectively serving the community’s educational needs. They emphasize the necessity of maintaining strong government educational institutions.
The parents have called upon Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to immediately close the unauthorized private primary school and prevent any further attempts to privatize primary education. Their main goal is to ensure the continued operation of the six GPS schools, which were established by the first Chief Minister of Goa, Bahusaheb Bandodkar.
In an effort to convey their determination, parents and villagers have signed a memorandum requesting the closure of the unauthorized private school and submitted it to the Education Department. They fear that if private schools are permitted to flourish, parents may be tempted to transfer their children from GPS schools, potentially leading to their closure. This shift may further pressure economically disadvantaged parents to shift their children to private schools.
The parents maintain that after completing their primary education in GPS schools, their children typically transition to the same private school for secondary education. Despite these circumstances, efforts to close down the six GPS schools persist, primarily for vested interests. The concerned PTAs and parents are fervently calling for these practices to cease.
At a press briefing at Mardol Ground, the PTAs of the six GPS schools, along with PTA Chairpersons and parents, emphasized that over 121 students currently receive quality education from well-qualified teachers in these GPS institutions.
