TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: To arrest the migration of students from government primary schools to aided schools for availing English education and to prevent closure of government primary schools, the Goa government, through its Education Department has initiated the process to induct nearly 325 English language teachers in these primary schools.
While the government has close to 850 schools, the 325 new recruits would teach English to school clusters.
According to Director of Education Anil Powar, “Each cluster would get a teacher for two days in a week,” adding that the new arrangement would begin from the next academic year.
If one recalls, the Parrikar cabinet had approved the creation of 325 posts for English teachers for government primary schools in Goa sometime in January this year.
According to the recruitment requirements, the teachers need to have English as their first language in Class X and XII and should have a BEd with English as a special methods subject.
Earlier DEd teachers were recruited to such posts but the new posts have been created for those with BEd qualification.
The process of recruitment would begin with tests and interviews from December 8, 2013 and is expected to take at least two months, Powar said.
This is the first time that the government is recruiting large number of English language teachers for its government primary schools adding a new dimension to the medium of instruction (MoI) issue.
Those rallying behind English medium for primary education have wholeheartedly welcomed this move.
If one recalls, a number of government primary schools have been shutting down for lack of students as most have been opting for education in aided schools where English is the medium of instruction.
Data reveals that more than a thousand candidates have applied, and as many as 131 applications have been rejected.
The appointment of teachers will be on regular basis, according to recruitment communiqués.
