TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In what could be a new twist to the Medium of Instruction controversy, educational institutions have been directed to display name boards, office boards and all signage in Konkani and Marathi, in addition to English from January 15.
With less than a week to go before the deadline ends, less than 10 per cent of, government and aided from primary to high secondary institutions have implemented the orders issued by the department of education in mid-December 2013. Many institutions have shot down the proposal and have demanded withdrawal of the circular.
While there is stiff opposition from heads of institutions, there also appears to be mixed reactions from heads of higher secondary institutions and much confusion over the implementation of the new directives.
Director of Education, Anil Powar when contacted by Herald said, “We issued the circulars following recommendations made by the department of Official Language seeking inclusion of names of educational institutions and all signage within their premises in the language of Konkani and Marathi.”
Powar said that even though the department has given a deadline of January 15, 2014 for implementation of the same there has been little response to the same as the institutions were required to furnish a compliance report in the form of a CD by mid-January this year.
Herald has learnt that several headmasters and members of the Goa Headmasters Association have strongly opposed this move and have approached the education department on the issue.
On the other hand several heads of higher secondary institutions are discussing the issue with their managements as the same appears to have caused much confusion.
One principal from South Goa said, “There is no format given to us for inclusion of three scripts,” adding that one institution in the South has designed the new boards leading with Marathi, Konkani and English while others are following their own formats. Likewise another principal states that there is no clarity over inclusion of Romi Konkani script which many church run institutions may consider while displaying the name boards.
Another principal from North Goa said, “We don’t understand the logic behind having names of institutions in three scripts,” adding that English medium institutions have no reason to display boards in three scripts.
Even more interesting is the fact that with costs involved in making the new proposed changes, government run institutions are likely to face a problem.
“The aided institutions could execute this by using maintenance grants,” said education director Anil Powar. The education department was only enforcing recommendations made by the department of official language as the use of three scripts for display boards (English, Konkani and Marathi) has already been implemented in government offices, Powar informeda.
