I compromised on MoI policy: Parrikar
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 17 July 2012 14:00 IST
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar today admitted on the floor of the House that the government had compromised on its Medium of Instruction policy.
He however dismissed the argument that his MoI policy is on the lines of the policy framed by erstwhile Congress government.
The issue was raised by Curtorim Congress MLA Alex Reginaldo Lourenco.
“I had to give concession of giving grants to some English medium primary private schools due to some other reason. But it is a small component”, he told the House.
Giving concession to a small component does not mean toeing the line of the Congress policy of giving grants to all the English medium private primary schools, said the chief minister.
Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane in fact criticized the policy as discriminating between English medium private schools, while demanding grants to all.
Parrikar however refuted it while pointing out that the other English medium private primary schools had given an undertaking that they would not ask for government grants.
The chief minister, in a written reply, informed the House that Goa has total 182 English medium aided primary schools while 139 are unaided English medium primary schools.
“Out of these, around 128 schools had shifted last year from Konkani to English medium”, he said.
Due to this, he said there were around 60 primary schools left in Konkani or Marathi medium.
However, he informed, the education department had already given permission to open 48 more private primary schools, which include 23 in Konkani and 25 in Marathi.
In addition, he said 22 more schools are in process of getting permission that includes four in Konkani and 18 in Marathi.
“This would make total 130 private primary schools that would run in regional languages, Konkani or Marathi medium”, said Parrikar.
The chief minister also said he was prepared to give grants to other English medium schools, provided they shift to the medium of regional language.
Dear Hanv Konkani...pl inform me and the readers ,WHICH WAS YOUR KONKANI SCHOOL.. ? pl furnish the details...ur true name,roll call no. class,year..s.s.c.year no ?