More Hindus than Christians in Eng-converted Church schools
SANDESH PRABHUDESAI, PANAJI | 05 August 2012 22:54 IST
It is not the Christian community but the majority of the Hindu community that has benefited from converting Church-run Konkani primary schools to English medium.
As per the official statistics made available by chief minister Manohar Parrikar in the Assembly, even the four Christian-dominated talukas of Salcete, Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao, together, have more Hindu students studying in Church-run primary schools than the Christians.
At state level, Hindu students studying in the 130 Church-run primary schools in 11 talukas are 14,525 while Christian students are 12,012.
The newly formed Dharbandora taluka does not have a single school run by the Church.
The official figures also state that 77 of these 130 schools have admitted majority Hindu students while only 52 schools have majority Christian students.
These figures become significant as the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch, which was opposing giving government grants to English medium primary schools, had targeted the Church as well as the Christian community for demanding English medium, terming them as de-nationalised and even anti-nationals.
The Hindu students studying in these schools, now in English medium, are 48 per cent while Christian students are only 39 per cent, almost nine per cent less.
The following table provides a detailed religion-wise break-up of number of schools as well as the percentage of number of students studying in these 11 talukas.
| RELIGION-WISE STRENGTH OF CHURCH-RUN PRIMARY SCHOOLS | |||||||
| Taluka | Total | No of | Schools | % of | Students | ||
| Schools | Christian | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Hindu | Muslim | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | % | % | % | ||
| Salcete | 42 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 47 | 44 | 9 |
| Quepem | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 32 | 13 |
| Ponda | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 44 | 12 |
| Bardez | 31 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 24 | 65 | 11 |
| Tiswadi | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 33 | 52 | 15 |
| Mormugao | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 26 | 55 | 19 |
| Pernem | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 31 | 68 | 0.03 |
| Bicholim | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 78 | 17 |
| Sattari | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 61 | 30 |
| Canacona | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 44 | 9 |
| Sanguem | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 55 | 19 |
| TOTAL | 130 | 52 | 77 | 1 | 39 | 48 | 13 |
As per these figures provided by chief minister Parrikar, Christian students are overscoring other communities only in three talukas – Salcete, Quepem and Ponda, in 38 schools, against 14 schools where Hindu students are more.
But Hindu students dominate in almost six talukas in the Church-run schools, including Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao, besides Pernem, Bicholim and Sattari.
These six talukas have 59 Hindu-dominated schools while Christian dominated schools are only 10.
In fact Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao have 50 schools run by the Church having majority Hindu students, while only nine schools overscore Christian students over Hindu students.
The following table provides the break-up with number of students studying at taluka level.
| RELGION-WISE STRENGTH OF CHURCH-RUN PRIMARY SCHOOLS | |||||||
| Taluka | Total | No of | Schools | No of | Students | ||
| Schools | Christian | Hindu | Muslim | Christian | Hindu | Muslim | |
| Majority | Majoriy | Majority | % | % | % | ||
| Salcete | 42 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 5850 | 2767 | 1290 |
| Quepem | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 972 | 555 | 230 |
| Ponda | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 411 | 527 | 173 |
| Bardez | 31 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 1817 | 4937 | 845 |
| Tiswadi | 15 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1144 | 1801 | 531 |
| Mormugao | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 932 | 1953 | 676 |
| Pernem | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 267 | 578 | 3 |
| Bicholim | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 53 | 766 | 164 |
| Sattari | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 126 | 60 |
| Canacona | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 359 | 332 | 66 |
| Sanguem | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 188 | 183 | 49 |
| TOTAL | 130 | 52 | 77 | 1 | 12012 | 14525 | 4087 |
There are altogether 7233 Christian students studying in the three talukas - Salcete, Quepem and Ponda - while Hindu students are only 3849.
The six talukas, on the other hand, have 10,161 Hindu students studying in 68 Church-run schools. Compared to this, the Christian students are only 4232.
Canacona and Sanguem talukas however have two schools each, dominated by both Hindu and Christian students.
Even students in both these talukas are equally divided - 515 Hindus and 547 Christians.
Church-run Archdiocesan Board of Education runs maximum schools in four talukas – Salcete (42), Bardez (31), Tiswadi (15) and Mormugao (13).
However, the Christian students dominate only in Salcete, that too in 30 out of 42 schools. Even in this taluka, there are 11 schools where Hindu students dominate.
Comparatively, the rest of the three talukas – Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao have more Hindu dominated schools.
The Hindu students in these three talukas studying in Church-run schools are 59 per cent (8691) against hardly 27 per cent (3893) Christian students. The Muslims are 14 per cent (2052).
The most interesting figures, provided by chief minister Parrikar, is the sum total of four talukas – Salcete, Bardez, Tiswadi and Mormugao, which has total 101 out of 130 schools, which is almost 78 per cent.
In spite of Salcete having more Christian students studying in Church-run schools, the total numbers of Christian students studying in these four Old Conquest talukas are only 9743, while Hindu students are almost 11,458. Muslim students are only 3342.
Call that, a choice of the parents. The Chief of the BBSM is not an educationist and is the epitome of bias, short of saying 'communal'. Imagine our fate was in that hand, for dangerously long.
are sandeshbab, payli goyan hindu kitke ani cristavbav kitke hachi sankya di mare.. magir tatutlyan kitke percent hindu ani cristavbav english medium shikta te kaltale ni...??
Nothing strange in this news. Majority community always took benefits in all the situations. Who fought for statehood Catholics,who are ruling us the majority community. who were in the forefront to drive Portuguese Catholics, but who gets the pensions majority community. Who fought for Konkani, Christians, who are reaping benefits the majority community due to Devnagri script. I have passed this comment just for knowledge of Goans. I have nothing against majority community. In fact most of my good friends are from that community. What I take offence is every issue in Goa is communalised due to political advantage thereby depriving Goa of fast and proper development . Best example is the Konkan Railway which should have gone to the hinterland for development of under developed areas.We must treat all natives of Goa as Goans. Why this topic could not be headed as " MAJORITY OF GOANS EMBRACE ENGLISH AS MOI " or " most Goans are happy to learn in English medium due to future prospects". HOPE ALL GOANS WILL UNITE AND WORK FOR PROSPEROUS GOA.
Sandesh Bab, I have been saying since the beginning from my intrinsic knowledge of political and caste scenario in Goa that this issue of a primarily semi-scientific article has been politicalized by issueless politicians in Goa. I can copy my article here:
10 points for the new CM in favour of English medium
…By Kalidas Laxman
Why not English MOI???
1. The politicians, real and pseudo, hunting desperately for issues have politicalized the MOI issue and made it emotional. My articles in Herald on Konkani (December 14th, 2010 and January 26, 2011) have unfortunately given them something to do in their lack-a-luster life. Parents, the factual stakeholders aspiring for their children a bright and promising future want English medium of instruction
2. Goa, as is in the education field, cannot fulfill the multidimensional and multifarious aspirations of all its community groups (related to cast, religion and trans-India) where in the population of 1.3million, >600,000 are non-Goans. At the most it can only make 1.3 million copies of what we have in Goa, people with pond mentality. Kindly note these 600,000 are going to have their own demands in the next elections
3. The people at the level of handicaps would be (in decreasing order, a to c)
a. Backward tribes and SC/ST from all religions
b. Low income groups, Konkani/Marathi M.O.I. students, people with no trans-Goa cultural background i.e. those who do not have connect with other states and cities in India, for ex. Mumbai, Bangalore
c. People who do not have guidance from educated teachers/schools or family members higher up in the societal ladder
Ironically, both Tomazinho Cardozo and Shashikala Kakodkar call themselves champions of the lower strata of the society but above three points indicate it is these very three sections of Bahujan Samaj among Hindus and Catholics, which are at losers end if English (MOI) schools do not get grant
4. The knowledge/intellectual pool of Goa remains largely unchanged without new ideas and innovations making entry in the Goan psyche. Example is Konkani literature, which is bereft of out of the box thinking still revolving mainly around romance, caste politics and job/work culture. It does not try to unshackle the family straitjacket and moral, sexual and social rigidity with innovative solutions. There are very few thought provoking literature forms such as essays, research and reports in Nagari Konkani, though they have existed in Romi Konkani for over 200 years, but Romi Konkani is not accepted by Hindus!
5. Government having developmental vision of at least 50 to 100 years down the line truly leads the state. This has unfortunately not happened in Goa when the MGP and later Congress led Goans for 50 years. As a simple example, the 18th June road, the main arterial road of the capital where Junta House was constructed in early seventies was without any space left for road widening, the history is repeating itself everywhere in Goa, or, look at Mapusa where the growth has been only cancerous. Its roads are exactly as the Portuguese left it except for the new Khorlim bypass from Ximer to Asagaon (remarkably, during the tenure of Mr. Parrikar the last time around) and for Ganesh Puri and St Xavier’s college. All along, the self-centric politicians have been the sole leaders in Goa with the mindset of shepherds guided by the caste cattle. Freedom of MOI is like opening up of an institution without discrimination since all classes of the society get equal chances. Why a Gowda, a scheduled caste person or a Kunbi with low income should not study in English? Can Bharatiya Bhasha Sanrakshan Manch (BBSM) give a valid answer to this?
6. MOI disturbance serves as an activity for jobless politicians and social activists in Goa. What is the visionary and intellectual contribution of leaders of the BBSM in Goa, since 1961?
7. It is an unrealistic fear of art and culture sections such as stage and literature that they would not be appreciated if MOI in English is implemented. This class forgets that even in Portuguese times with curtailment of Konkani and all things local, the language, folk songs and art survived. Unfortunately, stark facts say even languages such as Hindi and Bangla have their limitations i.e. to keep up to the pace of development. The only possible progress would be in the direction of indigenous prospects, not international.
8. Giving grants to English medium schools is not stopping grants to local languages. Education in English has nothing to do with art, culture and literature in local language. Language leaves as long as the people love it
9. If only rich and privileged people have access to English, we are creating a new much domineering caste based on haves and have-nots of opportunities. Even the people from the uppermost caste, the Brahmins would serve under this modern elite caste
10. It is wrong, negative and fascist’s way to say ‘DO NOT’ give grants to English medium schools. Demand whatever you what for yourself but why be negative? This childish and immature to say the least
dear sandesh, YOU have ACCUSED the politicians of goa in particular and India in general,of DIVIDING the society ,TIME AND AGAIN ,IN YOUR WRITE UPS AS YOUR OTHER WRITERS ......AND HERE WE SEE YOU, OF DOING ,JUST THAT !!!!!! WHY THIS STATISTIC ?WHY DIVIDE THESE INNOCENT STUDENTS ON RELIGIOUS LINE ????? You all BLAME Ram Sene /R.S.S.....arent Y O U guys DOING the same ?????????