Why no grants to all Eng schools is our counter-question, not a stand: MGP
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 04 January 2016 21:51 IST
PWD Minister Sudin Dhawalikar has clarified that his Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party has not changed it stand on the Medium of Instruction, but he is opposed to giving government grants only to the minority-run English medium primary schools in Goa.
A section of media had reported few days ago that Dhawalikar was supporting giving grants to all English medium private primary schools.
“I am not saying it, I am asking why government is not giving grants to all English medium private primary schools but only to select few”, he said while talking to goanews.com.
According to him, the media persons did not understand what he was trying to say, thus misquoted him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government has continued policy of the erstwhile Congress government to continue salary grants to the Church-run 130 primary schools even after they shifted from Konkani to English medium.
While FORCE - a body of parents sending their children to English medium primary schools - demanded grants, the Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch has begun a state-wide campaign once again to oppose the government move to make it a legal provision in the Goa Education Act.
“Me and my party is still of the opinion that the government should give grants only to the private primary schools run in Konkani and Marathi and not English”, said the MGP leader.
He also said that the MGP in the Assembly and party’s member on the select committee (Lavoo Mamledar) would continue opposing the government move to make it a law to give grants to the minority-run English medium primary schools.
“Why only the schools run by the minorities and why not the same facility for the schools where minority students learn but the schools are not run by the minorities”, asks Dhawalikar.
He also claims that there are at least 20 more primary schools in English medium run by the Christian minorities but not getting government grants.
Besides, he observes, there are also other minorities belonging to other religions but not getting the same relaxation of government grants.
“Our party will not tolerate such kind of discrimination in the field of education”, said Dhawalikar.
