Sudin Dhavalikar’s announcement that he favours government grants for all English primary schools comes as a surprise. The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party had, all along, supported primary education in the regional language. But now it seems, the party, which draws its strength from three constituencies located in ultra-conservative Goa, has modified its stance and brought it closer to the policy of the Congress. This stance is likely to put some pressure on the BJP to yield ground and correct its policy of aiding only English primary schools administered by the Diocesan Society of Education, an arm of the Catholic church in the State and extend it to all.
Till date the debate on the language of instruction at the primary level has hovered around protection of the official language which is Konkani written in the Devnagri script and Marathi which, for all practical purposes is the second official language of the State. It is a perception that the fault lines of this debate run along religions lines, even though English primary schools are patronized by all communities. It would be safe to say that the rise of English education at the primary and secondary levels is now demand driven with ideology taking a back seat.
Education today is seen as an investment in children and a gift to them. Some parents hope for returns after they retire, while others do it to ensure a better future for their children. Studies here and abroad have shown that children who have a primary education eventually earn more than those who have never been to school. A higher level of learning translates into more income at some later date.
A large segment of parents have realized the economic advantages of an English education and those who root for the local language have not succeeded in countering this argument. They have, so far, not been able to convince people that medium of instruction does not impact on future earnings. No study has been undertaken to prove this and hence those who support instruction in the local language have a tendency to sweep this aspect under the carpet of ideology.
The BJP, has till date, played a balancing role. It has tried to balance the demand for primary education in English with support for the official language. But this is a neither-here-nor-there policy which does not bring clarity to the issue of education, which must be recognized as a medium for economic advancement and not a system for indoctrination.
The U-turn made by Dhavalikar is likely to add fuel to the FORCE campaign and make the BJP squirm, at least a little. It is likely to upset the delicate balance and cast a shadow over the amendment to the education act to strengthen the existing policy of grants to English primary schools run by the DSE.
A more permanent resolution of the medium of instruction (MoI) is essential for the purpose of clarity in policy. The principle of placing the decision in the hands of parents is a sane one, because it is their aspiration that is driving the demand for education, and English education is particular. Changes in the field of education may have come gradually, but they have been made with the employment market in mind. It is the hope of economic advancement that makes education worthwhile and the government must keep this in mind, rather than the narrow ideological approach, when responding to MGP’s new stand on MoI.
