If one were to go by the quality of education in government primary schools in the state, then one would have a very bleak opinion about Goa. There are problems with and within the system that will lead to a breakdown of the education system.
According to statistics, the total enrollment during 2014-15 was 5805 across the 820 schools in Goa. The good part is that the ratio of girls to boys is practically equal. The bad part is that 5805 is not the number that the state should be proud of.
The antecedents of government primary schools goes back to the years post 1961, when there were no aided schools and hence the need for a network of institutions that would provide education in Goa. The government schools laid the foundation for good education in Goa but slowly lost out to private and aided schools in terms of quality management and of course, quality education. Today, the government is forced to amalgamate schools that have less than 10 students. There are many schools that have been catering to two or three students.
The biggest problem with enrollment is the perception that government schools are the domain of the under-privileged and migrant population, hence the steady movement towards private and aided schools in the state. Of course, the fact that the government primary schools have Konkani or Marathi as the medium of instruction, which only changes to English in standard five, is probably another serious deterrent. The decision to include English as subject was taken in 2005, so that the change in standard five is not to an entirely alien language. To enforce that now, the government has appointed 324 teachers, earlier this month.
The infrastructure-cum-loan scheme has helped schools up the quality of infrastructure, leading to schools that have benches and other equipment that would rival those in private and aided schools. The standard of teaching is probably the biggest issue. While parents may seem like they are being judgmental in not endorsing government schools because of the perceived standard of students, they are justified in being judicious about the kind of education imparted by teachers. Of course, not all schools are bad. This past academic year, four schools had over 95 percent results. But, the standard of teaching in government schools needs a massive boost. The government has to work on their training methods and bring out better teachers because the reputation of the state is what will get dented with poor quality teachers.
Recently, the government approved private schools in areas that already have a few government schools. This will certainly impact the enrollment numbers in the future. There has to be a rethink on the process of applications for private schools. The government needs to also think about getting in companies to adopt schools as part of their CSR activities. That and an injection of private sector money through a public-private partnership in some areas will change the way government schools teach and directly influence the way people then perceive these schools. Enrollments can and will increase. But, this has to be a concerted effort
