The new academic year 2023-24 began on Monday, minus the pre-primary levels of the foundation level, and enthusiasm was writ large on the faces of students who joyfully marched on. The opening, however, was a picture of contrast in Panaji and Margao as students began trooping in after alighting from their respective vehicles.
In Panaji, students were relatively at ease negotiating the path leading to the schools, including the Cujira complex at Bambolim where traffic movement plans were in place. Margao, however, witnessed complete chaos. Students of the two schools barely metres away from each other and nestled in the heart of the city — Loyola High School and Fatima High School -- found it extremely difficult to wade through a melee of vehicles and people, including parents.
In fact, the few policemen deployed at sites remained helpless negotiators as the traffic moved in varied directions, and disorder proved to be the order of the day. The question is, despite being aware of the overall situation every successive year, why were pre-emptive steps not taken to diffuse the chaos? Why are risks being taken on innocent students in a reflective state of mind to reach school in time?
At Comba level-crossing, a few students were seen crossing the line when the gate was closed for traffic bringing back the ghastly memories of a 12th Std girl student who was run over by a speeding train near the same spot. Also, at the Presentation Convent School, which is shifted away from the city heartland, traffic chaos still prevailed because the traffic leading to South Goa District Hospital is being used for parking, considerably narrowing down the approach road to the school.
Lessons from the past have not been learnt, and there has been no inclination to come out with solutions. Allowing the chaos to die on its own due to the lack of constables to man the roads is unacceptable because this is not only about the seamless movement of traffic but also about the safety of children. If feasible, arrangements like utilising the old bus stand in Margao for parking or notifying a no-parking zone on the road adjoining the District hospital should be deliberated and implemented.
In distant Morpilla in Quepem taluka, students stayed away from classrooms and stood outside in protest, braving even the pre-monsoon drizzle of the morning because they said the government-run school was in a dilapidated state. This is unfortunate and exposes the seriousness behind education, especially when the Education department is bracing up for a seamless NEP integration. Such infrastructure cuts out a sorry picture. Students need a conducive environment, not an insecure one, where roofs leak during monsoons, and a sense of insecurity looms overhead.
Sadly, most of the interlinked issues have been ignored, and the focus has been largely on-boarding the new education system, which is currently in a trial and error stage. We hope authorities reconcile to the problems at hand, addressing them first before showing an inordinate hurry in jumping on the NEP bandwagon.
