MARGAO
Making a fervent plea to shun agitation over the proposal to merge government primary schools, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday asserted that the government will take the stakeholders, including the parents, teachers, and students into confidence before taking a decision on the merger of GPS in the State.
He further assured that the government has no intention to shut down any Konkani or Marathi government primary schools, but insisted they should impart quality education to the children.
The Chief Minister further said Goa will soon become the first State in the country to implement Prime Minister’s Shri Scheme, which will give a boost to primary school infrastructure and equip the teachers with the latest equipment.
Sawant dwelt at length over the government’s proposal for the merger of government primary schools during the Shiksha Pe Charcha programme from the South Goa district Collectorate on Saturday, reassuring that the government will not bulldoze with the merger of primary schools.
Asserting that the government’s vision is clear vis-Ã -vis the government primary schools, the Chief Minister said the government will continue to run the government primary schools.
“We will take the stakeholders into confidence. If it is possible to do so, not a single school will be shut down,” he said as he blamed some aided schools for using the government-funded Bal Rath buses to take the village students to schools located 10 km from the residence of the wards. “The parents and the teachers should take note of this reality and ensure their wards study in the GPS and do not travel by the Bal Rath bus to an aided school located 10 km away,” he advised.
He added: “The merger of GPS was mooted so that no injustice is done to the two students studying in a GPS. The proposal was to shift them to a neighbouring GPS, which has the facility of 3-4 teachers, teaching English, drawing, maths, etc.”
Fielding questions from the participants, who made a fervent plea not to shut down the GPSs, the Chief Minister said the merger proposal was mooted to impart quality education to the students.
“As the State’s Chief Minister, holding the portfolio of Education, we will continue with the primary schools. We will tone up the GPS infrastructure, including buildings and benches. Since the repairs of GPSs are looked after by the PWD, Buildings, the taluka AEDI, and school headmasters, PTAs should play their role in getting the official prepare estimates for the renovation of the GPS,” he said.
Saying the government has invested and not spent Rs 128 crore on education, Sawant said government primary schools will be equipped with advanced boards, CCTV cameras, etc. “We have almost completed renovation work of around 90 per cent of the GPS. The remaining GPS will be repaired soon,” he said.
The Chief Minister further assured the government will take around 150 primary teachers by November, including teachers, who will be imparted training in English.
Pointing out that the government has set up early intervention centres at the North and South Goa district hospitals, Sawant said that students with hearing impairment can undergo implants free of cost before the age of six years. “Both teachers and parents should help in conducting the IQ test and avail the facilities at the early intervention centres,” he added.
