PANAJI
Aravind Bhatikar of Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) has declined to engage in a public debate with Savio Lopes, Secretary of the Forum for the Rights of Children's Education (FORCE), stating that Lopes is neither qualified, nor has experience in the field of education.
Lopes had reportedly challenged Bhatikar to an open debate on the issue of government giving grants to English medium primary schools at Lohia Maidan, Margao that was to be held on Thursday.
"I have considerable experience in formulation and implementation of educational policies over a number of years during my career in the Indian Administrative Service. While on the other hand, Lopes has a diploma in food technology from a government polytechnic and has worked for many years on cruiser ships," Bhatikar said in a press statement.
He also said that it is futile for two laymen to debate the issue in public when many experts over the last 65 years have recommended that primary education should take place in the mother tongue of the child.
"I am ready to debate the issue of grant-in-aid, but not with Savio Lopes. As an ex-IAS officer, and also one who is closely connected with the field of education in Goa, I would love to debate the issue either with Smriti Irani (Central Minister) who does not seem to be aware of the grant-in-aid mess in Goa, or with Manohar Parrikar (former chief minister) who is responsible for this mess, or with Laxmikant Parsekar (Chief Minister) who has failed so far to clear the mess," pointed out Bhatikar.
