Committee constituted to review grants to govt-aided primary schools
the goan I network
PANAJI
The move comes on the back of persistent protests by small groups of members affiliated to the Bhartiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch who have interrupted and waved black flags at the Chief Minister wherever he visited for the purpose of distributing LED bulbs under the scheme.
Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said that the committee would be given 120 days to arrive at an “appropriate decision” in the matter.
“The Academic Authority of Goa was of the view that there was a need felt for wider consultation and revisiting the issue for facilitating an appropriate decision on this matter,” Parsekar said referring to the State Council of Educational, Research and Training which is the designated ‘academic authority’ under the Right to Education Act.
“It has been decided to constitute a committee for the purpose of advising … and arriving at an appropriate decision in the matter,” Parsekar said.
The mandate of the committee is to “study the entire system of grants and financial support to government aided schools for primary education and make its recommendations so as to improve its overall efficiency for achieving the stated educational goals of the State of Goa.”
The 17 member committee will be expected to hold ‘extensive consultations’ with various civil society organisations including parent teacher associations, school managing committees, teachers and headmasters associations, management associations, educationists to ascertain their views on various aspects of the subject besides also visiting neighbouring states particularly areas of the Konkan belt including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala “to study the socio economic dynamics of the matter in wider perspectives.
While the committee is headed by Director of Higher Education Bhaskar Nayak it will have as members Adv RG Ramani, Kanta Patnekar, JR Rebello, Madhav Kamat, Dr Celsa Pinto, Dr Allan Abreu, Prof Datta Naik, Celso Dias, Anil Samant, Madhav Borkar, Uday Ballikar, Dilip Betkikar, Bhushan Bhave, Edward D’Lima, Prakash Paryekar and Director of the SCERT Nagraj Honnekeri as member secretary.
