Many thought that the issue of Medium of Instruction (MoI) would be resolved when the Cabinet of Goa government rightfully decided to give the choice of Medium of Instruction - Konkani, Marathi or English - to the parents of the students. Obviously, the parents of children enrolled in the so-called “English Medium” schools were happy. They forced the government to do justice to them and their children by giving grants to these schools. But, that was only a partial victory. Parents must realize that both “English Medium” schools (which is a misnomer as they are actually English schools) and Konkani schools use in reality Konkani (but substandard Konkani) as MoI, to impart knowledge at Primary level, which is detrimental to the normal educational growth of the child. Education in Goa, whether in English schools or Konkani schools will not attain the desired perfection unless Konkani used by both as MoI at the Primary level is upgraded to perform optimally for the benefit of both. Parents must insist on standard Konkani, whichever type of school they may choose and continue their fight for quality education of their children.
In this context, the statements made by the former Chief Minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar as reported by our local dailies are significant. Parrikar stated that “Education is very important” and he is “of the firm view it should be in mother tongue” and that for Goans “to maintain Goenkarponn and for the pupil to understand the subjects better it is always better to learn in mother tongue at primary level.” He also stated, “We need to ... protect our Goa. To do that we will have to protect our Konkani and that is why we should not be Englishman.”
If these statements indicate a change of heart, they are most welcome. Understandably, parents may not believe him. Can anyone blame parents for their distrust, especially after the “U-turns” he made, even in serious matters, and the evasive answers he and the present CM, Laxmikant Parsekar gave regarding the much awaited “MoI Bill”? Their evasive answers together with the BJP’s South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar’s statement that “Although our party has reached an amicable solution on the MoI issue, the party is of the firm opinion that the medium of instruction at the primary level should be in mother tongue and hence the MoI Bill, which is before the Select Committee, should not come up in the Assembly” indicate that the proposed MoI Bill was only a ploy used to avert the pressure of parents and will never be passed.
Accordingly, parents have only two options: a) continue fighting for MoI Bill while the government, knowing that it is the wrong option, persists bluffing them; b) force Parrikar to honour his statements as it is the right option, executable and beneficial to all. Hence, I appeal to all concerned to give him the benefit of doubt and demand vigorously that he honour his words. Some may not appreciate my appeal but know that it flows from my sincere concern for our children’s quality education, it corresponds to reality and is the right option where grants will be our right permanently. Know also that Sawaikar stated that “the grants being given to 132 English schools will continue but no new English schools will get grants” and this is an “amicable solution”. Hence, amicably it closes the door for new English schools. Can parents and the Church accept such a clause? Hence, to understand why the problem continues and cannot be resolved with half-hearted solutions, let’s have an unbiased look into the issues involved.
Medium of Instruction is the language used by the teacher to make the child understand what he/she wants the child to learn. In the controversy about the MoI there is confusion between the language (English) that the overwhelming majority of parents want their children to learn and the Medium used to teach English. English is the object of learning and not Medium. The Medium of Instruction must be the language already known to the child and that language generally speaking is his Mother tongue.
Mother tongue is the language the mother uses spontaneously to communicate with her child, in spoken/sung words, specially while breast-feeding, feeding, bathing, dressing, playing, caressing, helping to sleep etc. The child naturally assimilates them identifying their meanings and gradually makes effort to use them while trying to communicate with the mother and significant others.
This is the language to be used as MoI for all instruction at the Primary level, including the written form of this spoken/sung language. Konkani has been always the MoI in Goa, whether we were taught Portuguese or English. The so-called “English MoI” schools are, in reality, Konkani MoI English schools, the only difference being that these start to teach English right from the beginning while the others introduce English when it is more suitable to the educational growth of the child.
The child should be given every opportunity to learn Konkani well, helping first to associate the spoken/sung sounds with the written words through the appropriate script. Once the child has mastered the spoken and written Konkani for the demands of his age and environment, the child may be introduced to English or any other language the parents want the child to learn. Let the experts on the subject decide when this should be done and what would facilitate the smooth transition from Konkani to English and at what stage the process of transition should start so that the child can easily assimilate and master English which will become the dominant language and Medium of Instruction for all further education.
This would require scholarly prepared textbooks to learn Konkani in both the scripts, to facilitate the smooth transition from Konkani to English, to consolidate the knowledge of English gained during the transition period, and to upgrade the knowledge of Konkani as the child will concentrate on English as the dominant language after Primary level. Equally, there is need to train the teachers to use appropriate methods and different textbooks for the purpose they are prepared as well as to help the child aptly during the transition period. In fact, the Cabinet decision makes giving of grants subject to fulfilment of specified conditions, one of which is requisite infrastructure that includes suitable textbooks for different phases and trained teachers besides the necessary classrooms, teachers, drinking water, appropriate toilets and playgrounds.
There was much negative talk about the stand taken by the Church, about 25 years ago, though taken after much debate and dialogue with those for and against Konkani as MoI at Primary level. It was a principled stand but the Church later yielded somehow to the “English Medium” lobby as a pragmatic stand along with the politicians and emotionally charged parents. Politicians always played to the gallery especially with regard to the language issue keeping in mind their vote bank and their chair, and, not surprisingly, both the MGP dominated PDF which was ruling at that time and the opposition Congress Party voted for Konkani as MoI to satisfy their political compulsions. Indeed, the Congress Party waited to opt for Konkani as MoI till the Church declared her stand, and the ruling MGP accused the Church of conspiring with the Congress on the issue. That demonstrated the importance of Church’s voice. Apparently, the Church changed its stand for fear of losing students. It would have been wiser to check what went wrong with the principled stand and take remedial steps to correct the wrong. Fear of losing students cannot be the Church’s motive to change her principled stand. On the contrary, the Church should show her motherly concern for students deserting her schools and double the efforts to attract them by making her stand successful. Unfortunately, the Church like the government failed to do this necessary homework.
However, even today the Church should take the initiative and invite the government for a collaborative enterprise to make Primary education through Konkani MoI successful. The parents should support this move in spite of the lobbies to the contrary and the students will come back where they belong. Thomas Stephen Konkani Kendr has taken a praiseworthy initiative in this direction. Will the government and the Church support and promote that initiative? This is what Parrikar has to do to honour his statements having said, “I am sure if quality education is provided either in Konkani or Marathi parents won’t shy away from tutoring their wards in mother tongue.” This is the key to solve the issue of Medium of Instruction and should have been addressed right when the decision to switch over to Konkani medium was taken.
Under the Right to Education Act 2009 of Central government any child in the age group 6-14 can legitimately demand free education up to Class VIII. The child also has the right to choose through his/her parents or guardians the language he/she wants to learn. As I said earlier, there are no English Medium schools in Goa. The so-called English Medium schools are a propaganda tool to attract parents making them believe that the future of their children is best served by these schools because allegedly knowledge of and proficiency in English gained through these schools helps to secure jobs. But, who has proved that children educated in Konkani MoI cannot master knowledge and proficiency in English However, the English schools havethe advantage of proper textbooks and trained teachers to teach English from the start.
Besides the MoI, the quality of textbooks, teaching methods and the competence of teachers are equally important for the child’s academic growth. In fact, 25 years ago when the switch to Konkani Medium was made there was no adequate infrastructure to make Konkani Medium viable and effective for the desired standard. Government should not have jumped to Konkani Medium without proper infrastructure. A two year moratorium to make the Konkani Medium compulsory could have resolved many a problem.
The Church too failed to give leadership at this important stage. Having a significant stake in the field of education and having the kind of expertise and competence in terms of qualified personnel, the Church should have taken the initiative to prepare the textbooks, devise adequate teaching methods and train the teachers, even spending from her own resources, for the money would have been spent primarily for the benefit of our own schools and children and available for other schools and all children.
It is this failure of the Government and to a certain extent of the Church that is responsible for the alleged failure of Konkani Medium to deliver the desired results. Therefore, the Government and the Church must own their share of blame and responsibility instead of making Konkani Medium the escape goat. The “English MoI” lobby also has its share of guilt because they also use substandard Konkani to teach English but cover it up by calling themselves “English MoI” diverting the attention to Konkani MoI shown in bad light by their own negative propaganda.
It is government’s duty to rectify past blunders and do justice to Konkani MoI and to our children by providing them the necessary means for quality education in the proper MoI at the Primary level. Unless this mistake is rectified the problem will not be solved permanently. There may be temporary respites with wrong solutions due to pragmatic stands based on the pressures built by interested parties and the political compulsions of our politicians.
Therefore, even as the government reluctantly conceded their demand for grants for English schools, I appeal to parents to reflect serenely without being influenced by the powerful lobbies canvassing for English MoI at Primary level. Since it is clear that the proposed MoI Bill will not be passed my sincere appeal to parents is to maintain the pressure for MoI Bill, and demand from the government to prepare appropriate textbooks both in Devnagri and Roman scripts, to devise adequate teaching methods and to train satisfactorily the teachers of Konkani MoI. I appeal to parents to demand that the so-called “English MoI” schools use well prepared Konkani text books and duly trained teachers to teach English.
The Church has the moral duty to offer the best education to people who, because of their trust, send their children to Church’s schools. The Church personnel, especially the priests and the religious, should be concerned about the fulfilment of this duty for the benefit of all, especially the poor. By doubling the efforts, the Church can provide quality education in Konkani MoI and help parents realize that even poor children can have equally brilliant future like the well-to-do children through the Konkani MoI.
There were English schools with Konkani MoI, not “English MoI” schools, in Goa when the switch over was made to Konkani MoI; if there were any that were wrongly called so, no new schools in “English MoI” should have been allowed. But many have been added subsequently
Hence, utmost care must be taken that children presently enrolled do not suffer even minimally if a decision is taken to discontinue the “English MoI” schools. In this case these schools should not be allowed to enrol more students from the day Konkani MoI schools are equipped to give quality education. The present “English MoI” schools should be helped to gradually become model Konkani MoI schools.
For this purpose, in a general way, all schools should have Primary education in Konkani MoI, with appropriate textbooks and teachers; English should be introduced to the children for learning purpose, at the proper stage and gradually and smoothly make it the dominant language in the Secondary and Higher Secondary sections, while Konkani in both the scripts should continue to be taught as second language. Then the issues of “MoI Bill” and of giving grants to “English MoI” schools become irrelevant.
