HEART 2 HEART - March 20 (Herald) By Ethel Da Costa
We don't need another brick in the wall ---
Respected Governor,
Please treat this as an SOS.
But firstly, compliments for a sanctity of peace that hangs in the air. Government servants are actually looking up from their desks at citizens as files are moving. It is sailing smooth.
But, it is rough weather for Goan parents and our little children in the rising heat of the mercury. It is a no-go situation our children simply cannot understand. It is a no-go situation for parents unable to deal with the `string-pulling,' this marathon from school to school, the frustration of accepting, against our will and common sense, that we have no freedom to decide the medium of education, or, the school of our choice, because politicians have tampered and messed up Goa's educational systems and the syllabus for scoring their own selfish, political brownie points. It is frustration you see etched deep into the brows of Goan parents, and confusion on the faces of young kids, as they wait endlessly to have their wards prepare for a future that is shot in the foot even before it begins.
It is more than burning the midnight oil for parents, struggling hard making a living, fending for their family's soul and body, facing escalating prices, inflation and fees and keeping peace of mind at the same time. Can you imagine our plight when young wards are also made victim to discrimination, because a big shot's son/daughter/cousin/nephew/niece/grand-daughter has a seat reserved, since the family's `generations have been students of the school and your son/daughter can wait next year for admission, if we have seats' (thrown in as an after thought). Or, aspiring students given the last minute ditch because `the school has no space.' This, having gone through the three month waiting period before selection, sans guidelines or prior intimation of space/seat availability. Why are schools in Goa intent on playing with the future of the child? Why aren't managements of the school hauled for their casual, its-not-our-problem attitude towards a parent's genuine grievance and anxiety? Why isn't the Education Department hauled up for their dilly-dally stance on granting more licenses to schools, wanting to augment their strength to meet rising demand? I do not believe Goa has a population explosion. Goa has a dearth of quality schools. And the few that exist throw their weight around demanding a king's ransom of your money and self-respect. Why must parents be forced to play around with their own child's future, helpless with the choices at their disposal?
The great `Konkani schools versus English schools' debate raises its horns, come every year. Yet, educationists sitting on their high horses refuse to accept that the `great political experiment' (it was nothing but that) has failed miserably, since more and more parents are opting for English medium schools in their effort to keep abreast with changing times. We do not want to wear blinkers. We want children who can set their own benchmarks with a solid foundation based on realistic goals. It is every parent's dream for their children. So, why this psychological warfare for that degree that will help young children earn their own bread and butter?
I have every great respect and pride for the mother tongue, but why take away the freedom to decide what is best for one's own progress? Why this discrimination in a democratic set-up even as the world is changing pace at breakneck speed. A few parents annoyed with the segregationist attitude of city schools, bitterly complained to me that their wards were denied admission because they belonged to the `minority community' (parents and children don't concoct such stories when they have everything to lose. And then political parties accuse the Press for fanning alleged `communal sentiments,' as more people finally find the courage to voice out injustices).
I have personally spoken to the administrators of Lok Chethna and Bal Bhavan, who are looking forward to easing out the anxieties of hopeful parents this year by augmenting their schools with additional higher classes. Now if only their files did not have to crawl. We sincerely hope you and the Education Department will take cognizance of this serious issue once and for all, that is taking education in Goa down Mandovi's choked drains.
A concerned parent
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