The St Mary's High School Grounds, bang opposite M/s Varona Hardware, owned by Mr Tommy Cruz , in Church View Apartments, the suspected killer (now behind bars)of SBI Malbhat Margao Dy GM late Ms Philomena Lopez,(who also resided in the same Apartments in her sisters flat above prior to her brutal murder in her new bungalow just five minutes walk )was a witness to a two day Education fair, in the Navelim Constituency of Mr Luizinho Faleiro, MLA and Minister for Education and Industry.
There was a lot of literature distributed at the stalls. The Citizens Charter of the Department of Education billed as the most impressive document of the Department ( which ironically employs the largest number of Government employees ). From Primary Middle Secondary Higher Secondary College Section, Technical Vocational Higher Education etc and the Goa University, besides institutions like Architecture Music Allopathy Homeopathy Hotel Management etc all this was available freely. In short Insititutions granted recognition by the University Grants Commission UGC, All India Council of Technical Education AICTE, Indian Nursing Council INC Architectural Council of India ACI Board of Technical Goa other recognising Authority. But there were other exhibits as well of the Rural Development Agency, the Goa Tourism Development Corpn Ltd, Rural Employment Gurantee Scheme, Khadi Village Industries Board, Directorate of Fishgeries Goa Energey Development Agency (GEDA) Goa Industrial Development Corporation, Electricity Department etc. But TWO stalls that caught the attention of this writer were a) Paras Education Foundation (Vedang Overseas Education Consultancy ) based in Vasco da Gama which claimed to be FINANCING placements in reputed educational foreign countries AND b) Rajaram Institute of Industrial Technology (Yeshwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University )imparting training at Margao Rajendra Prasad Stadium in Dip in Comp Hardware Maintenance & Networking TV VCD Technician etc) Most of the visitors that this writer interacted with felt that the Government should have NOT permitted these stalls a) they are not affiliated to any of the authorities of the Government of Goa b) nor have such educational financial consultancy firm been granted recognition by the Goa Education Development Corporation GEDC. This writer had an informal chat with the Minister of Education Mr Faleiro today afternoon near one of the stalls and quizzed the Minister on the role of Institutions like M/s Frankfinns institute which sported an IATA logo last June 2005 but were served a cease and desist notice when the South Goa Public Interest Action Group a registered NGO got confirmation from IATA Geneva that they were not authorised to do so. Meanwhile they managed to lure gullible Goans to their Airhostess and Hospitality Management Courses which are niether recognised by the Ministry for Tourism or the Ministry for Civil Aviation Govt of India. Ironically at least one teacher in the Institutes was a candidates who passed from another private institute in Goa. Now another CMTES from Hyderabad has come in this time they are not imparting Airhostess and Hospitality courses with SISI Govt of India body but they too claim to have Strategic Partner relations with the world body IATA at Geneva. The same NGO SGPIAG is investigating the genuineness of the same. Mr Faleiro admitted that there is NO LEGISLATION as of date to check the credibility of such institutions but he hopes that the KNOWLEDGE COMMISSION OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOA will address itself to this matter and a report is in the offing . Which briefly implies that students who have passed out in SSC and XII will be victims of such institutions. Mr Faleiro also seemed resigned to this fate when he admitted that on one hand we invite private sector in the field of education who unfortunately have larger than life personalities on the Board of such instiutions making it difficult to judge the genuinity of the institution. In any case this is a lame excuse. As regards the credibility of Institutions granted recognition granted by the Human Resources Development Foundation, HRDF ( viz TAME etc emphasis mine) Mr Faleiro stated that in 1989 post statehood there was no body recognising typewriting institutions etc existing in Goa which were recognised by the Govt of Maharashtra, therefore he founded this HRDF under the Department of Labour alongwith the Manpower Development Corporation) a survey of Goan youth employed in the coastal belt of South Goa --then only two starred Hotels M/s Dalmia Resort and Majorda Resort indicated that the employment potential was dismal during the past decade, Therefore by providing stipend Rs 150/ - per month and training to youth in the Hotel Management areas with teachers from schools paid Rs. 400/- and another from his pocket he managed to have some students trained both theoretically and in house. Atleast one student could earn a five figure salary after these courses were recognised by the HRDFC. But after the change of Government the HRDFC is in limbo as it is not under his Ministry and he could not say anything about its utility. Meanwhile a look into the heirarchy of the Department of Education needs a re-look and continuity of the staff should be linked to performance of the Education. Down sizing is a must and the three divisions of the Department of Education North Central South should be given a re-look. >From the Varca end GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA 9822158584 Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list ([email protected])
