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Hi Gilbert,
You make some thoughtful and valid points. It is crucial to have a
formidable foundation in English education right from inception, so that our
youth have an even platform (level-playing field) to learn, compete and ride
the wave of prosperity. Essentially, empowerment through education will
enhance economic and social standards that contribute towards building a
strong and successful society.
Although, you are probably aware of what follows, I will write this for the
sake of others who may not know.
You are absolutely right. Learning must begin at pre-primary level. The
childs brain is ready for information intake at birth or even before, while
thought process (reasoning and logic) might begin later. Nevertheless,
learning begins long before school does. It is therefore essential that
parent-child (or human) interaction is prevalent in some form to enable the
childs growth mentally; physically and to keep the child healthy.
The key factor is human interaction and child care providers, should
focus on the childs growth, learning, development and the environment all
of which are conducive to a childs optimum advancement.
Unfortunately, this does not happen in most under-developed or developing
countries, because of poverty or impoverished conditions, where the need to
earn a livelihood becomes more pressing than the need to fully focus on the
child. This is increasingly true of a single parent trying to balance life
between caring for the child and earning a living.
As you know, in years yonder, a majority of Goans in Goa had to leave
children at home to work in paddy fields or do other manual labor. The
privileged, (few exceptions,) were in the minority. Add to this the low
literacy levels amongst these hardworking people, which further exacerbated
the problem.
Since knowledge is traditionally transferred from parent to child, the
illiterate (and semiliterate) were significantly disadvantaged and
marginalized. This situation worsened when children had to work alongside
parents in fields just to make ends meet, leaving no prospects for
schooling.
In the worse case scenario, the rich exploited the poor and often the
Bhatcar (landlord) had the Mundkar (tenant) and including his children work
for him i.e. tilling the bhatcars land and doing menial jobs -- for almost
free. This exploitation was more pronounced in south Goa than the north,
Id believe.
The shackles of bondage were broken, basically when Goans began to work on
ships; some found employment in the Gulf; some emigrated, others got
employed in neighboring states (not necessarily in that order). It is
noteworthy, that those that left Goa did not want to come back; the only
idea of returning was for a vacation. Tourism then was a trickle.
It is heartening to note that gradually the tide began to turn and foreign
remittances began to flow into Goa, mainly from the Gulf and those working
on ships, and things began to change for the better. Goas economy began to
grow and swell to the extent that Goa is now considered the richest state in
India (per the wikipedia) and boasts a robust and growing economy.
Now, we see literacy levels rising in Goa, and things are changing (albeit
slowly) on the education front; God willing we will get there. Some got out
of that stranglehold and have excelled, others had the opportunity to
leave the shores of Goa and prosper -- mainly because of favorable
circumstances and/or opportunities that crossed their paths.
Primarily, school performance in Goa is closely tied to language, as in
other parts of the country. Currently, there is a visible and wide gap
between the language of instruction and spoken language in Goa, which often
inhibits learning and leads to apathy within the child toward school work.
The medium of instruction Konkani, which is taught in schools, is not the
same Konkani as spoken in a majority of the homes, in Goa. The Devanagari
script used in schools to teach Konkani, is hardly used outside of the
school environment; even the Bible written in Konkani is in Roman script.
So, you can imagine the chaos and confusion.
In the present situation, we do not have a solid basis for education either
in English or Konkani, and the current education delivery system seriously
needs changing to English medium. Additionally, there is an acute
disparity in the student teacher ratio in class.
It is high time the policy makers awaken from their deep slumber and take
responsibility; -- otherwise the children will become victims who pay the
ultimate price, -- while this vicious circle continues unabated, affecting
future generations. Only quality education, coupled with hard work and
perseverance can make the dreams of our youth come true.
Surely, parents have a crucial role here, first by playing an increasingly
active role in their childrens education and looking for their best
interest, while also helping the community in possible ways and means to
promote awareness and partake in the development and advancement of the
community.
On the other hand, the Government is accountable to the society that pays
for the education through taxes. The Government is fully responsible to
ensure that adequate funding is allocated to impart quality education
that will enrich learning and empower the children to self-develop.
The Government must also invest in career counseling and guidance centers,
in schools and educational institutions. This will immensely contribute to
build students confidence, promote advancement, increase employment
prospects and sustain or enhance a robust economy.
Education in English at the grass-roots level is essential, and our
Government must NOT politicize the educational system or be an impediment to
the progress and success of our youth.
Best wishes,
Joe Vaz
March 2, 2007
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From: Gilbert Lawrence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
Hi Joe,
You have made some good and specific points. Here are some thoughts.
Primary education is important as you point out.
Yet, it is my understanding, even more important is pre-primary education.
This includes both KG and pre-KG, when the infant's brain is developing.
Based on this,
perhaps new parents (and grandparents) should form their own parent-pool
and teach the pre-KG children. Learning from what my own grandchildren are
going through,
these kids should read, write and memorize the old fashion way - songs,
nursery rhymes, basic prayers etc. One does not need a school, a church,
priest, nun to organize this.
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