I think Tony-bab failed to complete the sentence *"... it is unfortunate that the Konkani camp is divided on the script issue*..." which I would like to complete: *"... it is unfortunate that the Konkani camp is divided on the script issue for which the protoganist of Devnagari are solely responsible." *
Regards, Salu On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 9:09 AM, Tony de Sa <[email protected]> wrote: > For what it is worth, here is my take on the Rally and the whole issue of > English as a medium of instruction in elementary schools. > > Personally, I feel the whole rally was vitiated by the presence of the > MLAs. > Most of the catholic MLAs attended the rally while none of the Hindu MLAs > did. Privately, many of the Hindu MLAs are in favour of accepting English > as > a medium of instruction, but are afraid to voice their convictions for the > reason that they might be branded as against the Marathi/ Konkani > 'sanscruti' and thus jeopardize their vote banks. The presence of the > Catholic MLAs could give communal overtones to an otherwise peoples mass > agitation for their demands. In a communal situation, it is but natural > that > the Hindu MLAs will close ranks and jointly vote against the decision. > > That pedagogically, children learn better in their mother tongue is an > accepted fact. But the premise remains defective in Goa/ India in the light > of the fact that the definition of mother tongue is flawed. Parents prefer > English as the Language of Learning and Teaching as they perceive English > as a 'Power Language' that will empower their children. The best compromise > under these circumstances would be to promote a duality of languages in > schools English and the Mother Tongue. > > I visualize the end game being played as follows: > > 1. Diggu will sit on the fence and keep the status quo seeing as the > general > elections are less than a year away. Let the new Government take care of > this baby. After all said and done, he who runs away lives to fight another > day. So why rock the boat? > > 2. In the other scenario, Diggu will concede the demand and work out some > sort of compromise. Unless the strong footballer can some how do some arm > twisting. > > My pet oktopussy tells me to put my shirt on 1. Perhaps G Punter of Goa > Suvidha could set up a book for Goanetters and sell tickets to Goanetters. > > P S it is unfortunate that the Konkani camp is divided on the script issue. > > PPS We have heard some lofty views regarding the use of Medium of > Instruction in schools. Most of these commentators have not been to schools > since they left/ dropped out or completed further studies. On the practical > side has anyone of these idealists seen the pathetic conditions of students > in schools today? Most of them (students) cannot read their texts in > Science > and Social Science with comprehension. Even those in the tenth. They do a > lot of - no almost 100% rote work in studying their lessons. This is why > they do badly or miserably in subjects and tests involving reasoning, > discussion, orals etc. They manage to pass the exams because the teachers > take a lenient view of this. Teachers also have to justify the handsome > salaries paid to them. In any case with the clubbing of the exam marks > through out the year, marks for practicals, assignment (more often than not > done by tutors, parents or plagiarized from the net), home work (ditto) and > notebooks etc. It is extremely difficult to fail. That students still > manage > to do it has always been a source of wonder to me. > > -- > > Tony de Sa. tonydesa at gmail dot com > > ^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v >
