Dear friends, I must thank Dr. Ferdinando for eradicating my ignorance. I would crave his indulgence to answer a few more questions so that my ignorance is completely dissipated. I hope the good doctor will oblige; for this kind act he will earn my eternal gratitude. He says, << All Jesuit Schools and Convents in Goa had their primary as well as full education up to S.S.C in English. I have in fact studied in Fatima Convent in Margao, in the Baby Class, Junior Class and Senior Class. >> Now, (1) How many “Jesuit schools and Convents” were there in the entire territory of Goa during the Portuguese days? (2) How many candidates did they together send up for the SSC examination? And what fraction did this number constitute of the total number of candidates from Goa? (3) What was the SSC class designated as in these schools (VII or XI)? (4) Did Dr. Ferdinando himself have classmates in SSC who had earlier completed their primary in Portuguese before joining Loyola in the V / VI / VII standard? Answers to these will go a long way in determining whether Fr. Mousinho was entirely wrong or to what extent.
My own recollection is this: Jesuit schools and Convents were very few and restricted to towns. But Portuguese Primary schools (Government as well as Private / Parochial) existed in almost every village at least in Salcete, Ilhas and Bardez; Catholic students attended these, while Hindus attended Marathi schools (up to IV standard) before joining Portuguese schools for Primeiro and Segundo grau; however, Lyceum classes were not available in the villages. The other talukas did not have as many Portuguese schools, but neither did they have any Jesuit schools / Convents; hence even Catholic children studied in Marathi schools, before joining English high schools. Again, English high schools were widespread in the villages all over Goa (SSC class was designated std. VII, because a Primeiro grau pass student was admitted into the Std. I which was equivalent to Std. V of the eleven-year school course); their contribution to the SSC candidate strength in any year was as high as 70 percent if not more. I know at least one gentleman from Margao who joined Loyola after completing his Segundo grau and passed SSC in 1958 (presently, he lives in Mumbai). I also know a classmate of mine who studied in Fatima after completing her Primeiro grau, and joined my English high school in the pre-SSC class. In other words, not all candidates sent up by these Jesuit schools / Convents were direct students into the English Baby class. This ignoramus humbly awaits Dr. Ferdinando's brilliant glow to enlighten his dark path. Sebastian Borges On 27 Mar 2011 Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falc?o <[email protected]> wrote: << Normally I would have not responded to such ignorant questions. A person who claims to have done ?Segundo Grau? and must be almost 60 years old by now if not older, and still is unaware of the schools that imparted primary education in English during the erstwhile regime must most probably have living with no contact of Goa all these past 50 years. But I am replying to prove Fr. Mousinho wrong. All Jesuit Schools and Convents in Goa had their primary as well as full education up to S.S.C in English. I have in fact studied in Fatima Convent in Margao, in the Baby Class, Junior Class and Senior Class. And the nuns liked me so much that they even allowed me to do Standard I in Fatima Convent,although they didn?t allow boys to continue in the Convent from Std. I onwards. I later joined Loyola HS along with my brother. Portuguese language was just one subject. Later it was made compulsory for students to pass 'Primeiro Grau', ie. about when I was in the Forth or Fifth Standard. I do hope Mr. Borges remembers this and not ask me the same question again.>> Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falc?o. Sebastian Borges
