VIP babas, babies love English
SURAJ NANDREKAR VIP babas, babies love English Majority of Goa’s Ministers and MLAs’ children have chosen English at primary level SURAJ NANDREKAR Panjim, March 25: Goa’s Ministers and MLAs have long settled the medium of instruction debate by taking a firm decision at home. They have and continue to send their kids to schools where the medium of instruction is.... hold your breath...pucca English. Marathi comes second and Konkani, the language purists are trying to preserve by castigating the English pushers, comes a distant third as a language of choice for mantra and MLA kids. Double standards or just plain practical sense? A bit of both actually. Or how else do you explain Sudin Dhavlikar, Babu Azgaonkar, Vijaypai Khot, silent or vocal opponents of English as a medium of instruction, educating at least one of their children if not all in English at the primary level? All the children of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Home Minister, Health Minister and Education Minister have been taught in English at the primary level. Many of them prefer one of Goa’s most upmarket private schools offering quality education — Sharada Mandir, including the son of PWD Minister Churchill Alemao, Savio. Alemao’s daughters - Sara, Sharon, Anna, Valanka and Wanda, however, learnt their primary school lessons in Konkani. Chief Minister Digambar Kamat though is an exception as his son Yogesh and daughter Deepali went to Government-aided schools in Margao and learnt in the vernacular. For the BJP, English and Marathi were the favourites. Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar, Lakshmikant Parsekar and Damu Naik among others have educated their children in Marathi while both the children of Canacona MLA Vijaypai Khot studied in English in the primary level. The detailed report which is published today is a true reflection of what all parents want for their children. A good education and mostly in English. As parents, they have given a clearer decision than they can ever do as politicians.
