I had the pleasure of attending the above Seminar on it's opening day today
at the International Centre, Dona Paula.
This Seminar has been organized by the International Centre, Goa, in
Association with Media Information and Communication Centre of India and
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung- India.
After the inaugural session and tea break, the working session-I of
presentations and discussions was:
"Quantity V/s Quality of Education in Goa. Does it provide Job
Opportunities".
Chairperson: Dr. Radhika Nayak - Principal - SS Dempo College of of Commerce
and Economics.
Speakers:
1. Savio Lopes-Convenor, FORCE, - Forum for Rights of Children's Educaiton.
2. Aravind Bhatikar, Member, BBSM - Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch.
3. Sanjay Dhavlikar - Senior Journalist & Editor, Dainik Herald ( Marathi
daily to be launched soon).
4. Gauri Malkarnekar, Correspondent, TOI.
5. D P Dwivedi (IAS)- Director of Education.
To start with, the Director of Education was absent. This shows how much the
Education Department is interested in Education in Goa.
Savio Lopes harped on the importance of English Language in Education and
stayed away from the MOI topic as this was not supposed to have been
discussed at this Seminar. But when Aravind Bhatikar talked about MOI and
accused the CM for having granted grants to English Medium Schools in
violation of the code of understanding etc, Savio opened up vociferously
accusing Bhatikar of his own school in English Medium and then wanting
others to study in Mother Tongue etc.
Sanjay Dhavlikar and Gauri Malkarnekar made very interesting presentations
both critical of the Education that is imparted in Goa, almost calling it
substandard.
Radhika Nayak summed it up by telling the audience that she is most
disturbed when her own son wears a T-Shirt which says" I AM INTELLIGENT -
BUT EDUCATION HAS RUINED ME"
In the open discussion, which was short and sweet, I summed up Goa's
Education scenario by saying that our education system is such that instead
of making students knowledgeable, it confuses them. In my own case, I said,
I went to the English Medium Primary school at the age of 7 during the
Portuguse time, not knowing a word of English and instead of learning in the
primary schoold about moral values and things that would make me a better
man in life, I only learnt A B C and to conjugate tables. Thank God that my
home up-bringing has imparted the lessons that I ought to have learnt in
School in the language that I understood well, my mother tongue Konkani.
Was I not a confused student?? I asked.
I further mentioned that now a days parents have already decided on the
degrees and diplomas that their wards will make and the whopping salaries
that they will get even before the child has been admitted into a school. I
said that this must STOP.
The second working session after the lunch break was on:
LOCAL SELF GOVERNANCE: IS IT FOR THE PEOPLE, OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE?
Chairperson: Prabhakar Timble - former Goa State Election Commissioner,
Educationist, Legal expert.
Skeakers:
1. Soter D'Souza - Executive Coordinator of the Department of Governance,
CSJP.
2. Pamela D'mello - Associate Editor, Herald.
3. Danushka D'Gama - HCN News Anchor
4. Govt of Goa Official.
Speakers no. 3 & 4 were missing
Soter as well as Pamela were highly critical of the way Panchayats are
working. They called them as run by political Mafia where governance was
hardly seen.
In the open discussion, I asked this question to both the speakers: "Since
both of you are highly critical of the Panchayat Raj in Goa, should the
Panchayat system which has been borrowed from else in India into Goa be
outright SCRAPPED or, The Sarchanhas held accountable and responsible for
any/all illegalities with heavy penalties and even Jail terms???
Every one agreed that something drastic has to be done and that Panchayats
must be extricated from the strangle-hold of politicians.
[I silently noded and said to myself: "Wait till 2017 and you will see the
REFORMS that you never even dreamt of]
Since Prabhakar Timble has been the State Election Commissioner, I asked
this question to him:
"You have seen the delimitation fraud that has been played on the people
during the recent Panchayat Elections where those voters who would not have
voted for certain candidates were shifted to other wards, selectively.
Should not the State Election Commission be responsible for the
delimitation?" The answer he gave was that the rules does not allow the
State Election Commission any role to play in delimitation and as such this
body is impotent. He said that somebody should approach the High Court and
demand that State Election Commission be made responsible all election
related matters w.r.t. the Panchayats and Municipalities. Furthermore, he
said that the Legislature is the one which make these rules and the State
Election Commission has been kept out of this. So how can it help?
[Again, I silently noded and promised myself that this fraud of delimitation
will never happen again]
In all, the above SEMINAR was a waste of time and effort. However, I must
appreciate the hospitality of the International Centre for having provided
ample lunch and refreshments so that the effort that went in attending this
SEMINAR was not totally wasted.
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj
9422060347
GOA SU-RAJ PARTY - GSRP
Is interviewing PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES (all 40 Constituencies of Goa) for
Elections 2017 [Saturdays Only] at Party's City Office, 2nd. Flr. Karekar
Bldg,
Above Indian Overseas Bank, Angod-Mapusa. For further details call
9890470896 or 9422060347.
Let us endeavour to set up GOA'S effective High Command in Goa.
www.goasu-raj.org
