the goan I network
PANAJI
Set up by the previous government amid much debate and controversy over the medium of instruction at the primary level, the special MoI committee has largely been a damp squib.
Two years passed, the committee president retired as principal and a new government came into power, yet the committee which was initially given a tenure of four months is yet to submit its report to the government.
The State government had set up the 17-member MoI committee on July 15, 2016, with Principal Bhaskar Nayak as its chairman.
The committee met several times and had even convened taluka-wise meetings with different stakeholders to ascertain their views on the MoI issue.
The committee’s term was subsequently extended four-five times, but is yet to submit its report to the government.
When contacted, Nayak said: “Work on the report is underway and the report will be submitted within 15 days.”
The MoI Committee was entrusted to convene meetings with social organisations, PTAs, school management committees, primary teachers, organisations, principals, aided schools management committees, education experts and even interacting with social-cultural groups by visiting Konkani-speaking people in parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The committee was asked to study reports by other experts, including the Human Resources Ministry.
The government’s decision to provide grants to some English-medium primary schools in the State had generated a controversy, with some groups demanding that these grants be withdrawn and other groups supporting these grants to the schools.
In a bid to resolve the debate, the government had constituted MoI committee to study the issue from all angles.
