PANAJI: The government will implement from the academic year 2016-17 the educational scheme formulated to encourage the aided Marathi as well as Konkani primary schools, which proposes to provide a special grant of Rs 400 per student per month, enrolled in such schools.
The particular scheme, announced by Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in his recent budget speech, replaces the three-year old scheme that provided incentives to the primary schools imparting education in mother tongue, with onetime initial special grant of Rs 12 lakh and Rs 1 lakh per annum for next five years in order to improve necessary infrastructure and provide resources to the school.
Addressing a press conference in the assembly complex on Saturday along with director of education G P Bhat and chairman of the Goa Education Development Corporation Shripad ‘Kanta’ Patnekar, Parsekar said the new scheme is an annual scheme, and would be implemented from the academic year 2016-17.
“The estimated financial requirement for the scheme in the first year is Rs 40 crore, and the government has made a provision of Rs 25 crore in the budget,” he added, pointing out that the remaining amount would be raised through the supplementary demand.
Parsekar, who holds the education portfolio, said that every beneficiary school would receive Rs 400 for each student enrolled by it, and the department of education would start implementation of the scheme at the end of June, based on the enrolment strength of the Marathi and Konkani primary schools at that point of time.
“These schools will receive the grants quarterly, for a 11-month period,” he added, informing that the eligibility of such schools would be checked every month.
The Chief Minister also said the unaided schools, which are presently conducting the primary education with English as the medium of instruction, are free to switch over to Marathi or Konkani and take benefit of the new scheme.
“The parent-teachers associations can hold meetings with managements of such schools and take a decision, now that there is sufficient time before the schools reopen in June,” he observed.
Mentioning that the funds received by the Marathi and Konkani primary schools under the scheme would have to be used for strengthening their resources including infrastructure, Parsekar said the earlier scheme posed difficulties before the schools desiring to avail it.
“The schools, under that scheme, were required to carry out a lot of paperwork, including obtaining no-objection certificates from various departments, and hence out of the 40 applicant schools only two could complete the entire documentation process,” he revealed.
In Goa, presently there are 15,583 students studying in aided primary schools conducting education in local languages, including 11,349 in Marathi, 3,917 in Konkani and 317 in Urdu.
Parsekar also brushed aside the apprehension that the government primary schools would lose their students to the aided Marathi and Konkani primary schools, due to the particular scheme.
“We have improved the infrastructure of the government primary schools, given relaxation to their teachers, and provided free uniform, books and raincoat to the students of these schools,” he noted.
There are presently 853 government primary schools conducting classes with Marathi and Konkani as the medium of instruction.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said the select committee of the state legislative assembly handling the medium of instruction issue is yet to reach a conclusion on the Goa school education (amendment) bill 2014. Select Month March 2016 (1141) February 2016 (1248) January 2016 (1335) December 2015 (1210) November 2015 (1229) October 2015 (1428) September 2015 (1159) August 2015 (1502) July 2015 (1467) June 2015 (1337) May 2015 (1371) April 2015 (1406) March 2015 (1365) February 2015 (1223) January 2015 (1379) December 2014 (1021) November 2014 (1173) October 2014 (1527) September 2014 (1407) August 2014 (1119) July 2014 (1175) June 2014 (706) May 2014 (1010) April 2014 (1064) March 2014 (1215) February 2014 (883) January 2014 (890) December 2013 (826) November 2013 (935) October 2013 (980) September 2013 (863) August 2013 (1031) July 2013 (943) June 2013 (911) May 2013 (898) April 2013 (893) March 2013 (889) February 2013 (792) January 2013 (986) December 2012 (916) November 2012 (1063) October 2012 (1123) September 2012 (973) August 2012 (1101) July 2012 (1138) June 2012 (1080) May 2012 (1215) April 2012 (1297) March 2012 (1200) February 2012 (1087) January 2012 (1178) December 2011 (1024) November 2011 (1180) October 2011 (1086) September 2011 (1025) August 2011 (1173) July 2011 (1165) June 2011 (1092) May 2011 (1213) April 2011 (1192) March 2011 (1084) February 2011 (945) January 2011 (1172) December 2010 (1126) November 2010 (1036) October 2010 (1342) September 2010 (1123) August 2010 (1246) July 2010 (1246) June 2010 (1104) May 2010 (1213) April 2010 (1123) March 2010 (545)
