ENGLISH MOI’S WILL NOT GET GRANTS DURING 2011-12

PANJIM: It has belatedly dawned upon the state government that no budgetary provision exists to bear the substantial burden involved in extending grants to the 138 unaided English primary schools in Goa. Such schools eligible for grants, are now unlikely to get aid in the academic year 2011-12.

Contrary to the chief minister's claims that there would be no additional financial burden, education minister Atanasio 'Babush' Monserrate admitted that financial implications are involved in implementing the new policy.

"We are working out the modalities in implementing the new policy. Many aspects like appointment of teachers have to be looked into. We are finalizing the norms to allow government aided schools to accommodate English as medium of instruction along with Konkani and Marathi. It will happen. Allocating grants to unaided English schools will take time as no special provision was made in the budget," Monserrate said. Unaided schools may not get grants in 2011-12 Gauree Malkarnekar

Financial burden

Announcing grants to schools with English as a medium of instruction, chief minister Digambar Kamat had said aid will be made available to existing unaided English medium schools if they meet the infrastructure requirement as per the education rules and if they are willing to adopt Konkani or Marathi as compulsory subject in a phased manner from Class I in 2011-12.

The education minister has realized now that it is easier said than done. Monserrate told TOI the process of inspecting the 138 unaided schools to verify if they meet the infrastructure and teacher qualification norms will take time. Besides, there are major financial implications involved for which budget provisions could not be made as the decision came after the budget was drawn, he said.

Sources said the financial burden estimated in implementing the new policy is over ` 20 crore. With less than a week to go for schools to reopen, the four-member committee set up by the state to work out modalities and oversee implementation of the new policy has been unable to hold its first meeting even six days after its constitution.

Education secretary V P Rao, a member of the committee, is in Delhi attending to official work and is expected in Goa on Wednesday. The committee is likely to meet on Thursday, just four days before the academic year begins on June 6.

Circulars will be issued to schools only after the committee works out the modalities of implementing the policy. The directorate of education has been flooded with inquiries since the declaration of the policy from the 138 unaided English primary schools and 198 aided Konkani and Marathi primary schools. The inquiries pertain to the procedure to be followed in availing grants in case of unaided schools and making the shift in medium with regard to aided Konkani and Marathi schools.