From: goanet-boun...@lists.goanet.org On Behalf Of Dr. Ferdinando dos Reis Falcão <<<While giving his views on whether English should be included as medium of instruction at the primary school level along with the vernacular languages in the legislative assembly, opposition leader and Panaji MLA Manohar Parrikar has quoted UNESCO guidelines that primary education should be delivered in one's mother tongue. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-22/goa/29174320_1_mother-tongue-compulsory-subject-dialect >>>May I ask Mr. Manohar Parriker to stop playing politics with the future of our children? Can Mr. Parriker tell us whether the Konkani used as medium of instruction in schools is our mother tongue? The medium of instruction used in schools, what is branded as Konkani is not used anywhere by any Goan. Those who use the Devnagri script have their mother tongue as Marathi and not Konkani. It is the Marathi protagonists who in the ruse of Konkani and on the pretext of being Nationalists are forcing a majority of the children and parents a language that is not their mother tongue. So what right does Mr.Parriker have to quote UNESCO guidelines and in what context?
Mr. Parriker should be aware that the following evidence was accepted by the Supreme Court of India which dismissed the Special Leave Petition by the State of Karnataka against the order of the High Court which was a victory for English. “The State argues that a child who receives primary education in a language other than its mother tongue is hurt or is perceptibly harmed... <<A child acquires the language of its environment. English is now spoken widely in our country and a child who is exposed to English language in his environment is not disabled from learning it merely because his parents are not native speakers of the English language. **I do agree with Dr.Ferdinando that Konkani is to be taught as a literary language and not as a dialect, antruzi, bardexi or saxttichi... There are dialects in all languages, but what is taught is literary language. It should be "Promann Konknni". Children will be taught in devnagri as well as in roman script. This will pave way to hindi. By learning roman script and English at the same time, children will not find difficult neither English nor Konkani nor Hindi. Even though children may speak English or Portuguese at home, they are exposed to Konkani and have to learn Konkani. Let them learn literary Konkani from the beginning. Let Konkani be mandatory for jobs in Goa. People from other States do learn Konkani and stay in Goa. Goans may become strangers in their own land and apply for Portuguese passport, though they do not know Portuguese... Regards. Fr.Ivo
