A flurry of announcements were made for the education sector in CM Pramod Sawant’s budget on Friday, from training and internship for Goa students at NIT and IIT, to integrated complexes for schools at Davorlim for Margao and at Sanquelim, among others. However, educationists said the announcements seem misdirected, with no infrastructure funds earmarked for schools where the National Education Policy (NEP) is being implemented in a big way.
“This sounds more like his (Sawant’s) manifesto for the upcoming elections. It is a challenge for him to complete even five per cent of the announcements. The education complex at Davorlim, for instance, was announced over a decade ago.
But not enough was done when things were within his control,” said long-time former president of the state high school teachers’ and headmasters’ bodies, Vithoba Desai.
He said infrastructure like laboratories and playgrounds are severely lacking in schools, but no announcements were made for the infrastructural push when Goa is in the throes of implementing the NEP.
“A scheme was urgently expected for revival of govt primary schools which are on the verge of closure.
Most of these are Marathi/Konkani schools,” Desai said.
Sawant announced PRAYoG to push for research-orientation and training among undergraduate students, and Fund Connect to help link professors and students to research funding and mentorship programmes.
He said ‘Parikshak’ will be introduced in 10 colleges for automated grading tools, plagiarism detection, high-quality question bank etc.
Former chairperson of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, P R Nadkarni, said that it is not just the state but also Centre that has not made the expected financial provisions for the NEP as had been done when the previous education policy changes were implemented in the country in 1968 and 1986.
“Announcements sound good, but time-bound implementation is key. I know of many cases where the interest-free loan for higher education has not been provided for years and students have been left borrowing from family and friends. Hopefully, the new school complexes do not follow the Cujira model, where the very purpose of the complex is defeated as it has become congested and there are no common facilities available as had been envisaged. School complexes cannot have higher secondary schools, colleges and high schools together,” Nadkarni said.
Sawant announced that state apex incubators will be established for Goa colleges. A model school competition will promote discipline in schools, he said. Additionally, all high schools and higher secondary schools will be provided biodegradable sanitary pads, with a budget allocation of Rs 1 crore.
Quality improvement initiatives will also be undertaken to mark 50 years of the Goa Higher and Secondary Education Board. Sawant also said bal raths will be replaced in a phased manner.
A provision of Rs 9 crore has been made to strengthen the Goa College of Art and preserve the institution’s heritage, he said, even as he proposed grants for the ayurveda and homeopathy colleges operational in the state for the past 25 years.
