The Medium of Instruction in Goan Schools

Dev boro dis dium. Well, it’s Konkani. And I am sure this is the right way of speaking it. I have studied in English medium school and I speak English fluently. But, I also speak Konkani. Though I have not mastered the language, I do know how to communicate with fellow Goans in Konkani.

Konkani always remains alive in a Goan no matter how fluently English is spoken. But recently, we have encountered unwanted issues over selection of a language as the medium of instruction in the different Goan schools. Some parents & politicians have been focusing on Konkani as the main language to be adopted from the primary level onwards. I have just one question: Are we prepared to develop backwards?

The world is turning out to be a global market for the products & services of different suppliers. We have already entered an information age where data and information exchange is given more importance than anything else. This exchange is rarely done in any other language than English. English is considered as the universal language and therefore if we have to compete at an international level, English has got to be our strength. And here, we Goans want to let go off English and get back to the Konkani way of studying. Just remember interviews for jobs are also conducted in English.

Students who learn English from the beginning are able to tone up their pronunciation skills thus enabling them to have a better control over the language. I have seen so many people struggling to learn English at an older age just because they want to save their jobs. Konkani will only help an individual at a local level. And the type of pay package that we can expect from Goa encourages us Goans to travel far and wide for better opportunities. 

The Konkani language also has to be kept alive. The schools can adopt 3 major languages to be taught as per the level of importance starting with English, followed by Hindi / Marathi and then Konkani. This is not something new. It has been practiced even earlier. English has been the medium of instruction in many primary schools for several years. Then, why now are the political parties making an issue over language when there are major problems to be taken care of?