Out Of 140 Schools, 38 Closed In the Last 10 Yrs, 16 More are On Verge Of Closure
Goemkarponn desk
PONDA: Visionary first Chief Minister of Goa Bhausaheb Bandodakar brought education to the doorstep in Villages in the form of Government Primary Schools, but in the past decade, the negligence towards these schools they are on the verge of shut-down.
Even more shocking is that the State government has given the Balarath buses to take the students to the doorsteps of Private Schools.
The people will now have to pay for their children’s primary education in private schools.
The Statistics…
Records show that out of 140 schools operating in 2013-14, 38 have already closed in the last ten years, and 102 are operating with poor enrolment. Among these, 16 are single-digit enrollment and are on the verge of closure.
Locals say that the GPS is dying slow death in Ponda. “Some government schools are operating due to enrolment of migrant students while some are left in pathetic condition,” they say.
Enquiries revealed that many primary schools in Ponda are on the verge of closure due to poor enrollment or single-digit numbers, as local Goenkars prefer to send children to private primary schools due to better infrastructure.
They send children to private schools even if they can’t afford to pay those fees hoping for a better future.
Migrants students are saviours of GPS…
The GPS at Nagzar in Curti –Khandepar has a maximum enrollment of students in Ponda Taluka who are from the migrant community, while locals here send their children to private schools in Ponda City.
Similarly, a sizeable number of Vanarmare Tribe student enrollment at Bethora Niranakal helped to operate this school. Most local Goenkars prefer private schools and even hire and share common vehicles for transportation.
GPS is the only source now education for children of low-income migrants as hefty fees are not affordable to them in private schools, and due to this government had left no option but to run these schools.
The migrants with good incomes also prefers private schools.
People blame Govt for Poor Infra…
When asked for the general public’s reactions, they blamed both the Government and Parents for the Closure of GPS in rural and Urban areas.
Nayan Naik at Kavlem said closure attributed to the preference of local Goenkars for private schools and poor infrastructure at GPS
“Balarath buses used for transportation to private schools are another reason besides delay in the appointment of teachers and lone teaching by one teacher at some schools,” she said.
***Social worker, environmentalist Sandeep Parkar directly blamed government for Closure of GPS. He said Many Parents are withdrawing their children’s from Govt. primary schools due to insufficient teachers. Teacher post in GPS schools are vacant in some GPS for last many years, even high school teachers are teaching in some govt primary schools and in some schools only one teacher is handling 1st to 4th classes as a result parents forced to withdraw from GPS schools and due to insufficient students schools are getting closed.
He said Government is fully responsible for closing of govt primary schools because it is the prime duty of the govt to fill up the vacancies of primary teacher which are pending for many years as well as infrastructure need in place.
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