Team Goemkarponn
Panaji:
In a recent event held on March 12, 2025, in Goa, a controversy erupted when MLA Michael Lobo suggested the complete Anglicization of primary education in the state.
This proposal was made during a program commemorating the late Bhau Saheb Bandodkar, who had initiated several Marathi primary schools in Goa.
The suggestion was met with strong criticism from Subhash Bhaskar Velingkar, a prominent figure in the educational sector, who viewed Lobo’s comments as a disrespect to Bandodkar’s legacy.
Velingkar pointed out that Lobo’s stance contradicts the national education policy, which emphasizes the importance of teaching in the mother tongue at the primary level.
“This policy is aligned with global educational principles that advocate for mother-tongue instruction to enhance learning outcomes,” he said.
However, in Goa, he said, the government has historically supported English-medium schools, often linked to religious institutions, which Velingkar believes has been detrimental to the promotion of Marathi and Konkani.
The public and organizations like the Indian Language Protection Forum have taken note of Lobo’s comments, which they perceive as a betrayal of the state’s linguistic heritage. Velingkar strongly condemned Lobo’s remarks, calling them an insult to Bandodkar’s contributions to education in Goa.
