Stakeholders cite NEP does not mandate April start; concerns raised about logistics, summer classes, and quality family time during April and May
PANAJI
Parents, teachers and those connected with the education sector have expressed outrage at Goa government’s proposal to begin the academic year in April, breaking away from the usual tradition of having the schools begin in the first week of June, questioning the rationale behind the move and the manner in which it is being implemented.
While the decision is yet to be formally announced or communicated, officials in the Education Department have confirmed that it is under active consideration.
“The manner in which it is being rolled out, much like everything the government does, is very arbitrary and without planning or consultation with schools/ educators/ parents. Nothing is in place and the government expects that it will announce it at the last minute and everyone will dance to their tunes,” Ana Clara Remedios, the chairperson of the Parents Teachers Association of St Britto’s High School, a prominent school in Mapusa.
“Parents are opposed to the decision as April and May are the only months in which we can spend quality time with our children. There are also summer classes in which children can use to pick up skills which they cannot do during other times of the year,” she said adding that so far the department or the school have yet to communicate anything finally except the school asking parents not to make any plans for April.
It is a sentiment shared by stakeholders across the State.
“There are several things that would have to be considered including, but not limited to, the logistics of holding classes when schools are centres for corrections. But rather than try and discuss such concerns, we have heard nothing from the government and aren’t even sure whether it is going to be implemented this year or not,” a school teacher at a school, who declined to be identified, said.
While there has been no official communication from the government, teachers were informed of the upcoming decision during a workshop, but were not informed about the upcoming decision.
Teachers have also questioned the purported reasoning given by the government for the change in schedule.
“NEP does not say that our schools have to be in tune with CBSE schools. NEP and NCF have not stated that the year should start in April. Instead, NEP 2020 mentions reduction in the content load across Curricular Areas considering adequate time and space for the development of genuine conceptual understanding, and of the development of capacities, rather than mere procedural or rote learning which often occurs due to content overload,” another teacher said.
“NEP emphasises on an explicit focus on a range of essential competencies and not coverage of content knowledge. These factors imply that the content load in some Curricular Areas needs to be rationalised and reduced. The implementation of NEP in Goa is done without rationalisation and reduction of the content,” the second teacher said.
