NT NETWORK
PANAJI
The government on Friday informed the state legislative assembly that there is no proposal before it for bringing any new Bill about the Medium of Instruction (MoI) of the primary schools in Goa or amending the existing Medium of Instruction Policy.
The written reply provided by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar indicates that the government grants presently provided to 130-odd English primary schools in the state would continue.
The reply, however, makes no mention about the Bhaskar Naik committee appointed by the Laxmikant Parsekar government on grants to English primary schools in Goa. The committee has already been given a series of extensions by the government.
In another written reply, the Chief Minister stated that the government monitors the fee structure of private unaided primary English medium schools. “The manager of every unaided recognised school shall, before the commencement of each academic session, file with the director of education a full statement of the fees and the charges to be levied by such school with the approval of the director during the ensuing academic session,” the reply noted, pointing out that except with the prior approval of the director, no such school shall charge during the academic session, any fee in excess of the fee specified by its manager in the said statement.
“The defaulting person/ persons or society or trust, as the case may be, which collects fees or any other charges or receives any other payment beyond the prescribed limit fixed by the director, shall be liable to imprisonment for a term, which may extend to six months or for a fine, which may extend to Rs 50,000 or with both, and fees/ charges received as shall be forfeited by the government,” Parrikar informed.