Parents resolve to protest outside schools on April 7, get oppn support

Panaji: On Sunday evening, 200-odd parents and children gathered at Lohia Maidan in Margao to protest state govt’s decision to advance the start of the academic year to April for classes VI to X and Class XII. Several opposition leaders participated in the protest to support the parents, while the parents decided that if the decision is not withdrawn, they will stand outside their children’s respective schools with placards on the first day, April 7, to protest.
South Goa MP Viriato Fernandes said that he would immediately bring the parents’ issues to the notice of the Union education minister.
Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai said that sudden changes cannot be made to the academic year without a referendum of students or parents. He said that the decision to hold classes till 11.30am in April will also be of great inconvenience to working parents, for whom these will be odd hours to leave their workplace and rush to pick up children from school.
“This govt does not want to discuss things. They want to make everything an ego issue. If the opposition is pointing out flaws somewhere, the tendency is to deliberately push through the decision solely for their ego,” Sardesai said. “We cannot do anything about their ego, but we can keep fighting for justice in every way we can, and I will be there for you.”
He said the April schooling schedule is suitable for Delhi weather, but imposing that on Goa goes against NEP’s recommendations to alter the academic calendar to suit local conditions.
AAP’s Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas said he will himself stand with parents on April 7 outside his neighbourhood school to protest govt’s decision to shift the start of the academic year to April from June.
“Though my daughter studies in a CBSE school in Margao where classes are held in April, parents admitting children to such schools know the schedule beforehand,” said Velim AAP MLA Cruz Silva. “But in the case of state schools, the parents thought their children would have holiday through the months of April and May, and it is not right to abruptly disrupt this schedule.”