To save Konkani, teach English: Tomazinho
Herald: Your comments on making English compulsory with one primary subject in Konkani has sparked off a mini storm among some elements in the Church
Tomazinho: One priest Fr Mousinho de Ataide ridiculed my remarks. I wish he had understood that what I said, if implemented will go a long way in preserving the catholic education of the Church.
Herald: How is that so?
Tomazinho: In Church schools Konkani is taught in Devanagari script because that is the official script of the State. Without any offence to the script and without calling for any change in the status conferred to it, I am saying that let parents have a choice of the script. I confident that 90 per cent of the parents who send their children to church schools will opt for the Roman script.
Herald: But you are advocating primary education in English
Tomazinho: Yes with one compulsory subject in Konkani. And if it is Roman script, then the combination English primary education and Konkani in roman script will be perfect. The irony is that the Church does all its religious activities in the Roman script but teaches Konkani in Devanagari script.
We are doing away with our own people by denying them access to Konkani by advocating it in a script which is not as comfortable as the Roman script. When English is taught in primary schools, accepting Konkani will be easier through the Roman script.
At this point of time there are thousands of schools where the medium of instruction is Marathi. Then there are many private schools which do not promote Konkani. We need to counter this imbalance.
Herald: But there seems to be an opposition to this
Tomazinho: I hope the Konkani pundits who are undoubtedly scholarly, understands that we will not get this generation to embrace Konkani unless we make it easier for them to learn it I the roman script. Let there be a serious thought to it based on practicality.
---from Heraldo
To save Konkani, teach English: Tomazinho
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