Only Konkani/Marathi medium schools eligible for grants: Government

Panaji: Goa government said that only Konkani and Marathi medium primary schools would be given grants and English medium schools would not enjoy the same patronage.
    
The announcement comes in the wake of a controversy over the medium of instruction in primary schools with many people advocating that the government

should encourage English medium schools while some political leaders arguing in favour of local languages.

However, the 100-odd schools which had changed their medium from Konkani or Marathi to English during the last academic year would continue to receive grants, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

The decision not to withhold the grants was taken considering the fate of about 25,000 students studying there, he said.
    
Stating that the government plans to encourage schools imparting primary education in local languages, he announced one-time grant of Rs 12 lakh for new primary schools in Konkani and Marathi.
    
Besides, these schools would be given an annual grant of Rs one lakh for next five years.     

The government has also announced additional sops like maintenance grant, salary grant for non-teaching staff and an appointment of additional teacher for imparting English language skills in these schools.
    
Parrikar said that around 250 additional teachers in government-run schools and 200 in private schools would be employed on a regular basis.  

Expressing concern over the condition of government-run schools, he said, "there are 500 schools with less then 30 students in all the four classes together."

The government has also decided to form a committee of educationists who will study the future of primary education in Goa and submit its report in a year.

Goa board Class XII results likely on May 21

PANAJI: The Goa board of secondary and higher secondary education is likely to announce the Class XII public exam results on May 21.

The results' announcement will end the wait for 14,516 students who have answered the exams held from March 3 to March 27.

"The results are nearly ready; they only have to be printed now. They will most likely be announced on Monday," a Goa board source informed. Of the 14,516 students who have answered the exams in the arts,  commerce, science and vocational streams, 7,411 are girls and 7,105 boys. Another 797 reappeared for the test this year.

After the Class XII results are announced, the admissions to first year degree courses will open the following day for the arts, science and commerce streams.

The graph of the Goa board Class X and XII results has been volatile for the last five years. On an average, a pass percentage of 76% was recorded at Class XII by the board until 2008, when the pass percentage went up to 79.32%. The upward swing continued in 2009 when for the first time in the board's history, the pass percentage crossed 80 and touched 82.55%. The pass percentage saw a minor drop in 2010 to 82.52% and slid down to its 2008 record of 80% again in 2011.

This is the second year when students of Class X and XII will get marked in both marks and grades. The grading system was introduced for the public exams during the last academic year, with which an internal assessment system is also in place to reduce the pressure on students to perform once a year at the board exam. The system of marks was continued along with grades when the new grading system was introduced last year to enable students to understand the allotment of grades better.

However, the board decided that students will be evaluated as per grades and marks for the 2012 exams as well.