Special Correspondent
Panaji
Stating that no school in the state will function with a single teacher from this academic year, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the government will soon provide additional staff to all the single-teacher schools.
Pointing out that Konkani and Marathi schools can also offer strong career prospects like the English schools, the Chief Minister urged parents to support the local language schools in the state.
Addressing a Teachers’ Day function organised by the Directorate of Education at Kala Academy, Sawant said Goa has 700 government and aided schools and 140 unaided schools. He said parents prefer unaided schools, as they want their children to learn in English medium.
The event highlighted the government’s commitment to education, with plans to establish Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a monitoring system to ensure no school is understaffed.
Sawant, who also holds the Education portfolio, felicitated ten outstanding educators by awarding them the state’s Best Teacher Award, CM Vashistha Guru Puraskar 2024-25, on the occasion, recognising their dedication to education.
Extending gratitude to every teacher of Goa for inspiring curiosity, nurturing values and shaping young minds with dedication, the Chief Minister appealed to the students to respect their teachers and carry on with their values.
He also said that teachers are the true torchbearers of knowledge.
Speaking further, the Chief Minister urged the teachers and students to celebrate the spirit of teaching and learning, and continue building an educated, compassionate and progressive Goa. “On this special day, we fondly remember Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who taught us that true teachers are those who help us think for ourselves,” he said.
The teachers who were awarded included
primary teachers namely Chhaya Bokade (North Goa) and Kamlakar Desai (South Goa), secondary teachers namely Manjiri Jog (North Goa), Rajmohan Shetye (North Goa), Kalidas Satardekar (South Goa) and Mamata Patil (South Goa), high school headmasters namely Gurudas Palkar (North Goa) and Aurora D’Souza (South Goa), higher secondary teacher Sunil Shet and higher secondary principal Cintia Maria Borges e Abranches.
