Panaji, Apr 2: Goa Education Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate laid the on-going debate over the Medium of Instruction (MoI) to rest, by announcing that the government would retain the existing system with primary education in the State’s mother tongue.

Replying to cut motion on Friday after an extensive debate on ‘grants for education’, the minister also said that the state will continue upper primary education – from Class V to VII - in English.

Considering the importance of English for the academic and overall development of a child in today’s world, Monserrate also said that government will made provision for an English teacher in each of the primary schools. “This will strengthen the base of English for children who would find it easy to switch on to English medium in upper primary schools,” he added.

He further said that the government will constitute a high powered state advisory council consisting of eminent educationists and representatives of the management and parents to advise the government on the primary education in the state vis-à-vis the Right To Education (RTE) Act.

Earlier, Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar supported English as the MOI from Class five onwards except those who can chose their own MOI.

“The current policy of Konkani as MoI is working well and grants are properly distributed. Even the UNESCO report has resolved and supports that primary education has to be done in the mother tongue,” he had said.

The state is divided over the issue with several thousand parents and teachers demanding English to be included as MoI, while other groups demanding that elementary education be taught in regional languages.

Political parties – Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party - joined hands that they would not allow English language to be recognized as MoI.

Reacting to the demands, Monserrate said that a group of experts has already designed an integrated education policy for Goa, which would be announced on April 11.