Mangalore: At present, there are around 1, 010 students who opted Konkani as their third subject in the schools, said Kundapura Narayan Kharvi, president of Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy.
Speaking after inaugurating the ‘Konkani Teachers Workshop’ held at DIET, Kodialbail on September 13, Monday, he said that the text books required for the students of the schools are sent by the Government on the order given by the number of students in the schools, and it is not available in any book stalls. The text book of 9th standard is still not printed, he added.

Most of the students do not get Konkani as their third language in other school, when they change the school, hence the number of students who opt Konkani as their third language decrease, he added.
Presiding over the event, Philomena Lobo, principal, District Education and Training Centre, said that the Konkani language got permission to include as one of the subject in the schools in the year 2007, but due to shortage of teaching staff, they had to teach Hindi and Konkani together. Hence it must given fixed class to be thought, she said.
If the student do not opt Hindi as their third subject, it will not be a problem since they can learn it by watching Hindi movies and serials, so they must show interest to learn Konkani in schools, she informed.
Roy Castelino, president of Konkani Prachara Sanchalana and Dr Edward Nazreth, secretary of Konkani Prachara Sanchalana participated as the chief guest.
Stevan Quadros Permude presented workshop on Konkani lessons in text books, Aloysius D’Souza on Konkani poems in text books and Fr Valerian Fernandes on Konkani Grammar.