Letter to Heads of Schools:Celebrating World Population Day 2014…World Demography declining

1^st July 2014

Dear Heads of Schools/Higher Secondaries/Colleges,

As you are aware, World Population Day is observed around the world on the 11^th of July every year to bring awareness about the so called Population explosion and the issues related to the same. But is there an actual population explosion? Are the resources of the world getting exhausted due to the so called ‘ever increasing population’?

The reality is totally different. In fact the Total fertility rate (TFR: average number of children that will be born to a woman in that particular geographical area) and the Growth rate (GR) in most parts of the world have plummeted down to such an extent that from now on it seems near to impossible to even maintain the existing population.  To replace our population we require a TFR of at least 2.1. In India it is 2.4 (2012) while in Goa it is 1.6 (2013). In the recent past we had our H’ble CM lamenting on this fact on the floor of the Legislative Assembly.  

The TFR of some villages (2013) are as follows: Khorjuem=1.0 (2013) ; Aldona= 0.85 (2013); Saligao=1.35 (2012); Pilerne=1.47 (2012).  Even if our married couples, from now on, bring forth 5 children per family, it won’t be just enough. It is said that we require at least 7 children per family to reach a TFR of 2.1. And this seems near to impossible. Besides the infertility rate is also climbing, estimated to be around 20% in Goa.

Russia, going through the same phase (TFR: 1.61), have started honouring families having more than 7 children with the title ‘ORDER OF PARENTAL GLORY’ from 2010 onwards. If we go around to the primary schools and high schools-we see more of the migrant’s children enrolled. The reason is not that most of our children are going to the so called ‘top class schools’ but that we do not have enough of our own children in our villages and cities for enrollment. Hence the closure of many a government primary schools.  

Hence we are called to promote not small but big families for better development as there will be more working hands and brains for development, in its true sense, of the nation. We are called to give up our contraceptive mentality and be open to life. We are called to promote and support the natural family and not legalise aberrations.

Keeping the above in mind, you are kindly requested to bring the contents of the letter to the notice of your staff and students during the week, so as to give them the correct picture of the demographic profile of the world. In case you are asked to bring out rallies on the occasion of World population day, you are requested to prepare slogans in lines with correct demographic profile of Goa like ‘large fly-happy fly’, don’t stop at 2 welcome the 3^rd” rather than ‘small fly-happy fly’ which are no longer relevant as the Theme itself suggests: “A time to reflect on population trends and related issues”. Slogans could be to promote schemes for families rather than individuals, helping mothers to work from home or flexible timings to attend to the family, scheme to promote maternity leave for exclusive breastfeeding for the third child, stopping killing of the unborn etc… You could have posters being prepared and speeches delivered by the students on the Emerging Demographic decline.

We also request you to assign, to a particular group of students, like Scouts/Guides/JRC etc.. the task of calculating the TFR of the village. We will provide you with information and help as to from where you can get the data for the same. A Certificate of appreciation will be given to all the students who undertake this task.

In case you do want a presentation on the true demographic profile of the World/India/Goa, do feel free to contact us for the same. Besides this we also have presentations on the Culture of Death; Contraception is it good?, Being open to life, Promotion of Natural Family Planning etc..

Awaiting a report, preferably via email, of your commemoration of the day along with photos. Visit our website www.familyservicecentregoa.org for further information.

Hoping you will make the difference!

-Fr. Kennet B. Teles, Director, DFSC