Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Closing of Schools and Colleges a last resort

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Editor,

It will come as no surprise to you that teachers, parents and students are half hoping for schools to be closed now that rumours are rife about the increase in numbers of COVID 19 cases everywhere. It would be a matter of great convenience for these three groups of hopefuls who see the closure of schools as a sure means to their ends – of course, the health and safety of all being the most obvious one. But there is also a growing suspicion that students would want schools to close for a more ulterior motive – so that exams could continue to be held online and that they could continue to make use of the innovation of copying and pasting their answers to stardom.

I, on the other hand, find this matter rather ironic. For instance, it is perfectly alright for people to visit crowded places like Police Bazaar, Golf links, Iewduh the parks and parties with their kids where they stand a higher risk of being exposed to the virus but schools have suddenly become epicentres of the pandemic and a rescue mission must now be undertaken to get everybody out of these places. Members of the public have all but thrown caution to the winds. They are now least bothered by the virus. Many believe it to be either a conspiracy to manipulate the masses into some sort of submission or a gimmick to divert people’s attention from some rather interesting development. Otherwise, how else can election rallies, protests, feasts and what not be held even amid such a ‘pandemic’ where a whiff of the air pregnant with the virus can cause people to suffer traumatic health issues? Look at the number of people walking around with a hint of a mask on their faces. And those who do have one on it appear not to know how to wear it or have such weak lower jaws that they must use their masks to hold them in place.

Why does the government not do anything about such blatant violators of the COVID 19 SOPs, you ask me? Well, if they were to take any action in this regard, they would have to start with themselves first, that is why. It is the same story – from the centre to the states. The less said about this the better, at least for my health.

But let us seriously consider the impact of closing schools and colleges and conducting classes and exams online. It is an open secret that at no level is real learning taking place through such a system. Not just because there are many inherent flaws in the system but especially because students who sit for online exams do not need to study for the exams. We all know very well what happens in this case where students Google for answers and write them down on A4 sheets and then upload the scanned images of these ‘well-written’ answers to the exam portal much to the surprise and delight of their teachers who notice the quantum jump of their students from average learners during the offline normal non-pandemic situation to excellent scientist material during this online new normal period. There is nothing to be happy about in this regard. Such a practice is creating a dangerous trend that will result in students with superficial knowledge and zero skills. God forbid, we get treated by doctors and nurses who have completed their studies through such a system. If they can find the heart when in search of the liver, it will be salvation enough for many. At least they have still managed to find something in the human body.

Let us therefore not be too hasty in closing schools and colleges without finding alternatives that could work to conduct classes and exams safely for all. There must be a system that could work. Look at how certain educational systems in Asia have done it. They conducted their exams in wide-open football fields where school distancing norms could be observed without any dearth of space. A system of conducting classes on alternate days or using odd/even roll numbers or varying timings could be tried before declaring an indefinite holiday and consigning our children to a token form of education.

And what about the fact that when schools and colleges close, parents are still required to pay the fees even though their children are denied many of the facilities that they ought to get as part of their admission. And the very teachers who are in favour of closing schools are also the ones, perhaps, who need salaries. However, if they are not, then they are to inform the management so parents can celebrate the fact that their children will be blessed with free education for a year, at least.

I would urge upon all concerned to avoid being alarmists and to take a more practical and far-sighted approach to the matter at hand before jumping to any sort of conclusions that could jeopardise our collective future.

Yours etc.,

  1. Majaw,
    Shillong – 1

Hands-off policy needed

Editor,

Why are the military and para-military personnel always stirring up the hornet’s nest in Meghalaya? I stayed in Assam for almost two years and I’ve never seen or heard the military personnel creating any commotion or unnecessary trouble for the local people. In Arunachal Pradesh, the military personnel are the people’s knights in shining armour. In both states there is mutual respect and understanding between the army personnel and the local people. In Meghalaya on the other hand, the military and para military personnel continue to be a thorn in the flesh of the local people from time to time. Why this differential behaviour? We want the military personnel in our state but we also want them to treat the local people with respect.

Yours etc.,

Gary Marbaniang,

Via email

Inhuman attitude of BSNL

Editor,

Through your esteemed daily I would like to draw urgent attention to the utter negligence and apathy of the BSNL authorities in the state. It is about the damaged iron cover of the BSNL cable duct manhole near Jhalupara, GS Road. As the upper lid is worn out and pressed down many major accidents have already happened.

Every passing vehicle is forced to take the “curved path” to dodge this manhole. Many new vehicles coming from Guwahati are likely to fall into this manhole damaging the lower parts of the vehicle. It is reported that many bikers have hit the spot and tumbled down leading to severe injuries.  Had this spot been demarcated with a small signboard and red flags, such accidents would have been easily avoided. This should have been done by the traffic police department.

Well, now we must dig out what makes the BSNL leave such a dangerous manhole unrepaired for several months. The PWD and the Deputy Commissioner must bring this to the notice of the BSNL without further delay. One feels the telecom service provider must be penalized heavily for this sheer negligence and callousness over public safety. It is totally inhumane to leave the manholes unrepaired. Compromising public safety is a serious offence.

Yours etc.,

Salil Gewali,

Shillong

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