Editor,
The debate on the mode of conducting classes is a very relevant one and we should all engage with maturity and with the right spirit and concern. We are talking about the lives and futures of our children. After two years of online classes and exams, every parent with a school or college going child is more than aware of the nature of online education. And without a doubt, he/she has a well thought out opinion of it. Further, the situation is also informed by the reaction of companies and institutions who have hinted in one way or the other their distrust of results of exams conducted online. One instance of this is educational institutions calculating marks only of exams conducted offline and steering clear of marks of exams conducted online. But now that some students are attending more online classes and sitting for online exams only, that is not going to be just as convenient anymore.
While a lot has been said so far by many concerned parents and educators through your ‘Letters to the Editor,’ I feel we need to revisit the matter and consider the following points.
COVID-19 has now been scaled down from a pandemic to an endemic, meaning it is going to be with us for a long time and we need to learn to live with it along with all the precautions. Covid is not going away any time soon. We need to accept this and prepare maturely to return to normalcy. We also need to accept the fact that lessons taught physically in physical classrooms are way better, more effective and more meaningful than over online platforms that are plagued with technical issues. Our children’s mental and physical health is now in jeopardy. They can end up with long-lasting adverse effects that could impair their lives.
Now what is really ironic to consider is that while it is all right for people to eat out in restaurants, in small rooms and shops, hold weddings, even with 50 people only, go to the parks and picnics, resorts and so on, students, however, cannot go to offline classes where the size of the classrooms and number of people sitting in them can be managed and adapted to ensure the protection of their health better than restaurants, shops and wedding halls have been able to do. Such thinking goes only to reveal the kind of mentality that we have as a people.
The more we continue to engage in debates and pontificating as we have been doing for the past many months, we shall continue to push our children deeper into a dark and despondent world where the future is bleak and the condition of life is cruel and raw. Our children need an education that is solid, complete, wholesome, relevant and meaningful which only offline classes can give. And they need degrees that can be trusted which only offline exams can ensure.
Let us be more practical and farsighted and give our children the best that they deserve to get from us.
Yours etc.,
P. Majaw,
Shillong-1
MPS/DSC Needs Urgent Reforms
Editor,
Apropos to the letter to the editor, captioned MPSC needs urgent reforms (ST Jan 19,2022), I would like to add more on this. I appreciate the Computer Section, as well as the Computer/e-committee of the Commission( if it exists) for upgrading the website from time to time and introducing the Online Registration System with all the information regarding Post Application, Online fee payment as well as SMS intimation regarding conduct of exams etc.
The Commission does conduct exams from time to time but the pattern of declaring the results is ambiguous. The Commission neither provides the answer keys for the respective sets of question papers nor any notification to the candidate to file representation/make challenges to the wrong printed questions or answers . The results declared are merely roll numbers with no details of marks scored. On enquiry from the officials regarding marks, the procedure is to write an application to the Controller of Examinations requesting for marks and apart from application one has to attach the Voter ID. The files processed in this way result in candidates having to wait for months to know their results. This is pathetic. Why are the marks of candidates not declared in the Official Website. What is so confidential with our marks?
Knowing the answers key will really help a candidate like me to know my strengths and weaknesses on the subject. Moreover, there is neither any notification regarding the cut off marks to be eligible for the interview rounds nor any notification on marks allotted for the wrongly printed questions or answers In the official website. I really appreciate the Central Recruitment Board of Meghalaya Police. Their recruitment is very systematic, clear, and justifiable. Recently I appeared for the Physical Fitness Test for the Post of Sub Inspector just to check with their pattern of conducting the Test. We were asked to proceed for documents verification at first, then biometrics , height, physical test and the results are updated on the website with all the details of a candidate like timings, score, height etc.
There were some contractual posts advertised by the Meghalaya Police for the CCTNS Project four or five months ago. Well, I thought since its just a contractual post the proceedings might be just formalities. I found it to be more systematic here as well . The Recruitment Board shortlisted the candidates as mentioned in the advertisement, called for the written exams, declared the results with the marks secured by all the candidates, shortlisted the candidates for next round of interviews with the cut off marks. This seems to be so unambiguous and justifiable. In fact, in this age of technology, if MPSC/DSC conduct the exams online, the time delay in correcting the answers papers, sorting the marks and declaring the results would have been shortened. Yes, it’s high time now that MPSC/DSC reform their systems.
Yours etc.,
C L Kynshi,
Via email
IED blast in Police Bazar
Editor,
The suspected IED blast in the heart of Shillong on January 30 last is a matter of serious concern for the citizens of the capital town. This is the second such instance within a span of six months which lends credence to the suspicion that the perpetrators of such crime is capable of pouncing with impunity on the citizenry anywhere any time in our state. After every incident of violence and terror the Chief Minister (CM) and his colleagues issue ritualistic condemnation without any visible, tangible action on the ground to instill a sense of security amongst the general public. Is the role of the CM limited to issuing condemnation statements after any violent incident as one has regularly experienced during his tenure? Or is he constitutionally bound to do more?
Yours etc.,
D. Bhattacharjee
Shillong-1
Better Late than Never
This is a delayed response to the article by HH Mohrmen dated January 24, 2022, captioned, “Not learning from history.” The writer has rightly mentioned that the younger citizens of the state are not familiar with the hill state movement. I and many of my friends that I had talked to are ignorant of this important chapter in the history of our state. Except for a few names, we have never heard the names of most of those involved in the Movement, as mentioned in the article and one by a senior citizen Filtina Lyndem, who herself was involved in the Movement. I am very sure there are many more from both the tribal and non-tribal community whose names should appear in this chapter of history. It has been fifty years and these persons had not been honoured in a befitting manner. There were suggestions that had appeared in this paper that they be rewarded in cash. But I personally will go with HH Mohrmen’s suggestions that the best way to honour them is to have their names written in the history book of the state.
Yours etc.,
Lobi Kurbah
Via email.