Editor,
We know that the church and several of its institutions have not exactly covered themselves in glory in recent times and much has been written about this. But, an advertisement from a reputed missionary educational institution for a post of peon which appeared in the classified column of your newspaper on February 15, 2022 perhaps takes the cake in its brazen attempt to exploit the present desperate unemployment situation.
As per the above advertisement, the concerned institution wants applicants to have a minimum qualification of class 12 ( 2nd division)with knowledge of computer and 5 years experience in Hardware and Network Administrator and Smart Class Coordinator. Is this not a big ask for the post of Peon? Is it not true that a peon’s job does not require any particular skills? My understanding is that seeing how even the highly skilled unemployed youth are desperate for any kind of job, the concerned missionary institution is adopting a mercenary approach to get highly skilled services by paying a pittance. To call it unfair is an understatement. Since it is done by a missionary institution, I call it a case of moral degradation.
In conclusion, I would like to say that I have lived long enough to see that the church is not changing the world anymore. Instead, the church is now being moulded by the world in its own image.
Yours etc.,
Samuel Swett,
Shillong- 2
Online examinations a farce
Editor,
Apropos ‘University’s desire for convenience impacts adversely’ (ST Feb 15m 2022) I would like to throw in my weight in support of the latter. Covid had impacted education the worst. NEHU is yet to learn from the recently concluded examination that online exams had devastated those students who take examinations as sacrosanct with full conscience without allowing any prompting in spite of the absence of invigilators. On the contrary, online exams have lifted the scores of undeserving students to 100% by professors who in order to advertise their colleges have lost all conscience and blindly gave inconceivable scores.
Two pre-Covid toppers failed to get admission into NEHU as they lost to the final two semesters from the same college during Covid when it was simply madness and free for all. The worst impact of online exams is that it pushes unmindful students to hope against hope very much like those who pass with 20% grace marks in SSLC. Hence even those who are weak in Mathematics begin to aim for Medicine and Engineering etc.
Let the NEHU VC realise that those marks allotted for online exams with no approved paper setter or board of moderators who should be tight-lipped after leaving the examination centre with no printing press expert to elude cyber crime in this era is fraught. In these exams the poorly paid evaluator who has to spend sleepless nights to do justice to the answer scripts has been done away with.
And how would undeserving students who passed the online exams face the 2-year post graduate course? It would be a never-ending chain reaction and ultimately education suffers. And last but not least, let the concerned parents be courageous enough to write their full names and also include other parents with similar concerns so that the VC pays heed to their concerns and arguments, and failing which, the parents may be compelled to seek legal justice if need be.
Yours etc.,
W Passah,
Via email
Unwarranted criticism against the church
Editor
It is unfortunate to read some letters to the editor in your esteemed daily written by Glenn C. Kharkongor – ‘The Church is not Infallible’ and Lydia Kharkongor – ‘An article that challenges’ (both dated February 10, 2022). Being associated with missionaries in the mission stations (rural areas), I totally disagree with their general view about missionaries and missionary-led institutions. I humbly request them to do a thorough research of these institutions and missionary works before putting up their views in a public space. Definitely, there may be one or two who are not in line with what the service ought to be but to generalize and blame the whole mission of the Church is totally wrong. The Church is trying its best for a better society but I believe that it cannot be done within a short time. Issues like poverty of single mothers, malnutrition of children and degradation of environment are often the main concerns of the Church in Meghalaya. Personally, I have attended several seminars on these issues and at the same time had immediately responded by taking necessary action.
But can the Church alone reach each corner of the State to solve these issues immediately? I believe not. There are many who do not agree with some of the Church’s activities as well. In that case, can the Church be blamed for not doing anything?
To deal with environment conservation, Pope Francis had written an encyclical letter in 2015 named “Laudato Si’. In this letter the Pope exhorts the entire Church to care for the environment and in particular late Archbishop Dominic Jala had often encouraged the faithful to care for the home environment. Therefore, it is wrong to say that the Church in Meghalaya is silent on issues of environmental degradation. On the other hand, to say that Don Bosco’s institutions are now serving the elite or are commercialized is totally wrong and unacceptable. Perhaps the individuals had an unfortunate experience with one or two institutions but that cannot be taken as a general conclusion in the public space. With due respect to the individuals, I totally disagree with their views vis-a-vis the institutions.
As a teacher and a warden to some hostels of Don Bosco in the mission places I found another story contradictory to what is being pointed out by those respected individuals. In fact, I was given an opportunity to collect the hostel and school fees when the missionary was not at home. To my surprise I found minimum fees being paid by many, yet no noise was heard from those missionaries. Instead they are working hard for the well-being of the children. Is this not a charitable and a helping hand to the poor students from villages? Thus, to draw conclusions from an unfortunate incident of one or two institutions is not just and fair to the hard work of many missionaries of Don Bosco in the rural areas/parishes. To my knowledge there are Don Bosco institutions in collaboration with the past pupils that run evening schools and evening colleges in the city for the poor students, Is this not a charitable act for the poor? Therefore, I humbly request the individuals to refrain from generalising stray incidents and forget the vast majority that selflessly serve the poor and needy in the mission stations.
Yours etc.,
Aiborlang Nongsiej
South West Khasi Hills District