THIS refers to a conundrum that has kept me intrigued for the better part of the last year. As a parent, it has been very difficult for us to manage online classes at home with internet and electricity hiccups at play. And yet, parents have been forced to pay not only the school fee but the van fee as well.

Having said that, it is absolutely disappointing to note how schools have refused to retake the examinations of students who had one or more Covid-19 patients at home. While it makes sense for the whole family to go in quarantine should one member of the family gets diagnosed with the coronavirus, what is the wisdom behind not holding the examinations of students whose one or more family members are sick, but not Covid-19 patients?

How can the schools evaluate the children’s progress if they do not allow them to sit the examinations?

On the other hand, some students are taking advantage of this situation by submitting false reports of their illness, although they are healthy, attending weddings and parties, performing their routine functions and ignoring studies.

I think it is a great loss for students. The government should take some concrete steps to ensure that all students sit the annual examinations and are promoted to the next level based on their results.

Farnaz Zehra Jafri
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2021