THE maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ perfectly suits my situation. I appeared in a test for the junior elementary school teacher (JEST) conducted by SIBA Testing Services on Sept 18, 2021. There were a couple of mistakes in the general knowledge portion of the test that I am highlighting. The STS has not awarded grace marks despite these mistakes in the test and receiving a number of complaints from my side in the last six months.

The opted language was Sindhi for the general knowledge portion, but I am quoting them here in English. There was a definition given in question No 29 that is present in the Sindh Textbook Board book word for word. It is the definition of the word ‘Ehsan’, but the answer key showed it to be the definition of the word ‘Adal. The detail of this question is present in Islamiat class VIII book (chapter 3, p47).

Question No 23 asked about a South Asian country that was not under the British rule before 1947. The options were Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Surprisingly, all the options were invalid. However, the Maldives was marked correct in the answer key. The details are in Social Studies class VI book (chapter 5, p105).

I have been trying to get in touch with the STS authorities for the last six months, but have not received any response yet. I acquired 54 marks and am just one mark short of the required score. I would get this job if I was awarded one mark. This is not a claim, but a request to the authorities. I respect the credibility of the testing agency and urge it to consider my case.

Name withheld on request
Hyderabad

MOON-SIGHTING ROW: I fail to understand how come the Shawwal moon is always sighted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a day ahead of the rest of the country, and why the announcement comes only after the official Ruet-i-Hilal Committee had made its decision. Also beyond comprehension is the fact that why moon is never sighted in Swat, Diroji, Malakand, Bajaur, Buner, Shangla, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Takhtbhai, Mohmand, Mansehra and other such areas when it is supposedly being witnessed by the adjacent Pakhtun areas.

Muhammad Tahir Iqbal
Lahore

IMPERFECT SYSTEM: Author Michael Morpurgo rightly said that it is the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom. Sadly, many government schools in Pakistan lack subject experts. A teacher holding a degree in Arts can be seen teaching Biology to one section of a higher secondary class and Chemistry to another section. This lack of expertise and exposure of relevant subject creates an environment of rote learning among the students and affects their knowledge of the subject.

Ali Irfan Abid
Rahim Yar Khan

HYPOCRISY: The recent episode that involved Pakistani politicians and crowd in a foreign land has communicated a poor image of Pakistanis in the Muslim world, in particular, and the international community, in general.

The dirty politics that has been on display for the last few months have already had a very negative effect on the country’s image. It is time we realised our mistakes and acted accordingly.

Muhammad Majid Shafi
Islamabad

LAW OF JUNGLE: Those believed to be involved in Nazim Jokhio’s murder are now free. The accused in the case were apparently influential. It seems that the country is being run on the basis of the law of the jungle where those who possess power can do anything. It has rightly been said that justice delayed is justice denied. It is the responsibility of the authorities concerned to provide justice to the victim’s family.

Mishkat ShafaQue Marwat
Lakki Marwat

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2022