Letters to the Editor: Israel not outcast

We all know that Israel came into existence as a country after WW II in the desert of the Middle-east. The then the Allied powers mainly the US and Great Britain as a mark of gratitude for the financial support they received from Jew community during the war period offered a small piece of land, totally inhospitable to the Jews who were scattered around the globe and later on that piece of land was nomenclature as ISRAEL. Since its inception, Israel was always under attack from the Islamic countries which surrounded them from all sides. For all the Islamic nations Israel was considered an infidel. India, which is considered a Hindu state by Pakistan, indulged in spreading various misinformation against India which has made the Islamic nations baring a few to help Pakistan financially and militarily. Like Israel, India too faced and faced Islamic terrorism as seen in the numerous terror strikes across the length and breadth of the country. The most recent ones are Mumbai seize on 26/11 in 2008 and the 13th December 2001 Parliament attack where many innocent lives were lost. Sadly, no Islamic nation condemned these barbaric and cowardly terror attacks. Similar to the Hindus, the Jews survived Hitler's Final Solution during WW II. So it is clear as daylight that both these two countries are facing a common enemy.

So, what is the harm in befriending Israel to face the common enemy? Appeasement to a particular community in the meantime has caused enough harm to us. Like Israel, we too must learn to call a spade a spade. Enemy's enemy should be our friends.

Joel Gayari,

Tangla.

What happens to 1 lakh job promises?

Among its poll promises, the BJP had said it would appoint one lakh people in various posts within a year. However, the promise seems to be fake and become a burden for the government. Although they organize the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) recently this year it seems like the effort of the government miserably fails and expose the government once again because we came to know that the exam paper was already leaked before the exam was even started. The same thing happened in the SI exam last year and APDCL (assistant-cum-field assistant) exam this year. So in this circumstance how can a person face an exam without hope? Due to this many wells deserved candidates lost their mental health and suffered from tremendous pressure which this government cannot even imagine. If this type of failed attempt of the Assam government happens again and again then after 5-10 years I don't know where we will stand and what will be the future of our state! So my only request to the Assam government is that please put some effort and gain your belief as a government among the people and give them opportunities to deserving people.

Jumi Das,

Mirza

National achievement Survey: Is it fruitful?

The NAS (National Achievement Survey), a countrywide test aimed at assessing the competencies developed by the students at the grade levels of third, fifth, eighth and tenth classes was conducted on 12th November 2021. The survey conducted every three years could not be conducted last year due to the pandemic. So this year along with its main assessment a strategy was made to assess the learning loss among school students due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The test was conducted with the participation of thousands of teachers and staff from various schools and education departments of the centre and the various states. According to the Ministry of Education, it covered 38 lakh students in nearly 1.23 lakh schools in 733 districts across 36 states and Union Territories in government, government-aided and private schools. The survey was taken with students of classes 3, 5, 8 and 10 as the main participants along with a selected number of teachers of the selected schools. However, whether the survey will give the expected outcome is a matter to ponder. As schools have just reopened in many of the states and some states students of the primary classes are still yet to step in the expected results of the survey, according to many, may not be fully appropriate.

Earlier the Deputy CM of Delhi had urged the Education Ministry to postpone NAS as many schools in the country either had not opened or students have not yet returned. Also in some of the states, that have a heavy number of schools, life has come to a standstill due to natural calamities. For example in Tamil Nadu, most schools remain closed due to heavy rain and floods. Many schools had already reported that they cannot ensure full per cent attendance.

Sisodia had also mentioned that the resulting picture of this survey will not be effective as expected. The strategy of the survey even though it is meant to find the flaws and drawbacks and plan remedies to correct the problems may turn futile as conditions as of now are not congenial for such a mass survey of this proportion.

Teachers and officials who participated in the survey have opined that students especially in the primary sections were seen struggling to comprehend the questions, and also found it difficult filling the OMR sheets as they aren't used to such practices. As for the past two years, most of them attended only online classes and had their learning by listening and speaking many of them didn't even know to hold a pen and pencil.

Sisodia has rightly said that the survey will not be able to get details of the learning gap in the children who have not returned to schools and that the first initiative to be taken at present is to make sure children return to school and a strategy to be carried out to enhance and better the social-emotional-mental well-being of the students.

M Pradyu,

Kannur