TEACHERS’ SALARIES: In 2021, the School Education and Literacy Department of Sindh advertised the posts of primary school teachers in grade 14. Earlier, such vacancies used to fall in BPS-9. The salaries of these teachers have been on hold for the last nine months because their grade, according to the relevant office record is 9, not 14. The government should have notified the department concerned about the change in pay grades before advertising the positions. The government needs to sort out the matter without any further delay.

Raja Biland Khan
Ratodero

STRANGE DECISION: This is with reference to the report “Army handed over 45,000 acres for ‘corporate farming’” (March 17). Indeed, the matter is under consideration of the judicial authorities, and we should avoid commenting about it, but my contention relates to the very idea of doing such a thing by a caretaker government. This was surely an act of misplaced generosity.

Wali Rahman
Islamabad

BETTER FOCUS: The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) in 2022 introduced examinations using the student learning outcomes (SLO) pattern. While the step is appreciable, there is a need to do more. The pplication-based study should be promoted from the primary level to develop a generation rich in soft skills.

Maria Nadeem
Lahore

MENTAL HEALTH: While depression and anxiety are on the rise among the youth, no importance has been given to mental health in our society. We desperately need mental health awareness programmes and television shows to educate people about the importance of mental health and to remove the stigma associated with it. It is also a humble appeal to parents to take their children’s mental health seriously and should not consider visiting a psychologist a taboo.

Mahjabeen Saeed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2023