THIS refers to the report ‘Inter exams postponed due to heatwave’ (May 20). Being an educationist, and as a parent, I am rather disappointed by the decision taken by the Sindh government to postpone intermediate examinations.

My fellow educationists agree with me that our mind is our greatest tool, but fear, frustration and worries make it our greatest enemy. Furthermore, it should be clear that by this postponement, a message of failure has been conveyed to the young generation. It shows that our education system does not prepare our students for life.

There is no reason at all to postpone the examination merely on the basis of hot or cold weather. It is a fact that the infrastruc- ture for conducting matriculation and intermediate examinations is poor and the students suffer during examinations due to non-availability of electricity as well as inadequate seating arrangement.

But what we need to do is to make better arrangements rather than postponing the examinations, and that, too, at the last minute. The relevant authorities must make a strategic plan for the exami-nations, and if the examinations can be conducted in spring, they should provide this timeframe to the students in advance.

We all love our children, but it does not mean that we make them mentally or physically weak. We must facilitate our children in the process of developing a tough, realistic mindset. The provincial government should refrain from taking such ill-advised decisions in the future.

Munawar Hameed Mangalwala Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2024