Dear Sir,

The school where my child studies is conducting parallel coaching classes by FIIT-JEE (Forum for Indian Institute of Technology and Joint Entrance Examination,  which is a  private institute) on its premises during normal hours which, I believe, is not permitted by India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
It is noted that students going to these classes are securing full marks in all school examinations. I would not have any complaint if the coaching centre’s exam grading system is based on a fair testing pattern. But it doesn’t look so.
The coaching class teachers are the ones who prepare the question papers for the school exams. They give the same question papers to students who are attending the coaching classes in the name of revision, giving them an advantage. I believe it’s a case of cheating and degrades the confidence of students who don’t attend the coaching classes.
Moreover, the results of the  XII board exams  in the  past years speak the truth about the quality of education that the coaching classes provide. Similar cases are happening in some other schools in Doha too.
 
Balakrishnan, (e-mail address supplied)

Earthquake warning

Dear Sir,

Aftershocks continue to rattle survivors of a deadly Japanese earthquake, nearly a week after it struck.
Meanwhile Ecuador has also been hit by a massive quake.
At least six earthquakes have shaken various countries in Asia since January 4 this year.
The current condition can trigger at least several earthquakes greater than 7.5 in magnitude.
Half of the Indian landmass is vulnerable to a seismic event. The collision between the  Himalayan plate and the Indo-Burmese plate puts the entire area at risk.
Tokyo could face an 8.5 quake within the next 20 years, according to some experts.
Meanwhile, the death toll from Saturday’s magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Ecuador has risen to 525 and could increase by many more.
Both Japan and Ecuador are located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which spans the coasts lining the Pacific Ocean. The regions along the Ring of Fire are prone to earthquakes, but it’s extremely rare for an earthquake on one side of the world to trigger earthquakes on the other, say experts.
The Ring of Fire is shaking violently; it could be a prelude to a major seismic event.

Farouk Araie, farouk.araie@telkomsa.net

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