I wish to pick a bone with Lloyd Cooke about his letter, 'SDA hypocrisy', where he challenged the moral authority of Dr Herbert Thompson to speak out against the Commissioner of Police Hardley Lewin's comments.

The very fact that he uses the words "(and I guess...)" suggests that he wrote from a largely uninformed perspective. That classes are held on Sundays at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is not a case of the proverbial midstream scorpion's sting.

The graduate programmes which are held on Sundays cater to a market. Lecturers are employed on a contractual basis, and students know, before they even apply to these programmes, that all classes, including examinations, are held on Sundays. No surprises here.

Courtesy to students

For undergraduate programmes, classes that are held on Sundays are typically done as a courtesy to students, who need to maximise credit loads in order to complete their programmes within a certain time frame. This need typically arises when students have courses that clash with each other, which is a common occurrence because a timetable cannot be made to cater to every single student's particular needs. When the students express the need, and the numbers warrant it, it makes every sense to offer a class on Sunday - not as a convenience to the university, but as a courtesy to the students. It is noteworthy to also bear in mind that courses, or their equivalents, that are offered on Sundays are also offered on weekdays. Students always have options.

Mr Cooke, I have done my research, and it is clear to me that you are seeking to compare apples with oranges.

I am, etc.,

Charles Evans

charock01@yahoo.com