Sir: The matric examinations were held recently in Karachi but these examinations will produce barely literate cheats instead of scholars. Passing examinations by cheating is simply useless. Being a student, I believe that the time we waste in making chits, writing on hands and thinking up different ways to cheat during examinations could better be used in actually studying. In many schools where examinations were conducted, the students were allowed to cheat and were made to pay for this privilege. Criticising the common people is futile because the daughters and sons of government officials are doing the same thing. Is this what our values teach us? I agree that during the examinations students face peer pressure to succeed, they have no time to study and suffer from laziness also, but this is no way.By cheating one might get a degree with good grades but with respect to knowledge they will remain ignorant and will fail practically. No matter what reason a person has for cheating, it is never acceptable. MAHAM BATOOL RIZVIKarachi