Education Ministry needs time lessons
THE EDITOR: It is somewhat appalling that the Ministry of Education, of all organisations, should publish a notice in the press which stated one of it sections would be closed on November 11, 2005 at 12 pm (sic). To understand the expressions am and pm and to use them correctly one needs to go back to the Latin language. The letters am stand for the Latin words ante meridiem which in English mean before 12 o’clock and pm stand for post meridiem in English after 12 o’clock. Writing 12 pm then, is essentially saying twelve o’clock after twelve o’clock which is absolutely nonsensical. The last hour during the morning session, to the nearest second, that may be termed am is 11:59:59 and during the afternoon session the first hour that may be termed pm is 12:00:01. Twelve o’clock during daylight hour is correctly termed twelve noon or twelve midday, and during the night, twelve midnight. RAOUL DUCHAUSSEE Mt Lambert
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"Education Ministry needs time lessons"