A lesson in future planning

The wage rise for teachers in Abu Dhabi is a lesson in future planning. To develop the skills needed to ensure the continued success of any society requires capable teachers to pass on their knowledge.

More than any other expenditure, spending money on education is an investment and an act of confidence in the future that will pay rich dividends. It is vital that other Emirates look at teachers' salaries and try to ensure that they are given all the tools and confidence necessary.

No computer programme, no internet course can even remotely replace the benefits that a dedicated teacher brings to the classroom. Their presence is often unappreciated but without their dedication, children and society would be far poorer places in every sense of the word.

The true measure of any country's worth is not its buildings or its balance of payments but in how it educates its young people.

This wage rise in Abu Dhabi shows that education is the priority. Other emirates must take on board this simple lesson; Pay teachers well today and you will earn it back many times over in the years ahead. Teachers, in every respect, are a class act. They should be treated as such.