Letters: May 2, 2012

Responsibilities
The first party responsible is the parents, under whose supervision and guidance the children are brought up (‘Violence: What turns pupils into savages?', Gulf News, April 27). Children do exactly what they see at home and how the parents behave and act with each other. The second party responsible is the school authorities and teachers. Is this the control they have of their students on school premises and, more surprisingly, in front of the teachers and other students? If they cannot control grade four students then I am afraid to know what sort of education they give to the children in the class. This is a very serious issue and everyone must raise their voice to prevent such activities from happening.
From Mr Yousuf M. Joher
Sharjah
Website comment

A strong relationship
Being an educationist, I think that the triangular relationship between the teacher, pupil and the parent is very important. Everyone is responsible on their part. The teacher can only educate the pupil from 7.30am to 2pm. After that, it is the responsibility of the parents to spend some time with their children and educate them about moral values, especially behaviour in society. It is sometimes surprising to hear comments from parents like, "What are we paying the school for? It is not our responsibility." I remember during our youth parents and grandparents used to sit with their children and read them stories with good moral values and behaviour.
From Ms Shehryar
Al Ain
Website comment

Starts at home
A number of five-year-old children attacked me with broken glass bottles in a playground when I was 18 years old. You cannot do anything about it because then they go home crying and calling their big brothers, fathers and uncles who charge at you with golf sticks — I have witnessed that. So, it is down to the family of the children supporting these kinds of actions. My parents would punish me instead for creating trouble. They just need to be taught some moral values at home.
From Mr Prakhar
Dubai
Website comment

A green home
We keep educating our children on a regular basis about saving energy and conserving natural resources, especially water. We only use electrical appliances that have a good energy-saving rating. In summer we run air conditioning units at 24 degrees Celsius. All electrical appliances such as lights, the television and the computer are switched off when not required. Recycling or reusing products is practised whenever possible.
From Mr Ahmad Moazzam
Sharjah

More time
It is a good move from etisalat as tablet users are growing drastically around the world (‘Internet TV on tablets, PCs soon', Gulf News, April 27). In Dubai especially, people are travelling more on the Metro and using buses. Now, we will be able to watch our programmes on the move and not waste time at home watching movies. We can spend more time with our families this way. Keep it up etisalat!
From Mr Nazar V. K.
Dubai
Website comment

Different headquarters
The comment in Gulf News is incorrect (‘Justice finally for Sierra Leoneans', Gulf News, April 29). Charles Taylor committed his crimes in ‘Liberia' and not Sierra Leone. The United Nations (UN) tribunal is only headquartered in Sierra Leone just like the UN tribunal for the Rwandan genocide (ICTR) is headquartered in Arusha, Tanzania.
From Mr E. C.
UAE 

Editor's note: The Opinion section responded — What the reader is saying is incorrect. Though Charles Taylor is the former dictator of Liberia, he was convicted of war crimes committed in Sierra Leone. According to the verdict passed on Thursday by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Taylor was convicted for helping to ‘design' the strategy of repression that was implemented against civilians in Sierra Leone. This he did by bankrolling the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which carried out the crimes in Sierra Leone.

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