Invest in teachers and you invest in students
It is not only the time teachers spend in the classroom, but the paperwork, administration responsibilities, juggling acts of marking, planning, reporting and lesson planning that is making teaching burdensome. The situation has become so dire that teachers are pushed to the breaking point. They are overworked and underpaid, always under scrutiny with unrealistic dedication and undue expectations and it’s making them into emotional wrecks.
With all the paper work and administrative duties, the real teaching and teacher-student bonds are diminishing slowly. The workload is too much and the meagre remuneration is leaving them literally no time for the job they love - to actually teach their students. The situation has worsened for the last few years.
Teachers are the builders of future generations. Less pay and overwork is making them stressed and strained. Employers and professional bodies ought to take some constructive steps to better teachers’ work life. A healthy work atmosphere and a good pay scale is bound to give teachers real job satisfaction, which will certainly improve education standards and help in the blooming and blossoming of the young generation.
From Ms Jayashree Kulkarni
Abu Dhabi
Push alternative energy!
Energy transformation is needed at a faster rate, owing to our technological developments (‘Letters to the editor: Implement new approaches to transportation’, Gulf News, January 15). First of all, we need energy meet our technology requirements. In the Gulf, especially, we can make use of solar energy to a greater extent. I doubt whether it is seriously thought of at the industrial level. If not, it is ideal to start as soon as possible. Give an ultimatum to the industry’s biggest companies, such that 60 per cent of the electricity shall be made through solar. Places like gas station, shopping malls, villas and hotels should use solar energy.
Windmills are another source of energy. Gulf countries can easily make use of the energy from windmills. Residential areas in clusters can utilise the windmill energy. If windmill energy is made available to free zone industry. Nuclear energy is another option. Of course it is available for larger sections if a plant is made but the environmental issue should be thoroughly looked into.
Consumers will be happy to use alternate energy if supply is continuous.
From Mr Prabhakaran Adiyodi
Chennai, India
Many promises recently
Energy conversion is needed now for betterment of the environment and for peaceful living. Already in the Paris Climate Change Summit, many countries have agreed to cooperate to create a better environment. Some oil companies and corporate companies have come forward for the conversion of their products for the environment. Many countries have positive views on this. We will have to wait and see the real happenings.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Bengaluru, India
Strict policies needed
In my opinion, companies, governments and consumers all play equally important roles in energy transformation for bettering the environment. As it’s already very late and we have abused our Mother Earth to the maximum, we need responsible governments who implement strict rules and regulations on environmental policies. Only those companies who correctly follow the necessary environmental protection factors should get a licence to operate. But, most importantly, it is the basic mindset of the common people that needs a major overhaul. Each and every one of us should make it our primary responsibility to be environmentally friendly in every aspect of our lives and we must teach our children to follow suit. The most paramount place in our syllabus should be given to environmental education.
From Ms Sajida Kamal
Abu Dhabi
Ambitious goals
The Paris agreement saw governments from both rich and poor across the world voluntarily agree to a binding commitment to keep the temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
In order to attain this goal, a well-planned reduction in carbon emissions along with a large scale switch to renewable energy must be assiduously pursued in both developed and developing nations, bearing in mind national targets.
The fact that developing nations will not have time to indiscriminately industrialise now and make reparations later, emphasises the importance of investing in the cost-cutting, efficient renewable technologies developed so far. Moving forward in that direction also provides them with more potential for large scale growth and development.
Though goals for energy transformation are ambitious, they can be achieved through the systematic and sustained implementation of policies involving governments, industries and members of the community that quickly cover a large area.
From Ms Aasha Eapen
UAE
Restrict smoking
Although we all know that smoking kills, this poison is available in every small grocery (‘Smoking to kill 8 million a year by 2030’, Gulf News, January 11). Consumers are to be blamed, but compared to other restricted substances, how can they allow this poison to be sold so easily everywhere?
From Mr Sanjeewa Marasinghe
UAE
Facebook comment
Ban isn’t possible
I can’t comment on that much, Mr Sanjeewa Marasinghe, but various governments such as the UK’s promote anti-smoking via laws and media. But I think that if any country completely banned smoking, we’d see a lot of very angry people. Considering the amount of smokers there are in the world, it’s not possible.
From Mr Myles Sant-Cassia
Oxford, UK
Facebook comment
Confident in abilities!
Kudos to Hashim Amla for joining the elite club of seven world class cricketers who has scored a ton on their hundredth Test match (‘South Africa pounce to put Sri Lanka in familiar bother’, Gulf News, January 14). With regards Amla, this century will weigh more than his maiden century, as this has come after his wretched form during the past 10 innings. We are confident that he will utilise this chance to make his hundredth Test more memorable with a double ton. Well done, Amla, keep it up!
From Mr N. Mahadevan
Mylapore, India
Accept life’s evils
Just because you choose to ignore the evils in the world won’t make them go away, which is why it’s important to show these videos when they come out, like the one in this report about child abuse (‘Mum pleads online for her baby’s safety’, Gulf News, January 12). People need to know the evil that exists around them or do the realities of this video mess with your daily routine too much?
From Mr Faiz Seitz
UAE
Facebook comment
Raising awareness
I agree that we can’t ignore these videos. This is the reality – not a reality show. There is a mother out there devastated by how her baby’s father is treating his one-month-old daughter. This is real life. The video is raising awareness. It’s real news. That man could be your neighbour, your husband, your uncle, your driver or your chai-wala. It could be someone you know. It’s ridiculous to think that not posting the video makes life simpler.
From Ms Ineke D’Souza
Dubai
Facebook comment
Punishable
This man needs to be locked up for how he is hurting this little baby! If there is evidence and the authorities know who he is, then he should be behind bars? It’s a cowardly act to hit a baby.
From Ms Chantyl Daniells
Dubai
Facebook comment
Unstable person
First he should be counselled. It seems he is a mentally ill person. If a person is unable to take care of such a small child, how he can be of sound mind? Let it be clear to all that children are not animals. Just because they cannot speak or fight doesn’t mean they can be ill-treated. Shame on all those fathers who hit their children, especially this person.
From Ms Nima Unr
UAE
Facebook comment
Requires actions
This is horrible! I hope that the baby is okay and in someone else’s custody now. Something needs to be done immediately in these circumstances. This is ridiculous.
From Ms Sangeeta Kumar D’Souza
Dubai
Facebook comment
Provoking a response
The reactions on social media is exactly the intention behind publishing this video. To provoke outrage so the father of this child will be held responsible and made to face the consequences. If we don’t expose these things, the perpetrators carry on with their cruelty unchecked.
From Ms June Milne
UAE
Facebook comment
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