Life as a bird

Imagine if the human population was a 'bird' - in order for this so-called bird to soar and fly to heights beyond any limits, it is required that it flaps both its wings ("Women missing out on opportunities", Gulf News, September 30). However, the human race today is a "broken-winged bird" because of two main issues. First, women are not given equal opportunities as compared to men. Secondly, women don't seem to seek assistance when trying to solve such issues. It is crucial that both wings beat together, and when that happens, that is when equality between men and women is achieved, we will definitely see a population that soars to new heights. So, the next time a woman is refused a position or education due to her gender, I urge her to seek the assistance of enlightened individuals in order to come up with a lasting solution. This outlook not only assisted me with my family life, but actually made stepping stones out of otherwise drowning issues on a personal scale.
From Ms Verity H. Sobhani
Dubai
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Promote coeducation

I have been teaching in a high school, in Dubai for over 10 years now. For the past few years I have noticed that some young boys find it difficult to talk to girls. I believe that schools should follow a system of coeducation, so both boys and girl won't be as shy as they are now when they grow up. I hope the authorities take this into consideration.
From Ms Sandhya Menon
Dubai

Unacceptable service

My children attend one of the schools, which follow the Central Board of Secondary Examinations (CBSE) curriculum ('Asian schools face the litmus test', Gulf News, September 30). I know for a fact that the school does not maintain the quality, in terms of good teachers being recruited. They don't even make sure that the teachers are paid well enough in order to motivate them to provide quality education. I can in no way justify the fee hike the management is planning to have once the ratings are released. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) should not allow schools to raise their fees, no matter what their ratings might be, unless they are willing to allocate the extra income to either improve the facilities or pay higher salaries to the teachers. I am anxiously waiting to see the rating of my children's school, though I am almost certain that it may not fetch more than an 'unacceptable'.
From Ms Laxmi Nair
Dubai
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Shaping the future

While Gulf News' report said that most Asian schools are apprehensive about the upcoming school inspections, it would be interesting to know how the KHDA is planning to assess their quality of education. We need to understand that these schools provide affordable education to children from low-income groups and the services they offer would also be clipped due to the low tuition fees they charge. It would definitely be unfair to compare a school, which provides basic tuition and a handful of extra curricular activities to a school that has a swimming pool, football field and other facilities for its pupils. While these differences need to be factored in, I am hopeful that the inspections would force teachers in these schools to boost their standard of teaching. Too often there are incidents of teachers lumbering through the vast syllabus, with no in-depth knowledge of the subject they teach or a genuine passion for the profession itself. I hope the KHDA will reignite the passion among teachers with a true love for teaching, as it is definitely a joy and more importantly, the most significant phase in a person's life, as it moulds his or her character.
From Ms Amna Shareef
Dubai