Education doesn’t have to be expensive
Sending children to school has become a nightmare for many parents (‘Dubai schools can increase fee by up to 4.8%’, Gulf News, February 20). Fees are being hiked every year and it is a serious burden on the budgets of many parents living here. The cost of living is high, rents are increasing, medical expenses are also on the higher side and, to top it all, every year, there is a fee hike in schools. Is there proof that students are getting better education with these new prices? Has the quality of teaching become better?
How can a salaried individual with two or more children afford this fees? Is it fair? A lot of questions arise when one hears of fee hikes. Please, let’s be fair.
From Ms Mohana Iyer
UAE
We are shocked
It was shocking for parents to read about the fee hike in schools. We can’t even afford the current fees. Please, the authorities need to look into this matter. Otherwise, so many children won’t be able to attend schools. Parents cannot afford the fee and rent rates.
From Ms Habeeba Salim
UAE
Hard to manage
Every year, rent increases and school fees increase, and it’s becoming very difficult and expensive to raise two children while being the only breadwinner in a family. It’s too big of a burden.
From Ms Sunita Asrani
UAE
Facebook comment
Fees continue to rise
When my child was in kindergarten level one, I saw that there was a Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) inspection going on. As I was new to all this, I took the time to express my concerns regarding fee hikes in the survey that they had mailed to all the parents. The fees just keep increasing.
From Ms Riya Allen
UAE
Facebook comment
Protecting us all
What an operation, within 48 hours (‘Gang arrested for robbing Dh3.6 million in Dubai’, Gulf News, February 20)! Hats off to Dubai Police. I always wonder at and admire UAE’s authorities and how effectively and efficiently they are ensuring the safety of everyone in a country, which is home to people from hundreds of different nationalities.
From Mr Ashiq Ariejeel
UAE
Facebook comment
Accepting health cards
Most companies are deducting money from employees in order to arrange health insurance cards (‘Dubai mandatory health insurance deadline extended to March 31’, Gulf News, February 20). Most hospitals won’t be accepting these cards. The authorities need to impose one rule for all. We need a system for the entire country.
From Mr M. Kamil Orakzai
UAE
Facebook comment
End of an era
Pakistan’s legendary cricketer Shahid Afridi has ended his illustrious, but controversial, 21-year career (‘Pakistan legend Afridi announces international retirement’, Gulf News, February 21). He was a bowling prodigy and was instrumental in Pakistan’s early successes in the Twenty-20 (T20), including their 2009 victory. He played 398 One Day Internationals with 8,064 runs and a highest score of 124 while taking 395 wickets with his leg spin. His illustrious T20 international career saw him play 98 matches with 1,405 runs and 97 wickets. An era comes to an end.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Mala, India
Lost its charm
How many times does this man get to retire? Tomorrow, he will join the cricket team again, but nevertheless, I have been a fan of Afridi since I was a child. Now, these kinds of players have lost their charm due to the change in rules.
From Mr Ranjan Kumar Rath
UAE
Facebook comment
Give it a rest
It seems that taking a selfie is actually quite a dangerous endeavour (‘Man taking selfie among seven dead in Iran storms’, Gulf News, February 20). Many people have died while doing so. There have been a few tragic news stories about selfie deaths in the past, but until now, it hasn’t been so clear exactly how rife the selfie death phenomenon really is. You may be more afraid of sharks than selfies, but which, is actually more deadly?
To overcome the habit of taking selfies and avoid developing an addiction, we have to get involved in healthier activities. We should avoid using filters on our photographs, because filters are fake. No matter how well you edit your selfie, it will always remain false. The selfie craze will automatically come to an end if you avoid thinking too much about your looks.
From Ms Megna Rajagopal
UAE
Facebook comment
A symbolic project
It was interesting to read about the particulars of the UAE’s ambitious 2117 Mars project (‘Poll analysis: Would you live on Mars?’, Gulf News, February 17). Even surprising was the fact that more than 70 per cent of votes were cast in favour of ‘no’ in the Gulf News poll. But, being given the whimsical choice of whether to go or not, overlooks the fact that the crew must be very well equipped to survive in such a hostile environment. They must have a great deal of expertise in the fields of aeronautics, medicine, physics, environmental and space sciences. Also, they should be physically and mentally fit, friendly, social and be able to bear this great responsibility. It would require myriad skills and would easily help them achieve a very successful life on Earth. A greater ambition would be to develop these skills among the population by assigning a fixed deadline. This would be a great stride forward, towards the development of scientific and social capacities of the population. The Mars 2117 project would achieve the dual objective of improving quality of life on Earth and spreading it beyond this planet. A project symbolic of Emirati ambition and determination.
From Mr Ali Asgar
Sharjah
A promising start to 2017
It’s not every day that we count our blessings, but 2017 has had a really good start for positivity in the UAE. Just look at the weather, for instance. In a place known to be a hot and dry desert, we have had such pleasant weather. It’s just got the correct amount of wind and clouds to keep everyone cheerful.
A huge wave of creativity has also arrived in the UAE, thanks to the climate. A huge number of marathons have sprung up, bringing out people’s competitive spirit. Many obstacle course races have also contributed in putting UAE residents to the test.
How can we talk about advancements without acknowledging the technical achievements at the start of the year? The race for space exploration has begun with the launch of the UAE’s first nano-satellites, which was a joint collaboration of Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBSRC) and the American University of Sharjah (AUS). With the success of this project, another ambitious project — Mars 2117 — was also announced! It’s a vision for the next century. That’s how farsighted the UAE is aiming to be. The year has just begun and everything is set in place for a wonderful year ahead, so let’s wait and watch.
From Mr Arif Mohammad
UAE
Wisdom is hard to come by
Is this what it looks like when leaders, who are meant to promote peace and unity, end up becoming the same people causing division and hate among the people they are meant to lead (‘Wilders at election campaign launch says to crack down on ‘Moroccan scum’, Gulf News, February 19)? Wisdom in this day and age of human civilisation is hard to come by, but it’s easy to find in young children! The older people get, it seems the more foolish they become. It was foretold that in these times, the old will look to the young for wisdom and it’s happening!
From Ms Cassandra Sandra
UAE
Facebook comment
No shame
It is extremely sad that such incidences continue to occur, constantly emphasising the need for parents and guardians to keep an eye on their children in the presence of workers in the house (‘Worker denies kissing girl in her bedroom’, Gulf News, February 19). However, what is the most disappointing is the fact that children as young as eight, or even younger, are no longer safe in their own homes due to such men who have absolutely no shame in committing such crimes.
From Ms Fatima Suhail
Ajman
Facebook comment
No excuse!
It’s shocking! How are people are defending the perpetrator and are talking about educating or developing awareness among the labours?
He claimed he kissed the girl on the lips. Enough said! I can understand that staying away from family and children can have adverse effects on people, but that does not mean they can treat anyone as their own.
From Mr Jason Dalmeida
Dubai
Facebook comment
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