Parents differ on Adec's bill rule for registering pupils
Abu Dhabi schools asking for utility bills baffles parents (May 10) made interesting reading.
I congratulate the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and all the Government ministries in Abu Dhabi for bringing some order to our daily lives.
The Department of Transport, for example, keeps increasing the number of public buses and routes. Abu Dhabi Municipality has forced age-old grocery stores, some of which sold expired foodstuffs and had rats, to renovate. Meanwhile the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority checks supermarkets, butcher shops and restaurants.
The general public takes all this for granted.
And so I am glad that Adec is taking steps to assure complete records of students.
As a parent it took me less than a minute to make copies of our bill for the children to take to their schools. After all, we should cooperate with the authorities to improve society.
Also, ADEC's recent parent surveys are a great way of involving parents in the education process.
Olavo Fernandes, Abu Dhabi
Adec's sudden requirement cannot be understood by most parents. What impact does it have on schools or students?
Amnir Nawaz, Abu Dhabi
Vote in Pakistan was not flawless
It is, indeed, another sad day in the turbulent and corruption-ridden history of Pakistan (Nawaz Sharif declares victory in Pakistan election after early results, May 12).
The Election Commission and the Supreme Court (SC) miserably failed to ensure transparent, free and fair elections and a rigged and predetermined result was blatantly orchestrated and delivered with the collusion of the media and the status quo nexus of the corrupt.
All constitutional requirements were violated in the screening process of the candidates as also the nonimplementation of SC judgements and the right to vote for overseas Pakistanis.
Pakistan is not Punjab alone and the federation has been weakened by the ascent of the Taliban-backed parties.
Mohammad Hamza, Dubai
Other ways to discipline pupils
I refer to Corporal punishment ban makes discipline 'almost impossible' say UAE teachers (May 7).
Welcome to how teachers in the US and other countries have taught for in many cases the whole of the past 50 years.
Adults don't have to physically abuse a child in order to enforce discipline.
There are other ways.
Teri Adams, Dubai
Girls need to get their exercise
I was struck by your report that a Saudi Arabian law allowing girls to play sports could create more problems (May 6).
With all respect to cultural and religious practices, I must say that I don't understand why there should be such resistance to the idea of girls and women getting exercise.
It seems to me that if this sort of sport and fitness-related activity is limited, there is danger of a generation of couch potatoes being created.
Jeff Taylor, Dubai
Use a sliding scale for sick day pay
Here's a suggestion in connection with the story Want to call in sick? You'll pay for it as new Dubai law comes into force today (April 30).
What about making employees pay according to their ability, instead of everyone paying at the same rate for a sick-day note? That would make things fairer.
For examples, CEOs would pay the most, managers a little less, and part time or lower-paid employees should pay the least.
Name withheld by request
Focus on better football quality
This is about your sports column Bitter rivalry between Al Ahli and Al Ain actually good for UAE football (May 5).
Perhaps if the local league signed players like Luis Suarez then people would want to turn up and watch.
Right now, in my opinion the standard - rivalry or not - is about the same as the English League Two. Few are going to want to stand in the heat to watch that.
Irwin Fletcher, Dubai
Direct deposits for domestic staff
I have a comment on the story 'Big player' recruiters in the UAE comply with minimum wage rules for Filipina maids (May 12).
Simply requiring that all maid salaries be paid into UAE bank accounts would go a long way to ensuring that everyone doing this work was paid, and paid the minimum wage.
Peter Nixon, Abu Dhabi