Parent says school fees should be linked to facilities

A reader praises the new school buses in Abu Dhabi but worries about fee increases. Other topics: the death penalty for gang rapists, the Hard Rock Cafe and India's new central bank boss.

A reader praises the new school buses but worries about fees. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

Abu Dhabi's new yellow school buses are very good (New safety rules start for school bus fleet, September 9).

The buses are more spacious and comfortable, and the cameras will make them safer.

The Abu Dhabi EducationCouncil (Adec) has also been doing a good job to improve the education standards at schools and to ensure that students benefit from good facilities.

As a parent, only one thing bothers me: will there be any additional cost for all these facilities? My children’s school fees have almost doubled since they started and I am now wondering if the bus fees will increase too.

Schooling has become very expensive and we spend a huge chunk of our income on it. In spite of all the measures taken by the government, I think we are paying more than the value of the facilities and the standard of education our children are getting in most schools.

I hope Adec will look into the issue of school fees. The fee structure should match the facilities the schools provide.

Sneha Shruti, Abu Dhabi

Cafe’s woes may be of its making

Hard Rock's demise a sad sign of the times (September 9), about the demise of the iconic cafe in Lebanon, was beautifully written.

However, I wonder how much of this closure can be attributed to a Hard Rock problem rather than a Beirut problem.

According to an online list, 70 Hard Rock Cafes around the world have closed.

Habib Battah, Abu Dhabi

Different views on the death penalty

I refer to Death for Indian gang rapists (September 14).

Given the gravity of the shocking incident of December 16, 2012, everyone wanted justice to be delivered at the earliest possible time, and for every effort to be made to avoid similar incidents.

The judge’s decision to hang the four men convicted of the Delhi rape and murder truly reflects the anger of the Indian public.

At the same time, there have been several debates in the past about the death penalty. On one occasion, retired judges called for its elimination, arguing that the degradation of people by the law belongs to the Stone Age.

It has been argued that practicing the norms of the past jeopardises the societal and cultural achievements of the modern era. Indeed, many countries around the world are joining hands against capital punishment.

The agony of those who are sentenced to death, waiting for the gallows doors to open, is beyond the comprehension of most human beings.

The most painful scenario occurs when the death sentence is postponed several times, forcing a scenario which one lawyer has described as “virtually killing the convict every day”. Such action should be considered abusive.

Together with the millions of supporters of Amnesty International, my conscience cannot allow me to accept capital punishment. I consider it an unethical act of aggression that is against the values of humanity.

Being a nation with a rich cultural heritage, India should not implement the death penalty.

It is high time for a review of the statute book.

Ramachandran Nair, Oman

Even though some sections of Indian society did not expect or want this sentence, the severity of this brutal crime means the judge made the right decision.

This sentence should be an eye-opener to all others who would commit sex crimes.

Kudos to the court.

K Ragavan, India

India’s bank chief is not a magician

The “Rajan Effect” is waning after the initial euphoria of Raghuram Rajan’s appointment as governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

It was naive of Indians to greet Mr Rajan as if he were a famous magician like Harry Houdini or PC Sarkar (Indian bank chief given film-star welcome, September 6).

In fact, he even warned that he does not have a magic wand.

Yet, after he took over on September 4, there was knee-jerk activity. Improvements in the trade deficit, the value of the rupee, share market indices and gold prices were all attributed to his arrival on the stage. Factually, each improvement had its own reasons.

It is too early to start celebrations, but certainly Mr Rajan’s appointment has brought some hope and promise.

His success will depend upon how well he works with the Finance Ministry in New Delhi.

CS Pathak, India