Local produce preferable to imported items

A reader hails supermarkets' decision to display rejected local fruits and vegetable. Other topics: schoolchildren, language, tipping,

A reader hails the idea of supermarkets displaying rejected local vegetable. Antonie Robertson / The National

Letters to the Editor

I was happy to learn that locally grown organic fruit and vegetables, usually rejected by supermarkets because they don't look good, would be displayed in separate aisles (Imperfect fruit and vegetables headed to UAE's supermarkets, October 20).

It will be good for both farmers and consumers. I always prefer local over imported produce.

Nicole Reischl Hughes, Abu Dhabi

Teachers are taken for a ride

Things are not good about the modern education system (Teachers who assault students should face criminal charges, say experts, October 20).

These days a teacher cannot even scold a child. I think this is completely wrong. They have the right to discipline children, but certainly they should not cross the limit. It is because of these prohibitions that teachers are often taken for a ride by children.

Furthermore, many children lack basic manners and etiquette these days as parents cannot devote enough time to them.

The only place they can learn those things is the school. Teachers need some liberty to be able to mould their students.

Matthew Litty, Dubai

Some children are absolutely out of control. I know of situations where teachers beg for parents to be contacted and nothing is done within the schools to address the behaviour in a positive manner, then accusations are made about the teachers.

Some teachers are moved from orderly environments to horrid classes that have had no teachers for months.

The boys are rude and disrespectful as they get older. There is no recourse and there are cases when students lie and administrators have misrepresented injuries made by students as being made by teachers. Can educators sue the children, their parents and administrators for fraud and assault when cases occur that have been incorrect? (After all the careers of those who have been accused without video evidence have been put at risk.)

Name withheld by request

Hindi and Urdu are useful, too

I believe Hindi and Urdu are some of the most prominent languages in the UAE and they dominate so many language-domains of everyday life and values that we experience in the country (Online animations to help expats learn Emirati Arabic dialect, October 20).

On practical grounds, it makes sense for an expatriate spending time in the UAE, for whatever duration, to acquire a working knowledge of Hindi or Urdu since they are the common tongue and even understood by many local Arabs, some of whom have studied in India.

Timothy Holmes, Ajman

Abolish tipping, improve wages

I usually tip generously (Let's rethink the rules of tipping, October 19).

However, friends who are chefs recently pointed out to me that the kitchen staff work every bit as hard and under more difficult conditions for less pay, yet they don’t receive tips for their efforts.

If we are to continue tipping, I would prefer a staff pool that exempts management and is equally shared by all on duty over a given shift.

The truly equitable approach would be to abolish tipping, improve wages across all restaurant workers and increase food costs.

If we have a problem, we should take it up with the management, as we do in any other business, and vote with our feet – if the food or service is not good, we simply won’t return.

Elan Fabbri, Dubai

Most hotels and restaurants here add 10 per cent service to the bill, so I do not feel obligated to leave any tip.

Sami K, Dubai