Should we favour Arabic or English in our schools?

Readers discuss whether Arabic, English or both should be favoured in UAE schools. Other topics: Mussaffah fire, Helpling service and Indian budget.

Readers ask whether Arabic, English or both deserve preference in UAE schools. Silvia Razgova / The National

As your editorial argues (Emirati children must know their mother tongue, March 3), there is a risk of Arabic becoming a second language.

However there is another side to this, which was demonstrated to me recently by a scene in a private hospital. An Emirati below the age of 30 asked, in Arabic, when he would be seen. The nurse answered in English that she did not speak Arabic.

He then complained that we are not in the UK or America and the staff should speak Arabic. I agree with him. Those who are coming here should learn Arabic – it’s not for the local to be obliged to speak English.

Mariyah Fatoom, Dubai

Learning Arabic is certainly a good thing, but when the same students pursue the studies internationally, their lack of ability at English often means they feel lost and humiliated.

So long as you are in the GCC, Arabic is fine. But internationally, you don’t stand a chance, so Arabic and English should both be emphasised.

However, I do not see why there should be a rule for all expatriates to learn Arabic. For many of them, it will be of no use.

Shiraz Mehta Sethna, Dubai

As a parent who was excited to give my children an amazing education in this beautiful country and knowing they would be learning a second and third language, I can safely say that until schools hire staff who actually want to teach our children Arabic, I don’t believe it will make a difference.

My children are being shown cartoons in Arabic each lesson. We should all try to learn about the culture in which we find ourselves living, but how is this teaching method going to teach them the core concepts of the language to build upon?

Diana Phelps, Dubai

Blaze continues to blight lives

Your story, One of the 11 men killed in Mussaffah blaze was to be married (March 3), demonstrates the true scale of this tragedy.

There were countless dreams, hopes and promises that were affected by this fire. All this stresses the importance of stricter enforcement of the laws preventing landlords and building owners from renting out spaces illegally.

The authorities should ensure that all residential buildings comply to the safety standards and are equipped to tackle emergencies like this one.

This incident also emphasises the need for safe but affordable housing for labourers on modest incomes who struggle to make ends meet and have dependants to feed back home.

I hope the families of those who died will receive compensation quickly. But regardless of the money, their loss remains irreplaceable.

Fatima Suhail, Sharjah

I need to know my cleaner

Your story, Helpling, the Uber for cleaners, hopes for a clean sweep in the UAE (March 3), fails to address the differences between this and Uber.

Booking a taxi is very different from inviting somebody into your home. I personally need my cleaner to be the same person, with whom I can build trust and who over a period of time gets to know my personal preferences.

Janet Cox, Dubai

I think this service will be great. Because it’s online, there will be no misunderstanding caused by accent about the location or details.

Marina Bhandari, Dubai

Indian budget is still to be proven

In reference to your editorial, Indian budget far from being revolutionary (March 2), my view is that the budget has been generally hailed as progressive yet has many hidden weaknesses.

The finance minister, Arun Jaitley, has not increased any obvious income taxes but the increase in service tax by almost 2 per cent will erode the incomes of citizens.

While his efforts to control the deficit at around 3.4 per cent are laudable, in practice this might not be easy with the government aiming to launch major infrastructure projects in the coming fiscal year.

The assumed inflation target of five per cent will have to be monitored closely. Due to weak logistics and hoarding, it is difficult to control prices in India, even when there is abundant production. Inflation in India is principally commodity-led and as long as there is wastage and price manipulation, inflation will not be controlled.

Finally, there is no focus on population control. India will be the world’s most populous country by 2020 and has to make a determined bid to control its population or its resources will keep being stretched.

Rajendra K. Aneja, Dubai