DUBAI // The new legislation to protect children from abuse and neglect instructs schools to look out for troubled pupils and has a long-term focus on removing the stigma from depression and mental health issues.
If suicidal tendencies are spotted in young people or a suicide note is discovered, school staff must immediately alert the authorities and parents, according to the law enforced this month that applies to children up to the age of 18.
Parents and experts welcomed the law and called for in-depth training of teachers.
“It is important that schools advise children on how to manage stress and provide increased levels of support and counselling services to help children during difficult periods. Schools can work collaboratively with parents supporting children during stressful times,” said Dr Yaseen Aslam, consultant psychiatrist and medical director of Lighthouse Arabia.
“It’s absolutely fantastic the new legislation explicitly mentions these factors so parents, teachers and counsellors can be educated about signs and symptoms of common psychiatric disorders that can occur in children, about signs of risk that trigger alarm bells so children can be supported and teachers are aware of what to look out for.
“We should have the right support structures and mechanism in place to make children feel they can always approach somebody to discuss and share their inner feelings.”
Highlighting the suicide of Indian teenager Abhimanyu Sadasivan two years ago, government officials have said that, under the new law, the school would be held accountable if parents and authorities were not informed about a pupil’s suicide note.
Abhimanyu, 16, who attended the Indian High School in Dubai, hanged himself on March 2, 2014, five days after writing a lengthy suicide note on a chemistry exam paper in which he detailed the pressures of the Indian Central Board of Secondary education system.
When he did not appear for a maths test on March 2, his parents were called to the school and told that teachers were waiting for him to ask him about the note. Abhimanyu’s body was found in the family’s Sharjah apartment by police.
“It would be a lot different with the new law because it would have been the duty of the school teacher to raise the alarm with the school headmaster,” said Khaled Al Kamda, director general of the Community Development Authority, the principal body overseeing child rights’ protection.
“By law, they would have to report that the child needs help. Not acting on the message is really something the law takes seriously. It comes to the point of negligence, that the signs that caused the child to commit suicide were neglected. It was the responsibility of the headmaster and teacher to talk to the parents and have a serious session with the student immediately. They should have taken measures to read the message properly and act on it.”
The school did not respond to requests for comment.
Training teachers is vital, said Lisa Barfoot-Smith, mother of Louis Smith, 15, a pupil at the British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi who took his own life in 2013.
His parents set up the Louis Smith Foundation to support teenagers struggling with depression.
“Mental health issues, in general, are debilitating and, if these issues are raised, it can help save a child’s life. If every school is able to do this and monitor students that they think have issues, talk to parents, talk to the child and refer them on to any other help, then it is a fantastic thing.”
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Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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Netherlands v UAE, Twenty20 International series
Saturday, August 3 - First T20i, Amstelveen
Monday, August 5 – Second T20i, Amstelveen
Tuesday, August 6 – Third T20i, Voorburg
Thursday, August 8 – Fourth T20i, Vooryburg