"A teacher in my daughter's school committed suicide. They just bring these teachers and put them here," one parent told me, after hearing Dr Maryam Lootah's thoughts on the current state of UAE education.
Dr Lootah, an assistant professor of political science at UAE University, wasn't speaking of poetry, but her prose demanded applause from the audience. She gave a scathing assessment of the nation's historical trajectory of education and the widget-worker based economy, where the focus is on skills instead of character. She called for an end to the addiction to foreign consultants, teachers and curricula.
Overall, she seemed to speak for many in the audience who have had their fill of an education policy that has been marked by false starts and abrupt stops. It was evident that there were many in the packed audience who had been waiting to exhale as their voices were finally heard. Dr Lootah used the example of 2008's financial crisis, where "those same businessmen and bankers in London are looking to become teachers here". The implication was that the unscrupulous characters involved in banking may now be found in a school near you, teaching your children.
The trade-off between the UAE's emerging economy and national identity was, Dr Lootah said, nothing more than a rip off. Dr Ian Haslam, the vice chancellor of Emirates College of Advanced Education said it best: "If Australia needs to assess their education policies, they are not going to call some one from Britain or anywhere else to do it. They have the people to do it themselves." Given the political mood in the United States, one could just imagine what would happen if a contingent of educational consultants were sent in from the UAE.
Luckily, Emiratis are a kind people who take pride in their culture of hospitality. However, within Dr Lootah's talk, one could sense the beginnings of a revolt. As she spoke there was an icy chill in the back where a few westerners were sitting as still as mannequins, trying not to draw attention. I asked the panel; "What kind of training are these teachers and consultants getting when they come to the UAE, because the children are suffering?" I didn't get a response. It's not just about language, it's about values, and what one participant referred to as a "cultural tsunami".
Now there seems to be a generation of nationals with little or no experience of what it means to be Emirati, Muslim or Arab, with many getting by mostly on rumour and borrowed memories. They can't speak Arabic well, prefer English and in nearly all respects have lost their traditional character. Dr Lootah believes these students are an outcome of a tragedy and predicts that if the trend of importing foreign consultants is not stopped, it will lead to the erasure of Emiratis as a people. Ali al Saloom, of The National's Ask Ali column, once complained that for an Emirati to be accepted in expatriate circles, they must speak perfect English, rap, break-dance or mimic some sort of western behaviour.
Another effect of these policy changes is that imported teachers see Arab teachers as inferior, curtailing the efforts of Emiratisation. Students also adopt these attitudes, believing western teachers are better - and also, damagingly, that skin colour is an indicator of teaching ability. I know of an African American Muslim teacher who says that at the beginning of each year, parents come to meet her. And when they see her brown skin and abaya, they demand a transfer for their children.
This is not to say that those from the West are all bad, and in many ways, it's really a matter of learning about your environment and being respectful. Most people feel that it's unnecessary to explain to expatriates the values of UAE. In other cases it's the complete opposite; some Arabs want to mimic everything that is western, leaving their Arab-Islamic identity at home in the closet. For Dr Lootah, it seems that this last option is unacceptable.
Maryam Ismail is a sociologist based in the US and the UAE
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Imperial%20Island%3A%20A%20History%20of%20Empire%20in%20Modern%20Britain
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
UAE%20PREMIERSHIP
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
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EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Super Saturday race card
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.