Tag Archives: dubai
Security clearance not needed for government jobs
Security clearance not needed for government jobs Mustafa Al Zarooni / 23 April 2013 The Federal Supreme Court has ruled as unconstitutional Circular No. 5 issued by the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources on May 4, 2009 stipulating prior approval from the security authorities for employment procedures in government departments, Chief Justice Dr Abdul Wahab Al Abdool told Khaleej Times. The apex court gave this ruling on Monday in a lawsuit filed against the circular by a lawyer on behalf of some persons who were affected adversely. The circular was addressed to all ministries and federal government entities, asking them to seek the consent of the security authorities before finalising the posting procedures in white-collar jobs. According to the circular, these entities must refer the files for clearance of the persons for appointment, promotion, deputation, secondment, study leave, annual leave, maternity leave and reinstatement to the competent security entity for approval. In comment to the court judgment, judge Dr Jamal Al Sumaiti, Director-General of Dubai Judicial Institute, said: “The ruling is an evidence to the integrity of the Emirati judiciary.” He described the ruling as a historic one, which boosts the stature of judiciary and confirms that no one can interfere in the course of judiciary. “Security entities are looking at maintaining security by all means, and the role of judiciary is to issue the order,” he said, adding that, the constitution is the law that lays the general rules for the Emiratis and expatriates as well as the properties. Dr Sumaiti said: “Those affected by the circular should prove the ensuing damage as the civil dealings law stipulates compensation for such damage. Any person who was inflicted a damage should resort to court and prove it.” Zayed Saeed Al Shamsi, Chairman of the UAE Lawyers and Jurists Association, said he could not comment on the ruling, and he should follow the judicial verdicts. “The UAE is a state of law, and the ruling of the administrative and the constitutional circuit in the supreme federal court is final in such cases.” There are many circulars and decrees which were previously revoked and this ruling was new in the country, and the legislative entity should amend its legislations in a way that comply with the laws, he explained. malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
New standards for CBSE schools
New standards for CBSE schools Dhanusha Gokulan / 23 April 2013 Will all schools following the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) eventually have to undergo a process of transition into the new CBSE-i syllabus? Maybe, yes. Officials from the Indian board have suggested that as part of their ongoing quality assurance programme, every school affiliated to the Indian board, will eventually have to let go of the current system and adapt to the ‘text-book free, interactive learning’ curriculum. Officials also confirmed that all schools across the globe, affiliated to the CBSE, would have to undergo an accreditation process subscribed by the board in the next three years. If the schools do not come up to the prescribed standards in the next five years, they could face disaffiliation from the board. Speaking to media persons at the fourth annual CBSE-i Teachers Training Programme hosted by The Millennium School, Dubai, Dr Sadhana Parasher, Director of Academic Research and Training, CBSE said the process would be made mandatory for all CBSE-affiliated schools. The director explained that eventually all CBSE affiliated schools will have to adapt to the CBSE-i curriculum, which only comes as a means to raise the standards of education. “There are many parallel processes going on within the CBSE and there is something called accreditation of schools that we have introduced. The accreditation comes as a part of quality assurance. Once the accreditation of all CBSE schools is complete, there will have to be some kind of raising the bar in terms of quality. Then, we will look at the transition from CBSE to CBSE-i,” said Dr Parashar. “The process has already been implemented and this year CBSE is going to take a tough stance in accreditation of schools. Twelve agencies are working with us on this.” CBSE-i fee structure Since the curriculum demands more in terms of infrastructure, the fees in CBSE-i schools are slightly higher than the fee structure in CBSE schools. Clarifying doubts on the claims of the higher fee structure for the CBSE-i curriculum, Dr Parasher said: “Every CBSE-i school will have to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the board. One of the clauses of the MOU is that the fee charged to the students should be in consultation with the parent body. CBSE cannot get into defining the fee because there are too many types of schools that we are affiliated to. But schools will be allowed to charge fees only with the consent of the parent body.” Syllabus Last year, a few schools in Dubai had discontinued the CBSE-i curriculum stating that there was lack of proper study material. Dr Parashar clarified that all study material, for both teachers and students, has been made available online. Under the CBSE-i curriculum, all learning content is divided into student’s manual and teacher’s manual. “Student manuals are not as content-heavy as the teachers’ manual, but they have several worksheets,” said Dr Parashar. Other experts stressed that the syllabus is not prescriptive, but indicative in nature. “After the introduction of the CBSE-i syllabus, we realised that the parents definitely want something more. Indian parents are very involved with the education of their kids. We don’t want to give them complete textbooks, but students will be provided with student modules, which are worksheets. However, the detailed content is available in the teachers manual,” said Parashar. Sixteen schools, of which eleven were from the GEMS group, took part in the workshop. dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Call to cut power, water use
Call to cut power, water use Salah Al Deberky / 23 April 2013 “We are, to a great extent, responsible for the rise in gas emissions causing global warming, due to excessive exploitation of resources and irrational practices,” the Minister of Environment and Water, Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahd said. He noted that the household sector in the UAE alone consumes about 37 per cent of power energy and 27 per cent of water, a large rate which could be slashed through simple practices. He was speaking during the Earth Day celebrations held at the Dubai National School, Al Barsha, on Monday. The occasion focused on climate change and its adverse impacts on human and animal life as well as the different eco-systems. Bin Fahd said that the issue of climate change had gained global attention in the last two decades. “Hundreds of conferences and gatherings are being held, and hundreds of international reports are being issued warning people of its effects,” he said. “Global warming is, in fact, a natural and necessary phenomenon for the continuity of life on earth, yet delay in curbing it has led to what is known as the change of climate leading to a rise in temperature,” he said adding that it had very dangerous repercussions on life. Several natural calamities witnessed in different parts of the world are attributed to the change in climate he said. Bin Fahd enumerated the efforts taken by the UAE in curbing the phenomenon. The government had made huge financial investments among which, is adopting the option of renewable energy, nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and using the produced energy for sea water desalination, water treatment, and other purposes instead of using oil and gas. By 2020, the renewable and nuclear energy are expected to meet one third of our needs for energy, thereby reducing emissions of global warming gases, he said. The UAE has also pursued the green building approach by implementing standards in building construction in a way that ensures maximum saving of energy, water and other resources. He stressed his confidence in students saying that they are the hope of the future. He said he looked forward to seeing their sense of awareness on practical issues and lifestyle, as it is the optimal way for conserving the environment to make it a safe place to live. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
