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Handwriting skills, a dying art? Dhanusha Gokulan / 10 May 2013 With letter writing becoming an obsolete art thanks to ubiquitous devices like the iPad, handwriting skills among children are becoming progressively worse, according to teachers, counsellors, and parents. However, students themselves do not appear concerned saying that handwriting serves little function except during exams. “Who writes now? We type, use our mobile phones and tablets to make notes and to-do lists. Of course, it is still important, but I think even teachers now pay more attention to the actual content than the presentation of it,” said Raina Sayed, 16, a student from Dubai International Academy . Counselling head of department for grades KG, 1 and 2 at Dubai’s JSS School, Vineeta Kapoor said there was formerly a lot of emphasis on the structure of writing and not so much the content. “However now, learning has become more activity based. It’s all about learning by fun and you let the child focus more on thinking and enquiring and more on the content. Handwriting has become less of a priority.” She suggested that one reason why writing had taken a back seat could be because the practice of writing letters had become outdated. “Letter writing has become obsolete. It’s mostly about emails now. There are several changes in education itself. These children who are in KG today, coming out of technology, how much paper are they using,” Kapoor said. “In traditional schools, the child is more focused on writing. Creativity in content is more important than the presentation itself. But even parents are using iPads and memo pads to make lists. However, schools are still encouraging children to write on special writing and cursive handwriting books, just so that the habit does not die down.” Parents of seven-year-old Gavin Fernandes said they had invested hundreds of dirhams in cursive handwriting books for their son. “But his handwriting still looks like hieroglyphics,” joked his father, Trevor Fernandes , a resident of Dubai and a media professional. “But when it comes to using the keypad or the typing board, I have not seen Gavin do anything faster. The younger generation is just faster at picking up such things.” Gavin’s sister Pearl , 12, however, has neat, legible handwriting. “Sometimes to encourage Gavin , I tell the kids that the neatest handwriting will win a brand new pencil box. Gavin puts in effort only on the first six lines of the page, after which, it goes back to looking like hieroglyphics. I guess as long as his teachers understand him, it is all right,” said Fernandes . Some experts also recommend that students need to be motivated and encouraged by their teachers into the habit of writing neatly and legibly. Eight-year-old Madhavi Kesavan , a student at Kings Dubai, possesses excellent handwriting skills, according to her mother, Anasuya Kesavan . “Art is my favourite subject. I like being creative and there is nothing right or wrong in art. I like writing,” said Madhavi . In most British curriculum schools, students have to earn the right to use with pens, through a ‘pen licence’. “If students are able to write legibly on paper using pencils in a cursive font, then they can start using a pen. Madhavi was one of the first students in her class to start using a pen,” said Kesavan . However, the mother-of-two believes that handwriting is a very individual trait. “My older one is now 19, and with her I had invested a lot on handwriting books. Some people just have bad handwriting, and good handwriting is something you are born with. But my second one, Madhavi , has excellent handwriting. Her school takes special care in seeing to that she writes neatly,” she added. She added pen licences were an excellent way to encourage children to write legibly. dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading →

Surf Dubai: First surf school out in the cold Amanda Fisher and Sajila Saseendran / 10 May 2013 After saving in excess of about 100 people, staging monthly beach clean-ups and teaching thousands to surf, Daniel Van Dooren and Scott Chambers’ livelihood is hanging in the balance. And supporters say drownings could occur if the duo behind Surf Dubai are not allowed to operate. Surf Dubai, which employs four people, have been shut down by the Dubai Municipality since the beginning of April, co-owner Van Dooren said. “They’ve said no private companies can operate on public beaches … but they haven’t actually explained (why).” The business, which had been operating for the past eight years from Umm Suqeim’s Sunset Beach, had “kind of exploded” over the past few years, with a tightknit community who were devastated at the decision, Van Dooren said. The company, which taught both surfing and paddle-boarding, was earning less than half their income at the moment, as a result of the ban — a situation which could not last indefinitely, he said. “Most companies would have packed up and left Dubai, but seeing as this is where we were born and bred, we want to keep trying.”  Surf Dubai had tried to continue a school programme they were running, but the municipality warned they would be slapped with a Dh20,000 fine if they persisted, he said. Van Dooren, 27, said Surf Dubai was the first surf school in Dubai and all of their instructors were fully trained, while the company had a rental and teaching licence to operate, which cost in excess of Dh30,000 each year. “We try and go the right way and get all these licences and it seems like there’s no point in having them.” Van Dooren said surfers were the “unofficial lifeguards” on Sunset Beach. About 50 members of the surf community patrolled the beach when rip currents were about, and regularly plucked people from the water — saving at least 100 victims over the past few years. While the ban ostensibly related to all private companies, Van Dooren said Surf Dubai was probably a victim of its success as he was aware smaller companies were still operating. While the company understood the need to regulate the beaches, it was frustrating there was no clear municipality law on licences, he said. “The only place we can surf is the public beach because of offshore construction blocking the rest of the coastline, so we want clear set rules over what licences we (need).” The owners had had a “fair bit of communication” with the municipality, but there was not yet any solutions about how to keep operational. Despite this, Van Dooren was hopeful the municipality would see the benefit of the school. “We’re promoting healthy lifestyles, we’re doing educational programmes in schools, the list goes on.” Municipality comment Any commercial business operating out of Dubai’s beaches and coastal areas will be stopped if it doesn’t get prior approval from the Dubai Municipality. A senior official from the Environment Department of the municipality confirmed to Khaleej Times that all commercial activities on the beach and coastal areas in Dubai have to seek an NOC (No Objection Certificate) and approval from the Municipality. When asked about Surf Dubai being asked to shut down, the official refrained from singling out any particular business. “I am talking about the law in general. If anybody wants to operate or exercise any commercial activities, let him approach us. If our officials have taken any action, it would not be anything against the law,” said the official who did not want to be named. “The beach is there for the leisure and comfort of all the people. (It’s) not for just a few groups of people to occupy it for commercial activities. Whether it is dancing on the beach, or a festival or yoga sessions, either for a short time or for a longer period, you need to get an NOC and approval for it. This is as per the law.” Van Dooren said the company had never been asked to obtain a No Objection Certificate, but having the teaching and rental licences from the municipality was tantamount to that. He said they had never been asked for money by the municipality, either. The official said the concern was mainly in Jumeirah. Anyone gaining monetary benefit operating from a public beach must approach the Coastal Management and Waterways Section of the Environment Department for approval, he said. Beach parks needed similar approval. — sajila@khaleejtimes.com   The school was speaking with local hotels, which could grant permission to operate on stretches of private beaches, however that would force costs up, with hotels seeking a 70-30 per cent split. “We’d have to put that 30 per cent on top of the price now.” It would also mean customers would be largely tourists, as opposed to the local market, he said. Interior and Craft Designer Nikki Vass, 34, from Australia, said ‘a big chunk’ of her life was missing since the ban forced an end to her four mornings a week paddle boarding. “It’s drastically altered my lifestyle and it’s taken away some of the joy of living.” The surf instructors, who had started teaching her to paddle board about 18 months ago and had even got her up on a surf board, were like an extended family, she said. “For me to start surfing … I was on Sunset Beach and I literally cried … I never thought I would stand up on a board, especially at 34.” Vass had become such an ambassador for paddle boarding, which she said was an unrivalled workout, that when she and a friend discovered Leonard DiCaprio’s mother at the beach, they got her up on a paddle board. “She said she’d always wanted to but had never had the courage … she was thrilled.” Vass said she understood the municipality had a job to do, but she was hopeful they would see reason. Another resident Lori Tusa, a stay-at-home mum originally from America, said Surf Dubai had had a big impact on the life of her family, after her son began surfing almost four years ago, with her husband following soon after and then her youngest son. “Then mum saw the children taking the lessons and thought ‘That looks fun, I should do it as well’.” Tusa said she had taken up paddle boarding, and was now racing in competitions. “(Surf Dubai are) doing such a good thing for Dubai and the sport of surfing … and (it’s not for just) teenage kids, there’s executives and owners of big companies out there riding waves.” But it was the school’s commitment to keeping people safe in Dubai waters which was one of its greatest contributions.     amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading →