Education, we are told, is a life-long process. So it should be, because there is always much new to learn while some earlier knowledge becomes outdated and no longer of value.
And so, I try to keep on picking up new information, although it is now many years since I have sat for any formal examinations. I have also been successful in avoiding mandatory refresher courses, training programmes and the like, which seem to occupy an inordinate amount of time in some professions. One wonders whether these are often of much use. For instance, can a trainer in his or her twenties, thirties or forties have much to teach me about allegedly essential topics such as "D and I" (diversity and inclusion for the uninitiated)? I have, after all, worked side by side with people of different nationalities, cultures and beliefs, and personal orientations, for the whole of my working life.
Despite having escaped formal examinations and tests since finishing university, I do remember not just the value of the qualifications that I gained – and the limitations on that value, when set against experience – but also the stress and strain that accompanied my colleagues and I, as we studied for, and then sat for, the exams.
It seems a long time ago now, but I was reminded of it last weekend when my teenage daughter had to take her SAT test.
She was, unsurprisingly, a little nervous, aware that she had perhaps not prepared as well as she might have usually done. She had displayed panic during some earlier mock exams a few years ago, and that something similar might occur this time did worry me.
When it came to the crunch, fortunately, she seemed to be able to keep her nerves more or less under control – although not until the results come through will we know whether she had actually done enough preparation. But she is aware that, while we may be disappointed if she doesn’t do as well as we believe she should, we do not view this exam as a marker that will determine, for now and for ever more, whether she is going to make something of her life. She has stumbled before and may well do so again. However, provided that we are satisfied that a proper degree of effort has been put in, we – and she – will work with the results that she achieves.
While we may be disappointed if she doesn’t do as well as we believe she should, we do not view this exam as a marker of whether she is going to make something of her life
While trying to keep her own nerves under control as she waited for the examination hall to be opened, my daughter got a good lesson in what panic under pressure could really mean. A fellow student was almost shaking with nerves, clutching her exam paraphernalia tightly to her chest and scarcely able to talk. My daughter, relieved, perhaps, to find someone more nervous than she was, tried hard to reassure the girl, eventually walking with her into the exam room and wishing her good luck.
The underlying cause of the problem, apparently, was that the girl’s parents had put her under enormous pressure, telling her that she must achieve very high results or she would be a failure and a deep disappointment.
It’s well known that this kind of pressure is often placed on students by their parents. High-achieving parents eager for their children to follow suit and parents who hope to lay their disappointments in their own past record to rest through their children excelling – both can adopt such an approach.
Having realistic expectations is, perhaps, a more helpful approach, but there are always cases where parents will set the targets too high, without taking into account the stress that this can cause to their offspring. Some students can, and do, reach them. For others, though, the pressure can be brutal and the impact of failure severe.
Over the years, watching my own extended family and others, I have seen early stars who fizzle out, late developers and others who steadily, with a few hiccups, have moved onwards and upwards. I certainly caused my own parents considerable disappointment at one stage in my own education. I have seen modest parental assistance and encouragement and benign neglect, both of which seem sometimes to have worked.
Fortunately, I have never had to observe at close hand a situation in which parental pressure to perform well in exams leads their offspring to arrive on the day of the exam in a state of fright. It's very hard to believe that this can be in the best interests of the student or an ideal way of producing the best exam results.
More exams lie ahead for many thousands of students. For many, thanks to Covid-19, it will be the first "normal" exams they have faced. I wish them well. And I hope that their parents will encourage them, not burden them with expectations. Whether results are good, bad or indifferent, the process of learning will continue for the rest of their lives.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Results
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Company profile
Company: Verity
Date started: May 2021
Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Size: four team members
Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000
Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors
Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
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88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Fireball
Moscow claimed it hit the largest military fuel storage facility in Ukraine, triggering a huge fireball at the site.
A plume of black smoke rose from a fuel storage facility in the village of Kalynivka outside Kyiv on Friday after Russia said it had destroyed the military site with Kalibr cruise missiles.
"On the evening of March 24, Kalibr high-precision sea-based cruise missiles attacked a fuel base in the village of Kalynivka near Kyiv," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine confirmed the strike, saying the village some 40 kilometres south-west of Kyiv was targeted.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
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OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
- Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
- Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
- Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
- Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.
