In The United Arab Emirates:

WE HAVE raised the issue of corporal punishment in schools time and again in this column. There have been instances of more than one teacher and administrative staff together beating up a student. This kind of treatment meted out to students, irrespective of their mistakes, speaks volumes about the shortcomings in teachers and school administration.

The latest in the series of abhorrent corporal punishment in schools has been reported from Abu Dhabi Educational Zone, where a student was reportedly beaten up with a shoe. This is a matter of serious concern, and should be dealt with strictly by the authorities, since the school plays an important role in moulding the character of students. And a student can't shape up to be a responsible young man if he is trashed up with a shoe in his school days.

To overcome such shortcomings in teachers, one solution is that teachers should possess qualifications from education colleges, and should have obtained higher education qualifications, in addition to personal tests and interview to assess their capabilities in dealing with students, who are the future assets of the state.