The primary school hours for the New Year are terrible!

Who in their right mind expects children to be in school eight and a half hours a day?

The one-hour break for lunch is not adequate.

By the time we negotiate the traffic to get home, we have to gobble up our meal and rush off to work to drop the kids off again.

Rushing around like this is not good for one's health, plus we are stressed out when we get to work since the lunch break is now not a break at all.

The poor teachers also have to be in school from 6.45am - 12.30pm, then 1.30pm - 4.30pm.

This translates to almost a nine-hour workday and a forty-five hour workweek! Where is the commonsense and fairness in all this?

- Desperate Parents

With reference to letter "Flood Hit", regarding the Flood hitting recently, I strongly agree with her/him. We also need donations to rebuild and regain what we have lost. I believe as Bruneians, we deserve it.

I hope the relevant authorities will take this matter seriously and take immediate action before the next flood comes.

- Flood Victim

It's been days since we went underwater and we are yet to receive help from the authorities. Surely we don't deserve this.

We are victims of a flood and need someone to move out the garbage that is stagnating for days in the water.

So many of us residents are sufferings from the blockage of drains, which has caused the floodwaters to rise.

Everyone still gets worried whenever it rains as the garbage is still piled up and not cleared since the flood.

It can easily cause blockage in drains. At least clear up the garbage!

We would be very grateful if any action is taken to make our lives less miserable.

- Bad Situation

I would just like to ask relevant authorities why is it that army officers are not allowed to live outside the army camp but are required to stay in allocated old army houses, when I've seen some lower ranking personnel living in luxury terrace or two-storey houses outside the army camp and some even far away from the camp?

It just doesn't seem fair, in my opinion that some are allowed the luxury that others aren't.

So I would like to ask the relevant authorities to please allow a bit of leniency to officers to have a better choice in accommodation and not have be stuck in nearly collapsing houses.

- AA

We are residents at an apartment at Jalan Padang, BSB.

Since June last year, we always have had problems with rubbish disposal. Sometimes, no one comes to collect the rubbish for almost a week. The rubbish piles up to nearly the 1st floor of the rubbish shoot.

Even though we have alerted the department in charge, there has been no action taken on this matter.

Can our Municipality do something about this problem?

- Sick Of Rubbish Smell

The new extended school hours for primary schools are just ridiculous!

It's an unrealistic programme and need to be properly planned or put ourselves in the shoes of the little children involved, that is, children aged 5 - 11 years old and school staff.

While we are busy extending our school hours developed nations like Singapore, for instance have decided to Shorten their school hours.

As a nation of achievers they have found that long hours in school do not translate to more able students nor does it result in more effective learning.

How can we think that our children have more mental capacity and ability than anybody else?

Studying for long periods of time is tiring and mentally exhausting for anybody.

Teaching for long periods of time is equally exhausting.

It is not possible to be effective with such long hours at work.

Even 'normal' government departments have only a 7 1/2 hour work day, not 8 1/2 hours that the primary schools are implementing! Teaching is not like being at an administrative job of paper and pen pushing.

Teachers, especially those in Primary schools have to be constantly alert as they not only teach but have to look after the little ones.

In addition, classes in Brunei are large - 30 - 40 children per class.

One only has to check the class register of various government schools to check this out. Instead of burdening the children with so much 'knowledge' let us look towards reducing the syllabus!

- Be Sensible

I am a government flat occupant at Sg Besar area. Last month my phone line went out of service, and I informed the JTB. I told them that my phone line was not working and asked them to check it out.

They replied that there was some cable problem in my area and it would take some time to normalise. I waited for one week and found no sign of any improvement. In the mean time I found out that my neighbours' phones were working as usual.

I called JTB again and mentioned to them the situation.

I was told that they were going to check it. I stayed at home several days after canceling my business appointments just to wait for the technician to arrive.

But to my dismay no one turned up. I was informed that the technician has been told and it will be done on the availability of a technician.

So far nobody has turned up to check or repair, I am not sure when my line will be working again and how long I will have to wait like this. I really need my line back in service as for communication and Internet requirement purposes.

Relevant authorities please take a close look at this matter. I may not be the only onewho is experiencing this problem but many others too. At least when they receive a complaint they should check it out and give us a proper explanation that logically can be accepted.

Please wake up; we are now in the thick of modern telecom technologies.

Try to work efficiently and productively. My phone line is not free; I still pay a service charge.

- Frustrated Customer

When I went to Sg. Hanching clinic, for a blood test, I witnessed crowds of people waiting for their turn outside the building.

They were sitting or standing in the compound area - not in a proper room. They were g near toilets, and sewage drains which were in very bad shape.

With the dirt and bad smell from those toilets and drains anyone's health could worsen. I urge those in charge, to please come forward to see this problem.

I believe the clinic doesn't have a waiting room to take in all patients.

Please provide a proper sitting space for us patients. One more thing, the parking area is also dirty and needs improving.

- MQ

Over the past few weeks the media has been focusing attention on the plight of the tsunami victims.

The response from the public has been overwhelming and this truly reflects the generosity and kindness of Bruneians. While we sympathisewith tvictims of the Tsunami (T-Tuhan S-Sentiasa U-Uji N - Namun A - Ada M- Manusia I Ingkar) disaster, let us not forget about all those who are in need in our very own backyard.

Let us not neglect them.

- Arha

Thank You to all the JTB staff in Seria for providing an efficient service.

All these years, your services, not only have been very prompt but carried out with great responsibility, too.

I don't know how to express my satisfaction on your excellent work.

Thank you all very much again. I am very pleased indeed.

- Loh L T

Regarding "Insomnia's" Opinion on January 12, 2005 talking about 'all' the work that a school teacher has to do, I agree and sympathise with the letter writer.

In our college too, we have to work at regular office hours to accomplish everything (preparing teaching material, marking assessments, entertaining young adults and administrative work) that the writer has to gone through.

The only difference is that the month- to-month contract officer does not get any opportunity to be trained as the writer is said to fulfill those 100 hours. Treasure it and be happy with it.

- 'Month to Month'

Can anyone help me with a recycle problem? Most people recycle and they also send their stuff over to the junkyard.

We recycle almost everything such as soft canned drinks, bottles, books, boxes, and many more. But I wonder why they didn't accept the 'Soft drink Opener'?

Last year, I heard people say there are places that do accept the 'Soft drink Opener' (Worth 50cent or 20cent each).

Since then, I started to take off the opener before I put the can into the recycling bag. Please, somebody help me find this place.

- Love to Recycle

Have you noticed that we are now paying $22.00 per kilo for lamb chops and $18.00 per kilo for beef steak?

At the end of 2003 we paid just $9.00 per kilo for lamb chop and $8.00 per kilo for beefsteak.

The price of meat has increased by more than 200%! What justifies this huge increase in price?

Are the shopkeepers making excuses of increase in oil prices or the Australian currency, to raise these commodity prices without control? I wonder if there is any department involved to regulate or monitor prices of such basic daily food stuff?

- Anak Negara