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Bad Deal For Students Abroad

Bad Deal For Students Abroad

I WANT to contribute to the debate on the topic of education in our country.

To tell you the truth, the problem lies with our people higher up in the Ministry of Education, especially the Permanent Secretary who was supposed to have been fired ages ago, because he has no clue what education is all about. Take the example of Namibian students studying in Moscow (Moscow is regarded as the most expensive city in the world after Tokyo…read the press).They have been asking for allowance increments ever since 1997, when they were getting US$120 a month.After former President Nujoma’s historic visit to Moscow it was increased to US$175 for undergraduates and US$200 for postgraduates.Well, it was better than nothing.Just think that a student has to buy clothes, eat, live, buy books and related materials on that? And don’t forget the constant running away from skinheads.And then a Parliamentary Commission consisting of Kaiyamo and co.visited Moscow, living in hotels that cost more than US$180 a night.I’m pretty sure they went around, looked at prices, cost of living etc.And then they came up with their recommendations: 1.Medical students and related science fields got a ‘stipend adjustment’ as they call it, from 1st year to 3rd year will get $200 a month; from 4th year upwards they will get $250 (science are priority fields of study) 2.The same applies to agronomy, agricultural students and other science fields.3.That leaves only the social science students who will only get $175 regardless of whether they are doing an undergraduate course or PhD and this include teachers as well, so how will an under-funded teacher contribute to the upliftment of the standard of education in the country if the Government is arguing that his field of study is not a priority? I know of someone who’s doing a doctoral degree in a social science field of study in Moscow who gets a $175 a month.How on earth will he finish his studies? So I believe our Government needs to re-look at what its priorities are.It’s time for President Pohamba to start investing in human capital – they are the building blocks of our future.Education is education, whether science or not.The bunch of talk about Vision 2030 will be lost with such an attitude.The N$100 million that was with NDC, including Kandara’s N$30 million and the hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars that were entrusted to the likes of Pidico, the abattoir at Witvlei and with Aaron Mushimba, could have been used to build even Namibia’s second university and many other schools throughout the country where they are lacking now.So please give us a break…I don’t even want to talk about black empowerment.That money is just going into the pockets of a few individuals who live in Ludwigsdorf instead of going to Okahandja Park and any other poor place.Most of the ‘black empowered’ are just a bunch of thieves, just like the ‘khomtya’s’.So let’s try and do good to our people, epecially those who are the future.Anon Via e-mailTake the example of Namibian students studying in Moscow (Moscow is regarded as the most expensive city in the world after Tokyo…read the press).They have been asking for allowance increments ever since 1997, when they were getting US$120 a month.After former President Nujoma’s historic visit to Moscow it was increased to US$175 for undergraduates and US$200 for postgraduates.Well, it was better than nothing.Just think that a student has to buy clothes, eat, live, buy books and related materials on that? And don’t forget the constant running away from skinheads.And then a Parliamentary Commission consisting of Kaiyamo and co.visited Moscow, living in hotels that cost more than US$180 a night.I’m pretty sure they went around, looked at prices, cost of living etc.And then they came up with their recommendations: 1.Medical students and related science fields got a ‘stipend adjustment’ as they call it, from 1st year to 3rd year will get $200 a month; from 4th year upwards they will get $250 (science are priority fields of study) 2.The same applies to agronomy, agricultural students and other science fields.3.That leaves only the social science students who will only get $175 regardless of whether they are doing an undergraduate course or PhD and this include teachers as well, so how will an under-funded teacher contribute to the upliftment of the standard of education in the country if the Government is arguing that his field of study is not a priority? I know of someone who’s doing a doctoral degree in a social science field of study in Moscow who gets a $175 a month.How on earth will he finish his studies? So I believe our Government needs to re-look at what its priorities are.It’s time for President Pohamba to start investing in human capital – they are the building blocks of our future.Education is education, whether science or not.The bunch of talk about Vision 2030 will be lost with such an attitude.The N$100 million that was with NDC, including Kandara’s N$30 million and the hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ dollars that were entrusted to the likes of Pidico, the abattoir at Witvlei and with Aaron Mushimba, could have been used to build even Namibia’s second university and many other schools throughout the country where they are lacking now.So please give us a break…I don’t even want to talk about black empowerment.That money is just going into the pockets of a few individuals who live in Ludwigsdorf instead of going to Okahandja Park and any other poor place.Most of the ‘black empowered’ are just a bunch of thieves, just like the ‘khomtya’s’.So let’s try and do good to our people, epecially those who are the future.Anon Via e-mail

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