Baie studente, te min geld
Die koste van staatsgefinansierde tersiêre onderwys en opleiding is 'n saak wat nie gou sy aktualiteit gaan verloor nie.
Of die regeringshulp verniet moet wees, is 'n politieke en filosofiese twispunt. Met praktiese werklikhede strook gratis hoër onderwys nie. 'n Mooi ideaal is dit weliswaar, maar een wat nog baie lank neem sal neem om te realiseer, indien ooit.
Van “gratis” onderwys op laer- en hoërskool is die land opsigself steeds besig om peperduur lesse te leer.
Die Finansiële Hulpfonds vir Namibiese Studente (NSFAF) het onlangs ook benadruk beurse kan nie in toelae omskep word nie.
Vanjaar het die fonds net geld om 19% van suksesvolle aansoekers te help. Die leeue-aandeel van geld, meer as N$1 miljard, is nodig vir mense wat reeds studeer.
Baie jare se wanbetaling en wanadministrasie het 'n groot tol geëis. Die belastingbetaler moes ook al vir groot reddingsboeie instaan.
Die fonds gaan 'n geruime tyd neem om te herstel sonder bykomende inspuitings. Die huidige regrukplan gaan ook nie oornag vrugte afwerp nie.
Of is daar in die begroting geld wat eerder aan die NSFAF gegee kan word? Baie inwoners sal onmiddellik ja sê.
Maar wat van al die ander prioriteite wat ook meer geld kort? Kom ons laat die grotes (en verdediging) daar en noem maar net kinderwelsyn, werkskepping, grondhervorming en sport . . .
Die toekoms lê in basiese, stewige fondamente, nie wat later bygevoeg word nie. Of selfs die fondamente kan laat verkrummel.
So sê ander
21 Mei 2019
Google versus Huawei: no winners
Trade wars, like real ones, are very much easier to start than to stop.
The decision by Google to withhold its software from future Huawei smartphones comes after considerable pressure from the US government. Even so, it is a move that all parties will regret.
The pain for Huawei is obvious. There is nothing it can sell to consumers outside China that does not depend on American software, and little that does not depend on American chips. As much as half of its global market could disappear, and that is without counting the 5G networking equipment which was the proximate cause of this quarrel.
For Google the cost may seem a lot less obvious. But in the medium and long term this decision will damage it greatly.
Under pressure from the US government, it will cut off access to everything that makes an Android phone saleable. What business would want to depend on such a partner?
The tangled global webs of interdependence between hardware and software, China and the west, show very clearly how vulnerable both sides are to the other and how impossible it is for either to achieve technological autarchy, even if that were desirable.
But this struggle is not really about technology at all. It is about dominance: who is to be the master. Whether it is China or the US that emerges the winner, both sides will suffer, and third parties such as the UK will perhaps suffer most.
• THE GUARDIAN
Of die regeringshulp verniet moet wees, is 'n politieke en filosofiese twispunt. Met praktiese werklikhede strook gratis hoër onderwys nie. 'n Mooi ideaal is dit weliswaar, maar een wat nog baie lank neem sal neem om te realiseer, indien ooit.
Van “gratis” onderwys op laer- en hoërskool is die land opsigself steeds besig om peperduur lesse te leer.
Die Finansiële Hulpfonds vir Namibiese Studente (NSFAF) het onlangs ook benadruk beurse kan nie in toelae omskep word nie.
Vanjaar het die fonds net geld om 19% van suksesvolle aansoekers te help. Die leeue-aandeel van geld, meer as N$1 miljard, is nodig vir mense wat reeds studeer.
Baie jare se wanbetaling en wanadministrasie het 'n groot tol geëis. Die belastingbetaler moes ook al vir groot reddingsboeie instaan.
Die fonds gaan 'n geruime tyd neem om te herstel sonder bykomende inspuitings. Die huidige regrukplan gaan ook nie oornag vrugte afwerp nie.
Of is daar in die begroting geld wat eerder aan die NSFAF gegee kan word? Baie inwoners sal onmiddellik ja sê.
Maar wat van al die ander prioriteite wat ook meer geld kort? Kom ons laat die grotes (en verdediging) daar en noem maar net kinderwelsyn, werkskepping, grondhervorming en sport . . .
Die toekoms lê in basiese, stewige fondamente, nie wat later bygevoeg word nie. Of selfs die fondamente kan laat verkrummel.
So sê ander
21 Mei 2019
Google versus Huawei: no winners
Trade wars, like real ones, are very much easier to start than to stop.
The decision by Google to withhold its software from future Huawei smartphones comes after considerable pressure from the US government. Even so, it is a move that all parties will regret.
The pain for Huawei is obvious. There is nothing it can sell to consumers outside China that does not depend on American software, and little that does not depend on American chips. As much as half of its global market could disappear, and that is without counting the 5G networking equipment which was the proximate cause of this quarrel.
For Google the cost may seem a lot less obvious. But in the medium and long term this decision will damage it greatly.
Under pressure from the US government, it will cut off access to everything that makes an Android phone saleable. What business would want to depend on such a partner?
The tangled global webs of interdependence between hardware and software, China and the west, show very clearly how vulnerable both sides are to the other and how impossible it is for either to achieve technological autarchy, even if that were desirable.
But this struggle is not really about technology at all. It is about dominance: who is to be the master. Whether it is China or the US that emerges the winner, both sides will suffer, and third parties such as the UK will perhaps suffer most.
• THE GUARDIAN
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