Het ons te lank gewag?
Die inperkingskordon wat vanaf vandag rondom Okahandja, Windhoek en Rehoboth geld, was waarskynlik ‘n uitgemaakte saak.
Oor die praktiese uitvoerbaarheid van sommige nuwe maatreëls in die gebied, asook die res van die land (nou terug in fase 3), kan gedabatteer word.
Feite is: Dis lankal duidelik verspreiding geskied vanaf die kus. Is sogenaamde agterpaaie vanuit die kuskordon eers die week inderhaas toegemaak?
In Windhoek het nuwe gevalle, deur plaaslike verspreiding, reeds twee weke gelede begin toeneem. Die verdubbeling en verdrievoudiging hiervan was onvermydelik.
Kom ons maak nie aanspraak op die wysheid van terugskoue nie. Maar: Was reisbeperkings al vroeër gerade?
Nie net die hoofstad nie, maar baie ander dorpe is waarskynlik reeds “vrot” van dié nuwe griep. En die bronne en geriewe – op skaal – is in Windhoek nie meer en beter nie.
Hoeveel mense het gisteraand voor middernag geglip waarheen hulle wil wees? Hoeveel padsterftes sal ons aanteken?
Ons wil nie in ‘n veiligheidstaat woon nie. Tog verstaan ons die nood. Selfgeskepte nood is egter iets anders. Kom ons beveilig mekaar deur onsself te beveilig.
Die ekonomie sal net verder ly. Die duisende afleggings in die vorige kwartaal is net die verklaarde, breukdeel van die werklike verlies aan werk, inkomste en groei.
Die tyd sal binnekort aanbreek, indien dit nie reeds het nie, dat ons nie meer terug sal kan beweeg nie, maar vorentoe móét beur . . .
So sê ander
12 Augustus 2020
A-level algorithms: failing the test of fairness
From the moment in mid-March when schools closed indefinitely to curb the spread of Covid-19, it was obvious that 2020 would be an anomalous and stressful year in the education of millions of young people.
For pupils scheduled to take GCSEs and A-levels, the situation has been particularly disorienting and strange. As it became clear that end-of-school exams would not take place, pupils’ future prospects were taken out of their hands and placed at the mercy of an assessment system to be devised by exam regulators. They have been badly failed.
Instead of coming up with a system that focused on individual students, regulators made it the priority to achieve a “normal” statistical spread of results and avoid grade inflation. What a shambles.
The appeals process, only introduced last week under pressure from schools, must be made easy, broad-ranging and cheap to access. Universities should show flexibility, particularly to pupils from poorer backgrounds.
Finally, the government must make sure that all pupils who wish to take autumn “resits” are given support and assistance. Vouchers to pay for extra tuition for the less well-off would help.
The government bears responsibility for what is beginning to look like an almighty mess. It must act swiftly to help those affected extricate themselves.
• THE GUARDIAN
Oor die praktiese uitvoerbaarheid van sommige nuwe maatreëls in die gebied, asook die res van die land (nou terug in fase 3), kan gedabatteer word.
Feite is: Dis lankal duidelik verspreiding geskied vanaf die kus. Is sogenaamde agterpaaie vanuit die kuskordon eers die week inderhaas toegemaak?
In Windhoek het nuwe gevalle, deur plaaslike verspreiding, reeds twee weke gelede begin toeneem. Die verdubbeling en verdrievoudiging hiervan was onvermydelik.
Kom ons maak nie aanspraak op die wysheid van terugskoue nie. Maar: Was reisbeperkings al vroeër gerade?
Nie net die hoofstad nie, maar baie ander dorpe is waarskynlik reeds “vrot” van dié nuwe griep. En die bronne en geriewe – op skaal – is in Windhoek nie meer en beter nie.
Hoeveel mense het gisteraand voor middernag geglip waarheen hulle wil wees? Hoeveel padsterftes sal ons aanteken?
Ons wil nie in ‘n veiligheidstaat woon nie. Tog verstaan ons die nood. Selfgeskepte nood is egter iets anders. Kom ons beveilig mekaar deur onsself te beveilig.
Die ekonomie sal net verder ly. Die duisende afleggings in die vorige kwartaal is net die verklaarde, breukdeel van die werklike verlies aan werk, inkomste en groei.
Die tyd sal binnekort aanbreek, indien dit nie reeds het nie, dat ons nie meer terug sal kan beweeg nie, maar vorentoe móét beur . . .
So sê ander
12 Augustus 2020
A-level algorithms: failing the test of fairness
From the moment in mid-March when schools closed indefinitely to curb the spread of Covid-19, it was obvious that 2020 would be an anomalous and stressful year in the education of millions of young people.
For pupils scheduled to take GCSEs and A-levels, the situation has been particularly disorienting and strange. As it became clear that end-of-school exams would not take place, pupils’ future prospects were taken out of their hands and placed at the mercy of an assessment system to be devised by exam regulators. They have been badly failed.
Instead of coming up with a system that focused on individual students, regulators made it the priority to achieve a “normal” statistical spread of results and avoid grade inflation. What a shambles.
The appeals process, only introduced last week under pressure from schools, must be made easy, broad-ranging and cheap to access. Universities should show flexibility, particularly to pupils from poorer backgrounds.
Finally, the government must make sure that all pupils who wish to take autumn “resits” are given support and assistance. Vouchers to pay for extra tuition for the less well-off would help.
The government bears responsibility for what is beginning to look like an almighty mess. It must act swiftly to help those affected extricate themselves.
• THE GUARDIAN
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