Of Mice, Men and Maintenance Grants
I do not mean to sound ungrateful to what Government is doing with the money my father gave it, however, the not-so-recent decision that people doing Science courses should get more money (Lm 370 yearly; 470 in the first one) via stipends and maintenance grants, could, and should, get people thinking.
First of all, one has to recognise a fact of life so clearly emphasized during a handful of SOK lectures- some people are of a scientific aptitude, others tend to be more artistic.
People who understand a washing machine manual; people who can read between the lines.
People who will dismantle a camera and rebuild it; people who will actually use it to the limits.
The issue is that, while our country is choc a bloc with a lot of brilliant and some mediocre engineers, doctors and programmers, it is also choc a bloc with charlatan designers, colourblind video editors, manglish writers and pseudopoliticians.
Although there is more career potential in the technical fields, would it be a mortal sin if people with creative leanings would be provided with a technical background to perfect their art, or at least, develop it?
No, all artists are provided is a Higher National Diploma, which takes a while to get, but in the end, counts less than a degree.
Back to the bone of contention, money, iWonder™ what these science students will be spending my father's money on. Portable labs? Possibly. MP3 players and Nike, Converse or Adidas sneakers? More likely. Oh, and maybe some books.
First of all, one has to recognise a fact of life so clearly emphasized during a handful of SOK lectures- some people are of a scientific aptitude, others tend to be more artistic.
People who understand a washing machine manual; people who can read between the lines.
People who will dismantle a camera and rebuild it; people who will actually use it to the limits.
The issue is that, while our country is choc a bloc with a lot of brilliant and some mediocre engineers, doctors and programmers, it is also choc a bloc with charlatan designers, colourblind video editors, manglish writers and pseudopoliticians.
Although there is more career potential in the technical fields, would it be a mortal sin if people with creative leanings would be provided with a technical background to perfect their art, or at least, develop it?
No, all artists are provided is a Higher National Diploma, which takes a while to get, but in the end, counts less than a degree.
Back to the bone of contention, money, iWonder™ what these science students will be spending my father's money on. Portable labs? Possibly. MP3 players and Nike, Converse or Adidas sneakers? More likely. Oh, and maybe some books.
posted by d. at 22:13
10 Comments:
The bottom line is, I want a mac!
hmmm... you write comments to your own posts... hmmm...
I think you hit the nail on the head. This fuss about science courses will only underline the already widespread misconception that the arts are some second class area of study, which is not worth our money and time, and which is there for those who are not "brilliant" enough for sciences.
And here I agree with Elizabeth.. These discrepancies should be banished.. and yet.. the Maltese Educational System maintains such hegemony.. Brilliant eh? I wonder why Social Studies is not even part of the B.Ed course.. Isn't Social Studies one of the many compulsory subjects in Secondary Schooling? Argh!!!
Erm, I'm afraid it's only compulsory in primary schools jan; at least that's where I had to study it.
I'm sorry to contradict u.. but.. Social Studies is a compulsory subject for all Secondary State School students. It is also compulsory in many Church and Private Schools.
Sour grapes
(And that's just because I am extremely bored not because I mean it or feel like discussing the merits, believe me s'il te plaît)
The country needs science students.
What's the use of educating students in other subjects and giving them incentives if they will end up being unemployed beacuse there are no more jobs available?
Mind you, i'm only saying this because i'm a science student :P
If I had taken arts, I would have complained bitterly too.As a matter of fact, I prefer arts rather than sciences, but I believe that one must not only pursue only the things he likes. You know... sacrifice for money :P Evil.
Well, I do think that government should incentive people to enter science courses; but how do you explain the fact that someone eligible for a BSc in Physics and Whatever has opted for Philosophy instead? It's already more money from now; and lets face it,with the Lm 200 you have left after buying books with the good ol' smartcard, you can hardly buy a decent monitor, let alone a computer or, God forbid, a laptop; while BSc students can buy a really good computer in the first year and keep upgrading it in the subsequent years.
Hear, hear. Get off of that high cloud, Science students, the world does not need you any more than it needs the rest of us =P
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