On the subject of GATE

[Rory Phoulorie]

Government Assisted Tertiary Education should be just that, government assisted, not government funded.

[desifemlove]

^ To be fair GATE isn't pennies eh, it is a HEAVY burden on tax payers who are paying $50,000 for in most cases glorified A levels and glorified trade certificates being marketed as a degree. And the young people get a fine education for free up to A levels, A levels is not easy it is easier now than before but it still isn't easy the vast majority of students in secondary school never reach A levels so I would say they are getting a damn fine education for free. What many are failing to realize is there are no jobs for our graduates with degrees now, I know people with masters degree who can't find employment and those that do struggle to make more than $6k a month. Right now things like trade has way more money than these degrees. We need to stop wasting tax dollars on this program, GATE devalues a degree.

A degree should be something of a rare commodity. The only degrees that need funding is things like Medical Degrees etc. Skills that we are lacking in this country, and doctors should be forced to work for the state for a minimum of 7 years if they choose to have their degree paid for by the state.

BUT when a degree is dollar for dollar, there is no such thing as exploiting the system it is infact the perfect system. You can't complain that nobody want to help you and at the same time tax payers can't complain that their money is going to waste. Completely remove GATE, bring back dollar for dollar and you will see how quickly all these fly by night degree programs will disappear. Why do we need to pay $50,000 for someone to do a Gender Study degree or a Degree in Peace Studies or a Degree in Carnival etc this is a slap in the face to tax payers.

fly by night? UWI is CARICOM-accredited, UTT, COSTAAT, USC all provide recognised programmes. SBCS has recognised programmes from UK unis. for me it not about lack of accredited or proven programmes, it about too many people getting degree without proper career planning. too many business degrees, and MBAs. i may seem hypocrite cos i does have both, but then i'm a digital marketer/entrepreneur and economic development student, so i does need it/can use it. people who did ICT degree and MBA and have no desire to use the principles don't need it.

Degrees of national importance, like major services like medicine, nursing, education, police work, or for new/existing industries like energy, ICT, should be free and based on a projection. All others dollar for dollar. Nothing wrong in having Carnival Studies, unis are about all education in any area even if it ent traditional, but then it not as important in the national interest.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

[maj. tom]

Government Assisted Tertiary Education should be just that, government assisted, not government funded.

Fully agreed with this.

But as I pointed out before FMS should have a better assistance plan than the rest of the faculties at UWI. And get rid of all the fly-by-night useless degrees that overnight institutions using to steal money from the government. Then make sure each institution does a rigorous audit to make sure those people who dropped out pay back what they owe.

[buckredan]

Agree with you guys

[QM]

Gate has always been abused by students who just did not realise the gift they were being given.

Give everyone gate, BUT require they maintain an average gpa of 3.0, or B average. This is the general standard for a bursary from UWI, its a fair standard which can also apply for gate.

If the gpa goes below they can opt to pay for the next period until gpa returns to minimum. If it never returns, they pay to finish, if they flunk, they repay gate with interest if they ever want to retry the process. So the sooner they repay the better.

[daas]

I just have a problem with the 100% self-funding for postgraduate degrees. Every Tom, Dick and Harry have a bachelor's so this gonna deter people from getting advanced degrees which was really the competitive edge they could give themselves.

[dougla_boy]

^ To be fair GATE isn't pennies eh, it is a HEAVY burden on tax payers who are paying $50,000 for in most cases glorified A levels and glorified trade certificates being marketed as a degree. And the young people get a fine education for free up to A levels, A levels is not easy it is easier now than before but it still isn't easy the vast majority of students in secondary school never reach A levels so I would say they are getting a damn fine education for free. What many are failing to realize is there are no jobs for our graduates with degrees now, I know people with masters degree who can't find employment and those that do struggle to make more than $6k a month. Right now things like trade has way more money than these degrees. We need to stop wasting tax dollars on this program, GATE devalues a degree.

A degree should be something of a rare commodity. The only degrees that need funding is things like Medical Degrees etc. Skills that we are lacking in this country, and doctors should be forced to work for the state for a minimum of 7 years if they choose to have their degree paid for by the state.

BUT when a degree is dollar for dollar, there is no such thing as exploiting the system it is infact the perfect system. You can't complain that nobody want to help you and at the same time tax payers can't complain that their money is going to waste. Completely remove GATE, bring back dollar for dollar and you will see how quickly all these fly by night degree programs will disappear. Why do we need to pay $50,000 for someone to do a Gender Study degree or a Degree in Peace Studies or a Degree in Carnival etc this is a slap in the face to tax payers.

fly by night? UWI is CARICOM-accredited, UTT, COSTAAT, USC all provide recognised programmes. SBCS has recognised programmes from UK unis. for me it not about lack of accredited or proven programmes, it about too many people getting degree without proper career planning. too many business degrees, and MBAs. i may seem hypocrite cos i does have both, but then i'm a digital marketer/entrepreneur and economic development student, so i does need it/can use it. people who did ICT degree and MBA and have no desire to use the principles don't need it.

Degrees of national importance, like major services like medicine, nursing, education, police work, or for new/existing industries like energy, ICT, should be free and based on a projection. All others dollar for dollar. Nothing wrong in having Carnival Studies, unis are about all education in any area even if it ent traditional, but then it not as important in the national interest.

should get a degree in English...

[K74T]

More English, less dotish.

[dougla_boy]

More English, less dotish.

dat too....she always have an opinion, and doesnt even read properly or nuttin....just open.....money could be tall if she work on Murray Street inno

[Redman]

State sponsorship should at all times have a means test to ensure that the system is not abused.
By students by schools,by admin.

Funding wastage just can't be right.

[mitch1980]

what is wrong with days when student loans was a normal thing if you wanted tertiary education.
Average cost per year undergrad - 25,000 -27,000 per annum

if the 1/3 amount of avg 26,000 split over 3 years = 8500 is accessible by all

this Entitlement syndrome is ridiculous

[desifemlove]

^ To be fair GATE isn't pennies eh, it is a HEAVY burden on tax payers who are paying $50,000 for in most cases glorified A levels and glorified trade certificates being marketed as a degree. And the young people get a fine education for free up to A levels, A levels is not easy it is easier now than before but it still isn't easy the vast majority of students in secondary school never reach A levels so I would say they are getting a damn fine education for free. What many are failing to realize is there are no jobs for our graduates with degrees now, I know people with masters degree who can't find employment and those that do struggle to make more than $6k a month. Right now things like trade has way more money than these degrees. We need to stop wasting tax dollars on this program, GATE devalues a degree.

A degree should be something of a rare commodity. The only degrees that need funding is things like Medical Degrees etc. Skills that we are lacking in this country, and doctors should be forced to work for the state for a minimum of 7 years if they choose to have their degree paid for by the state.

BUT when a degree is dollar for dollar, there is no such thing as exploiting the system it is infact the perfect system. You can't complain that nobody want to help you and at the same time tax payers can't complain that their money is going to waste. Completely remove GATE, bring back dollar for dollar and you will see how quickly all these fly by night degree programs will disappear. Why do we need to pay $50,000 for someone to do a Gender Study degree or a Degree in Peace Studies or a Degree in Carnival etc this is a slap in the face to tax payers.

fly by night? UWI is CARICOM-accredited, UTT, COSTAAT, USC all provide recognised programmes. SBCS has recognised programmes from UK unis. for me it not about lack of accredited or proven programmes, it about too many people getting degree without proper career planning. too many business degrees, and MBAs. i may seem hypocrite cos i does have both, but then i'm a digital marketer/entrepreneur and economic development student, so i does need it/can use it. people who did ICT degree and MBA and have no desire to use the principles don't need it.

Degrees of national importance, like major services like medicine, nursing, education, police work, or for new/existing industries like energy, ICT, should be free and based on a projection. All others dollar for dollar. Nothing wrong in having Carnival Studies, unis are about all education in any area even if it ent traditional, but then it not as important in the national interest.

should get a degree in English...

hmmm..yuh ent get slang? cool.

[dougla_boy]

Das nuh slang

Das nuh English

[Dizzy28]

what is wrong with days when student loans was a normal thing if you wanted tertiary education.
Average cost per year undergrad - 25,000 -27,000 per annum

if the 1/3 amount of avg 26,000 split over 3 years = 8500 is accessible by all

this Entitlement syndrome is ridiculous

Which undergrad degree is 25-27k per year?
In UWI's fee structure for 2015-2016 [https://sta.uwi.edu/resources/documents/UndergraduateFeeBklt.pdf] the most expensive programme excluding medicine at undergrad level is Eng at 18k per year. That's 6000 per year or 18,000 for three years that an Eng student would be responsible for at the 1/3rd recommendation.

[desifemlove]

Das nuh slang

Das nuh English

yes, it is.

[dougla_boy]

[desifemlove]

go away, asperger's Ms. man, i have no time for you...

[K74T]

Just as how 2nr has no time for you?

[desifemlove]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

degrees to grow yams or dasheen or bodhi? only dirt poor/shithole countries focus primarily on agriculture for economic mainstay. there is a reason why Africa and most of Asia is still poor, that is it. we can grow enough dasheen or bodhi without any qualifications or more colleges.

[mitch1980]

what is wrong with days when student loans was a normal thing if you wanted tertiary education.
Average cost per year undergrad - 25,000 -27,000 per annum

if the 1/3 amount of avg 26,000 split over 3 years = 8500 is accessible by all

this Entitlement syndrome is ridiculous

Which undergrad degree is 25-27k per year?
In UWI's fee structure for 2015-2016 [https://sta.uwi.edu/resources/documents/UndergraduateFeeBklt.pdf] the most expensive programme excluding medicine at undergrad level is Eng at 18k per year. That's 6000 per year or 18,000 for three years that an Eng student would be responsible for at the 1/3rd recommendation.

makes the case for 1/3 cost better

[teems1]

Yeah seems fair.

but FMS not getting a different plan?
1/3 of MBBS/DDS/OPTM ($71,000 to $90,000/year) is way more than the entire of Engineering ($18,000/year).

$6000/year compared to $30,000/year in fees. Is that really the plan to make education affordable to qualified students who cannot afford it?

Aren't most if not all of the local students at UWI Mt Hope, winners of a Government scholarship? They don't worry about GATE/DFD etc.

[Dizzy28]

Yeah seems fair.

but FMS not getting a different plan?
1/3 of MBBS/DDS/OPTM ($71,000 to $90,000/year) is way more than the entire of Engineering ($18,000/year).

$6000/year compared to $30,000/year in fees. Is that really the plan to make education affordable to qualified students who cannot afford it?

1/3rd is 1/3rd. Kinna like Income tax. Its unfair that the person working for $150,000 a year pays the same 25% as the person working for $500,000 per year.

[Miktay]

Yeah seems fair.

but FMS not getting a different plan?
1/3 of MBBS/DDS/OPTM ($71,000 to $90,000/year) is way more than the entire of Engineering ($18,000/year).

$6000/year compared to $30,000/year in fees. Is that really the plan to make education affordable to qualified students who cannot afford it?

Maybe that's part of the plan to control class sizes. They are putting out more MBBS and DDS graduates than there are jobs for them locally.

What the government needs do with this problem is to make trade agreements with other Caribbean countries and export our medical professionals produced here with the same wage benefits and taxes and loan repayment plans. Trinidad should be exporting education to the entire region, especially medicine, dentistry and optometry.

Any such agreement would probably have to be reciprocal.

Trinis may not like MORE Yardies, Gajanese & small islanders residing here.

[Trinispougla]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

degrees to grow yams or dasheen or bodhi? only dirt poor/shithole countries focus primarily on agriculture for economic mainstay. there is a reason why Africa and most of Asia is still poor, that is it. we can grow enough dasheen or bodhi without any qualifications or more colleges.

Actually many of those countries poor countries in Africa and Asia rely on foreign goods hence exacerbating the issues they already have. Cambodia imports most of its goods china, india and vietnam. Even oil rich Gabon imports most of its goods from France.Indonesia has a larger economy than Malaysia and undoubtedly its base is Agriculture.TT on the other hand imports broccolI and cauliflower from Kenya.Totally senseless. Don't look down on agriculture. If TT had a robust agricultural sector, we would not have a 5 billion dollar food import bill and this whole GATE story would never come up

[Miktay]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

degrees to grow yams or dasheen or bodhi? only dirt poor/shithole countries focus primarily on agriculture for economic mainstay. there is a reason why Africa and most of Asia is still poor, that is it. we can grow enough dasheen or bodhi without any qualifications or more colleges.

desi is tuner new bobolee?

[desifemlove]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

degrees to grow yams or dasheen or bodhi? only dirt poor/shithole countries focus primarily on agriculture for economic mainstay. there is a reason why Africa and most of Asia is still poor, that is it. we can grow enough dasheen or bodhi without any qualifications or more colleges.

Actually many of those countries poor countries in Africa and Asia rely on foreign goods hence exacerbating the issues they already have. Cambodia imports most of its goods china, india and vietnam. Even oil rich Gabon imports most of its goods from France.Indonesia has a larger economy than Malaysia and undoubtedly its base is Agriculture.TT on the other hand imports broccolI and cauliflower from Kenya.Totally senseless. Don't look down on agriculture. If TT had a robust agricultural sector, we would not have a 5 billion dollar food import bill and this whole GATE story would never come up

imho reality is more complex than that.

agriculture won't decvelop the country or make trini any better off, that is just what i think. some things we need to import, like wheat. if we want bread or doubles or roti then we don't have the land or the climate to grow it.

[desifemlove]

Just as how 2nr has no time for you?

i dunno. he and you couldn't handle the points i made, not my issue.

[K74T]

Doh feel oppressed gyal, here's a tissue.

[Trinispougla]

Agriculture programs more important that 3/4 the stuff you named there^

degrees to grow yams or dasheen or bodhi? only dirt poor/shithole countries focus primarily on agriculture for economic mainstay. there is a reason why Africa and most of Asia is still poor, that is it. we can grow enough dasheen or bodhi without any qualifications or more colleges.

Actually many of those countries poor countries in Africa and Asia rely on foreign goods hence exacerbating the issues they already have. Cambodia imports most of its goods china, india and vietnam. Even oil rich Gabon imports most of its goods from France.Indonesia has a larger economy than Malaysia and undoubtedly its base is Agriculture.TT on the other hand imports broccolI and cauliflower from Kenya.Totally senseless. Don't look down on agriculture. If TT had a robust agricultural sector, we would not have a 5 billion dollar food import bill and this whole GATE story would never come up

imho reality is more complex than that.

agriculture won't decvelop the country or make trini any better off, that is just what i think. some things we need to import, like wheat. if we want bread or doubles or roti then we don't have the land or the climate to grow it.

Ey chick, i was just responding to your thoroughly misinformed statement. Now you are on to a totally different issue but I'll respond. The backdrop of ethiopia's economic growth, 7 percent in 2015 is coffee. From that sector you have inroads by foreign companies into manufacturing and processioning. Dont mind the famine in Oromo, look at the numbers. Once you have the raw materials, you can attract foreign investment