The G.A.T.E. question

"The government who gets rid of G.A.T.E. is a government that has decided to retire."

This was my attitude for years, an attitude which time has made me lose confidence in. G.A.T.E. is a government programme in Trinidad and Tobago which funds tertiary education for citizens. This leads to large number of T&T citizens staying in the country for college. On the other hand, this system has invited abuse in past years because of poor regulation. Instead of tightening controls, from what I can tell the programme has just become less accessible to people. Arbitrary rules and regulations have been set up with means students have to jump through hoops in order to receive funding for their education. While there is a need to make sure that G.A.T.E. funds are used appropriately, these regulations have made it harder for students to even get the funding. Students now even have difficulty getting funding if they want to switch programmes, and often G.A.T.E. pays students' tuition late.

While I do not receive G.A.T.E. funding myself, most of my knowledge of the troubles associated with G.A.T.E. come from the experiences of my friends and family. While successive governments have tried to make G.A.T.E. more efficient, their efforts have been like a bull in a china shop. There is huge concern right now that students are abusing G.A.T.E. funds and wasting taxpayers' dollars. The concern is valid, however their approach is worrying.

Suggestions have been made that the programmes and institutions which qualify for G.A.T.E. funding be reviewed, or a 50/50 loan programme be put in place. How do you judge which programmes deserve to get G.A.T.E. funding? Do the sciences and law get prioritised over humanities and the arts? With the rising cost of education, how much can students really provide towards tuition?

As a nation we've decided on certain national priorities, education being one of them. Funding is expensive, but the rewards are greater than the expense. A nation with more educated people is a nation whose citizens are more productive and are more perceptive. Regardless of the degree, when a person is educated that person is empowered. By deciding that education is right, not a privilege we decide that nothing can disqualify a citizen from that right and that systems will be designed to prevent abuse of that right. Delinquency is a huge problem that has to be dealt with. Making access to fund for education creates more problems than it does solutions, It can end up decreasing the number of people who can reap the benefits of the system.

The Shepherd's Crown

I can't believe I forgot to write about this earlier but I finally read the last book of my favourite series. I put off reading Wikipedia articles and ran from all spoilers. Finally, I got a chance to read it. Coming home I had to buy some stuff for my mom and decided to get reading material for the plane at the same time. I had to restrain myself to stop myself from reading it between leaving college and the airport.

Reading The Shepherd's Crown was an emotional experience. Even though I still have several Discworld novels I haven't read, The Shepherd's Crown is the last that will be written. Years ago, because I was obsessed with Christmas, I picked Hogfather off the shelves. Anyone whose read it knows it is not the conventional Christmas story. Terry Pratchett was the first writer that really taught me that you don't have to follow any of the conventional rules of writing.

I won't include any spoilers for the book. The Shepherd's Crown is not the best Discworld book, but it's a fitting way to end the series, especially since one of the first Discworld books I read was a Tiffany Aching novel.

Sunday Lunch

Sunday Lunch  is a Trinbagonian tradition. It's a time where a people who could already cook better than anybody else really bring out their best. It's when a family of two cooks for a family of six (and then has to invite over enough people to eat the food). It's a time where cooks make old favourites ad experiment with new dishes. It's a time to relax, to lime, to explore and to enjoy.

I made the beef and broccoli and the fried rice, mummy made the lasagne. #sundaylunch #daylate #womantohaveinyuhhouse

A photo posted by Anushka Robinson (@nushi.ke) on Jun 15, 2015 at 7:11am PDT

One of my own Sunday lunch experiments with mummy

Sunday lunch is one of my favourite meals because food is one of my favourite things. I love to come up with new dishes to try out and see how they turn out. The come out right for the most part! After leaving church, we usually head to the grocery store then head back home to cook up a storm.

If you enjoy the Sunday lunch tradition I encourage you to share with others. The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Assumption church is always looking for volunteers to donate a boxed lunch to the less fortunate. Outside of this area, enquire with your local charities to see if they have any similar progammes.