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Namibia: Expectations High for Presidential Address
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The Namibian (Windhoek)
10 April 2008
Posted to the web 10 April 2008
Brigitte Weidlich
Windhoek
ACADEMICS at the University of Namibia (Unam) have high expectations of President Hifikepunye Pohamba's State of the Nation Address to be delivered in Parliament today.
For the first time since Independence, lecturers have called a press conference to convey to the public what they wanted to be addressed and tackled by Government.
"We would like to hear the Head of State say that more funds would be allocated to research and to establish the envisaged medical school, inform the nation what concrete steps will be taken to bring relief to low-income groups and farmers and how to improve our education system," four lecturers said.
According to Dr Lischen Haoses-Gorases, Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, not enough medical students graduated to provide primary healthcare to all 13 regions.
"Students enrolling in South Africa and elsewhere to study medicine often don't return to Namibia.
We urgently need our own medical faculty, which was agreed on at a stakeholders' meeting last month However, the funding to go with it is not reflected in the new national development plan NDP3, we requested that this is done.
Hopefully, President Pohamba will tell us in his annual address to the nation," Dr Haoses-Gorases said.
Dr Martin Schneider, Deputy Dean of the Agriculture Faculty, stated that the education system should allow for practical subjects like agriculture up to Grade 12.
"Students coming to Unam and enrolling in agriculture know very little about that sector," Schneider said.
His sentiments were echoed by Pro Vice Chancellor Zach Kazapua.
"The teachers' training colleges should be transformed into community colleges and offer two-year diploma courses.
For Grades 11 and 12 schools should offer academic, commercial and vocational subjects the pupils can major in and write their end exams in Grade 12," Kazapua proposed.
Dr Omu Kakujaha-Matundu, Deputy Dean of Economics, said he wanted to hear not so much on what Government had achieved in the past year.
"I want to hear President Pohamba announce relief for farmers like allowing longer times to repay their loans at AgriBank.
We are eager to hear what he will announce, how Government will handle the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the European Union.
Will we sign them or not? "What will Government do to handle the high inflation rate of some 8 per cent? The economic picture looks gloomy with high fuel prices, increasing food prices and high unemployment."
The economist added that he and his colleagues at Unam were eagerly awaiting the announcement of concrete steps to be undertaken by Government.
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They felt the tradition had become to list achievements in national addresses instead of announcing concrete steps for tackling problems.
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