ON THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM AND ANNOYING, LUDCIROUSLY SHORT-SIGHTED MINISTERS

I didn’t know what the title of this article should be and so I went with what felt right.

Free primary education is a very noble idea. Such a good idea it was that Kenya was lauded globally for its introduction. Truly, nothing can affect more people, more beneficially than free education. I absolutely loved the idea. I still do, but I believe it must be done right. When the idea of free primary education first came up, I supported the lets-start-first-and-fix-later implementation philosophy (used again in the constitution thing) because I was tired of the empty rhetoric and vapid promises of yesteryears. The only reason I supported it was because I had an absolute belief in our leaders to then go about fixing the problems that would inevitably arise.

The problem that most concerned me, as it did most Kenyans, was that of a decrease in the quality of education. I posited that, after 8 years we would see a decrease in the performance of KCPE pupils to the extent that the Minister would have to create some sort of quota system (This is no 20-20 hindsight, it was obvious) for high school selection. I also envisaged a situation where more Private schools would be opened by the more entrepreneurial to take advantage of the parents fleeing from the now crowded public schools.

All this has happened. And it started a lot sooner than you think. What do you suppose the real reason for no longer ranking schools by performance was? What did he say it was? He said it was to avoid pressurizing teachers into cheating. Tell me you saw through that BS.

So that you don’t think that this article is no more than a chest thumping, self preening “I told you so”, let me tell you what will happen next. There is a headline in one of today’s papers that proclaims “Form one selection blow for rich schools”.

First off, the wealth of the school is nowhere as important as the collective wealth of the parents (I will explain later). Secondly, the wording of that headline reeks of classism (IMHO). An “us-versus-them” type of thinking that pits the poor against the not-so-rich so as to muddy the debate. Thirdly, wth? A blow how?

Walk with me this way a second and imagine yourself as a parent. You have saved and sacrificed to have your child transfer from the crowded school he was in before to a private school. Your decision has been vindicated because your child has performed way above the average and your only concern now is raising the Form 1 fees. Then comes that announcement. You are understandably mad but you soon focus on what to do next. Since your child cannot qualify for the 1st rate public high school or maybe even the best provincial high school around, you opt for the next best thing. You try the middle tier private school. Now multiply this reaction 100,000 times.

No big deal you say? The biggest factor in a high schools KCSE performance (not the only factor by any means) is the quality of students it receives as entrants in Form 1. That is why the KCSE top 10 list is a lot more static/predictable than the KCPE top ten list. If this is true, then in the next 4-6 years, private schools will begin to match and outperform public schools much more (Look, I know there are already private schools on there but let us be generic, for the sake of argument). And what will the Minister do then? Tell the Universities Joint Admissions Board to pick mostly from public schools? Likely. But if you have been following my argument, you must realize that that will only serve to postpone the problem and make it that much more difficult to fix.

How so? The whole scenario will replicate itself at the University level leading to employers shying away from public university degrees. At that point, the entire public education system will suffer a confidence crisis from which there is almost certainly no return. So although the sensational headline “Form one selection blow for rich schools” may be true, it will only be true in the very short term. There will be a mushrooming of new high schools, especially the “academy” types where the secondary school is only a continuation of the primary school e.g. Makini primary vis-à-vis Makini secondary.

Again, you may see this as no problem. My main issue with this scenario is that it increases the gap between the rich and the poor even further. “So, storm crow, what then?” I hear you ask.

The main problem, and one that the government is trying to solve even while trying to direct our attention elsewhere, is that of understaffing and poor facilities. The solution is simple but not easy.

I started this article by stating that I support free primary education. I do. Wholeheartedly. And where education is concerned, half a loaf is certainly better than no loaf at all. My point is that for this project to actually be successful, it must serve to offer benefits and opportunities to everyone and not just be another gold brick on a gold road leading to unrecognized certificates and qualifications.

Steve Jobs, you dig

So you have managed to blunder your way here again.

Steve Jobs, he invented the iPod. Heard of it?

He has rocking blogs check here, here and here. Enjoy.

Ivanopulo vs. Macromedia

Hi,

Long time no see?
Anyway, if you are here, you must be bored. Check out this link . For those of you who do not know about Ivanopulo, he is a Russian programmer who is infamous for cracking the protection schemes of Macromedia products. The link details Ivanopulo's correspondence with Steve Wozniak, the head of Macromedia's anti-piracy dept, from Ivanopulo's point of view. It's hilarious.

The conversation happened a whole 8 years ago but that does not take away from the basic comedy of Ivanopulo trying to explain himself. It is not only funny ,but also a relevant example of how international copyright laws may (or may not :)) affect us.

New Attitude

These white folk on Telly always seem to be remarking on the remarkable warmth and friendliness of Kenyans but every time I hear this I can't help but wonder what in the hell they are going on about.

Here are a few things that have happened to me that make me think I am the last of a rapidly dying breed.

1.
Location: An elevator.
I was in the said elevator with one other person of the opposite sex. I was going to the 12th floor and she was going to the 10th. There was no elevator music and so I decided to have a go at having some palaver with this human being who shared this metal cage with me albeit for a short while. "Hi" I said, "So what is on the 10th floor?"
She looked at me as if I was something stuck under her shoe. I decided to shut-up. When she left the elevator, she looked back at me as you would a fly swimming in your soup.

2.
Location: A matatu.
It was a cool evening after a hard day at the office. After sitting myself in the mat, this lady come in and sat next to me. She was carrying a small baby in her arms. This baby was brand new, not older than two weeks. I decided to congratulate her. "Hi" I said, "So, what is his/her name?"
She didn't even look at me. So I asked again but a little louder. She turned slowly to face me. I mean really slowly. Ships must turn faster at the ports even without tugboats helping them. She didn't say a word. She then performed the same manouver but in the other direction. Thoroughly chastened, I said a short prayer for the child and left it at that.

3.
Location: A watering hole.
It was a cloudless Friday. After a long week I decided to treat myself and go have some drinks. I was having a whale of a time and so I decided to spread the cheer. I called the waiter and told him to go to Table 6 and give them one each of whatever they are drinking. Feeling happy with myself, I continued doing my thing. Five minutes later, A gentleman came to my table and said the following:
"Hi, I'm . I am at Table 6. The waiter has informed me that you are the one that ordered beer for us. Is it that you don't think I can afford alcohol. Or maybe the lady is yours. You know what, I'm leaving. You can have her."
Just as I was beginning to understand what had happened, a lady walked up to me and said
"Thanks alot!' and walked away.

Friendly? I don't think so. Neurotic? Maybe.

So, one day I was relaxing, nibbling on a sausage, at a restaurant after eating a whole grilled chicken. I was in that blissful state Tolkien calls "Filling in the corners". As it happened, this lady came in and sat at my table. I thought of talking to her but my recent experiences had left me decidedly reticent about reaching out to strangers. So she sat there and ordered her meal and began eating it. My mission at the restaurant accomplished, I stood up and left. Later on that night, unknown to her, due to those remarkable coincidences, I found myself sitting behind her in a matatu. She was waxing lyrical to her friend about this extremely rude guy who wouldn’t even pass her the salt at a table in a restaurant she was in earlier that day.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. She hadn’t even asked for the damned salt.

Free Speech, Assholes

Nasty concept when you really think about it. Wikipedia describes it as the ability to speak without censorship. It goes further to state that the Freedom of speech is guaranteed under international law. This freedom is not always absolute but may be limited for various, obvious, reasons.

The internet was a boon to free speech since it's inception and many great men are constantly fighting the powers that be to ensure that the internet remains unregulated. This is good even though most of the net consists of pornography.

In recent years, bloggers have become a great source of information about what is happening in a particular region. Read chinese blogs to find out what is happening in China. They are actually more reliable than mainstream media. It is my personal opinion that blogging has become popular because it provides one of the last ways in which a person can speak on any issue without any fear of any sort of stigma. The anonymity just enforces it.

Voltaire once said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

A blogger is the last person I would expect to say something that he doesn't mean (On his blog). A blogger, due to his anonymity and the fact that he/she has undertaken to blog, can be expected to speak his damn mind on any issue of his/her fancy. It's the unwritten promise behind what we do. Why visit a blog that is dishonest? It just makes no sense. The moment a blogger puts up a page that is a lie, then he/she has sold out. If you can't speak your mind on a blog, then why start blogging?

That having been said, every blogger is absolutely responsible for what appears on his/her site. This responsibilty cannot be transferred, shared or diluted in any way whatsoever. If you, as a blogger, believes this, then you should always stand by what you say. Do not fear! This is the LAST place where you can speak your mind. Some people may not like what you say. So what! Not everybody loved Tolkien what makes you any different?

"The price of freedom is eternal diligence"

If you fail in being diligent, then enslavement is the consequence and your just reward. You must always look out for things that will either now or in the future stifle your freedom or you will end up like the Americans and their Patriot Act.
The same applies to bloggers. I am talking to you Kenyan bloggers out there.
Bloggers are supposed to be just about as individualistic as one can get. This is why I was so surprised by the fact that most of you decided to join that KBW thing. Don't get me wrong, trying to get young Kenyans to exchange ideas is very noble but the second someone get's kicked off for saying that Tz's president is a "dumb bitch" then KBW have crossed the line.

No doubt insulting the president of our Neighbour is a reprehensible thing but hey, as long as he thinks so then he has every right to say so. I may not agree with what he said, in fact I don't, but I am not going to stop him from saying what he thinks.
I have read some arguments that go that KBW is a private thing and as such they have rules that every member must obey. That is entirely true! But so did the Third Reich. KBW have shown that they have a 'company line' of sorts and that they will only allow certain views. This, again, is fine but you cannot then say that they allow absolute free speech and this in my opinion cuts diametrically across what I think blogging is.

If a blogger can't call Kikwete a 'dumb bitch' on his blog without KBW kicking him off, then I think you should all quit KBW in protest.

Can you tell the next thing KBW are going to be against?

Schumacher

Dear Schumacher,
I will miss you. I don't care what everyone says,you are the greatest F1 driver and all those claiming that you are not in Senna's class don't know how right they are.
Senna is below you. You have all the records except one

-Most race wins: 90 (previous record beaten in 2001)
-Most race wins with one team: 71
-Most podium finishes: 153
-Most second place finishes: 43
-Most points finishes: 188
-Most pole positions: 68
-Most fastest laps: 75
-Most race wins from pole position: 40
-Most "clean-sweeps" (pole position, race win, and fastest lap): 22
-Most championship points: 1,354

Don't worry about what they say, your fans will always love you cherish and remember you.

I like that you are a racer, pure and uncomplicated.You didn't go there to make friends, you joined F1 to win and no one has done it like you. They claim that with you in F1 it is not a sport. That's there problem not yours. If the opposition can't step up it's there fault. They should all be relegated to racing Go-Carts or they can follow Montoya to Nascar.

If they had their way, they would probably blame you for the arrest of Bertrand Gachot that gave you your break.


Alonso,
You should be happy that you managed to beat Schumi once eventhough Ferrari's car that year was crap and not go around besmirching the integrity of F1 by claiming the race was fixed.When Schumi got penalised in Monaco no-one claimed that the race was fixed.You were 25 points ahead of him at some point. How can you explain losing 23 points. Blame the F1
governing body? Dude, try another one. Better yet, just leave. Go to the DTM series or something if you can't stand the pressure.

Villenueve,
So Schumi drove into you in '97. Stop with the sour grapes. If you were as good as you think, you would have challenged for the title a few more times. Don't blame your career woes on Schumi. How come Raikkonnen has never complained about Schumi? You claim that Schumacher won't be remembered? How about your legacy? Who will remember you?

Trulli,
Dude, you talk to Schumacher? I'm surprised. Instead of talking alot, go ask for
his autograph, You know you want it.

Kimi,
Welcome to Ferrari, I wish you the best. Keep the tradition and destroy Alonso
next season.

As for Schumacher's morals, all I can say is that he is The champion. You don't
become a world champion by smiling, shaking hands and donating to charities. As to whether
or not he is a great man, that is highly subjective. You can't expect Villenueve or Alonso
to think so. As for me, I agree with Niki Lauda.

"If the best guy in the world retires it is certainly a sad day. You can say whatever you want, he won seven world championships and he might win another one. There is nobody like him in the world, he is unique."
Niki Lauda, triple F1 world champion
"

As an aside, I have started a little pet project. Check it out, tell me what you think.

Science Fiction Countdown

I am a movie buff and a devout science fiction fan. I partake of SF in all it's forms i.e. comics, novels, movies, short stories, whatever.

It has been said that SF has the most loyal fan base of any genre and no fan can say he has not noticed a few common threads in all SF stories.

This blog is therefore dedicated to all inventions of the mind that have enabled SF as a genre to be as uncomplicated as possible.

10. Inertial damping
Entering our countdown at number 10 is Inertial damping. This technology is what makes it possible for the Starship Enterprise to accelerate from a standing stop to Warp 11 without turning the crew and passengers into little more than scrambled meat. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object will stay where it is until/unless acted upon by an external force. This is known as inertia. Without inertial damping, Captain Jean Luke would be smashed against the back wall of the bridge the very second the Enterprise accelerates.

9. Thinkoids
What? Thinkoids are the collective name I give to certain alien species that seem to have no emotion nor desire any. They think of emotion as a weakness and tend to treat mankind suspiciously because of it. The humans are always trying to make these Thinkoids loosen up a bit. If nothing else, they provide an interesting counter point to our more sensational nature. Think Vulcans.

8. Androids
Robots shaped like humans. In some stories, they do the heavy lifting. In others, they tend to provide nothing more than comic relief to the rather serious subject matter the program is tackling. I some, they are highly intelligent and even work with humans as equals. It is interesting to note, however, that in those programs where an android works in the same capacity as humans, the robot never fits in due to the smallest of criteria. Commander Data (Star Trek) couldn't whistle correctly no matter how hard he tried.

7. The noble savage
Another bunch of Aliens. These aliens have organised their society around war. They think it is noble and the only way to go out is to go out fighting. You will find this lot in Star Trek, Far Scape, Babylon 5. Think Klingons.

6. Force Fields
What would SF be without some frantic First Officer yelling "The shields have Failed!" And the type A personality captain replying, cool as can be of course, "Divert all power except life support to aft shields."

5. Teleportation
Yeah. You know that whole thing of guys standing around, Energise, and the dudes disappear to re-appear else where. Makes you wonder, why the hell do they need space ships if they can teleport?

4. Particle beam weapons
Coming in just outside the top three is that most ubiquitous of all technlogical SF inventions, the laser weapons. Clearly , the pundits believe our future holds no place for the current crop of projectile weapons we have now i.e. guns, missiles etc.

3. Artificial Gravity
You must have seen those old films of Armstrong leaping awkwardly across the moon. You must also have seen pictures of white boys in the space shuttle pretending to be doing some science.Now contrast those images with those of Cpt. Jean Luke standing, feet slightly apart, staring down some poor E.T. on that 60 inch plasma screen. The difference, all the rest are foating around. Artificial Gravity guys. Without it, the directors would have to film under water or on a free-falling set. You see, save costs. One of the most ingenious ways of creating gravity I have ever seen must have been in Tin Tin goes to the moon. Prof Calculus had the rocket accelerating at 10 m/s squared. For those not in the know, that equals one Earth G.

2. Hyper space, Worm holes and Warp engines
Space is large. So large in fact that we must begin to think we will never meet anyone else out there. They are just too far. What if we travel very fast? Well, according to Einstein, and most contemporary scientists agree, the cosmis speed limit is Light Speed. That is fast but not fast enough to cover the distances we are talking about in reasonable time. So, SF writers had to find a way to move faster than light. Warp engines work by shifting space and moving it, and whatever it contains at Super-Light speeds (Star Trek). Worm holes are holes in space that open up in another place. The idea that worm holes exist and that they can be directed makes SF alot more manageable. Hyper space is an extension of the worm hole theory. The idea is that you can travel a few hours through a higher dimension (Hyper space), and open a worm hole back into your normal dimension and find yourself light years away from where you started. Cool eh?

1. Universal Translator
This must be the undisputed champion of all the save time and explanation SF inventions. This device enables Alien races from all over the universe to communicate with each other in a common language. No matter how diverse the life forms, they all seem to be able to communicate. This device may be a gadget or a bacteria or a parasite but the end effect is the same. The SF writers and directors must find life alot easier thanks to this device.


And that's it. Thank you for joining us for this nerdy but interesting countdown. Please feel free to write in and give your own suggestions.