Cathys Clothing case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cathys Clothing case study - Essay Example onus provisions for the Coastal District stores, I will evaluate whether the stores have met their set targets in order to earn the stipulated bonuses (Armstrong, 2007). Evidently, New Haven and Boston have surpassed their benchmarks. For the month of May, New Haven Store has registered sales of $628,000 against the required $570,000 hence automatically qualified for the bonus. Concurrently, for Boston, the 12% of $549,500 (sales) is $ 65,940 (net income goal required for the month). Fortunately, the store the store registered a net income of $110,943. It surpassed the target thus qualified for the bonus. Another financial factor I would consider in evaluating the proposed bonus plans for Boston and New Haven incorporates the overall performance against expenditure. It is evident that the expenditure in advertising for Boston and New Haven stores are$5,300 and $53,000 respectively for the month of May. This contradicts the ultimate net income, which is $110,943 for Boston Stores and $70,992 for New Haven Store. I consider such differences and reward any store that spends strategically and sparingly on their daily business operations. Financially, this indicates some sense of responsibility and obedience for the business (Crosson & Needles, 2010). The managers in the performing stores should get some bonuses besides the stipulated ones. The aspects of cost and revenues are critical in the realms of bonus implementation. Strategic considerations will include customer care and prompt services. I will consider the stores in the realms of their customer attraction endeavors and how they uphold the brand name of Cathy’s Classic Clothes. This will be proportional to the value of sales registered per store. This will affect even the Portland Stores, which is not under the scheme. I consider such factors to be influential in decision-making, fair compensation, and motivation of all store managers (Warren, Reeve & Duchac, 2011). I expect the proposed bonus structures to

Honor killingskillings Essay Example for Free

Honor killingskillings Essay It is shocking to see that in today’s era when education and awareness has become the most integral part of human and societal development. Moreover, women empowerment and their role in every walk of lives have changed over the period of time. There are still such hideous practices that are being done in some parts of the world under the disguised name of honor killing and Pakistan being one of the countries which holds the highest rates of honor killings in the world. Karo Kari another name for ignorance. This name originated from the rural areas of interior sindh. It is being practiced in areas of Sindh such as Jacocabad, Sukkur, Khairpur, and Larkana along with other areas of Sindh and some places in Punjab. THE TRIBAL SYSTEM Pakistani society is rich with multiple cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Each of these cultures and people from diversified ethnic groups come from distinct backgrounds and live together hence they have their own traditions and customs which they have been following since years. In the rural areas of Pakistan the tribal system still exists such as areas in the interior sindh. This is where the ‘jirga’ system or commonly known as the â€Å"panchayat† system exists. Under this system the rich and the influential class of the village tends to form a committee and takes decisions on behalf of everyone and the decision given by this group is bound to be accepted by every member of the society. They have their own way of judging the case and passing a verdict on that, they take their own time, they think over it and give the date for the decision. The lower and the poor working class is suppressed under this system as they don’t have any say in it and obliged to follow it. KARO KARI Karo Kari is practiced when the women of the family has brought dishonor to the family name by any means. This could be if the woman has any illicit relations with any man, or an extra marital affair, she could be a rape victim or even if she wants to get married to somebody of her choice she is brutally killed by one of the family members themselves in order to bring back the lost glory and name of the family. It is not just this that an innocent women can be categorized as Kari and killed it is also when the family and the brothers want to keep the property and resolve land disputes she becomes a victim of this murder, for example if a man owes some money to a person and that creditor comes to his place in order to collect the money to his place from another village and stays over night. The person who owes the money would kill his wife next day and declare her a Kari so that he doesn’t have to pay the money . in this way the creditor would choose to leave without taking the money rather being declared as Karo and being killed. Similarly a man can be declared a Karo even if he doesn’t have any kind of affair with a woman but he has any form of dispute with some other tribe and he’ll be killed under the name of honor killing. These killings tend to have the most inhuman ways of torturing some one and sentencing them to death. They will bury the girl alive recently in one of the states of Sindh, Khairpur; a girl was thrown in front of dogs to be torn apart as an act of hour killing. THE RISE IN THE NUMBER OF KILLINGS It is very depressing to see that the trend in the number of killings that has taken place due to this has increased over the years instead of dropping. It is estimated that over the last six years in Pakistan the number of deaths caused by Karo Kari have been more than six thousand which included around 800 men too, so it is not just women who fall for this, there are men too but their number is relatively lower than the women. Different societies have different people and thinking therefore they believe what they are doing is the right way but this practice of suppressing the right of women and taking her right to live is a murderous crime and contradictory to the teachings of Islam. It is that barbaric evil of the society that has to be eliminated completely. Even worse is the fact that the rich and influential class tends to get away with this practice while the poor are helpless and they become the victim. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT As far as the government and other NGO’s are concerned then in the year 2004 there was an amendment made in the constitution which declared honor killings such as Karo Kari as equal to murder however, this amendment never came into practice because under another clause of the constitution it was stated that the accused can get away with the crime if one gets the consent of the family and in this case of Karo Kari the victims family itself is the one who are doing it therefore nobody can be put to trial as they don’t appear in the police station. It is the government’s duty to look into this matter and they should have made an alteration in the other amendment so that this brutal practice can be put to an end, however no concrete step has been taken to curb this. KARO KARI IS UNJUSTIFIABLE Karo Kari is a cultural shock to anyone who belongs to a civilized, developed and educated society and would condemn it. it is a murder not a punishment there could be any other ways of punishing one for their doings but such act is not justifiable on any grounds, it is barbaric and takes away the freedom of speech and expression. The dominating men in the â€Å"jirga† system have curbed the rights of women in these rural areas. It is actually the sardars who are the influential â€Å"waderas† who tend to encourage this practice as this increases their prestige in the society ,over that they get a compensation from the â€Å"jirga† too. Karo Kari is another name for ignorance, Islam has already restricted the Muslims and it has set punishments for the victim therefore any other act that is being practiced under its name is simply ignorance. In Islam having an illicit sexual relationship is condemned and the accused is whipped not subject to killing. How can one justify the killing of a woman who has been subjected to rape? By declaring such a women Kari and killing her society is depriving the soul from getting justice and instead of taking her out of that trauma one is putting an end to her life. Why are women accused more then men in Karo Kari, it is not that men are more faithful then women it is just that women are weak in these areas and men are strong that is why they are able to get away with it. These â€Å"jirga† have no right to take away the liberty to live from such people; they should work for the benefits of the society by coming to a conclusion on the basis of â€Å"shariah† not merely stay ignorant. Women are not property that their life is kept at stake to resolve land disputes. Moreover the killing is done in the most inhuman way. To bury some one alive, throwing her in front of dogs or to burn her alive is unjustifiable. Such practices were there in the olden days when there was no education and no awareness but it’s shocking that it still exists in our society and nobody has done anything to put an end to it. It is unjustly exploited by the feudal land lords and the elite class of the village who use Karo Kari to resolve their personal matters. One such incident took place when a native of interior Sindh came home after years of hard work from Dubai and brought money back home to start some form of business in his native land. He came in the eyes of the feudal lord due to his money and business. The opportunist wanted to trap him in the case of Karo Kari and he got the opportunity when the man by mistake prayed on the grave of some other women, thinking it to be his wife’s grave. The feudal lord took advantage of this and declared him a Karo; the man not only paid 15million to the land lord in order to save his life, he was kicked out of his home land and his business was taken away. There are many such instances when the influential people of the â€Å"panchayat† system tend to trap others for their own good and they use this practice of Karo Kari as a tool in order to get away with it. It is unfortunate to see that such murders are given the name of honor killings. THE URBAN AREAS VERSUS THE RURAL SETUP The tragedy with these women lies in the fact that they are born in such a set up and society where they are considered as a burden on the family. Girls still cannot compete with the boys and neither can they express their opinion. Sons are preferred over daughters. Daughters are not encouraged to go to school or get exposed to the outside world. Therefore their thinking is confined to just one place. They are expected to do what they are asked for and nothing else. Lives in the urban areas are an extreme opposite view of this. If one may not go far and compare with places in the similar province such as Karachi. The region is developed and modern. It is a cosmopolitan city and comprises of people from all caste, color and creed and they all share different cultures and languages and live altogether. Women here are educated and empowered like never before. They are independent, focused and know exactly what they want out of their lives. They are working as well as having a family and they are doing well in every walk of lives and competing with men. They take their own decisions. The living and culture of these societies varies from the rural areas actually there is no comparison. The two societies share the same religion and language yet again there are differences of opinions and thinking process. The urban life of Karachi is mush more modern and liberal as they are adopting the western culture in their society. Apart from the right to go out or make money, women can dress up the way she wants, socialize, make friends and do whatever she wants to. Girls are actually encouraged to go and study in co education and moreover sent abroad for further education and their families and relatives support them in this. In these urban areas there is no such thing as ‘jirga system. Life is different here justice drawn through legal courts and with the help of police. A rape victim can go to the police and lodge a complaint against the culprit and she has the right to live and fight for her right and nobody can stop her. All kinds of disputes pertaining to property, ownership, marriage or anything are resolved through legal procedure in the courts. After the age of eighteen years the girl and the boy have the right to choose her own life partner and get married to him legally. The concept of honor killings does not exist in these urban areas. This society has its own set of evils and drawbacks such as poverty, corruption, unemployment, terrorism. Women in urban areas are as influential and resourceful then men that they can not be dominated unjustly. Tribal system is a sign of backwardness and illiteracy and refusal to accept this fact is what is leading to what it is today. These two societies have completely different set of values, cultures, traditions and norms that they follow. The living and lifestyles of these people are also different. In the urban areas there are also powerful and influential people who tend to subjugate the weaker class, however that is done in entire different way where the free will of everyone is not included like the â€Å"jirga† system where everyone is bound to listen to them? Life in the urban society has made men and women strong and independent that’s the way they are brought up, whereas the tribal system has put them in a much weaker stand. The practice of Karo Kari is a social issue and it can not come to an end until there is no change in the social structure of the society and in order to change to be there, there has to be awareness and education and the powers of the rich and the land lords needs to be curbed so that they don’t exploit the common man who work for them as their slaves. It should not be encouraged but since it has been following from years and the people in the villages associate it as a matter of prestige and honor that is why is strongly accepted and being followed. It is not being used in villages to make easy money. The men’s of the family tend to kill their own daughter, wives and sisters ruthlessly in order to make easy money. it is actually depressing to see this that in today’s time such type of unjust ways of killings are taking place by the wrongdoers and they are justified on the basis of honor killings. 60% cases of the cases of Karo Kari are reported to be where the accused were innocent and yet killed. Every society and every religion have their own set of limitations which are known to all. Yet again those are not being followed that doesn’t mean that one can make use of it and exploit it on the basis of â€Å"ghayrat†. There are officials in the government who haven’t done anything to stop this practice because they feel it is not wrong, not only men, there are women who are seen in the political setup who have the ability to do something, yet are not doing anything. There are different cultures and people living in one country and each of them have their own problems and drawbacks. Whereas in one province one woman can get married by giving a divorce to her husband and in the other society she is buried alive if she has her own opinion. This tribal system has gone so worse that the people who live under it fear their death and therefore few try to escape and the ones who have money give that and get away with everything. Even if people try to escape these killings the villagers look for them and they kill them whenever and wherever they find them. Education is the key in all this that can reduce the gap and disparity among the two societies and give everyone the freedom to live as an independent citizen. ohou Key words Honor killings in Pakistan Karo Kari and the tribal system Women empowerment

The Declaration of Independence: A Closer Look Essay example -- essay

In What Did the Declaration Declare?, Joseph J. Ellis, an editor for history publications presents various historical perceptions on the analytical conception of this mythic text of American public life. The Declaration of Independence has enjoyed a long and useful career as an expression of "natural rights," providing Americans with an influential statement of their national doctrine. Thomas Jefferson had no reason to believe that he was writing a document that would become so revered throughout the ages. One may confirm the Declaration’s idealistic origins by examining Carl Becker’s enduring argument that the Declaration was an American product of the doctrines of John Locke. The Declaration was composed for a specific purpose. The members of the Continental Congress were more preoccupied with handling pressing military matters and meeting with delegates in the separate colonies, who were busy drafting and debating new state constitutions. This book by Elli s also provides a general, philosophical justification for revolution based on the colonist’s growing feeling of entitlement of Lockean rights. The colonists attitude about rights is illustrated in the statement â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed† (Ellis 15). These words, taken from the Declaration of Independence, are the most influential in our country’s political culture, even today. This document was drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Today, it is read and analyzed constantly in not just America, but all over the world as well. Granted, it was based on gaining Independence from the British Crown’s rule, but its contents still holds true even today. It gives strength to the â€Å"underdog† in society to know even his government believes he is created equal. It puts fear into the soul of an y to-be tyrant, letting him know—we will not stand back and allow you to bully us. It also makes it quite clear that if the people do not find solace in the government, if they are bullied and persecuted consistently by this government, then they have the right to overthrow the oppressors and again, start ane... ...e colonists frustration with Britain; it was in actuality a â€Å"public confession of treason† which meant death and confiscation of estate for one found guilty (Ellis 104) at that time. If one really thinks about it, the men who signed the Declaration risked loosing the very rights stated in the document. The document stated that their creator had given life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They risked their lives, freedom and property to gain independence from the Crown and to have freedoms of their own. These freedoms included, freedom to run their own country as they saw fit, freedom to live life in the manner they chose, freedom to form their own laws and regulations, and many more. Men, who risked death for treason in writing it, wrote this Declaration, and because of them we all enjoy our freedom and ability to have choices. The document not only played a role in gaining independence from Great Britain, but it played a role in the abolition of slavery, in eq ual rights for African-Americans and women, and many more. We should all be proud of the Declaration. It is a document the United States formed on and its contents definitely hold true value even today more than ever.

Kenya education Essay

An Overview of the Kenyan Education System: Issues and Obstacles to Learning Posted by Lee-Anne Benoit on April 27th 2013 I’m back again with an outline of what I’ve learned about the Kenyan Education system from the diverse experiences that I’ve had. You’ll notice this blog is slightly more academic in nature, but I felt that it was important to find research to back up my own observations. Education is perceived as one of the principal motivating factors behind national economic development and it is one of the most effective ways in which individuals can ever hope to achieve better opportunities and a higher standard of living in Kenya. For these reasons Kenya has invested heavily into its education system over the past twenty years. It is my primary objective in this blog to express all that I have learned about the primary and secondary education systems in Kenya in the short 12 weeks that I have been here. I discuss the structure of primary and secondary schools, the implementation of universal free primary education (FPE), limited and equitable access to education, obstacles to learning within the classroom, special needs education and inclusion. My understanding is derived from my experiences visiting and working at eleven different public and private schools in Kenya, two Masters courses in Special Needs Education that I audited, academic journal articles as well as several discussions and conversations that I have had with various individuals related to the field of education. Structure of Primary and Secondary Education To begin, I’d like to outline what I have learned about the structure of primary and secondary schooling in Kenya. I have gained most of my insight from visiting nine different public and private schools in Nairobi and Mombasa. During these visits I was able to tour each school, observe classes, and interact with administrators, teachers, and students. What follows is an account of some of the pertinent information that I have gathered. Children begin primary classes around the age of three years old. They enter a nursery program for roughly two years before commencing Standard 1. Depending on their final KCPE (Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education) examination marks at the end of Standard 8, students may or may not qualify to attend a secondary high school. Secondary school in Kenya has four levels, forms 1 – 4 and is completed only when students finish their KCSE (Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations. Again, student grades play a key role in determining whether or not students are able to attend university. Due to the ethnic diversity in Kenya (42 different tribes), children begin school speaking a variety of languages. Because of this, all students study their subject material predominantly in Kiswahili up until Standard 3 in a homeroom classroom. It is not until Standard 4 students are immersed in English and must follow a strict timetable of up to 10 lessons a day. The subjects taught in the primary grades include Math, English, Kiswahili, Science, Social Studies and Christian Religious Studies. Depending on the location of the school, students may study Islam. Looking through the Kenyan Primary Education curriculum documents, I noticed that art and music were indeed included in the syllabus. However, after inquiring after this, I discovered that art and music have been cut from the timetable due of the cost and perceived unimportance of the subject material. From the little experience I have, it seems as though the degree to which children are allowed to express themselves creatively through art and music depends largely on the school and classroom teachers. From personal observation I can say with confidence that the approach to education in Kenya is largely teacher centered and by the book. Teachers strictly adhere to the Kenyan syllabus for both primary and secondary students and textbooks are a teacher’s primary resource during lessons. Standardized examinations are the sole assessment techniques that I have noted being used in regular classrooms thus far to report student progress. Students in every grade level must complete these standardized examinations at the end of each term, including students in preprimary programs. Grades are critical indicators of success and failure in the lives of students for they ultimately determine whether or not one is able to advance to secondary school. As I mentioned earlier, students must complete their KCP examinations at the end of standard 8. These are national, standardized exams in all subject areas and are worth a total of 400 marks. Students must achieve a minimum of 250 marks if they wish to enter secondary school. In order to graduate High School students must complete their KCSE examinations, and achieve high grades if they wish to enter university. I would like to point out that Kenyan teachers have excellent classroom management. Most of the students that I have observed are incredibly well behaved and show a level of focus and respect that I have not seen on such a large scale before. I am impressed by teacher’s classroom control especially considering the large class sizes that they handle on a daily basis. I attribute this classroom control to the use of corporal punishment, which is considered to be the norm in Kenya. It has also been argued that students’ passivity in the classroom dates back to British colonial days and has been an aid and a challenge in encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning (Ackers and Hardman, 2001). Universal Free Primary Education Another key point that warrants discussion is the implementation of FPE, Universal Free Primary Education, in Kenya. Many of the challenges that the Education system currently faces are directly linked to the implementation of FPE. G. J. Cheserek and V. K.  Mugalavai argue that the main problems facing the education system are, â€Å"issues of access, equity, quality, relevance and efficiency in the management of educational resources,† (2012, 473). The following discussion will elaborate on such issues. As of January 2003, the NARC government established the FPE program to satisfy the pledge it made during the 2002 general elections in order to provide opportunities to disadvantaged children (Makori). This project was a great success in terms of the increased enrollment of disadvantaged children. More than 1.5 million children enrolled in public schools across the country, (Makori). However, the country was not yet prepared to accommodate such a large increase as can be seen by such drastic consequences. Few primary schools were built to accommodate the influx of students, which led to over crowding and congested classrooms. There was a shortage of teachers at the time, which led to the employment of unqualified teachers (Makori). Schools lost revenue from the lack of tuition fees, which led to a strain on teaching materials and resources as well as limited physical facilities (Makori). Lastly, teachers’ challenges increased as their class sizes grew. Although Primary School tuition fees have been abolished, several factors continue to impede access to education in Kenya. Many parents still cannot afford to pay for school uniforms, textbooks, transport, meals and supplies, without which students cannot attend school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). These fees are especially difficult for marginalized children such as females, orphans, and the financially underprivileged. Poor health and the inability to seek medical attention also impede many children’s access to education and negatively affect their academic performance, (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Many children cannot attend school due to intestinal worms, malaria, and other health concerns such as malnutrition, which can seriously affect their cognitive development. A teacher at the Kiambui Primary School informed me that many of the students arrived at school without having eaten breakfast and who did not bring lunches. Many teachers, despite their low salaries, felt obligated to bring food for the most needy. Lastly, there is an issue of distance and transportation. For some, transportation is unaffordable and the distance to school is too great to walk, which renders the possibility of attending school impossible (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Despite advancements in accessing primary education, access to secondary education has remained quite low in comparison. There are a number of reasons that account for this. For instance, secondary schools still require tuition payments. Although these fees have been reduced, it is still quite expensive for many. Distance also plays a major role for some in accessing education. As of 2011 there were approximately 26, 000 primary schools and 6, 500 secondary schools spread across the country, which meant that many communities did not have a nearby high school (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Poor KCPE examinations scores at the end of Standard 8 also create a barrier in accessing Secondary School. 2004 KCPE results show that a much higher percentage of students from private schools qualify for secondary school than public school, which has led to an overrepresentation of private school graduates attending top Kenyan Secondary Schools (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). The quality of primary education, so it seems, acts as a serious barrier to obtaining secondary education. Finally, there is limited space in secondary school so parents and students alike must compete for placement in one if not one of the elite National schools. Yet another interesting point to note is that FPE does not enable all children equitable access to quality education; the key word here being ‘quality. ’ There is an alarming difference between the quality of education that public schools offer vs. that of private schools as noted earlier. After visiting both private and public schools I can attest to the difference. The five private schools that I visited had a low teacher to student ratio, more resources and materials for students, an adequate amount of desks for their student body, as well as electricity and running water. On the contrary, some of the public schools that I visited had class sizes of 60 to 80 students, limited electricity, insufficient textbooks and desks for students. There is much speculation that the poor performance of public school graduates on the KCPE examinations is due to a number of specific factors. For example, because of the increased enrollment in primary schools in 2003, teachers had to contend with extraordinarily large class sizes made up of a diverse range of students whose preparedness varied. Circumstances such as these diminish a teacher’s ability to differentiate their instruction and give individualized attention. Resources and materials are spread thin and mobility within classrooms becomes limited. It is thought that this large influx of â€Å"first generation learners† has contributed to declining test scores in the public school system (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). It is also thought that poor performance in primary schools is perpetuated by an increasing stratification between public and private schools. This disparity becomes all the more clear when considering the disparity between the KCPE scores of public and private school graduates (Glennerster and Kremer, 2011). Under qualified teachers has also been stated as a factor as well as corruption. Obstacles to Learning Within the Classroom â€Å"For Kenya to be internationally competitive and economically viable, the Republic of Kenya requires an education system that will produce citizens who are able to engage in lifelong learning, learn new skills quickly, perform more non – routine tasks, capable of more complex problem-solving, take more decisions, understand more about what they are working on, require less supervision, assume more responsibility, have more vital tools, have better reading culture, quantitative analysis, reasoning and expository  skills† (Cheserek and Mugalavai, 2012, 472). As this statement explains, Kenya needs a strong education system that will train individuals to meet the growing economic needs of society. However, as discussed previously, evidence shows that students in public primary schools are achieving significantly lower their private school counterparts. There are a number of factors that can account for this disparity, which directly relate to the quality of primary education and the interactions between teacher and pupil. In 2001, Jim Ackers and Frank Hardman conducted a study on classroom interactions in primary schools in Kenya and found that the predominant teaching style was characterized by the ‘transmission of knowledge’ and was teacher focused in nature. Students were motivated to participate but answered preplanned, ‘closed’ questions and lessons often involved a high degree of choral response and repetition of memorized information (Ackers and Hardman, 2001). They go on to write that, â€Å"there were few examples of interaction between teacher and pupils that extended or even encouraged higher order thinking because of the domination of the recitation mode, where typically the teacher asks a series of pre-planned questions, initiates all the topics, and rarely interacts with the substance of the pupils’ answers except to evaluate them†(Ackers and Hardman, 2001, 12). Interestingly enough, this literature mirrors my own observations. I also noted the predominance of a rote learning style of teaching while visiting a number of primary schools. The teachers that I observed lectured on a topic for a large portion of a lesson and then questioned students to see what they were able to absorb. I did not observe any inter pupil interactions or discussions during class time. Rather, students spent the remainder of the class silently copying notes and answering questions from the board. I observed this pattern across multiple subjects and classrooms. Acker and Hardman point out that impediments to learning also include a lack of teaching resources and poor physical conditions of classroom spaces (2001). From what I have noted, the blackboard and student textbooks are the primary teaching aids in a lot of schools. Another obstacle to learning within primary grades is the size of the class. In many cases, teachers can have upwards to 80 students at a time in a regular sized classroom, which creates a congested environment. In such cases it is virtually impossible for a single teacher to meet the needs of every individual learner. Differentiation becomes ineffectual, as does mobility within the classroom. Resources are spread thin and many struggling learners are overlooked. In addition to overcrowded classrooms, teachers face many challenges, which in turn affect student performance. Firstly, they are under a great deal of pressure to teach all of the curriculum outcomes in order to prepare students for their examinations. Combined with a lack of funding and classroom space, teachers are at a loss when it comes to planning creative lessons. Secondly, teachers face a strong tradition of teaching practice that is both historically and culturally embedded. Attitudes towards change can be stubborn, making transformation a slow process. Thirdly, teachers lack an appropriate amount of support and assistance within the classroom as well as opportunities for professional development. As it stands, resource and literacy programs are virtually non-existent in schools, and the government cannot afford to pay for assistants within the classroom. Few primary schools can even afford a library. Fourthly, and in part due to distance, there are barriers to communication between home and school, which negatively impacts student progress. Lastly, primary school teachers work for very low wages, which can be demotivating for some, ultimately affecting their professional pedagogical practice. For many teachers and students alike, school can be a truly sink or swim endeavor. Special Needs Education and Inclusion My insight into special needs education derives from two sources. Firstly, I have audited two Masters level courses on special needs education in Kenya entitled Guidance and Counseling of Special Needs students and Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education. Secondly, I have worked for a short time at a private special needs school entitled Bright Hills. In addition to Bright Hills, I have also visited three different ‘Special Units’ in public schools: Kaimbui Primary School, Kilimani Primary School, and Muchatha Primary School. I would like to share some of the pertinent information that I have learned. According to my own personal experience and research, special needs education is predominantly segregated from general education classes. Many primary and secondary schools have classes termed ‘Special Units. ’ These classes are home to students who have a wide range of learning needs, which â€Å"cannot† be met by regular classroom teachers. I have been told that Special Units are inclusive in the sense that all students who have a disability or a special need share a common learning space. It is the role of the special education teacher to tackle the challenging task of differentiating lessons for many students who have varying degrees of learning dependency. Many of the students of Bright Hills Special Needs School are taught the regular primary school curriculum. However, other special needs students are given vocational training, which I observed at the Kiambui Special Unit and the Deaf and Blind Unit at the Kilimani Primary School. Learning skills such as beading and weaving give students the potential to earn a livelihood outside of school and become productive members of society. Although the Kenyan Minister of Education approved a policy in 2009 that supports the equitable access to quality education and training of learners with special needs, special needs education still faces many challenges. The factors that hinder the provision of education for special needs learners include vague guidelines that describe the implementation of an inclusive policy, insufficient data on children with special needs, ineffective assessment tools, curriculum, and a lack of qualified professionals, (Lynch, McCall, Douglas, McLinden, Mogesa, Mwaura, Njoroge, 2011). Many of the discussions in which I participated in my class: Issues and Problems in Special Needs Education mirrored this argument. Major issues that were discussed include the stigmatization of persons with disabilities, a lack of funding to equip teachers with the resources, materials and support required to meet learners needs, a lack of curriculum adaptations, differentiation, appropriate methodology and qualified personnel, inappropriate and biased assessment measures and the misdiagnosis of learning disabilities, which leads to the misplacement of Students in Special Units. I have also had several discussions concerning the implementation of inclusive educational practices within Kenyan Schools. Many of my classmates believe that inclusion is indeed the way forward in reforming the issues inherent in special needs education. Others however, believe that inclusive education is too ambitious a reform to make. Dr. Mary Runo stated in a lecture that she is not certain that inclusive education is what Kenya presently needs. Rather, the focus of reform should be on government policy and persistent negative attitudes towards disabilities. Although inclusive practices are in a fledgling state in Kenya, there are a few successful cases. Take for example the Kilimani Primary School, which is the only school in Nairobi that incorporates the hearing and visually impaired into general classrooms. Numerous supports are provided to students such as braillers, translators, adaptations, and individual assistance. The Kilimani School also has a segregated Special Unit for those who are deaf or blind as well as a Special Unit specifically for those who are deaf and blind, both of which are well equipped with qualified and dedicated teachers as well as a diverse range of teaching aids and resources. It is common practice for a Primary school to pull struggling students out of the regular classroom and place them in a Special Unit for a short time until they can successfully transition back into a regular classroom. The Kyangoma Primary School has 68 special needs learners, the majority of which study in a Special Unit. However, students who have physical disabilities or are highly functioning cognitively are integrated into general classrooms in order to follow the regular school curriculum. Although integration does not equate inclusion, it is evidence that there is a growing acceptance of inclusive practices. Overall, I would argue that special needs learners are segregated from regular classrooms for the most part and that levels of inclusive practice vary from school to school, depending on financial resources, teachers’ attitudes, and community support. Conclusion It is difficult to articulate all that I have learned about the Kenyan education system in the past twelve weeks, as my experiences have been diverse and I have come to understand the cultural context within which this system works. The education system in Kenya has been undergoing considerable change since the induction of Universal Free Primary Education in 2003. Despite the many deep rooted and interconnected problems that impede equitable access to quality education, reformation is high on the government’s list of priorities. One thing that I can confidently attest to is the unquestionable confidence and positivity that I have encountered in many Kenyans who strongly believe in the advancement of the education system. Kenya’s future is bright as long as these discussions continue and individuals strive to make change. References Ackers, J. , & Hardman, F. (2001). Classroom Interaction in Kenyan Primary Schools. Compare, 31(2), 245-61. Cheserek, G. , & Mugalavai, V. (2012). Challenges and Reforms Facing Kenyan Education System in the 21st Century: Integrating the Principles of Vision 2030 and Constitution 2010. Journal Of Emerging Trends In Educational Research & Policy Studies, 3(4), 471-478. Glennerster, R. , Kremer, M. , Mbiti, I. , & Takavarasha, K. (2011). Access and Quality in the Kenyan Education System: A Review of the Progress, Challenges and Potential. Retrieved from: http://www. povertyactionlab. org/sites/default/files/publications/Access%20and%20Quality%20in%20the%20Kenyan%20Education%20System%202011. 06. 22. pdf KENPRO (2010). Challenges Facing Inclusive Education in Regular Primary Schools in Kenya. KENPRO Online Papers Portal. Retrieved from: www. kenpro. org/papers. Lynch, P. , McCall, S. , Douglas, G. , McLinden, M. , Mogesa, B. , Mwaura, M. , & †¦ Njoroge, M. (2011). Inclusive Educational Practices in Kenya: Evidencing Practice of Itinerant Teachers Who Work with Children with Visual Impairment in Local Mainstream Schools. International Journal Of Educational Development, 31(5), 478-488. Makori, A. Implementation of universal primary education in Kenya: An analysis of its impact and progress towards achieving the EFA goal in Kisii District. Retrieved from: http://www. kaeam. or. ke/articles/vol1/makorifulltext. pdf Category: Uncategorized // 16 Comments  » 16 Responses to â€Å"An Overview of the Kenyan Education System: Issues and Obstacles to Learning† 1. women fashion show 2013 // June 25th 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically posts I would state. That is the very first time I frequented your website page and so far? I surprised with the analysis you made to create this particular publish incredible. Fantastic task! 2. Graham Mulligan // July 3rd 2013 Lee-Anne, thank you for this post. I concur with everything you describe regarding the current state of Primary Education in Kenya. Although there is much hope for change, there are enormous challenges ahead. I wonder what specific improvements can be made, especially in the many isolated and impoverished public primary schools. I am currently planning a short visit to do teacher training in some of these schools. Do you have any suggestions for me? cheers Graham 3. Rahab // July 4th 2013 Your observations are very insightful and on point. It is rather disturbing that all education activities in the Kenyan system end up creating bottle necks at some point or other. What are your suggestions on making the system create paths for learners graduating from the various levels of the system? How can the system encourage student creativity and participation both in school and out of school? Is there hope that the Kenya education system will ever become learner centered rather than content and teacher centered? 4. desigual sale // July 17th 2013 Someone essentially help to make critically articles I might state. That is the first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I amazed with the analysis you made to make this actual put up extraordinary. Wonderful job! 5. Evelyn Corrado // July 17th 2013 Very insightful paper for my study; I am researching on how we can move from teacher centered approach in Kenyan education into student focused, where students can creatively use their reasoning minds, work together to problems solve and bring in their daily experiences into learning.. i agree learning molds the Kenyan society and if problem solving & conflict resolution is not enhanced in schools, no wonder the ethnic conflicts in Kenya society & God-father system where minority rule and the rest can’t challenge it, for lack of confidence . 6. Alice Wawira // July 29th 2013 This is quite helpful and you have done great job. Just check: KCPE mark is 500 not 400. The public schools suffer a lot of deficiency ranging from teachers to resources. If only teachers were enough something like 1:25-35 which is the current proposal to the education ministry; enough classrooms and resources, I don’t think the syllabus would be a problem however wide. I’m inclined to believe so because the private schools and the well-established national schools manage to cover the syllabus long before the end of fourth year in secondary and end of eigth year in primary. The discipline exhibited by the students in the classroom as you explained is one major strength in these schools and as such, it would be quite helpful even in content coverage. Kenya is becoming gradually aware of SEN and some progress has been made. I would however wish that we borrowed a leaf from the international system where children with SEN are allowed to sit special exams and even have assistants in classroom and during exams. In Kenya, almost all the times they sit the same exam only that special consideration and provisions(like brille and additional time) are given during and after the national exams. The worst is when a child in hospital or one who has just given birth is allowed to sit the same exam as any other in good health. News has it that computers will come in handy for the hearing-impaired and this will be great. Fantastic job you have done. Having worked in the Kenyan system and in the international as well, I can’t fail to see the flaws in the former and I hope to do something about it only that for now, I have no idea where to start. 7. Leonard Kiarago // August 2nd 2013 Indeed, Kenya has a long way to go before the government is able to provide ‘quality education’; however, we must agree that there is some progress despite the obstacles. Kenya has the resources, the manpower and the capacity to provide the young generation with quality education. Kenya has highly qualified professionals produced by top universities all over the world, unfortunately when it comes to policy development and decision making, that is left to politicians leading to wrong policies being implemented without consideration for need assessment or putting priorities right. Take, for example, the issue of laptops for every kid joining primary school; is that really a priority for the Kenyan kids? Even in developed countries like the UK the government doesn’t provide laptops/computers to every single kid, instead schools have a computer lab used during IT lessons or for lessons requiring some research. Instead of considering building and equipping more classrooms as well as recruiting more teachers, the government is thinking about laptops for schools some of which kids learn under trees and with no electricity or teachers who have basic IT knowledge. The subject of how inclusive education should be implemented is a controversial one because even in developed countries like UK, they still  maintain special schools because inclusive practice is not just a matter of closing special schools and taking children with SEN to mainstream schools. How do you put a child with special needs in a class of 80 kids and call that inclusive education? For inclusive education to be successful there must be availability of resources and manpower as well as change of attitude by those who consider themselves ‘normal’. How that can be possible in a country divided through tribal and ethnic affiliations remains a big issue. If Kenyans cannot accommodate fellow Kenyans from a different tribe, how can they accommodate those perceived to be ‘abnormal’? What is most worrying is that any time you listen to news or read newspapers, the most likely headline to find is about a certain politician from a given community attacking another one from a different community instead of engaging in constructive politics. The article posted a few days ago in daily nation in which a governor was threatening to shut down schools just because they were built on the boundary by a neighbouring county leader is a good example of what I mean: http://www. nation. co. ke/News/Leader-orders-schools-shut-in-boundary-row/-/1056/1930912/-/view/printVersion/-/khd48cz/-/index. html ‘A society’s treatment of those who are weak and dependent is one critical indicator of its social progress’. This was an observation by Kirk, Gallagher and Anastasiow (1997) who in their study of children with special needs noted that social attitudes towards the education and care of children with special needs reflect the general cultural attitudes concerning the obligations of a society to its citizens. The problem with the provision of education in Kenya can only be solved if the government allowed professionals to contribute to policies related to their field of expertise and to set aside funds for research so that policies can be validated through research to avoid implementing policies, which are politically driven. (Kiarago is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham) 8. Pierre Varly // August 19th 2013 thanks a lot for your excellent article full of infos and very well structured. i have a blog on education in the developping countries where i could publish the article also if you agree. 9. Isaac Maluki // August 22nd 2013 Thank you for your good report. Kindly tell me, how many students qualify for university education in Kenya but do not make it for lack of school fees? 10. Amen K. Rahh // October 3rd 2013 Thank you for this insightful blog. I would however like to point out the roll of ICT and the growing impact online learning is having on learning in schools. With the introduction of laptops for primary school students, the Government seems to understand the survival of the failing education system is depended on IT solutions. http://www. cc-gate. com as well as the CCK are working on online content and tutoring coming in the future. 11. Edy // November 5th 2013 Hi, I found this blog a few days ago as I was looking for some research into the Kenyan education system. You have done wonderful analysis. However, one correction to your information is that Swahili is not the predominant teaching tool for Nursery-Std 4 pupils. In fact, and to the contrary, English is widely used to instruct children because apart from Swahili, all other disciplines, Math and Science included cannot be feasibly administered in Swahili. 12. John muema // November 7th 2013 these is true and i urge the government to employ more teachers 13. Agesa Akufa // November 9th 2013 This is a good, well researched and articulated work. just a point of correction, the kcpe marks total to 500 not 400. otherwise it is an impresive that will many researchers especially university students. if the government can take into account this piece of work then we should expect to see enormous steps taking root in the educational system. of course, steps to spin the country foward. i salute you! 14. THOMAS ODENY //.

Devine Love vs Human Love Essay

End of the Affair both distinguish between divine love and human love. A common thread that runs throughout is the inconsistencies that are associated with human love and the unconditional nature of divine love. Both Greene and Lewis use familial, platonic and erotic love to illustrate the distinction between divine love and human love with the result that the reader appreciates that human love is superficial given for the wrong reasons while divine love is authentic love given for all the right reasons. Moreover, both Greene and Lewis use their protagonists to demonstrate that while human love is characterized by negative emotions such as jealousy and selfishness, divine love is kind and unselfish. This paper focuses on the varieties of love featured in both books and demonstrates how modernity tends to prioritize human love over divine love with a view to rationalizing how and why romantic, familial and erotic love, all forms of human love are displaced in both novels. In each of the novels, the inescapable message is that erotic love is fragile and recklessly teeters on the outer fringes of hate. C. S. Lewis’s Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold As in Greene’s The End of the Affair Lewis’s Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold Human love is unveiled for all its inherent flaws. Orual, the central figure in Lewis’s Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold recounts her relationship with her sister Psyche. Through Orual Lewis permits his reader to follow the progression of that relationship laying bare the weaknesses associated with affectionate love that Orual has for her sister Psyche and how that love develops into possessive love. Exemplifying the frailties of human love, particularly familial love, Lewis also demonstrates how human love can be conditional and selfish by exposing the fragile relationship between Orual and her father. Perhaps more importantly, Lewis uses these unique familial relationships to demonstrate how selfish human love can transform into hate. In summary Till We Have Faces is a re-telling of the Greek mythical story of Cupid/Eros and Psyche. In Lewis’s re-telling the story is reconstructed through the eyes of Orual who is represented as unattractive and jealous and uniquely disgruntled by the Gods’ mistreatment of her. Psyche, the beautiful sister is the object to Orual’s affections. In this re-telling Lewis deliberately complicates familial love in that Orual’s love for her sister is obsessive. On the other side of the spectrum, Redival’s love for Orual is spurious and the love for Psyche by King Trom is self-deceptive. Fox’s love for Orual and Psyche is also transient. Lewis also ventures into sexual/erotic love which is multifaceted in Till We Have Faces. Orual’s love for Bardia is unrequited, Ansit’s love for Bardia is frustrating and of course there is the superficial infatuation of men for Orual in her veiled condition. Lewis also takes pains to demonstrate that self-love is destructive in presenting duality in Orual who loves and hates herself all at once. This duality is selfish and damaging at the same time. Above all however, the emphasis is on divine love and implicit in this re-telling is a transition from Greek Philosophical times to modern Christianity. (Hooper, 1996, 250) Father Peter Milward writes of Till We Have Faces: â€Å"The main themes are, (1) Natural affection, if left to mere nature, easily becomes a special kind of hatred, (2) God is, to our natural affections, the ultimate object of jealousy. † (Hooper, 1996, 250) Psyche as reconstructed by Lewis has a natural predisposition for affection for divinity whereas Psyche’s love for divinity coincides with Orual’s love for humankind particularly her love for Psyche. While Psyche’s love for the gods are first and foremost in her heart, Orual’s love for Psyche comes first and each sister regards her love as the natural love. For Orual Psyche represents â€Å"the beginning of my [Orual’s] joys. † (Lewis, 20) On the other hand, Psyche derives her greatest at a time just before she is sacrificed to Cupid as it is a means of bringing her closer tot he gods. (Lewis, 74) Orual’s love for Psyche however is aligned to hatred and becomes a means by which Lewis demonstrates the superficial nature of human love whether familial or romantic in nature. Orual’s so-called love and affection for her sister fluctuates from love to hate in a manner which can only leave the impression that the love is fickly to begin with and not based on sound principles or values. For instance the night before Psyche is sacrificed Orual reveals that her sister has â€Å"made me, in a way, angry. † (Lewis, 71) Moreover the following day, Orual dreams her sister â€Å"was my [Orual’s] greatest enemy. † (Lewis, 71) The remainder of the first part of Till We Have Faces is characterized by this king of fluctuations of Orual’s affections for her sister. The inconsistencies are not lost on Psyche who observes: â€Å"I am not sure whether I like your kind [of love] better than hatred. † (Lewis, 165) Superimposed in this aspect of human love as illustrated through Lewis’s Orual is the damaging elements of human love whether romantic or familial. Orual’s love for her sister is characterized by two fatal flaws. First she loves her sister in such a way that she easily allows it to fall into hatred. Secondly, Orual permits her hatred to rebound to the gods. The love-hate scenario from Orual to Psyche is connected to the gods to the extent that Orual permits her love for Psyche to become possessive. That possessive love turns to a dangerous jealousy which is borne out of the presumption that Psyche loves the gods to the exclusion of Orual who in turn holds the gods accountable for taking Psyche’s love from her. Orual’s jealousy is so strong that she’d rather the gods had killed her sister than made her immortal. She laments: â€Å"We’d rather they were ours and dead than yours and made immortal. † (Lewis, 291) Psyche’s love for the gods is interpreted by Orual as a theft by the gods. To her way of thinking the gods took Psyche’s love from her and she says as much, â€Å"Psyche was mine and no one else had any right to her. †(Lewis, 291-292) Lewis intent with respect to Orual’s reaction to Psyche and her affection for the gods were specifically delineated in a letter he sent to Katerine Farrer. Lewis explains in the letter that Orual’s jealousy and attitude toward her sister’s relationship with the God was intended to convey the typical reaction of family members when a relative gives his life to Christianity. Lewis explained in the letter that the reaction of family members is typified by Orual’s when: â€Å"someone becomes a Christian, or in a family nominally Christian already, does something like become a missionary or enter a religious order. The others suffer a sense of outrage. What they love is being taken away from them. † (Hooper, 249) In other words Orual’s angst with the gods finds its place in the kind of jealousy that one family member experiences when it appears to them that a loved one religion replaces them. In much the same way Orual’s bitterness stems from a jealousy which is founded on love. The self-destructive and selfish nature of human love is also succinctly illustrated through Orual. In Lewis’s characterization of Orual she increasingly subscribes to the notion that if she can’t have her sister then she will not permit anyone else have her. Orual convinces Psyche to look upon her lover, despite his warning to the contrary. In her way of thinking Orual perceives that she is saving Psyche and to prove her intention she cuts her arm. The danger of Orual’s love and the dangerous manner in which her love for her sister influences her thinking and perception are revealed in the following excerpt from Till We Have Faces: â€Å"How could she hate me, when my arm throbbed and burned with the wound I had given it for her love? † (Lewis, 169) Ironically, the gods whose love Orual condemns closely mirrors Orual’s idea of love which is self-serving and consuming. It is not until the novel nears its conclusion that Orual comes to the realization that how love was commandeered by avarice and self-satisfaction. In this way Lewis is able to expose the superficial nature of human love. This is finally accomplished with Orual coming to terms with and accepting that her desire to have Psyche, the Fox and Bardia all to herself was entirely wrong. Lewis uses Ansit to voice the meaning of real or divine love by having him provide a brief commentary on Orual’s love. Ansit, referring to Orual’s pursuit of Bardia notes that: â€Å"He was to live the life he though best and fittest for a great man—not that which would most pleasure me. † (Lewis, 264)

Biblical Analysis Christ Cleaning the Disciples Feet Essay Example

Biblical Analysis Christ Cleaning the Disciples Feet Essay Example Biblical Analysis Christ Cleaning the Disciples Feet Essay Biblical Analysis Christ Cleaning the Disciples Feet Essay The Gospels of Otto III is a late tenth or mid eleventh century illuminated Gospel Book. The original copy contains the Vulgate adaptations of the four gospels in addition to prefatory matter including the Eusebian canon tables. The original copy is a noteworthy case of Ottonian light. It was delivered at Reichenau Abbey in the workshop headed by the friar Liuthar. The composition has 276 folios which measure 334mm by 242mm. The brightening incorporates a page smaller than normal of the enthroned Otto III being brought endowments by representations of the four regions of the Empire, Roma, Gallia, Germania, and Sclavinia. The original copy contains an extra 34 miniatures, including four evangelist representations. Moreover there are 12 embellished pages of standard tables, and every gospel is presented by a full page adorned incipit page. Today I will be examining this historic piece of artwork and evaluate the meaning and tone displays. First off; we will examine the overall color of the painting. The first thing that I noticed was that the painting seamed to pop out in a book of black and white. I noticed that the artist used many primary and cool colors white painting this piece. The overall color palette stands out, and draws your attention to the piece. The artist does a good job of using analogous colors to create focal value within the piece. Secondly; let’s take a look at the overall perspective of the artwork in question. Overall; the perspective seems to do a few weird things in places around the painting. The main culprit of this is the large building that appears over the Christ, Peter, and The Disciples. It appears very two dimensional on the medium, and in this case it helps the stylization of the painting. Next we will examine the overall shape of the painting. The painting does a good job of capturing the shape of most of the objects. There is one object that really caught my eye as being abnormal. The whole piece se

Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Cultural Revolution Essays

Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Cultural Revolution Essays Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Cultural Revolution Essay Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Cultural Revolution Essay How effective was Eden Gapping as a leader? People can define an effective leader in many ways but how I define an effective leader is when a leader is able to overcome problems thoroughly, replicates success and having leadership qualities. A leader that can overcome thoroughly means that the leader is able to face his/heres problems and solving it the best way he/she can. When a leader replicates success it means that the leader achieves their goal and that is what can define success. Having leadership qualities Is when a leader has leadership traits such as confidence, open-mindedness, perseverance) which makes them an effective leader. But not all leadership qualities or traits are required for the leader to be an effective leader because there are no such thing as a perfect leader but there are leaders who are effective by using the leadership traits that each leader has and develops. When a leader can overcome problems, replicates success and has leadership qualities. That shows that, that leader Is what defines what an effective leader Is. Eden Gapping became a Chinese communist leader who ruled China from the late asss until 1997. Eden Gapping needed to go through obstacles in order to finally become a leader. Firstly, during the Cultural Revolution (date) he lost all his power and was sent to Gaining for three years to do manual labor, he was also branded as the number two capitalist reader Mao did this to Eden Gapping because he saw Eden Gapping as a threat to his reform. On January 1 975 when Chou Anneal died Eden Gapping replaced Chou Anneals role in the Party he became the person In charge of all the routine work of the Party and the state. But It was not over for Eden Gapping he deed to face a struggle with the Gang of Four. But finally on July 1977 he had earned enormous prestige in the Party and among the people and was reinstated again. When Eden Gapping became the leader, China was going through the change that was affected by Mayos revolutionary years Including the Cultural Revolution, which was Mayos last reform for China. The Cultural Revolution caused Chinas economy to collapse, It Increased poverty rate In china, some people lost their Jobs and education level decreased. In 1981, Eden strengthened his position by replacing Huh Goofing with his proto ©g © follower or trainee), Huh Yapping, and together the economic reforms in China were introduced. Eden Shapings goal was to modernize China, improve Chinas economy and globalize China. HIS act In order to reach his goals would be establishing the four modernization, which Eden Gapping promoted in the speech he recited at a working conference of the Central Committee. The four modernization were to modernize areas of agriculture, industry technology and defense. His reforms in order to attain the four modernization were based on capitalist models, such as his act of allowing ere market, supporting foreign Investments and Increasing education level in China. Achieve the goal of the four modernization. The nine-year compulsory education was introduced and plans were carried out to eliminate illiteracy. This shows how effective Eden Gapping was as a leader because he saw the importance of education in order to continuously modernize China and to successfully go on with the four modernization. This also shows another success from Eden Gapping because his education reforms increased the education level in China and it encouraged intellectuals who were discouraged when Mao was leading. Dense supported foreign investments and tried to modernize the industries by implementing special economic zones in various regions (economic laws differed at those areas to make them more business-friendly). Businesses soon flourished in these areas and the industries were slowly getting modernized in these areas. Technology was also modernized by the spread of propaganda that encouraged intellectuals who were discouraged when Mao was leading and they would be the people who would help modernize technology in China. Eden strengthened his relationship with the West and in January 1979, he signed accords with President Jimmy Carter, and later that year the United States granted full diplomatic recognition to the Peoples Republic of China. This act of Eden, opening up China in order to modernize China shows how effective he was as a leader because by making these changes and putting up the systems he showed how his reforms led to success. Because by opening foreign investments he succeeded to modernize technology in China and globalize China, preventing China from isolation that was built during the Cultural Revolution. One of Eden Shapings approaches in order to improve Chinas economy was by creating and allowing free market. Eden changed Communism in China by adding some capitalist features to its economy. For example, farmers were able to own land, people could run their own businesses and productive workers could earn bonuses. By the end of 1980, Chinas food shortage problems were solved and the agriculture sector was modernized. His reforms to improve Chinas economy affect it greatly that the poverty rate in China decreased, it went from 53% to 12% and on 1992 several hundred million Chinese citizens had been lifted out of poverty. This shows how effective Eden Gapping was as a leader because his act of allowing free market was ally effective in motivating workers in order to generate profits in China that was large enough to modernize China and bring out his other reforms. This also shows how effective he was as a leader because he opened peoples eyes, that there is still a chance to improve Chinas economy and doing this has been effective in recovering Chinas economy after the Cultural Revolution. Besides the success that Eden Gapping had with his reforms he also needed to face obstacles as a leader. The first obstacle he had to face was his Journey in order to become the leader of China. Mao Sedona and the Gang of four was Eden Shapings retreat barrier of becoming a leader in China because they saw him as a threat. But enormous prestige in the Party and among the people, which made Eden rise to power because of the help of his supporters. This shows how Eden was such an effective leader because he was able to overcome the Gang of four, he did not make further problems with them instead he defeated them by gaining more followers in order to rise to power. But it was not the end of problems for Eden Gapping. In fact there were people who criticized his reforms. Especially those people who were strongly against his capitalistic ideas. But it did not stop Eden in continuing his four modernization. Eden Gapping had many leadership traits and this shows how effective he was as a leader because his leadership traits helped increased the economic growth in China vastly. His greatest leadership traits would be open-mindedness and perseverance. He showed open-mindedness all the way through his years as becoming Chinas leader which helped his reforms to success. When he allowed free market it shows that he added capitalist features to Chinas economy. Despite the fact that he is a Communist it still did not stop him to allow free market in China. This shows how open-minded he was in order to improve Chinas economy, he did not care whether the idea is capitalistic or communism, what matters to him is how effective that change would be to help China. (date) in this point it led to a famous statement that Eden Gapping pointed out to one of his critics who was criticizing him for allowing free market because its capitalistic. He said, Whether a cat is black or white, it does not matter as long as it catches a mice, it is a good cat. This statement gives an even bigger impression that shows how open-minded Eden was as a leader because it wows how his aim was to improve China in different aspects and it does not bother him whether the ideas of improving China is something out of the usual (communism) because he will always consider different ideas and perspectives in order to improve China. Eden Gapping also showed perseverance throughout his time as a leader. He was brought down so many times by Mao because Mao opposed him and saw him as a threat. Eden Gapping never gave up he kept trying to always get back to his position in the party and finally he got reinstated. Eden Gapping was a very effective leader his reforms were so successful in achieving his goals. Which was modernizing China, improving Chinas economy and globalize China. An effective leader replicates success, able to overcome problems thoroughly and having leadership qualities. Eden Gapping did and had all three of them he showed success in establishing the four modernization and bring out his reforms in order to achieve his goals. Despite the success he had, he also needed to go through obstacles and challenges especially in his Journey of becoming Chinas leader, Mao Sedona and the Gang of four held him back in bringing Dense revolution to China. He also needed to face challenges during his time as a leader such as people who opposed his capitalistic ideas. Eden also showed many leadership traits such as open-mindedness and that trait helped him achieved his goal in order to succeed in Second Question: What were the changes that happened during this event? For this response, I will be using the Cultural Revolution for the basis of my comments. This event took place from 1966 to 1976. Mao Sedona, who was a Chinese Communist leader, was the one who led the Cultural Revolution. His intentions in doing this revolution were to enforce socialism within the country by eliminating cultural, capitalist and traditional elements. In August, 1966 Mao Sedona introduced China to the Four Olds: old customs, old culture, old habits and old ideas. He also called for the start of a Cultural Revolution. Mao earned followers that would help him achieve his goals and they were called the Red Guards. The Red Guards were students or people who were in their teens and Mao was able to gather many student volunteers because the Red Guards had much respect and many awards. They were told to get rid of the four olds and were told to attack people who supported capitalist. Education also changed in China, during the Cultural Revolution. In June 1966 schools ND Universities were closed down. It changed many Chinese students lives. They were forced to farm and do manual labor and there were many students who volunteered to be a part of the red-guards. This changed education level in China because many students were not able in completing school and many students dropped out since the government changed the schools education system by the need of teaching the values of the Cultural Revolution in schools. Four million high school and college graduates and sixteen million students were sent to the farmland where they ended up working in the farms and performing manual labor. Mao not seeing the importance of education during Cultural Revolution changed China because many talented students who might be able to bring change to China and who were supposedly the next generation to bring out a better future for China were all wasted because they were stuck working in the field until the revolution ended. The Cultural Revolution also made a change to the Chinese culture. As it is one of the goals of the four olds which was to abolish old cultures. It changed Chinas society; many religions were at risk. The Red Guards damaged and destroyed religious buildings. The Cultural Revolution also changed foreign cultures that were brought to China such as clearing the way of music, plays, ballets, painting, short stories and poetry. The Cultural Revolution also changed the countryside in China. There was an increase of peasants because 80 percent of Chinas population was in the countryside. Due to the decreased production the price people of Chinas needs all increased and it changed most peoples lives in China also because it led many Chinese it became hard for most of them to find food for their families especially when politicians, landowners, and the high-class society lost their Jobs and repertories, which changed their lifestyle. They need to work in the farms in order to afford food and earn money for their families. The land reform brought an end to landlords ownership of the land and their tyrannical (cruel, power) rule over peasants and this changed the gap between the rural and urban. But it led to more citizens becoming peasants. Mao did this because he wanted no gap between urban and rural, laborers and intellectuals. This led to a change in Chinas living standard. The lives of many Chinese changed and there was a change in the number of population that was living in the countryside, which also led to a change of poverty rate in China. In the countryside, each commune had a health network, which included a large clinic or hospital, health stations and medical room at the village level. This helped changed Chinas health care it made Chinas health care improved, in cities as well. By the early sasss, Shanghai had a lower infant mortality rate than New York City as the time. Life expectancy under Mao doubled from 32 years in 1949 to 65 years in 1976. Changes in industrial production happened during the Cultural Revolution. Chinas industry and agriculture decreased. Prizes and bonuses for town workers were abolished and this effected their motivation in order to earn profit. There was also a change in production and many failed to produce enough crops even to meet the quotas. Changes that happened Chinas in industrial production affected China in other ways such as making change in poverty rate of China and changing Chinas living of standard. The Cultural Revolution definitely made China step backwards in their economy. Overall the Cultural Revolution did brought change to China. The change that Mao planned for China was successfully done but it did not mean that those changes always did a great impact to China. When change happens there will always be a different side in it, not all changes will always create great actions but it can also create dreadful actions, it depends on which side youre in. And the change that happened during the Cultural Revolution could be considered precious or awful. Mao aimed for the Cultural Revolution in order to change China to become more focused in socialism and by abolishing the four olds. He achieved all the changes in China at the end of the Cultural Revolution, China became a country that was written socialism around them, people who advocates capitalism was either tortured or intended to death, and his aim in making Chinas youth became less educated and mindless was done. The Cultural Revolution did changes that affected Chinas economy to collapse, brought down education, made a decrease of industrial China. Despite the negative changes that were made, there were also changes that brought a good start in China. After the Cultural Revolution there was an improvement in health care people who lived in rural areas were provided with health networks. These changes helped improve the health care in China by also increasing Chinas life expectancy.

Two Kinds of Protagonist

Two Kinds of Protagonist Two Kinds of Protagonist Two Kinds of Protagonist By Maeve Maddox The definition of protagonist most familiar to me as a student of literature is this one: protagonist noun: the chief character in a dramatic work. Hence, in extended use: the leading character, or one of the main characters, in any narrative work, as a poem, novel, film, etc. According to this definition, the sister of Polynices is the protagonist of Antigone, Dorothea Brooke is the protagonist of Middlemarch, and Ree Dolly is the protagonist of Winter’s Bone. The use of protagonist in an article about a prison-related work program alerted me to another use of the word: This program, termed â€Å"evil† by protagonists because the prisoners aren’t paid prevailing wages, has changed the lives  of prisoners. In this context, protagonists refers to people who object to the work program and advocate its abolition. Here are other examples of protagonist used in nonliterary contexts: Two activists, Shirley Andrews and Barry Christophers, became the chief  protagonists  in the Federal Councils fight for  equal wages. Accordingly, management and male workers were the  protagonists  in these struggles. The leading protagonist of â€Å"women’s rights† was a remarkable woman of frontier type named Abigail Scott Duniway. [HK169, (a trade union)] has been the most prominent  protagonist  in  equal  value cases and took the  Danfoss litigation The U.S. must be careful â€Å"not to get engaged in such a way that we become the chief protagonist, and eventually not just in Syria, but in the region as a whole,† Mr. Brzenzinski said. In addition to the literary definition of protagonist, the OED offers these: 2 a. The main figure, or one of the most prominent figures, in any situation; a prominent supporter or champion of a cause. 2 b. In weakened use (without connotations of prominence): a proponent, advocate, or defender of a cause, idea, etc. 3 a. leading player or competitor in a game or sport, or on a team. The first two citations given for 2a suggest that this use of protagonist began as a figurative application of the meaning â€Å"chief character in a dramatic work†: Those republican demagogues [in France] who acted the part of iniquity became themselves the protagonists of the piece and perished in the catastrophe. (1801) If he [Lafayette] has not been the Alpha and the Omega of the era,if he has not always been the protagonist of its different acts, yet has the whole of his somewhat extended life been devoted to the cause. (1837) The weakened use described in 2b may have arisen from the mistaken idea that the pro- in protagonist means the same as the pro- in a word like pro-government. In fact, the first three letters in protagonist do not bear the meaning â€Å"for† (as in â€Å"for and against†). This pro derives from Greek proto, â€Å"first.† The protagonist is the first (or chief) actor. When referring to people who play an important part in promoting a cause, the word protagonist is appropriate. Using it as just another word for the noun advocate is less so. Here are other words that mean supporter or advocate: champion upholder backer promoter proponent spokesman spokeswoman propagandist apostle apologist booster flag-bearer Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.How to Punctuate with â€Å"However†Double Possessive

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Leadership - Essay Example Trust from others – a leader has to develop the trust from his/her constituency. In a soccer game if the couch has given specific instructions of how a game strategy should be followed, all team members must trust that this strategy is going to be followed out in the field; Think creatively and objectively – a leader needs to create situations that will enhance the outcome results and be objective in the process. This creative thinking and objectivity may be discussed with the coach and the team members during practice for field performance; Partnership – a leader needs to make adjustments in his/her role and use the avant-garde posture: horizontal and vertical communication and make everyone feel that they are the owners of their fate and as such they are responsible for their actions. If a soccer player is not in place to receive the ball, an alternative player may be the receiver of the ball until the player is in place to perform the strategy that was delineated; Justice to think fairly – a leader should be able to balance criteria so that a fair view of different situations is present. A player may not feel well, therefore, his/her performance may not be up to par during a given

Phonemic Awareness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phonemic Awareness - Essay Example Since early times, children understanding in reading have gone through diverse changes. These changes are the basic factors that guarantee either the malfunction or success of children in learning how to read. Long ago, people suggested that children learned how to read by understanding letters. This old methodology was used in teaching learning skills to children. There are challenges that are accompanied by the use of letters in teaching reading skills. A German researcher suggested the use of words in teaching reading skills instead of using letters. This is because words provide meaning and make sense while letters provide parts of the idea. It is because of this reason that both parents and teachers are debating whether to use the letter approach in teaching reading skills or use of word approach in teaching reading skills. Some researchers conducted experiments that proved the Whole Word Approach to be advantageous to the Letter Approach. It was proven that identifying a five-l etter word is easier than identifying five random letters. He also suggested that it takes a long time to identify random words than it takes to identify a sentence. (Moustafa, 2008). It is unfortunate that even after it was proven that Whole Word Approach is better than Phonemic Approach; people still use Letter Word Approach. Teachers who taught children using letter approach recommended children to read text that was manipulated with letters while those who utilized Whole Word Approach recommended children to read text that is controlled by words. At the start of the twenty first century educationist recommended the combination of both Whole Word Approach and Letter Approach. It was after these encounter that educationist in America emphasized on the use of Whole Word Approach and discouraging the use of Phonic Approach. Children were given storybooks to read, and this was supposed to improve their reading skills. The books contained pictures that were used for understanding of t he story, the words did not contain the story line but the pictures did. Researchers argued that phonic contributed to illiteracy because it does not give instruction. It is because of this reason that teachers are advised to teach children on the different sounds of letters. This enables learners to read and understand effortlessly (Moustafa, 2008). Even though there is great difference in letter approach and whole word process approach, the two have the same principle. The two processes assume that teaching to read is part of the whole process, in that as children study to read letters and words they are able to learn the

Occupy Wall Street movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Occupy Wall Street movement - Research Paper Example This paper focuses upon the Occupy Wall Street Movement. Canadian activist Adbusters founded the movement with the aim of protesting against economic inequality, social injustices, high unemployment rates, corruption, and the fact that concentration of power and wealth was at the hands of a few individuals and institutions. The movement also felt that corporations were applying undue influence on the government. To do away with these kinds of mistreatments and injustices, it was necessary to protest so that the plight of the people could be heard which led to the formation of the movement. The Wall Street Movement felt that the United States and the world at large were highly affected with economic inequality where power and wealth was in the hands of a few individuals and institutions. The economic inequality exist both in distribution of income and economic assets. The Movement argues that since the country’s wealth was unfairly distributed, high level of socioeconomic inequ ality was unavoidable. High socioeconomic inequality would have affected negatively the social welfare of the people. This would see a reduction in life expectancy, high infant mortality rates, emotional depressions, high rate of diseases among others. Therefore, the movement felt that if it staged a protest, this would put pressure on the government to adopt strategies that could see the socio economic disparity reduce. The means with which the economic disparity could be diminished was to pressurize the government to adopt a progressive taxation. ... The movement protested at the manner in which the government handled educational matters. The government at some points did not provide adequate facilities in some of the areas of learning. This led to low quality of education resulting in decreased labor provision in various industries. Educational inequality also existed between the rural areas and urban areas where the urban schools were given fair treatment by the state as compared to those in rural areas. The movement is of the opinion that even those who live in rural areas should not be denied access to better education. The movement, therefore, protested against the educational inequality (Conrad 77). Social heath inequality was also a matter of concern for the Occupy Wall Street Movement in America. For example, it was evident that the health facilities were discriminatorily distributed to favor just those of high status in the society. The distribution of the health facilities were according to the Movement was racially man aged. A past study shows that African America women are more likely to die of a treatable disease than their white counterparts (Bartels 56). This shows the extent to which race plays a big role in the provision of health services, a thing that the Wall Street is highly opposed to. The research also shows that, the lesbians and the gays in America are discriminated against and are not provided with proper health care. All this kind of inequalities prompted the Occupy Wall Street Movement to stage a protest to ensure that the government provides health services equally without discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, or culture. Gender inequality is another issue that the movement had to protest against. For example, according to the

Data security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data security - Essay Example The given report will highlight some examples of what problems data loss may cause to a company, as well as outline the major reasons of the problem. In addition, in order for us to be able to manage the problem, the most effective ways of preventing data loss and increasing data security of an organization will be presented. The data loss issue may be related to any aspect of organizational performance – from making some sensitive information about company’s clients available to others, up to the rival’s getting some strategic and confident information about a competitor. These were just a few examples of what a data loss means. KPMG reports that 92 million people around the world have been affected by data loss incidents in 2008, and predicts the number to rise up to 190 million in 2009 (KPMG Europe LLP, 2009). The outcomes may be horrible, and range from company’s reputation being spoiled, to both corporate and individual financial losses. Regarding this matter Reto Gallati (2003: 294) outlines that loosing a reputation and a good name is one of the worst losses a company may suffer since a positive reputation is one of the most valued assets of an organization. Besides: However, nowadays an organization cannot function without digital devices. According to Tipton and Krause (2007: 1294), out of the companies that faced a serious data loss, ‘43 percent never reopen, 51 percent reopen but close within 2 years’. So, since we cannot avoid using electronic data storage devices, we must find the ways of coping with the risk of data loss. First of all, let’s take a look at the data loss incidents – they can be related to either software or hardware. Boston Computing Network (2009) reports that 42% of data loss cases in Europe take place due to hardware problems, such as power surge damage, and drive, controller or CPU failure. On the second place stand human errors (31%), such as accidental

Statistical Reasoning in public Health Math Problem

Statistical Reasoning in public Health - Math Problem Example The children were followed for one year after randomization, and monitored for AOM during this period. 262 children were randomized to the vaccine group, and 150 of these children experienced at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period. 134 children were randomized to the placebo group, and 83 of these children experience at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period. (a) Report a 95% confidence interval for the proportion of children experiencing at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period in: 1) the group randomized to receive AOM 51.2% to 63.1% 2) the group randomized to receive a placebo 53.5% to 69.7% 3) How do these 95% CI’s compare? (similar range of values? Overlap?) There is an overlap of values. (b) 1) Report a 95% confidence interval for the difference in proportions of children experiencing AOM over the follow-up period. (you may choose the direction of comparison – ie: placebo to vaccine or vice-versa) . Placebo to vacci ne: 47.3% to 63.1% 2) Interpret the confidence interval in a sentence. At the 95% confidence level, those who use a placebo have 47.3% to 63.1% chances of experiencing AOM over the follow-up period compared to those who have taken the vaccine. ... Yes, the p-value is consistent. (d) 1) Give an estimate of the relative risk of AOM (in the follow-up period) for children in the vaccine group compared to those in placebo. 0.92 2) Interpret this estimated relative risk. Those who are in the vaccine group are .92 times as likely to suffer from AOM than those in placebo. (e) 1) Give an estimate of the odds ratio of AOM (in the follow-up period) for children in the vaccine group compared to those in placebo. 0.82 or 50:41 2) Interpret this estimated odds ratio. Those who are in the vaccine group are .82 times more likely to suffer from AOM than those in placebo. 3) How does it compare in value to the estimate of relative risk from part d1? They are almost similar. (f) 1) Is this a randomized study? Yes 2) What does this study design suggest when translating the statistical result from part (b) into a substantive/scientific conclusion? (Note: this is an extension question, we have not covered this in detail, I just want you to think ab out it) A randomized study minimizes allocation bias and thus makes the statistical result from part (b) a substantive, unbiased, scientific conclusion 2. A study was done to investigate whether there is a relationship between survival of patients with coronary heart disease and pet ownership. A representative sample of 101 patients with CHD was taken. Each of these patients was classified as having a pet or not and by whether they survived one year following their first heart attack. Of 52 pet owners, 50 survived. Of 49 non-pet owners, 28 survived. Suppose you were interested in doing a statistical analysis of these study results. Answering the follow questions to help you with this goal! (g) Using Stata (or the posted Stata output) , report

Many might argue that that now during an economic downturn is a bad Essay

Many might argue that that now during an economic downturn is a bad time to start a business. What do you think - Essay Example Therefore, business startups get appropriate opportunity for retaining the customers when the economy improves. During weak economy, the incumbent bug businesses are vulnerable. This presents appropriate chance for the star ups business to succeed due to their agile and flexile nature. Startups can survive the downturn through minimal overheads. During downturns when established businesses are laying off staffs, the startups can benefit through easily finding talented and competent employees with minimal recruitment and remuneration expenses (Summers 119). Businesses that operate during poor economic performance experience less and weak competition. Startups provide startups with high negotiation abilities. Traditional suppliers experience financial challenges during economic downturn. Startups hence have high advantage in determining the value of supplies (Romer 212). There are many reasons and business models that encourage starting a business during weak economic performance. Hence, entrepreneurs should take adequate advantage of business opportunities during economic

Statistical Reasoning in public Health Math Problem

Statistical Reasoning in public Health - Math Problem Example The children were followed for one year after randomization, and monitored for AOM during this period. 262 children were randomized to the vaccine group, and 150 of these children experienced at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period. 134 children were randomized to the placebo group, and 83 of these children experience at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period. (a) Report a 95% confidence interval for the proportion of children experiencing at least one incident of AOM during the follow-up period in: 1) the group randomized to receive AOM 51.2% to 63.1% 2) the group randomized to receive a placebo 53.5% to 69.7% 3) How do these 95% CI’s compare? (similar range of values? Overlap?) There is an overlap of values. (b) 1) Report a 95% confidence interval for the difference in proportions of children experiencing AOM over the follow-up period. (you may choose the direction of comparison – ie: placebo to vaccine or vice-versa) . Placebo to vacci ne: 47.3% to 63.1% 2) Interpret the confidence interval in a sentence. At the 95% confidence level, those who use a placebo have 47.3% to 63.1% chances of experiencing AOM over the follow-up period compared to those who have taken the vaccine. ... Yes, the p-value is consistent. (d) 1) Give an estimate of the relative risk of AOM (in the follow-up period) for children in the vaccine group compared to those in placebo. 0.92 2) Interpret this estimated relative risk. Those who are in the vaccine group are .92 times as likely to suffer from AOM than those in placebo. (e) 1) Give an estimate of the odds ratio of AOM (in the follow-up period) for children in the vaccine group compared to those in placebo. 0.82 or 50:41 2) Interpret this estimated odds ratio. Those who are in the vaccine group are .82 times more likely to suffer from AOM than those in placebo. 3) How does it compare in value to the estimate of relative risk from part d1? They are almost similar. (f) 1) Is this a randomized study? Yes 2) What does this study design suggest when translating the statistical result from part (b) into a substantive/scientific conclusion? (Note: this is an extension question, we have not covered this in detail, I just want you to think ab out it) A randomized study minimizes allocation bias and thus makes the statistical result from part (b) a substantive, unbiased, scientific conclusion 2. A study was done to investigate whether there is a relationship between survival of patients with coronary heart disease and pet ownership. A representative sample of 101 patients with CHD was taken. Each of these patients was classified as having a pet or not and by whether they survived one year following their first heart attack. Of 52 pet owners, 50 survived. Of 49 non-pet owners, 28 survived. Suppose you were interested in doing a statistical analysis of these study results. Answering the follow questions to help you with this goal! (g) Using Stata (or the posted Stata output) , report