Equity and Trust Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Equity and Trust - Case Study Example If the total amount owed is below 15000, then there is debt relief order (DRO) suitable for Steve and Anna, in case they do not own their own home. They can own car valued up to 1000, but not have other assets above 300. Their disposable income must also not exceed 50 a month (Bankruptcy). Steve owns a flat but he has transferred the freehold title of this flat to his son, Thomas' name. Nonetheless, in case the court sets aside this transfer, Steve will have to sell this flat to pay up his creditors (Civil Litigation). If the total amount owed is above 15000, there is the individual voluntary agreement that can be made to a court by which Steve and Anna can propose the method of making payments to the creditors. Based on this individual voluntary agreement, the court can call a meeting of the creditors where at least 75% of the creditors or their proxies must be present. If the offer of payment is agreeable to the creditors, then the proposals are accepted, and Steve and Anna have to honor their commitment (Bankruptcy). The individual voluntary agreement is made before bankruptcy. There is no mention of Steve and Anna's source of income other than Direct Wine Ltd. The individual voluntary agreement is ideal if Steve and Anna have some sources of income other than Direct Wine Ltd. Advice to Ellen Ellen has asked Anna and Steve to let her have a small advance from the trust fund to pay for a school trip. Ellen can avail of the fund if it is available depending on the actual amount required, under certain conditions. It does appear that Ellen has approached Steve surreptitiously for her requirement. Since Maud is alive, it is best to consult her for Ellen's requirement. It is not ethically sound for Steve to go ahead and be a privy to Ellen's requirement when the main trustee is alive. The money is there. It is only a question of proprietary (Establishing a Trust Fund). Advice to Quick Loans Ltd There is no information on the status of the loan repayments by Steve and Anna after having taken the loan of 100,000. Also, there is a balance amount of 50,000 lying in the loan account of Direct Wine Ltd. This could mean two things. One, it could mean that the equipment purchased did not amount to more than 50,000. Or it could mean that Steve and Anna have not honored the bank's advice to use the full amount on purchase of the equipment required by them. At any rate, even if Steve and Anna are regular in paying the loan installments, the bank must take cognizance of the fact that Steve and Anna have declared for insolvent liquidation. Quick Loans Ltd can start the process of recovering their loan amount by directly addressing Steve and Anna. They can join up with the rest of the creditors in due course. At this stage much depends on how Steve and Anna proceed to make repayment commitments. Having declared themselves as insolvent, Steve and Anna have the option to approach the courts for relief in case required. For the moment, Quick Loans Ltd are out on a limb. They must proceed carefully. It does appear that Steve and Anna mean to make payment. However, the payment amount may be initially

The Solid Agricultural Company Essay Example for Free

The Solid Agricultural Company Essay There are at least as many styles of management as there are managers; nevertheless, most management styles fall into one of a few broad categories. Every manager’s style includes some means of making decisions and some means of relating to subordinates. Below are the five most common management styles. Autocratic: Autocratic or authoritarian managers lead unilaterally. They make decisions based on their own opinions and experience without taking the opinions of subordinates into account. Although authoritarian managers do not tend to be popular with employees, they make decisions quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, if an autocratic manager makes an error, the lack of input from others can make the consequences severe. Autocratic management tends to be successful in industries that rely on unskilled workers and have plenty of turnover, such as food service and retail. Highly skilled and personally motivated employees tend to chafe under this type of management. Consultative: Like autocratic managers, consultative managers make decisions more or less unilaterally. Unlike autocratic managers, these leaders prioritize communication with employees and take their needs into account alongside the needs of the business. Consultative management still allows the manager to make decisions efficiently; in addition, the emphasis on employee interaction tends to increase employee loyalty and reduce turnover. However, employees tend to become highly dependent on their manager. Consultative managers tend to be most successful in businesses that hope to retain employees for long periods of time. Many of the best office managers use this style. Persuasive: Persuasive managers maintain control over every aspect of the business indirectly. Instead of giving orders, these managers operate by explaining why tasks need to be carried out in a certain way. Employees tend to feel more involved in the decision-making process under this style; nevertheless, ultimate authority still rests with the manager alone. Persuasive management is a particularly helpful style when complicated tasks need to be carried out in the workplace. However, managers who rely too heavily on explaining every task in detail may see their businesses slow to a crawl. Democratic: While a persuasive manager explains every aspect of the decision-making process to his subordinates, a democratic manager actually includes his subordinates in the process. Democratic management relies heavily on two-way communication between management and employees. This style is particularly helpful when a decision requires specialized knowledge that the manager lacks; for instance, when making an IT-related decision, a manager may need to ask an IT specialist for input. Including employees in decision-making tends to improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover. Relying on employee input for every decision, though, can greatly reduce the efficiency of the business. Laissez-faire: In a â€Å"hands-off† management style, the manager acts as a motivator, mentor and guide to his subordinates. Individual employees manage their own sections of the business with minimal supervision. Perhaps surprisingly, this management style demands the most personal skill from the manager: If he can effectively communicate a strong vision for the business and guide his subordinates with broad expertise, a laissez-faire manager can bring out the best in his workers. Highly professional, self-motivated employees, such as salesmen and engineers, can benefit greatly from this style. Although most managers tend to fall into one of these five categories, the most successful mangers can draw from several styles depending on the situation. Within a single office, some circumstances may call for an autocratic decision, others may call for democratic involvement from subordinates and still others may require a hands-off approach. Managers who make an effort to learn all five styles can succeed in any setting.

Blackberry Webqual and Value Creation Essay -- Technology, Website, We

1 Introduction 2 Purpose of the website Before analysing the quality of the website of Blackberry and investigating their value creation, it is important to have the purpose of the website clear. The way in which a company uses it’s website is part of the business strategy. 2.1 Introduction to website purpose According to Tassabehji (2003-83) there are four main reasons to use a website: information dissemination, data capture, promotions & marketing and transacting with stakeholders. Two of these purposes for a website apply for Blackberry.com. First of all a corporate website could provide information dissemination. The information can target different stakeholders: shareholders/investors and customers (Tassabehji 2003-83). In case of the shareholders and investors information on the website could include annual reports, news about the corporation and business plans. This is different when customers are the target, since they will be more interested in information about the products, support and question solution. Secondly, Blackberry.com also uses the internet for promotions & marketing. Promotions and marketing online are available in different ways (Tassabehji 2003-91). Tassabehji (2003-91) distinguishes six different ways of online promotion and marketing: banner advertising, affil iate programmes, search registration, newsletter e-mails, and traditional marketing strategies. 2.2 Blackberry.com The main purpose of Blackberry.com is information dissemination, mostly for the customers, but they also provide some interesting information for the shareholders. Blackberry.com provides a lot of information to the customer online, including: product specifications, different kinds of support, interactive demos, manuals ... ...With those two methods, Blackberry.com encourages their customers to solve out difficulties their selves, consequently Blackberry can reduce the costs on service staff members. Apart from the online service, Blackberry also provides a lot of service via mobile network carriers, since the contract of a Blackberry is often combined with a network contract. Although tough technical problems will still be solved by the Blackberry factory itself, easier problems can be worked out by the carriers. This again results in cost reduction for Blackberry and could be seen as an efficiency resource. 4.2 Novelty 4.3 Lock-In 4.4 Complementarities Complementarities are created when one resource is getting more value when it is combined with another resource ( Zhu 2004). The value of the two resources together is more than the sum of both resources separately.

Insulin and Student Response Sheet

1. In the space below, properly document each of the three sources you found that show how insulin signals a cell to take in glucose from the blood. Under each documented source, write an explanation of why it is a legitimate and reliable source of information about insulin and its effects on cells.R, Bowen. (2009, August). Physiological Effect of Insulin. Colostate. Retrieved from http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/pancreas/insulin_phys.html This source is legitimate because the information is up to date until 2009 and has an author. Also there are very few ads and the sponsor is popular for their knowledge. There is also a contact information, if you have any comments or anything to correct.Insulin and Glucose Regulation (n.d.). In bcs.whfreeman. from http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp50/5002s.swf This source is legitimate because the sponsor is popular for their tutorials. The site is knowledgeable and has no errors, a lot of info, and there†™s also a quiz to see if you learned what you read.Jagoda, Robin. (2011, March). How Does Insulin Signal a Cell to Take in Glucose From the Blood?. Livestrong Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/27924-insulin-signal-cell-glucose-blood/ This source is legitimate because it has an author and also citations on where they got the information from. Very few ads, but no errors and there’s also a comment box, where you can comment the mistakes they made if there was any.2. Take notes on the relationship between insulin and glucose. Draw sketches or diagrams if necessary.Glucose is the main source of energy and insulin is the key to body cells.Both work together to give energy to the body cells. The insulin opens the door of the body cells for the glucose to enter the body. If the body does not produce insulin then the body cells won’t be able to get any glucose and it means that they have type 1 diabetes. If the insulin cannot unlock the body cells door then that means that they have type 2 diabetes and the insulin and glucose will just build up in the blood. When the blood sugar is high, insulin is released to the pancreas and if blood sugar is low then glucagon is released to it.3. Write a summary, either in paragraph form or in a series of steps or bullets, explaining how insulin binds to cells and the mechanism involved in triggering the cells to take in glucose. Write the summary in the space below. After eating your food, glucose from the food is released into the blood. High glucose level is a signal to release insulinThe pancreas then releases the insulin to the cells The insulin acts as a key for glucose to enter the cell The glucose is then used as energy.

Paradise Road- Creative Essay

I didn’t have to, but I did. It was an order, what other choice did I have? I was merely a low level officer; the power was in Hiroto’s hands. She broke the camp rules, outside dealings, but did she? It was medicine to save innocent women, innocent women who have been caught up in a war for power, which has resulted in the women becoming the powerless, and me the powerful. Each day I have to dig deep, keep on digging I tell myself, for reasons to be here; pride, family honour, dignity for my people, remember what father said; Japanese are the ones who made the Europeans rich, yet for hundreds of years the Europeans looked down upon us, now it’s Japan’s turn, still, my moral conscience has clouded my mind to the atrocities that I have seen, a short time ago I was a teacher of a class with half Japanese and half European, and they couldn’t see any differences, they looked to the inside, why can’t these officers look to the inside, morality in c hildren is a quality that is needed now, yet I see the children in the camp being bashed by that brute Tomiashi, I want to help, but Japan is now powerful, Japan must prevail. I passed the fuel to Tanaka, my hand trembling, I wanted to latch onto the bottle, throw it away, throw all this away, is this how far we have come, is the power really worth this? Ablaze, my eyes cloud while I have to control myself not to react, I must be strong in front of these European women, the powerful are not weak, they have oppressed me, although I cannot see it, them crying is the first instance of any reminisce of human emotion since I left my teaching job in the village, I didn’t want to leave the students, but the European students had fled with their families and we had instilled in our minds that the powerful nation would prevail, but is power worth this? I feel the confusion and anguish drop over me like a sheet of cold rain that chills you to your spine, this is wrong, this is wrong, but it’s for the great nation, we will be powerful, my stomach feels queasy. Days pass, although I feel no time as my soul feels extinguished, another lady†¦she merel y spoke, she merely spoke I whisper to myself, this is becoming too much, but I tie her to the posts, and insert the sharp bamboo into the ground, she has disrespected the Emperor she must honour the flag, stuff the emperor I say to myself, as I watch this innocent women struggle in the Sumatran sun as she fights to stay upright and avoid being impaled. Let me run over, let me free her, please! I tell my heart, I plead with my heart, but my brain prevents me, it’s for the nation, we will be powerful, but somehow that ideology is not what drives me to watch on, I am emotionless while watching this torture being committed, stuff the emperor, I clench my fists. The choir lady runs over with water, God bless her, humanity! It was not to be, Tomiashi yells and I have to intervene, emotion takes over me, â€Å"I’m sorry† I tell her â€Å"I’m sorry†, now I know that my heart and my mind are as one, no amount of power is worth this, this innocent women should not be here, she should be at home with her loving family, as should I, she’s so beautiful, I miss her, my wife†¦ it is only good luck that it is not her who is baking in the sun, my mind is made, stuff the emperor. Japan loses, Captain Tanaka and the other leading officers talk about the dishonour, the poverty that Japan will now endure, I look out the window of the officers’ quarters, and see the women smiling and cheering while Colonel Hirota tells them the news, they are now the powerful, and I am the powerless, I smile. By Fergus Neal Statement of Intention Upon taking a wider viewing of the film and seeing the obvious conflicts at play, I forced myself to look deeper and see the not so obvious conflicts that are omnipresent in the bystander characters. I chose to write a creative piece from the perspective of one of the guards who only features shortly in the film, has no name, but can be noted for saying a small but intriguing â€Å"sorry† to Daisy when she attempts to give Susan water, as if the emotion is starting to come to effect within him, and in citing this I chose to write a creative piece on his perspective and the inner conflict as well as conflict with the whole situation that he has faced that has culminated in him showing humility and apologizing to Daisy for not being able to allow water to be given to the tortured Susan. I chose to write in a formal way, but with a creative sense of writing present throughout which allowed me to delve deeper and actually place myself in this man’s shoes. My piece is for the audience of my teacher and fellow class mates as they should be able to comprehend the ideas that I am trying to convey through having seen, and understood the key aspects of the film. The purpose of this creative piece is to demonstrate how conflict occurs between the powerful and powerless,  but also how those in power may experience their own internal conflict in looking deeper into power and how it can cause a sense of inner conflict in relation to that person’s values.

SAT Essay Rubric Full Analysis and Writing Strategies

SAT Essay Rubric Full Analysis and Writing Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips We're about to dive deep into the details of that least beloved* of SAT sections, the SAT essay. Prepare for a discussion of the SAT essay rubric and how the SAT essay is graded based on that. I'll break down what each item on the rubric means and what you need to do to meet those requirements. On the SAT, the last section you'll encounter is the (optional) essay. You have 50 minutes to read a passage, analyze the author's argument, and write an essay. If you don’t write on the assignment, plagiarize, or don't use your own original work, you'll get a 0 on your essay. Otherwise, your essay scoring is done by two graders - each one grades you on a scale of 1-4 in Reading, Analysis, and Writing, for a total essay score out of 8 in each of those three areas. But how do these graders assign your writing a numerical grade? By using an essay scoring guide, or rubric. *may not actually be the least belovà ¨d. Feature image credit: Day 148: the end of time by Bruce Guenter, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped from original. The Complete SAT Essay Grading Rubric: Item-by-Item Breakdown Based on the CollegeBoard’s stated Reading, Analysis, and Writing criteria, I've created the below charts (for easier comparison across score points).For the purpose of going deeper into just what the SAT is looking for in your essay, I've then broken down each category further (with examples). The information in all three charts is taken from the College Board site. Reading The biggest change to the SAT essay (and the thing that really distinguishes it from the ACT essay) is that you are required to read and analyze a text, then write about your analysis of the author's argument in your essay. Your "Reading" grade on the SAT essay reflects how well you were able to demonstrate your understanding of the text and the author's argument in your essay. Score Reading 1 (Inadequate) The response demonstrates little or no comprehension of the source text. The response fails to show an understanding of the text’s central idea(s), and may include only details without reference to central idea(s). The response may contain numerous errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text. The response makes little or no use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating little or no understanding of the source text. 2 (Partial) The response demonstrates some comprehension of the source text. The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) but not of important details. The response may contain errors of fact and/or interpretation with regard to the text. The response makes limited and/or haphazard use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating some understanding of the source text. 3 (Proficient) The response demonstrates effective comprehension of the source text. The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and important details. The response is free of substantive errors of fact and interpretation with regard to the text. The response makes appropriate use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating an understanding of the source text. 4 (Advanced) The response demonstrates thorough comprehension of the source text. The response shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and of most important details and how they interrelate, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the text. The response is free of errors of fact or interpretation with regard to the text. The response makes skillful use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or both), demonstrating a complete understanding of the source text. You'll need to show your understanding of the text on two different levels: the surface level of getting your facts right and the deeper level of getting the relationship of the details and the central ideas right. Surface Level: Factual Accuracy One of the most important ways you can show you've actually read the passage is making sure you stick to what is said in the text. If you’re writing about things the author didn’t say, or things that contradict other things the author said, your argument will be fundamentally flawed. For instance, take this quotation from a (made-up) passage about why a hot dog is not a sandwich: â€Å"The fact that you can’t, or wouldn’t, cut a hot dog in half and eat it that way, proves that a hot dog is once and for all NOT a sandwich† Here's an example of a factually inaccurate paraphrasing of this quotation: The author builds his argument by discussing how, since hot-dogs are often served cut in half, this makes them different from sandwiches. The paraphrase contradicts the passage, and so would negatively affect your reading score. Now let's look at an accurate paraphrasing of the quotation: The author builds his argument by discussing how, since hot-dogs are never served cut in half, they are therefore different from sandwiches. It's also important to be faithful to the text when you're using direct quotations from the passage. Misquoting or badly paraphrasing the author’s words weakens your essay, because the evidence you’re using to support your points is faulty. Higher Level: Understanding of Central Ideas The next step beyond being factually accurate about the passage is showing that you understand the central ideas of the text and how details of the passage relate back to this central idea. Why does this matter? In order to be able to explain why the author is persuasive, you need to be able to explain the structure of the argument. And you can’t deconstruct the author's argument if you don’t understand the central idea of the passage and how the details relate to it. Here's an example of a statement about our fictional "hot dogs are sandwiches" passage that shows understanding of the central idea of the passage: Hodgman’s third primary defense of why hot dogs are not sandwiches is that a hot dog is not a subset of any other type of food. He uses the analogy of asking the question â€Å"is cereal milk a broth, sauce, or gravy?† to show that making such a comparison between hot dogs and sandwiches is patently illogical. The above statement takes one step beyond merely being factually accurate to explain the relation between different parts of the passage (in this case, the relation between the "what is cereal milk?" analogy and the hot dog/sandwich debate). Of course, if you want to score well in all three essay areas, you’ll need to do more in your essay than merely summarizing the author’s argument. This leads directly into the next grading area of the SAT Essay. Analysis The items covered under this criterion are the most important when it comes to writing a strong essay. You can use well-spelled vocabulary in sentences with varied structure all you want, but if you don't analyze the author's argument, demonstrate critical thinking, and support your position, you will not get a high Analysis score. Score Analysis 1 (Inadequate) The response offers little or no analysis or ineffective analysis of the source text and demonstrates little or no understanding of the analytic task. The response identifies without explanation some aspects of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s choosing, Or numerous aspects of the response’s analysis are unwarranted based on the text. The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made, or support is largely irrelevant. The response may not focus on features of the text that are relevant to addressing the task, Or the response offers no discernible analysis (e.g., is largely or exclusively summary). 2 (Partial) The response offers limited analysis of the source text and demonstrates only partial understanding of the analytical task. The response identifies and attempts to describe the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing, but merely asserts rather than explains their importance, or one or more aspects of the response’s analysis are unwarranted based on the text. The response contains little or no support for claim(s) or point(s) made. The response may lack a clear focus on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task. 3 (Proficient) The response offers an effective analysis of the source text and demonstrates an understanding of the analytical task. The response competently evaluates the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing. The response contains relevant and sufficient support for claim(s) or point(s) made. The response focuses primarily on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task. 4 (Advanced) The response offers an insightful analysis of the source text and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the analytical task. The response offers a thorough, well-considered evaluation of the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements, and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing. The response contains relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for claim(s) or point(s) made. The response focuses consistently on those features of the text that are most relevant to addressing the task. Because this category is so important, I've broken it down even further into its two different (but equally important) component parts to make sure everything is as clearly explained as possible. Part I: Critical Thinking (Logic) Critical thinking, also known as critical reasoning, also known as logic, is the skill that SAT essay graders are really looking to see displayed in the essay. You need to be able to evaluate and analyze the claim put forward in the prompt. This is where a lot of students may get tripped up, because they think â€Å"oh, well, if I can just write a lot, then I’ll do well.† While there is some truth to the assertion that longer essays tend to score higher, if you don’t display critical thinking you won’t be able to get a top score on your essay. What do I mean by critical thinking? Let's take the previous prompt example: Write an essay in which you explain how Hodgman builds an argument to persuade his audience that the hot dog cannot, and never should be, considered a sandwich. An answer to this prompt that does not display critical thinking (and would fall into a 1 or 2 on the rubric) would be something like: The author argues that hot dogs aren’t sandwiches, which is persuasive to the reader. While this does evaluate the prompt (by providing a statement that the author's claim "is persuasive to the reader"), there is no corresponding analysis. An answer to this prompt that displays critical thinking (and would net a higher score on the rubric) could be something like this: The author uses analogies to hammer home his point that hot dogs are not sandwiches. Because the readers will readily believe the first part of the analogy is true, they will be more likely to accept that the second part (that hot dogs aren't sandwiches) is true as well. See the difference? Critical thinking involves reasoning your way through a situation (analysis) as well as making a judgement (evaluation). On the SAT essay, however, you can’t just stop at abstract critical reasoning - analysis involves one more crucial step... Part II: Examples, Reasons, and Other Evidence (Support) The other piece of the puzzle (apparently this is a tiny puzzle) is making sure you are able to back up your point of view and critical thinking with concrete evidence. The SAT essay rubric says that the best (that is, 4-scoring) essay uses â€Å"relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for claim(s) or point(s) made.† This means you can’t just stick to abstract reasoning like this: The author uses analogies to hammer home his point that hot dogs are not sandwiches. Because the readers will readily believe the first part of the analogy is true, they will be more likely to accept that the second part (that hot dogs aren't sandwiches) is true as well. That explanation is a good starting point, but if you don't back up your point of view with quoted or paraphrased information from the text to support your discussion of the way the author builds his/her argument, you will not be able to get above a 3 on the Analysis portion of the essay (and possibly the Reading portion as well, if you don't show you've read the passage). Let's take a look of an example of how you might support an interpretation of the author's effect on the reader using facts from the passage: The author’s reference to the Biblical story about King Solomon elevates the debate about hot dogs from a petty squabble between friends to a life-or-death disagreement. The reader cannot help but see the parallels between the two situations and thus find themselves agreeing with the author on this point. Does the author's reference to King Solomon actually "elevate the debate," causing the reader to agree with the author? From the sentences above, it certainly seems plausible that it might. While your facts do need to be correct, you get a little more leeway with your interpretations of how the author’s persuasive techniques might affect the audience. As long as you can make a convincing argument for the effect a technique the author uses might have on the reader, you’ll be good. Say whaaat?! #tbt by tradlands, used under CC BY 2.0/Cropped and color-adjusted from original. Did I just blow your mind? Read more about the secrets the SAT doesn’t want you to know in this article. Writing Your Writing score on the SAT essay is not just a reflection of your grasp of the conventions of written English (although it is that as well). You'll also need to be focused, organized, and precise. Score Writing 1 (Inadequate) The response demonstrates little or no cohesion and inadequate skill in the use and control of language. The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea. The response lacks a recognizable introduction and conclusion. The response does not have a discernible progression of ideas. The response lacks variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive. The response demonstrates general and vague word choice; word choice may be poor or inaccurate. The response may lack a formal style and objective tone. The response shows a weak control of the conventions of standard written English and may contain numerous errors that undermine the quality of writing. 2 (Partial) The response demonstrates little or no cohesion and limited skill in the use and control of language. The response may lack a clear central claim or controlling idea or may deviate from the claim or idea over the course of the response. The response may include an ineffective introduction and/or conclusion. The response may demonstrate some progression of ideas within paragraphs but not throughout the response. The response has limited variety in sentence structures; sentence structures may be repetitive. The response demonstrates general or vague word choice; word choice may be repetitive. The response may deviate noticeably from a formal style and objective tone. The response shows a limited control of the conventions of standard written English and contains errors that detract from the quality of writing and may impede understanding. 3 (Proficient) The response is mostly cohesive and demonstrates effective use and control of language. The response includes a central claim or implicit controlling idea. The response includes an effective introduction and conclusion. The response demonstrates a clear progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay. The response has variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates some precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone. The response shows a good control of the conventions of standard written English and is free of significant errors that detract from the quality of writing. 4 (Advanced) The response is cohesive and demonstrates a highly effective use and command of language. The response includes a precise central claim. The response includes a skillful introduction and conclusion. The response demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay. The response has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response maintains a formal style and objective tone. The response shows a strong command of the conventions of standard written English and is free or virtually free of errors. Because there's a lot of different factors that go into calculating your Writing score, I've divided the discussion of this rubric area into five separate items: Precise Central Claim Organization Vocab and Word Choice Sentence Structure Grammar, Etc. Precise Central Claim One of the most basic rules of the SAT essay is that you need to express a clear opinion on the "assignment" (the prompt). While in school (and everywhere else in life, pretty much) you’re encouraged to take into account all sides of a topic, it behooves you to NOT do this on the SAT essay. Why? Because you only have 50 minutes to read the passage, analyze the author's argument, and write the essay, there's no way you can discuss every single way in which the author builds his/her argument, every single detail of the passage, or a nuanced argument about what works and what doesn't work. Instead, I recommend focusing your discussion on a few key ways the author is successful in persuading his/her audience of his/her claim. Let’s go back to the assignment we've been using as an example throughout this article: "Write an essay in which you explain how Hodgman builds an argument to persuade his audience that the hot dog cannot, and never should be, considered a sandwich." Your instinct (trained from many years of schooling) might be to answer: "There are a variety of ways in which the author builds his argument." This is a nice, vague statement that leaves you a lot of wiggle room. If you disagree with the author, it's also a way of avoiding having to say that the author is persuasive. Don't fall into this trap! You do not necessarily have to agree with the author's claim in order to analyze how the author persuades his/her readers that the claim is true. Here's an example of a precise central claim about the example assignment: The author effectively builds his argument that hot dogs are not sandwiches by using logic, allusions to history and mythology, and factual evidence. In contrast to the vague claim that "There are a variety of ways in which the author builds his argument," this thesis both specifies what the author's argument is and the ways in which he builds the argument (that you'll be discussing in the essay). Organization While it's extremely important to make sure your essay has a clear point of view, strong critical reasoning, and support for your position, that's not enough to get you a top score. You need to make sure that your essay "demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas both within paragraphs and throughout the essay." What does this mean? Part of the way you can make sure your essay is "well organized" has to do with following standard essay construction points. Don't write your essay in one huge paragraph; instead, include an introduction (with your thesis stating your point of view), body paragraphs (one for each example, usually), and a conclusion. This structure might seem boring, but it really works to keep your essay organized, and the more clearly organized your essay is, the easier it will be for the essay grader to understand your critical reasoning. The second part of this criteria has to do with keeping your essay focused, making sure it contains "a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas." You can't just say "well, I have an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, so I guess my essay is organized" and expect to get a 4/4 on your essay. You need to make sure that each paragraph is also organized. Recall the sample prompt: â€Å"Write an essay in which you explain how Hodgman builds an argument to persuade his audience that the hot dog cannot, and never should be, considered a sandwich.† And our hypothetical thesis: The author effectively builds his argument that hot dogs are not sandwiches by using logic, allusions to history and mythology, and factual evidence. Let's say that you're writing the paragraph about the author's use of logic to persuade his reader that hot dogs aren't sandwiches. You should NOT just list ways that the author is logical in support of his claim, then explain why logic in general is an effective persuasive device. While your points might all be valid, your essay would be better served by connecting each instance of logic in the passage with an explanation of how that example of logic persuades the reader to agree with the author. Above all, it is imperative that you make your thesis (your central claim) clear in the opening paragraph of your essay - this helps the grader keep track of your argument. There's no reason you’d want to make following your reasoning more difficult for the person grading your essay (unless you’re cranky and don’t want to do well on the essay. Listen, I don’t want to tell you how to live your life). Vocab and Word Choice In your essay, you should use a wide array of vocabulary (and use it correctly). An essay that scores a 4 in Writing on the grading rubric â€Å"demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice.† You’re allowed a few errors, even on a 4-scoring essay, so you can sometimes get away with misusing a word or two. In general, though, it’s best to stick to using words you are certain you not only know the meaning of, but also know how to use. If you’ve been studying up on vocab, make sure you practice using the words you’ve learned in sentences, and have those sentences checked by someone who is good at writing (in English), before you use those words in an SAT essay. Sentence Structure Creating elegant, non-awkward sentences is the thing I struggle most with under time pressure. For instance, here’s my first try at the previous sentence: â€Å"Making sure a sentence structure makes sense is the thing that I have the most problems with when I’m writing in a short amount of time† (hahaha NOPE - way too convoluted and wordy, self). As another example, take a look at these two excerpts from the hypothetical essay discussing how the author persuaded his readers that a hot dog is not a sandwich: Score of 2: "The author makes his point by critiquing the argument against him. The author pointed out the logical fallacy of saying a hot dog was a sandwich because it was meat "sandwiched" between two breads. The author thus persuades the reader his point makes sense to be agreed with and convinces them." The above sentences lack variety in structure (they all begin with the words "the author"), and the last sentence has serious flaws in its structure (it makes no sense). Score of 4: "The author's rigorous examination of his opponent's position invites the reader, too, to consider this issue seriously. By laying out his reasoning, step by step, Hodgman makes it easy for the reader to follow along with his train of thought and arrive at the same destination that he has. This destination is Hodgman's claim that a hot dog is not a sandwich." The above sentences demonstrate variety in sentence structure (they don't all begin with the same word and don't have the same underlying structure) that presumably forward the point of the essay. In general, if you're doing well in all the other Writing areas, your sentence structures will also naturally vary. If you're really worried that your sentences are not varied enough, however, my advice for working on "demonstrating meaningful variety in sentence structure" (without ending up with terribly worded sentences) is twofold: Read over what you’ve written before you hand it in and change any wordings that seem awkward, clunky, or just plain incorrect. As you’re doing practice essays, have a friend, family member, or teacher who is good at (English) writing look over your essays and point out any issues that arise. Grammar, Etc. This part of the Writing grade is all about the nitty gritty details of writing: grammar, punctuation, and spelling. It's rare that an essay with serious flaws in this area can score a 4/4 in Reading, Analysis, or Writing, because such persistent errors often "interfere with meaning" (that is, persistent errors make it difficult for the grader to understand what you're trying to get across). On the other hand, if they occur in small quantities, grammar/punctuation/spelling errors are also the things that are most likely to be overlooked. If two essays are otherwise of equal quality, but one writer misspells "definitely" as "definately" and the other writer fails to explain how one of her examples supports her thesis, the first writer will receive a higher essay score. It's only when poor grammar, use of punctuation, and spelling start to make it difficult to understand your essay that the graders start penalizing you. My advice for working on this rubric area is the same advice as for sentence structure: look over what you’ve written to double check for mistakes, and ask someone who’s good at writing to look over your practice essays and point out your errors. If you're really struggling with spelling, simply typing up your (handwritten) essay into a program like Microsoft Word and running spellcheck can alert you to problems. We've also got a great set of articles up on our blog about SAT Writing questions that may help you better understand any grammatical errors you are making. How Do I Use The SAT Essay Grading Rubric? Now that you understand the SAT essay rubric, how can you use it in your SAT prep? There are a couple of different ways. Use The SAT Essay Rubric To...Shape Your Essays Since you know what the SAT is looking for in an essay, you can now use that knowledge to guide what you write about in your essays! A tale from my youth: when I was preparing to take the SAT for the first time, I did not really know what the essay was looking for, and assumed that since I was a good writer, I’d be fine. Not true! The most important part of the SAT essay is using specific examples from the passage and explaining how they convince the reader of the author's point. By reading this article and realizing there's more to the essay than "being a strong writer," you’re already doing better than high school me. girl sleeping on a couch holding a mirror by RickBrenda Beerhorst, used under CC BY 2.0/Resized from original. Change the object in that girl’s left hand from a mirror to a textbook and you have a pretty good sketch of what my junior year of high school looked like. Use The SAT Essay Rubric To...Grade Your Practice Essays The SAT can’t exactly give you an answer key to the essay. Even when an example of an essay that scored a particular score is provided, that essay will probably use different examples than you did, make different arguments, maybe even argue different interpretations of the text...making it difficult to compare the two. The SAT essay rubric is the next best thing to an answer key for the essay - use it as a lens through which to view and assess your essay. Of course, you don’t have the time to become an expert SAT essay grader - that’s not your job. You just have to apply the rubric as best as you can to your essays and work on fixing your weak areas. For the sentence structure, grammar, usage, and mechanics stuff I highly recommend asking a friend, teacher, or family member who is really good at (English) writing to take a look over your practice essays and point out the mistakes. If you really want custom feedback on your practice essays from experienced essay graders, may I also suggest the PrepScholar test prep platform? I manage the essay grading and so happen to know quite a bit about the essay part of this platform, which gives you both an essay grade and custom feedback for each essay you complete. Learn more about how it all works here. What’s Next? Are you so excited by this article that you want to read even more articles on the SAT essay? Of course you are. Don't worry, I’ve got you covered. Learn how to write an SAT essay step-by-step and read about the 6 types of SAT essay prompts. Want to go even more in depth with the SAT essay? We have a complete list of past SAT essay prompts as well as tips and strategies for how to get a 12 on the SAT essay. Still not satisfied? Maybe a five-day free trial of our very own PrepScholar test prep platform (which includes essay practice and feedback) is just what you need. Trying to figure out whether the old or new SAT essay is better for you? Take a look at our article on the new SAT essay assignment to find out! Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by SAT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today:

Reasons for Imperialism essays

Reasons for Imperialism essays Major European powers had for centuries engaged in colonialism however the phenomenon of the period 1870-1914 was expansion in a form never before witnessed. Competitive industrial nations, Great Britain first and foremost set out on a race to divide the world, at least the parts unoccupied namely Africa and Asia between them. In the three decades after 1870 European nations divided up the remainder of the world; by 1900 Europe controlled almost all of Africa and Southeast Asia. Britain had taken over 345 million non-Britons in Africa, India and the Pacific region, France had raised its flag over 56 million people outside Europe, the Netherlands controlled 35 million and Germany almost 15 million. So what was the actual cause of this unprecedented expansion There are several reasons why the European nations competed with each other for colonies but a prime factor was economic motivation. The colonising country could control important markets for its exports and deny these markets to its competitors. Colonies were also important sources of raw materials providing in particular rubber, as well as being the source of more exotic goods for the affluent European market and as opportunities for investment. A country often also increased its wealth by conquering another civilisation and taking its riches or exploiting the mineral wealth of another land. The discovery of gold and diamonds in Africa greatly increased European interest in the continent. Industrialised countries often produced more manufactured goods than their people needed or could afford to buy. Colonies served as markets for these unsold products; Africa and to a lesser extent Asia were seen as a market for industrialised goods produced in Europe. Production costs abroad were lower than at home. The Europeans began to build plantations where they grew peanuts, palm oil, cocoa and rubber. The Congo produced copper and tin. As industrialis...

Things a Successful School Principal Does Differently

Things a Successful School Principal Does Differently Being a principal has its challenges. It is not an easy profession. It is a high-stress job that most people are not equipped to handle. A principal’s job description is broad. They have their hands in virtually everything related to students, teachers, and parents. They are the chief decision-maker in the building. A successful school principal does things differently. As with any other profession, there are those principals who excel at what they do and those who lack the skills necessary to be successful. Most principals are in the middle of that range. The best principals have a particular mindset and a leadership philosophy that allows them to be successful. They utilize a combination of strategies that make themselves and others around them better thus allowing them to be successful. Surround Themselves with Good Teachers Hiring good teachers makes a principal’s job easier in virtually every aspect. Good teachers are solid disciplinarians, they communicate well with parents, and they provide their students with a quality education. Each of these things makes a principal’s job easier. As a principal, you want a building full of teachers that you know are doing their job. You want teachers that are 100% committed to being effective teachers in every aspect. You want teachers who not only do their job well but are willing to go above and beyond the core requirements to ensure that every student is successful. Simply put, surrounding yourself with good teachers makes you look better, makes your job easier, and allows you to manage other aspects of your job. Lead by Example As a principal, you are the leader of the building. Every person in the building is watching how you go about your daily business. Build a reputation for being the hardest worker in your building. You should almost always be the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. It is essential that others know how much you love your job. Keep a smile on your face, maintain a positive attitude, and handle adversity with grit and perseverance. Always maintain professionalism. Be respectful to everyone and embrace differences. Be the model for fundamental qualities such as organization, efficiency, and communication. Think Outside the Box Never put limitations on yourself and your teachers. Be resourceful and find creative ways to meet needs when issues arise. Do not be afraid to think outside the box. Encourage your teachers to do the same. Successful school principals are elite problem solvers. Answers do not always come easy.  You have to utilize the resources creatively you have or figure out ways to get new resources to meet your needs. A terrific problem solver never dismisses another person’s idea or suggestion. Instead, they seek out and value input from others cooperatively creating solutions to problems. Work With People As a principal, you have to learn to work with all different types of people. Each person has their own personality, and you must learn to work effectively with each type. The best principals are able to read people well, figure out what motivates them, and strategically plant seeds that will eventually blossom into success. Principals must work with every stakeholder in the community. They should be skilled listeners who value feedback and use it to make recognizable changes. Principals should be on the front lines, working with the stakeholders to improve both their community and school. Delegate Appropriately Being a principal can be overwhelming. This is often amplified as principals by nature are typically control freaks. They have high expectations on how things should be done making it difficult to let others take the lead role. Successful principals are able to get past this because they realize there is value in delegating. First of all, it shifts the burden of responsibility from you, freeing you up to work on other projects. Next, you can strategically make individuals responsible for projects that you know fit their strengths and will help build their confidence. Finally, delegating reduces your overall workload, which in turn keeps your stress level at a minimum. Create and Enforce Proactive Policies Every principal should be an adept policy writer. Each school is different and has their own unique needs in terms of policy. Policy works best when it is written and enforced in such a way that very few want to take the chance to receive the attached consequences. Most principals will spend a large part of their day dealing with student discipline. Policy should be seen as a deterrent to distractions that interrupt learning. Successful principals are proactive in their approach to policy writing and student discipline. They recognize potential problems and address them before they become a significant issue. Look for Long-Term Solutions to Problems A quick fix is seldom the right solution. Long-term solutions require more time and effort in the beginning. However, they typically save you time in the long run, because you won’t have to deal with it as much in the future. Successful principals think two to three steps ahead. They address the little picture by fixing the large picture. They look beyond the specific circumstance to get to the cause of the problem.  They understand that taking care of the core problem may head off several smaller issues down the road, potentially saving both time and money. Become an Information Hub Principals have to experts in many different areas including content and policy. Successful principals are a wealth of information. They stay up-to-date on the latest educational research, technology, and trends. Principals should at least have a working knowledge of the content being taught in each grade for which they are responsible. They follow educational policy at both the state and locals areas. They keep their teachers informed and are able to offer tips and strategies concerning best classroom practices. Teachers respect principals who understand the content they are teaching. They appreciate when their principal offers well thought out, applicable solutions to problems they may be having in the classroom. Maintain Accessibility As a principal, it is easy to get so busy that you shut your office door to try and get a few things done. This is perfectly acceptable as long as it isn’t done a regular basis. Principals must be accessible to all stakeholders including teachers, staff members, parents, and especially students. Every principal should have an open door policy. Successful principals understand that building and maintaining healthy relationships with everyone you work with is a key component to having an outstanding school. Being in high demand comes with the job. Everyone will come to you when they need something or when there is a problem. Always make yourself available, be a good listener, and most importantly follow through on a solution. Students are the First Priority Successful principals keep students as their number one priority. They never deviate from that path. All expectations and actions are directed to better students both individually and as a whole. Student safety, health, and academic growth are our most fundamental duties. Every decision that is made has to take the impact it will make on a student or group of students into account. We are there to nurture, counsel, discipline, and educate each and every student. As a principal, you must never lose sight of the fact that students should always be our focal point.

In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants Essay

In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants - Essay Example The choice of parenthood, while serious and permanent, is NOT the same thing. These two choices are not comparable for a number of reasons, no matter how much anti-abortionists might like to claim that they are. First of all, "embryonic" stem cells don't commonly actually come from conceived embryos. The cells used for research are "typically done by using frozen embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization" (Quindlen). This fact negates the anti-abortionist "life-begins-at-conception" claim (Quindlen). Conception has not taken place so, even an anti-abortionist would have t admit that no life is being lost. In fact, there was no life to begin with. The only lives that are being lost are the critically and/or terminally ill who might benefit from stem cells. If abortion, according to those who oppose it "stops a beating heart," then the embryos used for stem cell research do not apply. As Quindlen says, "There is no heart to stop in this pre-implantation embryo." Simply put, you cannot stop something that is not present to begin with. That part of the body hasn't even developed yet because it is not a body. These frozen embryos, if not used for research, would likely be disposed of. At this stage, however, "they are the earliest undifferentiated collection of cells made by the joining of the egg and sperm" (Quindlen). Th

Capital Investment Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Capital Investment Process - Essay Example Therefore, it was always implied that despite techniques used to make the future more clear, capital investment decision requires a manager to use intuition. This study of a Boston Mayflower - a residential social landlord with about 5,000 houses - indicates that more accent must be put on qualitative appraisal techniques. The essay begins with building a theoretical base to get the reader familiar with some basic concepts of capital investment appraisal theory. The second part of the essay is devoted to a step-by-step analysis of the investment project of Boston Mayflower. This part of the essay is devoted to the description of methods used in the analysis of capital investment. Developed theoretical frameworks include several different techniques of analysis varying mainly in measures of investments. In other words, it is clear that the ultimate goal of every investment is maximisation of owner's wealth; however specific characteristics of every project oblige management to choose carefully and with correspondence to the most vital needs of the business. The most typical example is the choice between long-term investment project with high return value and short-term project but with lesser return. Although the first development plan will lead to better profits in the end, sometimes a company chooses the second one. That means the time factor is more important for owners than greater profits in the illustrated case. Generally, capital investment decisions are always connected to the following list of specific features: a significant outlay of cash; long-term involvement with greater risks and uncertainty because forecasts of the future are less reliable; irreversibility of some projects due to their specialised nature, for example, plant which having been bought with a specific project in mind may have little or no scrap value; a significant time lag between commitment of resources and the receipt of benefits; management's ability is often stretched with some projects demanding an awareness of all relevant diverse factors; limited resources require priorities on capital expenditure; project completion time requires adequate continuous control information as costs can be exceeded by a significant amount. (McGrath, 1998) These characteristics make the managerial decision even more important, as it must be connected with the strategy of a company. Simply, a manager should choose not the most profit-making project, but the most suitable one for the business strategy of his/her company. This statement leads to a careful choice of the evaluation technique used to determine, which investment plan complements best the chosen strategy. There several factors, which should be taken into consideration during evaluation of investment opportunities: initial cost of the project; phasing of the expenditure; estimated life of the investment; amount and timing of the

Aviation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Aviation - Case Study Example Most people avoid the airport if they have urgent business. The reason for these delays has been blamed on the capacity of the airport visa vie the growing demand. Possible revenue has been lost by the airport due to the delay. The problem has been identified and, therefore, measures to curb the problem should be developed. The airport has a potential market and, therefore, investment for redesigning of the terminal and ground access (runway) will be recouped faster. Expansion of the terminal will enhance the speed of security check and other services requisite for the passenger. Ground access give the chance for planes to land and take-off, and this delays plane from landing and departing, extra runways should be constructed for take-off and landing off planes. If the two elements are taken into account ALICE Spring Airport will be more efficient and more passengers will be lured into the airport. Passengers are always time conscious and will choose an airport where processes will be

Staff Turnover in Hong Kong's Hospitality Industry Essay

Staff Turnover in Hong Kong's Hospitality Industry - Essay Example The phenomenon of employee turnover is considered as one of the natural outcomes of conduct of business in modern organizations. Thus it is said that achieving zero percent turnover is not practical and should not even be attempted in today’s rapidly changing employment environment (Branham, 2000). It is also said that some turn over may be desirable as it would enable a shake out amongst the employees avoiding bunching up of a large number with similar pay scales, salaries and capabilities making a pyramid (Branham, 2000). To retain all such employees will be extremely expensive for the organization. New employees are also said to bring in fresh ideas, approaches, abilities, attitudes and also prevent the organization from remaining stagnant (Branham, 2000). 2.3 Brief introduction of Hong KongHong Kong is said to be a very vibrant metropolis which has a life and dynamism of its own making it one of the unique cities in the World. It has a typical Chinese culture which has rem ained unaffected by British influence over the years (Hong Kong, 2006). It offers a mix of the modern and the ancient, the Oriental and the Western and therein lies its charm. At the same time the employment environment in Hong Kong follows a very flexible tendency. Thus employees in Hong Kong are not inhibited by generally accepted norms of loyalty and life long service which is characterized by some Eastern management cultures such as the Japanese (Hong Kong, 2006).

Time and Travel in The Dispossessed and Kindred Term Paper

Time and Travel in The Dispossessed and Kindred - Term Paper Example Butler would agree with Asimov; when asked to label her novel, she has called it â€Å"a grim fantasy.† How time travel occurs in Kindred is never explained; the novel’s protagonist Dana simply feels dizzy from time to time and travels back in time, to pre-Civil War America. It is a mystery to her and to her husband, but they try to deal with the situation they have found themselves in, anyway. The only way she is able to return back to her own time is to feel threatened and in danger of dying. She even tries slitting her wrists in order to return to her own time. Each time she travels back in time, her stay on the plantation becomes longer—at first only a few minutes, and then several days and months. She disappears from the present as she travels, but at first for a few seconds and then for several hours. It seems as if Dana time travels to the past every time Rufus is in some kind of mortal danger. The first time she travels, he is drowning; the second time, s he saves him from dying in a fire. She discovers that the reason he â€Å"calls† her to the plantation is that he is her ancestor and it is her duty to save him so that she is preserved in the future. At the end of the book, however, she ends up killing him and experiences horrible consequences as a result—the mangling of her arm when she returns to the present. Perhaps the real reason she has to time travel is because it is Rufus’ destiny to die, and there is nothing she can do to prevent it. Although Butler was already established as a successful science fiction writer, one of the few African Americans in a white male-dominated field, the time travel in Kindred, is incidental. It is simply something she uses to illustrate her thesis about the horrors of slavery. When the novel is shelved in libraries or bookstores, even though Butler is well known as a writer of science fiction, it tends to be placed with African American literature because that creates the sa me feelings as the works of other female African American writers. Like all science fiction, though, Kindred is speculative: What would happen if a modern person got the opportunity to experience slavery first-hand? Time travel is used as a literary device to pursue her thesis, and to investigate how a sympathetic modern character would react in the setting of slavery. An example is Dana’s reaction to seeing a slave being whipped: I shut my eyes and tensed my muscles against an urge to vomit. I had seen people beaten on television and in the movies. I had seen the too-red blood substitute streaked across their backs and heard their well-rehearsed screams. But I hadn’t laid nearby and smelled their sweat or heard them pleading and praying, shamed before their families and themselves (Butler 36). Even though it definitely science fiction/fantasy, Kindred has the feel and structure of a slave narrative. Dana, and Butler’s audience along with her, travels to the pas t so that they can experience it and understand the impact of history, and more specifically, of slavery. Dana travels from freedom to enslavement, like her ancestors did when they were taken from Africa and enslaved in America, never to return. She goes through the same horror as her slave ancestors, and the time travel she experiences is just as confusing as the voyage they experienced. Dana attempts to explain this to her white husband, after reacting to him with fear after she returns: â€Å"

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Academic Achievment among College Essay

The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Academic Achievment among College Students Literature Review - Essay Example â€Å"Over 40% of students nationwide have been reported to participate in binge drinking behavior, when it is defined as at least four drinks per drinking occasion for women and at least five drinks for men† (Jennison, 2004b). Excessive consumption of alcohols among college students has been closely linked with academic disturbances such as missed classes, reduction in classroom performance, lowered grades, dropping out, and school failure (Jennison, 2004b). The Harvard School of Public Health CoUege Alcohol Study (1999) reveals 44% of the surveyed students to be binge drinkers 23% to be frequent binge drinkers (Richardson, 2000). Its effects on academics in higher education institutions are indeed a matter of concern. â€Å"In addition to well-documented consequences such as poor performance on assignments and missed classes, studies suggest that college drinking is a major factor in student dropout rates† (Sullivan, 2002). This severe threat of the college drinking problem led to the setting up of a task force on College Drinking in 1998 by the National Advisory Council to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) with the view to support the development of a national plan for college drinking research at NIAAA (Jennison, 2004b). According to the information provided by NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking almost 25% of college students experience academic disturbances due to alcohol consumption, such as obtaining lower grades, performing poorly in tests and projects, missing class and even dropping out (â€Å"A Call to Action†, 2002). The use and abuse of alcohol by students on campuses has been recognized as a serious disturbance affecting the student life (Molstad et al., 1998). Heavy patterns of alcohol accompany greater chances of students experiencing alcohol related problems mainly poor academic performance (Molstad et al., 1998). The alcohol intake by male college students is more frequent and in greater volumes

Time and Travel in The Dispossessed and Kindred Term Paper

Time and Travel in The Dispossessed and Kindred - Term Paper Example Butler would agree with Asimov; when asked to label her novel, she has called it â€Å"a grim fantasy.† How time travel occurs in Kindred is never explained; the novel’s protagonist Dana simply feels dizzy from time to time and travels back in time, to pre-Civil War America. It is a mystery to her and to her husband, but they try to deal with the situation they have found themselves in, anyway. The only way she is able to return back to her own time is to feel threatened and in danger of dying. She even tries slitting her wrists in order to return to her own time. Each time she travels back in time, her stay on the plantation becomes longer—at first only a few minutes, and then several days and months. She disappears from the present as she travels, but at first for a few seconds and then for several hours. It seems as if Dana time travels to the past every time Rufus is in some kind of mortal danger. The first time she travels, he is drowning; the second time, s he saves him from dying in a fire. She discovers that the reason he â€Å"calls† her to the plantation is that he is her ancestor and it is her duty to save him so that she is preserved in the future. At the end of the book, however, she ends up killing him and experiences horrible consequences as a result—the mangling of her arm when she returns to the present. Perhaps the real reason she has to time travel is because it is Rufus’ destiny to die, and there is nothing she can do to prevent it. Although Butler was already established as a successful science fiction writer, one of the few African Americans in a white male-dominated field, the time travel in Kindred, is incidental. It is simply something she uses to illustrate her thesis about the horrors of slavery. When the novel is shelved in libraries or bookstores, even though Butler is well known as a writer of science fiction, it tends to be placed with African American literature because that creates the sa me feelings as the works of other female African American writers. Like all science fiction, though, Kindred is speculative: What would happen if a modern person got the opportunity to experience slavery first-hand? Time travel is used as a literary device to pursue her thesis, and to investigate how a sympathetic modern character would react in the setting of slavery. An example is Dana’s reaction to seeing a slave being whipped: I shut my eyes and tensed my muscles against an urge to vomit. I had seen people beaten on television and in the movies. I had seen the too-red blood substitute streaked across their backs and heard their well-rehearsed screams. But I hadn’t laid nearby and smelled their sweat or heard them pleading and praying, shamed before their families and themselves (Butler 36). Even though it definitely science fiction/fantasy, Kindred has the feel and structure of a slave narrative. Dana, and Butler’s audience along with her, travels to the pas t so that they can experience it and understand the impact of history, and more specifically, of slavery. Dana travels from freedom to enslavement, like her ancestors did when they were taken from Africa and enslaved in America, never to return. She goes through the same horror as her slave ancestors, and the time travel she experiences is just as confusing as the voyage they experienced. Dana attempts to explain this to her white husband, after reacting to him with fear after she returns: â€Å"

3.3 Financial Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

3.3 Financial Analysis - Assignment Example ould likely result in liabilities hence previous trends and records of the organization can be used to assess the profitability of an organization as an investment opportunity (Ou & Penman 2009, pp.295–329). To understand the significance of the financial well-being of an organization, this paper will conduct a financial analysis of Chateau hotel redoubtable as an investment opportunity for the Smithsons. The core objective of investing in a business is to get a return for the price invested. Inferring to the statement of the financial position of the hotel basing on the analysis of two years (year ended December 30 2013 and 2014), the hotel made an improvement in the value of the total assets from â‚ ¬3,263, 000 to â‚ ¬3,881, 000. Additionally, the company made an improvement in the equity shares from 800 shares to 1000 shares with each of the share selling at â‚ ¬100. However, the company has an outstanding long-term loans and current liabilities with inclusion of the bank overdraft, payable dividend, taxation owing deposit by customers and payable-trade creditors cumulatively summing to â‚ ¬3,263, 000 for the financial year ended 2013 and â‚ ¬3,881, 000 for the financial year ended 2014. This implies that a liquidation of the assets of the company would be sufficient to settle the liabilities of the company without outstanding profit. However, inferring to the income statement of the company, it is evident that the rental income of the hotel had declined from â‚ ¬505, 000 in the year 2013 to â‚ ¬448, 000 in the year ended 2014. Analysis of the financial figures of the hotel indicates that the hotel is currently running at diminishing returns, which makes the chances for solvency and the resale of the company to be difficult. Equally, owing to the declining financial position of Chateau hotel redoubtable, the hotel is not profitable thus; investment in the hotel would demand a change in the strategy in the manner with which it is operated to realize profit.

Ethnicity and language Essay Example for Free

Ethnicity and language Essay 1. Ethnicity Ethnicity is not a clear-cut term. It usually describes someone’s racial or cultural background but has a whole host of other connotations connected with appearance, dress, food, lifestyle etc. The ethnic majority in a particular place are, not necessarily those with the largest numbers, but those with social and political power. It is also the case that often terms describing race are fairly meaningless. People from the ‘British race’ for example originate from many other cultures and countries, depending on how far back you trace their family trees. 2. Prejudiced language Language can be used to make certain ethnic groups appear to be outsiders, or different from the ethnic majority. Markedness It is often assumed that immigrants, and people from ethnic minorities, must fit in with the ways and traditions of the ethnic majority. When this happens, the ethnic identity of the majority begins to appear normal and invisible, whilst that of the minority appears, strange, worthy of mention and marked. We often find in the media that people’ ethnicity is only mentioned when they are not white. So, we hear things like â€Å"the murdered black teenager Steven Lawrence† even in instances where the description of ethnicity is irrelevant. Negative labelling People are often labelled according to their colour, race or ethnicity. The problem with such labels is firstly that they may stop us seeing other aspects of the person as we are focussed on the attribute that the label describes. The second problem is that very often these labels are associated with negative stereotypes. We often find that the most marginalized groups in our society have the largest numbers of offensive terms to describe them. In addition, the media runs relatively few stories about those from ethnic minorities, and those that are included tend to reinforce the negative stereotypes by being about crime or disorder. 3. Marking Ethnic Identity Language can also be used as a powerful marker of ethnic identity. The language that we speak, and how we speak it, shows the ethnic group to which we believe we belong and claim solidarity with. British Black English People of West Indian and African Caribbean origin in England use many different varieties depending on where about they live and how long their families have been in Britain. Those born in Britain usually speak a variety of English and also a variety of Jamaican Creole, known as Patois. Linguistic features of Patois ?Lexical items (lick (hit), kenge (weak), bex (angry) ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Plural forms without /s/ suffix (e. g. many cow) ?Verbs not marked for tense (walk in place of walked) ?Simplified pronouns ([mi] for I, me, my and [dem] for they, them and their) ?Use of ‘fi’ in place of ‘to’ before infinitives. African American Vernacular English In the USA, the distinct languages of people of African American origin disappeared centuries ago. Nevertheless, a distinct variety of English, called African American Vernacular English (AAVE), has developed which acts as a symbol of ethnicity. AAVE is most often heard in cities in the North of the states. Linguistic features of AAVE ?Absence of standard copula be (e. g. ‘she very nice’, ‘that my book’) ?Use of copula be to signal recurring actions (‘she be at school on weekdays’) ?Multiple negation (‘I don’t want none’)? Consonant cluster simplification (‘aks in place of asks’) ?Existential it (where standard English has ‘there’, ‘it’s a boy’ for ‘there’s a boy’) Maori English In New Zealand, it is not clear if a Maori dialect of English actually exists. What is certain is that the features listed below occur more often in the speech of Maoris than Pakeha (non-Polynesian New Zealanders, usually of European origin) Linguistic features of Maori English ?Use of [? ] and [? ] in place of [? ] and [? ] e. g. [t? n] for [ n] ?Use of vocabulary items such as kia ora (greeting) and kuia (old woman)? Vernacular verb forms (walk for walked) ?Present tense forms with /s/ ‘I sees you’, ‘we gets home’) 4. Social Networks Social networks can help us understand speech patterns as the language and variety we use is influenced by the people we spend time with. You can draw a simple social network by considering the four or five people you speak to most often and drawing lines from their names to yours on a map. If any of those people know each other independently of you, connect them with lines (preferably of a different colour) too. Then add their two or three best friends, and so on.e. g. Tom Richard Bob Barbara Sandy Dave Features of social networks Density Density refers to whether members of a person’s network are in touch with each other separately. In the example above, only Richard and Bob know each other independently of Tom so his network is not a dense one. Plexity Plexity refers to the type of transactions that we are involved in with other people. If, for example, Tom only ever plays squash with Barbara, the relationship would be considered a uniplex one. If however, Tom and Barbara lived, worked and socialised together it would be a multiplex one. Language and Networks The language or variety we use is influenced by the people we talk to and what we talk to them about. We may change the language or variety we are using depending on which part of our network we are currently interacting with. For example, we may be more formal at work than at home. This type of language/variety shift is probably more likely if our social network is not very dense and our relations tend to be uniplex. If our networks are dense and multiplex, the whole network is more likely to use the use the same language or variety.

A Confederacy of Dunces :: essays research papers

Journal One: A Confederacy of Dunces Chapter One: Plot: Ignatius waited for Mrs. Reilly outside the department store. A policeman attempted to apprehend Ignatius; a mob ensued with the result of an old man being arrested for calling the policeman a communist. Mrs. Reilly and Ignatius escape to a local bar in which the bartender treats them with a lack of respect as well as eavesdrops on their conversation about Ignatius’ trip to Baton Rouge. The old man, Claude Robichaux, was brought before the police sergeant as well as the officer who brought him in. A black man named Jones made comments during the man’s â€Å"interrogation† and was repeatedly told to shut up by name, giving the idea that this wasn’t the first time Jones had been there. Returning to the Night of Joy bar, Ignatius’ mother sells her hat to a young gentleman for fifteen dollars while Ignatius tells his bus story to a regular customer by the name of Darlene. Mrs. Reilly has a little too much to drink and begins to weave a tale of domestic mistreatment by her boy and Darlene loses interest in Ignatius. Ms. Lee, the bar’s patron returns from a few hours of shopping and kicks the Reillys out of the bar. When Mrs. Reilly tries to drive away from the city, she demolishes a Voltzwagon parked behind the massive ’46 Plymouth and crumbles a balcony of a building she hits. The officer from Ignatius’ previous incident ends the chapter with his arrival in a most awkward costume, punishment for his earlier dealings. Character: Ignatius is a highly intelligent, socially awkward, and interesting character. Plump and at least a little bit apprehensive towards the world in general, he wears an odd assortment of clothing and pines for his lost lumber jacket. He is 30, unemployed and lives with his mother. He spent eight years of college getting a masters degree in an as of yet undisclosed discipline, possibly having to do with medieval history based upon his one known job interview with the head of Medieval Studies in Baton Rouge. Mrs. Reilly is Ignatius’ mother. She has arthritis of the elbow and shows a genuine interest in the well being of her child while on the same time feels a slight feeling of resentment of his overpowering each and every conversation as well as the trouble he finds himself in. Claude Robichaux was the old man who tried to defend Ignatius by calling the policeman a communist.

An Ethics of Reading :: Edith Wharton Literature Feminism Essays

An Ethics of Reading At the age of nine, Edith Wharton fell ill with typhoid. The local doctor told her parents nothing could be done and that their daughter would soon die. Only the ministrations of another physician, who happened to be passing through town and was prevailed upon to examine the girl, saved her life. Her fever fell, and the young Wharton began to recover. During her convalescence, she read voraciously. One of the books she was given contained a â€Å"super-natural† tale — a story which turned out to be, in Wharton’s own phrase, â€Å"perilous reading† (Wharton, p.275). In the original manuscript of her autobiography, Edith Wharton describes how reading this uncanny story occasioned a relapse, which brought her, once again, â€Å"on the point of death†: This one [book] brought on a serious relapse, and again my life was in danger and when I came to myself, it was to enter a world haunted by formless horrors. I had been a naturally fearless child; now I lived in a state of chronic fear. Fear of what? I cannot say — and even at the time, I was never able to formulate my terror. It was like some dark undefinable menace forever dogging my steps, lurking, threatening; (pp.275‑6).[1] According to Wharton, an act of reading plunged her body back into fatal illness. The young Edith Wharton did recover from the relapse, but its uncanny effects continued to haunt her well into adulthood. In â€Å"Women and Madness: the Critical Phallacy† (1975), Shoshana Felman tells another uncanny story of reading. Analyzing the critical commentary that brackets Balzac’s Adieu in a Gallimard/Folio pocket edition, she demonstrates how two scholars, Pierre Gascan and Patrick Bertier, effectively rewrite Balzac’s story by focusing their analyses entirely on a section of historical backstory – despite the fact that this element comprises but one-third of Balzac’s narrative.[2] In addition, by adopting a criteria of alleged ‘realism’ and labeling Stà ©phanie’s madness as ‘super-natural’, they excise Balzac’s main character (a madwoman) and replace her with protagonists who are soldiers in the Grand Army. The madwoman inhabits, according to these critics, â€Å"a state of semi-unreality† linked to â€Å"the presence of the invisible† — which renders her inexplicable and outside the purview of discussion (qtd. in Felman, 1975, p.6). As a result, Felman argues, critical commentary meant to situate Balzac Adieu in a wider literary context ends up repeating Philippe’s ‘cure’: in erasing from the text the disconcerting and ex-centric features of a woman’s madness, the critic seeks to ‘normalize’ the text [†¦] making the text a reassuring, closed retreat.

Education of Pakistan Essay

Introduction: Education has always been considered as one of the main factors for socioeconomic and subsequently the national development because of its ability to raise the quality and productivity of the human capital. Education also creates awareness, tolerance, self esteem and confidence, which empower people to defend their rights, reduce poverty and inequality and improve in health, status and good governance in implementation of socio economic policies. It also enables the people to protect their ideological inspiration and help in developing national cohesion. Source: Wikipedia, MoE GoP Education in Pakistan is overseen by Ministry of Education of Government of Pakistan. The academic institutions are the responsibility of the provincial governments whereas the federal government mostly assists in curriculum development, accreditation and some financing of research. Background: The Government of Pakistan recognizes education as one of the fundamental rights of a citizen as well as extends its commitment to provide access to education to every citizen. According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the State is responsible, â€Å"to provide basic necessities of life, such as, food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief, for all citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, [38 (d)] †¦ to remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period. † [37 (b)]. In this context, the public sector has invested in education in both urban as well as in rural areas, and in formal as well as non-formal institutions. The private sector also participates, though on a limited scale, in extending education and has established formal schools, mostly located in urban localities. Besides, some NGOs and non-profit organizations also offer primary schooling, both under the formal as well as non-formal systems. Stages of formal education. The education in Pakistan is generally divided into five levels: primary (grades one through five); middle (grades six through eight); high (grades nine and ten, leading to the Secondary School Certificate or SSC); intermediate (grades eleven and twelve, leading to a Higher Secondary (School) Certificate or HSC); and university programs leading to graduate and advanced degrees. Primary education Only 63% of Pakistani children finish primary school education. Furthermore, 68% of Pakistani boys and 72% of Pakistani girls reach grade 5. The standard national system of education is mainly inspired from the British system. Pre-school education is designed for 3-5 years old. After pre-school education, students go through junior school from grades 1 to 4. This is preceded by middle school from grades 5 to 8. The two commonly used indicators for measuring changes in primary and middle schooling are the Gross Enrolment Rate (GER and Net Enrolment Rate (NER). The Primary education is divided into the following three stages. i) Pre-Primary Education Pre-Primary Education is an important component of Early Childhood Education (ECE), Prep or Kachi classes of children having age of 3-4 years. An increase of 2. 6 % in Pre-Primary enrolment (8. 434 million) in 2008-09 over 2007-08 (8. 218 million) has been observed and during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 2. 2 percent. Primary Education (Classes I – V) A number of 156,653 Primary Schools with 465,334 Teachers are functional. An increase of 0. 6 % in Primary enrolment (18. 468 million) in 2008-09 over 2007-08 (18. 360 million) has been observed and during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 1. 3 percent. Middle Education (Classes VI-VIII) A number 40,919 Middle Schools with 320,480 Teachers are functional . A decrease of 0. 2 % in middle enrolment (5. 414 million) in 2008-09 over 2007-08 (5. 426 million) has been observed and during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 0. 6 percent. Sources: 1. Figures of Primary, Middle, High and Higher Sec. from 1992-93 to 2007-08 is based on Annual Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad 2. Figures of Inter Colleges and Degree Colleges for 2004-05 and onwards is based on Annual Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad 3. Figures of Private School data from 1992-93 to 1999-2000 is based on 8th Five Year Plan : Planning Division, Pakistan 4. Figures of Private School data from 2000-01 to 2004-05 is based on ‘Census of Private Education Institution 1999-2000’, Federal Bureau of Statistics, Ibd 5. Figures of Private School data of 2005-06 onward is based on ‘National Education Census, 2005’ AEPAM, Ministry of Education, Islamabad Secondary education Secondary education in Pakistan begins from grade 9 and lasts for four years. After end of each of the four school years, students are required to pass a national examination administered by a regional Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (or BISE). Education intermediate indicators include functional public schools, basic facilities in public schools, posts filled against sanctioned strength in public schools and percentage of trained teachers in these schools. Number 24,322 Secondary Schools with 439,316 Teachers are functional. An increase of 2. 9 % in middle enrolment (2. 556 million) in 2008-09 over 2007-08 (2. 484 million) has been observed and during 2009-10, it is estimated to increase by 5. 6 percent. Sources: Figures of Primary, Middle, High and Higher Sec. from 1992-93 to 2008-09 is based on Annual Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad Figures of Inter Colleges and Degree Colleges from 2004-05 onward is based on Annual Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad Tertiary education According to the OECD’s 2009 Global Education Digest, 6. 3% of Pakistanis (8. 9% of males and 3. 5% of females) were university graduates as of 2007. Pakistan plans to increase this figure to 10% by 2015 and subsequently to 15% by 2020. There is also a great deal of variety between the different age cohorts. Less than 6% of those in the age cohort 55-64 have a degree, compared to 8% in the 45-54 age cohort, 11% in the 35-44 age cohort and 16% in the age cohort 25-34. An enrolment of 1. 147 million is estimated in 2009-10 over 1. 074 million in 2008-09 and 959,690 in 2007-08. 3,291 Higher Secondary Schools / Inter Colleges with 76,184 Teachers are functional Sources: Figures of Technical & Vocational from 2003-04 onward is based on Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad Figures of Universities from 1992-93 to 2007-08 was downloaded from website of HEC, Islamabad (www. hec. gov. pk) Quaternary education. Many Master’s degree programs only require one and a half years of study. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) education is also available in selected areas and is usually pursued after earning a Master’s degree. Students pursuing PhD degrees must choose a specific field and a university that is doing research work in that field. PhD education in Pakistan requires at least 3–5 years of study. An enrolment of 458,835 students is expected during 2009-10 in Degree Colleges over 429,251 in 2008-09 and 383,810 in 2007-08. 1,238 Degree Colleges with 21,176 Teachers are functional and 205 new Degree Colleges have been added since July 2008. Universities Education (Classes XV onwards) An enrolment of 948,364 is estimated in 2009-10 in Higher Education over 803,507 in 2008-09. In order to boost-up higher education four new universities have been established during the year 2009-10 making the total number to 132 universities with 50,825 Teachers in both Private and Public Sectors Sources Figures of Technical & Vocational from 2003-04 onward is based on Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad Figures of Universities are provided by Higher Education Commission (HEC), Islamabad (www. hec. gov. pk). Spending on education As a percentage of GDP, Pakistan spends only 2. 9% of it on Education. However, the government recently approved the new national education policy, which would result in education being allocated 7% of the GDP. The government plans to raise the literacy rate to 85% by 2015. In accordance with the target set by the Millennium Development Goals for Pakistan and EFA Education for All. Public Expenditure on Education as percentage to GDP is lowest in Pakistan as compared to other countries of the South Asian region. According to official data, Pakistan allocated 2. 5% of GDP during 2006-07, 2. 47% in 2007-08, 2. 1% in 2008-09 and 2. 0 % in 2009-10 which shows persistent declining trend. According to UNESCO’s EFA Global Monitoring Report 2009, the Public Sector expenditure on Education as percentage of GDP, in other countries of the region was 2. 6% in Bangladesh, 3. 2% in Nepal, 3. 3% in India, 5. 2% in Iran and 8. 3% of GDP in Maldives. The breakup of investment in education by the Federal Government and the Provinces for the year 2009-10 is given. [pic] Ministry of Education [pic] Education statistics, ministry of education Objectives/ Goals. †¢ Promote the educational and economic interests of backward classes or areas with special care. †¢ Remove illiteracy, and provide free and compulsory secondary education within minimum possible period. †¢ Make technical and professional education generally available on merit. †¢ Enable the people of different areas, through education, training to participate fully in all forms of national activities, including employment in the service of Pakistan. †¢ Decentralize the Government administration to facilitate expeditious disposal of its business to meet the convenience and requirements of the public. †¢ Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning, life skills and citizenship programmes; †¢ Achieving 50% improvement in levels of adult literacy by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for adults; †¢ Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. †¢ Ensuring that by 2015 all children with special emphasis on girls and children in difficult circumstances have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. †¢ Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2015 and achieving gender equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. †¢ Improving all aspects of the quality of education and ensuring excellence of all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. Source: MoE website. Situation analysis: [pic] GER at primary education The primary-level GER for children 5-9 years old, excluding katchi16 class, according to the PIHS, was 72 percent in FY 2001/02. Sound progress has been made so far in improving both GER and NER and is evident when the comparison is made between FY 2000/2001 and FY 2006/07 based on PSLM. The PSLM results are encouraging in many aspects. The overall increase in primary school GER is impressive in PRSP period, from 72 percent in FY 2001/02 to 91 percent in FY 2006/07 The role of the private sector in primary education has increased overtime. Of the total primary level GER of 87 percent in FY 2005/06, the government school GER was 57 percent and private school GER 30 percent. The government school GER increased by 15 percent between FY 2001/02 and FY 2005/06 period while the private school GER increased by 33 percent during this period. It suggested, on the one hand, that new enrolment has taken place in both public and private schools. On the other hand, the relatively higher increase in private school GER suggested some shifting of children from public to private schools. However the PSLM shows that the coverage of the public school system increased to 69 percent in FY 2006/07 compared to 65 percent in FY 2005/06 but witnessed an overall decline from 72 percent in FY 2004/05 to 69 percent in FY 2006/07. Source: Annual Report, SPRSM Isb. Percentage change in education from year 2000-2001 to 2008-2009 Education related expenditures in FY 08-09 recorded increase of 28. 10 percent relative to FY 07-08 with largest increase in â€Å"Others† followed closely by Secondary and Primary Schools. There is considerable provincial variation in the sub sectors of education; Punjab achieving highest percentage increase in Secondary and Professional Education; in Khayber Pakhtoonkhwa, two sub sectors of higher education, General University and professional education taking precedence over primary education; Baluchistan and Sindh expenditures in Technical and Vocational Training depicts increase in FY 08-09 as compared to year 07-08. Statistics show that Primary and Secondary Education hold major share in total education related expenditures. Professional education and Vocational Trainings hold least share in years 08-09. A uniform pattern emerges at the provincial level with Primary and Secondary Education contributing the most to respective aggregate provincial education expenditures. In university/college education, all the provinces exhibit identical trend with a share of 8-10 percent while professional education depicts highest share of 7. 85 percent in the year 08-09. Teacher and Vocational Training assume the least contribution in all but two provinces Baluchistan with 1. 96 percent and Punjab with 2.93 percent of aggregate education expenditures. |Percentage distribution of education expenditures in FY 08-9 and FY 08-09 by province | | | |Federal |Punjab |Sindh |KBRPKTNKWA |Baluchistan |Pak| | | | | | | | |ist| | | | | | | | |an | |Primary Education |6. 2 |37. 4 |40. 71 |38. 01 |34. 9 |32. 4 | | |Secondary Education | 08. 52 |24. 21 |29. 24 |38. 88 |31. 64 |24. 68 | | |University/College |63092 |8. 21 |11. 97 |8 |9. 63 |19. 3 | | |Professional Technical universities |10. 81 |1. 78 |5. 26 |7. 85 |4. 94 |5. 13 | | |Techs & Voc training |. 16 |2. 9 |0. 77 |0 |1. 96 |1. 53 | | Others | |10. 39 |25. 23 |12. 05 |7. 2 |16. 93 |16. 9 | | |Total | |100 |100 |100 |100 |100 |100 | | |Source: Annual Repot SPRS Monitoring Islamabad. Literacy: According to the latest Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2008-09, the overall literacy rate (age 10 years and above) is 57% (69% for male and 45% for female) compared to 56% (69% for male and 44% for female) for 2007-08. The data shows that literacy remains higher urban areas (74%) than in rural areas (48)and is prevalent for men (69%) Compared to women (45%). However, it is evident from the data that overall female literacy is raising over time, but progress is uneven across the provinces. When analyzed provincially, literacy rate in Punjab stood at (59 %), Sindh (59%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (50%) and Balochistan at (45%). The literacy rate of Sind and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has improved considerably during 2007-08 to 2008-09. According to the data, the overall school attendance, as measured by the Net Enrolment Rate (NER), for 2008-09 was 57% as compared to 55% in 200708. All the provinces have shown an increasing trend, with Sindh recording the highest increase, followed by both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was well as Balochistan. Nationally, the Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), sometimes referred to as the participation rate, which is the number of children attending primary school (irrespective of age) divided by the number of children who ought to be attending, in case of both male and female saw no change and remained at 91% between 2007-08 and 200809. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown Noticeable increase in the respective period. According to latest Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) Survey 2008-9 the literacy rate (age 10 years and above) is 57% (69% for male and 45% for (female) compared to 56% (69% for male and 44% for female) for 2007-08. The data shows that literacy remains higher in urban areas (74%) than in rural areas (48%), and is more prevalent for men (69%)compared to women (45%). However, it is evident from the data that overall female literacy is rising over time, but progress is uneven across the provinces. When analyzed provincially, literacy rate in Punjab stood at (59 %), Sindh (59%), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (50%) and Balochistan at (45%). The literacy rate of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has improved considerably during 2007-08 to 2008-09 According to the data, the overall school attendance, as measured by the Net Enrolment Rate (NER), for 2008-09 was 57% as compared to 55% in 2007-08. All the provinces have shown an increasing trend, with Sindh recording the highest increase, followed by both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as Balochistan. Nationally, the Gross Enrolment Rate (GER), sometimes referred to as the participation rate, which is the number of children attending primary school (irrespective of age) divided by the number of children who ought to be attending, in case of both male and female saw no change and remained at 91% between 200708 and 200809. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shown noticeable increase in the respective period. [pic] [pic] Source: Annual Pakistan Education Statistics Reports, AEPAM, Islamabad National Education Policy 2009 The new National Education Policy (NEP) 2009 has been formulated after lengthy deliberation initiated way back in 2005. NEP formulation process remained almost dormant during the years 2007 and 2008, owing to fluctuating political situation. The present Government re-activated the NEP process and convened 15th Inter-Provincial Education Ministers (IPEM) Meeting in February 2009 at Islamabad to share the draft NEP and getting implementing partners new political and bureaucratic leadership of education departments of provinces as well as other federating units on board. After establishing consensus at aforesaid IPEM meeting, a summary for the Cabinet on â€Å"National Education Policy 2009† (NEP 2009) was submitted to Cabinet Division in early March 2009, which was  considered by the Federal Cabinet on 8th April 2009. The Honourable Prime Minister directed Ministry of Education (MoE) to share the Policy document with all stakeholders for evolving more broad-based policy actions. MoE also made a presentation before the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education, which endorsed most of the policy actions contained in NEP 2009. Finally, Cabinet in its meeting held on September 9th, 2009 approved NEP 2009. A shift has been made by making national policy a truly ‘national’ rather than a federal matter. For this, it has been recommended that the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers’ (IPEM) Conference, with representation of all the federating units, will be the highest body to oversee progress of education in the country. Problems Of Educational systems of Pakistan. 1- Academic Problems: †¢ Inefficient use of available resources. †¢ Unequal distribution of Faculties among Public & Private Sector †¢ Lack of Monitoring †¢ Lack of standardization of Private Universities. †¢ Emphasize on quantitative education rather than qualitative aspect of education. †¢ Inadequate attention to research and support for it. 2- Management Problems: †¢ Ineffective governance and management structures and practices. †¢ Inefficient Regulatory steps †¢ Strong skepticism about the realization of reform †¢ Politicization of faculty, staff and students †¢ Poor recruitment practices and inadequate development of faculty and staff. 3- Practical Problems: †¢ Lack of internship facilities for students of higher Education institutions and universities. †¢ Week coordination between Universities and industrial, agricultural, and other sectors of the economy. 4- Financial Problems: †¢ Inadequate funding. †¢ Un adjusted fee structure of private universities †¢ No share of Foreign Direct investment in Education sector †¢ No concept of Debt Financing in Education sector 5- Social Problems: †¢ Lack of moral training in Higher Education Institutions †¢ Promoting Westernization on the name of Modernization †¢ Creating social misbalances EFA Education For All Financing education, in general, and especially in the context of the six goals of EFA has Emerged as a key area, which needs urgent attention. More specifically, the study attempts to: i) develop a sound financing plan, based on the financial requirements and available resources to meet EFA targets in the country; ii) accurately estimate the financial resources gap, and serve as a credible instrument to indicate the magnitude of assistance required from external development partners’ iii) understand the financial management procedure prevalent in the country (under a devolved set up, if any); iv) capture the essence of public private partnerships in vogue and its financial implications /benefits through case studies; and v) Recommend a set of suggestions to improve education finance – related to financial management procedures, collaboration between various government departments, coordination with private sector / NGOs and civil society and effectiveness of donor assistance. Based on information obtained from provincial population census reports and population projections by NIPS, the net enrolment in primary education is expected to reach 17. 536 million students in 2015/16. Of these, 9. 041 million will be boys and 8. 495 million will be girls. The total cost of primary education to be incurred by the public sector is estimated to be around Rs. 955,571 million, with Rs. 582,300 million projected to maintain the present participation rate and Rs. 373,271 million to finance the additional students for the achievement of the EFA goal related to universal primary education. The total cost of achieving 86% adult literacy rates for all Pakistani males and females is Rs. 208,197 million while the total cost of achieving a participation rate of 50% in early childhood education for both boys and girls in both urban and rural areas is Rs. 48,329 million. The total bill for achieving EFA goals and targets by 2015/16 is, therefore, about Rs. 1,212,097 million. Problems The main question arising is whether this bill can be met from domestic resources? In Pakistan the absolute amount of budget allocated to education is low. Although education enjoys the highest priority on the social sector agenda, yet allocations are relatively modest due to the intrinsic rigidities in the financial system of Pakistan, arising from more pressing commitments of the country. As national expenditures have always far exceeded revenue collections, fiscal deficits have remained high. To close the resource gap, there has been a historical heavy reliance on external borrowing. In addition, the present geo-political situation of the country is such that high defense allocations are required for maintaining security and national sovereignty. As such, interest payments and defense expenditures make up bulk of expenditures. During the past four years, defense expenditures and interest payments consumed about one-fifth and one-third of total expenditures. The amount spent on social, economic and community services is approximately 15 % of total expenditure. Estimates suggest that of this, almost one-half i. e.about 7%-8% is spent on education. Projections of the financial resources available to meet EFA targets in the three themes, i. e. , primary education, adult literacy, and early childhood education for the thirteen years show that the total budgetary resources available by 2015/16 would be Rs. 786,005 million. Given the financial requirements of Rs. 1,212,097 million, the resulting â€Å"financing gap† is to the tune of Rs. 426,092 million. It may be highlighted that these estimates include an annual average additional cost of achieving Given the financial requirements of Rs. 1,212,097 million, the resulting â€Å"financing gap† is to the tune of Rs. 426,092 million. It may be highlighted that these estimates include an annual average additional cost of achieving UPE by 2015/16 of US $495 million, which compares well with the average annual additional cost of achieving UPE by 2015 for Pakistan estimated by international agencies such as UNICEF (US $790. 38m); UNESCO (US $394. 91 m); and the World Bank (US $660. 69 m. ). However, if a more idealistic approach based on good quality i. e. , five-classroom in urban and two-classroom in rural model schools, is considered, the financing gap is considerably higher and expected to exceed Rs. 2,031,292 million. How these problems can be met? Recommendations? Problems in education can be solved by solving following series of effective approaches. †¢ More resource generation and higher budgetary allocation to education: The major issue in education finance in Pakistan is the low public sector investment. Although education enjoys the highest priority on the social sector agenda, yet allocations are relatively modest due to the intrinsic rigidities (such as resource constraints, large establishment bills due to a large salaried workforce and heavy debt interest repayments) in the financial system of Pakistan, arising from more pressing commitments of the country. Public sector allocations to education have steadily declined over the past five years from 2. 7% of GDP in 1995-97 to 1. 8% of GDP in 2001/02. It is, therefore, recommended that all efforts should be made to enhance the budgetary allocation to education to 4% of GDP, as suggested in the National Education Policy (1998). In addition, innovative approaches should be designed to generate additional resources for increased funds for the education sector, especially to primary education, adult literacy and early childhood education if Dakar targets have to be met by 2015. †¢ Higher proportion of development spending in education: At present, an extremely high proportion (over 95%) of education budgets at the provincial levels are spent on recurrent heads, particularly on salaries of teaching staff, with negligible proportions i. e. , below 5%, remaining for development expenditures due to avoidable delays and budgetary cuts in view of shortfall in resources. It is recommended that besides improving these procedures, more emphasis should be placed on quality improvements such as teachers’ training, curriculum development, assessment systems and overall supervision of delivery of education. †¢ Higher participation of the NGO and private sectors: Though considerable progress has been observed during the past decade in the participation of NGO and private sectors in the field of education, especially primary and university education, but more involvement of NGOs and private organizations would benefit the delivery of educational services . To facilitate this, the national and provincial education foundations also need to play a more active role in guiding and coordinating NGOs and private organizations in â€Å"adopting† public schools and supporting rural community schools to achieve rapid progress in achieving the Dakar goals. Costing of such arrangements needs to be worked out in greater detail and its implications for the financing gap of meeting EFA goals up to 2015. Also, it is essential for the government to provide a legal and policy framework as well as a regulatory mechanism for a realistic and sustainable public-private partnership. †¢ Better efforts to seek required foreign assistance: In view of its commitments to the achievement of EFA goals, the Government of Pakistan has developed a National Plan of Action (NPA) on Education for All for the period 2001-2015, supported by the study based on estimates of financial need and availability of resources, incorporating targets, strategies and investment requirements of primary education, adult literacy and early childhood education. The gap in financial resources required to implement this plan is enormous and will, most certainly, have to be met from external assistance. It is, therefore, recommended that efforts should be made to obtain the required assistance through grants, loans, debt SWAP and/or Fast Tracking Initiative (FTI). Based on the EFA goals of universal free and compulsory primary education of good quality, the study estimates the total cost requirement of the achieving these goals by 2015/16. The total cost on primary education to be incurred by the public sector is estimated to be around Rs. 955,571 million, with Rs. 582,300 million projected to maintain the present participation rate and Rs. 373,271 million to finance the additional students for the achievement of the EFA goal related to universal primary education. [pic] Source Research paper on â€Å"Education for all† ministry of education, GoP Challenges: †¢ Declare education as the highest priority of the government. Explain that unless the impediments of illiteracy and lack of education are removed, the road to democracy will remain fraught with the danger of exploitation of.