High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time Essay Example for Free

High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time Essay Despite their massive appearance, the largest whales (and also the largest predators) have shorter dive time compared to other smaller fishes. Our hypothesis is that ‘lunge-feeding’ (the whales’ feeding behavior), is energetically expensive resulting to inability to dive at lower depths and at longer time intervals. This study is aimed at determining how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dives by examining how lunge-feeding affects their behavior and dive duration. Methods In order to determine how and why the largest whales exhibit shorter dive times compared to other fishes, we have to study how its lunge-feeding behavior affects whales’ overall behavior and their dive time limit. In gathering data, we used remote sensing techniques. In this experiment, we used the TDR â€Å"time/depth recorders† technique since it is the most applicable method considering that the subjects were not in a controlled environment. The TDRs actually recorded the oxygen level of each tagged whale. After some time, the TDRs were collected and the results were analyzed through specialized software that translates the data from the TDRs. Results showed that the whales move faster when at the ascent (or climbing) portion of the dive while it showed that whales move significantly slower during descent. Recovery time spent at the surface was also viewed as an important factor in determining the effect of lunge-feeding. Our tests showed that there is a correlation between the number of lunges and the time spent recovering at the surface. Finally, using optimality models, we were able to compare the results of the actual study to the predicted outcome. The result was a common cost for lunge dives which indicated the high energy cost during lunge dives resulting to shorter dive duration. Results and Discussion Results of this experiment showed that there is a relationship between the number of lunges and the surface recovery intervals. The TDR analysis showed that whales move faster during ascent and move significantly slower when at descent. This indicated that lunge-feeding is energetically expensive. We were able to measure the high energy cost of lunge-feeding using the remote sensing technique. Whales usually recover at the surface after each dive and the length of stay at the surface is relative to the number of lunges it makes during the dive. The more lunges the whales make during feeding, the more time it spent at the surface for recovery. The optimality models showed the relative differences between the lunging-costly model versus the no-cost model. In the lunging-costly model, observed forage depths, vertical speed, number of lunges, time spent recovering at the surface, are some of the variables that were examined to provide an outright solution. Conclusion Based on the results of this experiment, it has been found out that lunge-feeding in large whales is an energetically expensive activity. Using the TDR technique to record the energy cost of lunge, we were able to deduce that the more lunges a whale makes, the more time it spends recovering at the surface, usually regaining oxygen levels. Therefore, the high energy requirements of lunge-feeding limit the dive time and depth of dive in large whales. Reference: Acevedo-Gutierrez, A. , Croll, D. A. , and Tershy, B. R. (2002). â€Å"High Feeding Costs Limit Dive Time in the Largest Whales†. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 205, 1747-1753.

Corporate social responsibility motivations and country factors Essay Example for Free

Corporate social responsibility motivations and country factors Essay Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important issue for all businesses around the world. CSR covers economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities of firms. Explain the factors that may motivate an MNE to adopt CSR in its international business strategy and operations. How might the country context influence the types of CSR initiatives undertaken? Support your answer with real world examples or cases. While corporate social responsibility (CSR) has existed for a long time, it has garnered attention only in the last two decades as an important aspect of doing business. Academic research on CSR has evolved over the years, indicating a change in how CSR is viewed as time goes by. In the earlier years of CSR research, academics sought to identify a link between CSR and financial performance (Aupperle et al. 1985; McGuire et al. 1998), as though CSR had to be rationalised in order to exist. But moving forward to the present, CSR has been undoubtedly recognised as a need by many organisations, and research has shifted from discussing â€Å"macro social effects to an organisational-level analysis of CSR and its impact on organisational processes and performance† (Lindgreen and Swaen 2010, p. 1). In other words, CSR research has moved from questioning the â€Å"why† to â€Å"how† of doing CSR, reflecting the growing prominence of the practice. CSR involves the â€Å"economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary expectations that society has of organizations at a given point in time† (Carroll 1979, p. 500). These programs are des igned to fulfill a basic economic or social need as expected by the community, honoured by the company in goodwill so as to position oneself as a positively value-driven entity (Swanson 1995; Wood 1991). CSR initiatives can be derived out of self-interest, or external pressure from institutional economics (Meyer and Rowan 1991; North 1992) or when a company decides to rise above its economic function to help and aid stakeholders (Trevino and Nelson, 2004). While there are many reasons for a company to engage in CSR, it ultimately assists the corporation in enhancing its legitimacy (Wood 1991) and fit with society at large (Zensisek 1979), creating a symbiotic relationship between stakeholders and companies (Tuzzolinio and Armandi 1981). Unfortunately, CSR has no consensus definition (Dahlsrud, 2008). It is important to recognise from this that CSR  is a complex and multilayered concept that requires examination from various angles. In this essay, CSR will be understood as a firm’s obligations to act responsibly to all possible stakeholders in the market environment. This essay will now seek to explore the motivations behind pursuing CSR programs by a business organisation, d etermining how various stakeholders and the general public can influence this decision and how the broader country context can affect how a company participates in CSR. In the corporate world, companies are fully engaged in CSR initiatives, with more than 80% of Fortune 500 companies addressing CSR issues (Esrock and Leichty, 1998), reflecting that CSR is more than an ethical or ideological necessity, but also an economic one. As such, more companies today have realised that â€Å"not only doing good is the right thing to do, but it also leads to doing better† (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004, p.9). While it was infamously argued previously that the main purpose of a company was to make profits and thrive economically (Friedman 1970), enterprises now have the option to do so and at the same time, contribute meaningfully to society at large. The reasons for a MNE to engage in CSR initiatives are multiple. Stakeholder theory (Donaldson and Preston 1995) can be used as a skeletal framework to understand where demands for CSR arise. Demand derives from two main groups: consumers and stakeholders. Stakeholders of a company include its investors, employees, suppliers and even the local environment that it is located in. The consumer demand for CSR will be addressed first. CSR engagements may result in producing a good that has socially responsible attributes, such as dolphin-free tuna or a non-animal tested product. It could be in less obvious means, such as a clothing company not ultilising sweat shops or child labour in producing its goods. When consumers buy products that bear such attributes, they believe they are â€Å"indirectly supporting a cause and rewarding firms that devote resources to CSR† (McWilliams and Siegel 2001, p. 119). Consumers are able to identify better with a company that engages in CSR activities and feel a stronger connection or attachment to such firms. Consumer oriented CSR also involve intangible attributes, such as reputation. Having a strong reputation has been linked to attracting more customers, retaining and motivating employees, gaining favour with analysts and the media amongst many more reasons (Bhattacharya and Sen 2004). CSR has come to matter in building a reputation for corporations. The Reputation  Institute ranks the world’s most reputable companies based on the RepTrak ® system. RepTrak ® analyses seven dimensions of corporate reputation: Citizenship, Innovation, Governance, Workplace, Leadership, Products/Services and Financial Performance (Reputation Institute 2013). Of which, three of these dimensions (citizenship, governance and workplace) fall into the CSR category, and analysis has shown that â€Å"42% of how people feel about a firm is based on their perceptions of the a firm’s CSR practices† (Smith 2012, para. 6). The Body Shop, Patagonia and Ben Jerry’s are some examples that stand out in their respective industries having built reputations centring on socially responsible practices. Hence, it is easy to see why consumers drive the demand for companies to engage in CSR activities. Stakeholders too, demand for CSR for various reasons. McWilliams and Siegel (2001, p.122) have posited that employees will support â€Å" progressive labour relations policies, safety, financial security, and workplace amenities, such as childcare. Workers are searching for signals that managers are responding to causes they support†. Nintendo has numerous employee well-being programs in place where all employees can receive support in various aspects of their lives. Free training in life-saving skills and first aid, and subsidies for work safety shoes, transportation costs and even gym memberships are provided to help employees achieve work-life balance and a better well being (Nintendo, 2013). It has been observed that CSR initiatives in a firm typically lead to greater employee work satisfaction where job attitudes are improved and productivity is increased, and is used as a way of attracting talents to a company (Bhattacharya, Sen and Korschun 2012). Valentine and Fleischman (2008) have observed that CSR also plays a part in mediating the relationships between ethics programs and job satisfaction. Taken holistically, effective organisational ethics and CSR activities will incite more â€Å"positive beliefs in the fir m, as well as the immediate work context and culture† (Valentine and Fleischman 2008, p. 167). As observed then, employees play an important role in creating a demand for CSR in firms as they stand to benefit from such programs intrinsically. For both stakeholders and consumers then, CSR programs create an organisational identity that becomes relatable. When companies engage in CSR that underpins their mission and values, stakeholders are able to see an element of themselves in the organisation,  which leads to increased support for the company. As already observed, this can lead to stronger purchase intention in customers, or increased job satisfaction in employees. The largest motivation to pursue CSR for a company though could lie in developing a competitive advantage. While CSR could be executed simply by donating to charities as corporate philanthropy, some firms have recognised CSR as a strategic tool to use and develop in order to answer not only a societal need, but a business issue as well. Strategic CSR is now a form of social innovation, and by answering crucial problems in society that leads to real, long-lasting change; a company will reap the benefits of a better workforce, a new market or higher consumption while adding value to society (Kanter 1999). The need to recognise that economic and social objectives are not distinctively opposing but complementary will lead to CSR that can potentially bring about a social benefit and improve competitiveness (Porter and Kramer, 2002). There are two main business advantages that arise from CSR. Firstly, it presents an opportunity to test out a new technology. Secondly, it provides the opportunity to build political capital by influencing regulations, presenting itself as a market leader or to strengthen relationships with government officials (Kanter 1999). This was exactly what Bell Atlantic did through Project Explore by going into schools to test out their new High-bitrate Digital Subscriber Line (HDSL) technologies with personal computers in the early 1990s. This provided a test ground that would get their technology into the real world and also presented itself as a demonstration site to political leaders for Bell Atlantic to petition favourably for their proposed statewide technology communications plan (Kanter 1999). Bell Atlantic managed to help schools by providing them with computers and new technologies, bettering education and technology literacy, while still achieving a business agenda. The competitive context of a company and its business environment can benefit greatly when economic and social goals are seen as mutually linked. Porter and Kramer (2006) identify four key areas strategic CSR can affect competitive context positively: factor conditions, demand conditions, context for strategy and rivalry, and lastly, related and supported industries. Improving education, in the case of Cisco, enabled them to educate students in computer skills that resulted in a high quality, yet cost effective curriculum due to Cisco’s expertise. Whilst all students from Cisco’s Networking Academy may not work for Cisco, the industry at large benefits. Furthermore, well-trained network administrators who graduate from The Cisco Network Academy create demand for higher quality service and solutions (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85). CSR can influence in the creation of a more productive and transparent environment for competition (Porter and Kramer 2006, p. 85), such as Transparency International, where corporations have pledged to disclose and deter corruption in the world. This aids in building fair competition and higher productivity. Finally, a company can benefit by supporting a related industry. For example, American Express funds travel and tourism academics in the recognition of its reliance on the hospitality industry for travel-related spending on its credit cards (Porter and Kramer 2006, p.85). These examples show how CSR can result in tremendous payoffs when executed effectively. While immediate stakeholders c an drive the motivations for CSR initiatives, it is important to consider how the country a company is operating in can affect how CSR activities are chosen and implemented. The different social and cultural differences in each country should be salient enough for managers to acknowledge that CSR cannot be entirely universal, especially in the case of global MNEs. Furthermore, different social needs and problems will be inherent in each country. For example, the prevalence of AIDS/HIV is critical in South Africa. As such, it is only appropriate that companies with a presence in South Africa address this issue; with the likes of Toyota, Sappi and Mercedes-Benz deploying CSR programs that help employees tackle the pandemic of AIDS/HIV. British Petroleum (BP) (BP 2013), a global oil company, undertakes CSR initiatives that are identified as locally relevant, tailoring to the needs of their host communities and societies. A quick glance of their case studies shows various CSR programs ranging from workforce rights in Brazil to community relations in Turkey. While addressing locale-specific issues would be the most effective method of CSR, other factors may e ncourage or hinder such intention. The legal environment can affect the way CSR is implement in a country greatly. It changes either through strong intervention whereby social responsibility is legally stipulated, or a severe lack thereof, which leads to voluntary action by other players (Campbell 2007). France and Brazil are two examples par excellence of how the government can play a key role in creating CSR  demand, albeit in opposite directions. The French government has influenced how CSR has developed and emerged greatly by playing an active role in passing legislation, amongst other policies that requires French companies, including subsidiaries of international firms, to be socially responsible and accountable (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 448). On the other hand, Brazil’s history of a military government has fostered a passive environment where innovation is stifled, including that of encouraging improvements for society (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.449). As such, private actors such as Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are most active in Brazil to encourage CSR programs to Brazilian companies. While the legal environment can affect how CSR is implemented in a country, it can also affect what type of CSR is initiated. Although France has passed mandates to enforce listed companies submit reports on social and environment impacts, the main area of concern belies in employment rights (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 450). Similarly, Brazilian companies are also strongly focused on employee relations and well-being, that being the key principle of CSR in Brazil (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p. 451). CSR then is only translated into one dimension of obligation and other dimensions, though equally pressing; take a backseat in the case of France and Brazil. Different priorities in a country culturally can affect how CSR is implemented. In such scenarios, international NGOs come in and encourage other concerns to be addressed. This helps to bring harmony to the imbalance within the CSR activities focused in countries such as France and Brazil. For instance, international environmental NGO, the World Wildlife Fund, has collaborated with French companies to allow the use of their logo, one of the most recognisable brands in the world, on products that meet their standards (Sobczak and Martins 2010, p.452). This has encouraged firms in France to meet environmental standards that was not previously crucial in CSR portfolios. Through this, French companies are more receptive to practicing CSR that is not inherent to their usual procedures. Despite the particularity of each country and how CSR is ideally done based on local demands, the reality of the matter is that CSR is not always practiced this way. Global MNEs typically have general and universal guidelines on what CSR activities should be undertaken in host countries, and most managers have to be given permission to pursue local CSR from the parent company . Universalism in CSR practices by MNEs creates linearity and  coherence for all stakeholders, but can result in less powerful CSR practices. On the other hand, localised programs may end up being fragmented or ad hoc. There is undoubtedly differing perspective on which approach is preferable, as each holds its argument convincingly (Muller 2006). As suggested by Husted and Allen (2006) then, the key difference between global or local CSR is the community that demands it. Another key factor that affects the way CSR is conducted is the development of CSR in a globalised world. It has been recognised by scholars (Gugler and Shi 2009; Jamali 2010) that CSR is fundamentally Anglo-Saxon both in history and development. Hence, CSR has a strong presence in the United States and United Kingdom, but is still lacking in both conceptual and practical thinking in countries based in the Southern hemisphere. Jamali and Ramez (2007) has noted that numerous issues with CSR in the Lebanon context. Firstly, CSR is typically executed in tangent to the parent company’s mission and values. While it is not necessarily a bad move to have a universally applicable CSR issue identified by a parent company, this may lead to a lack of agency by foreign subsidiaries to pursue CSR that is truly important in a specific context. Hence, CSR in Lebanon is still largely based on altruistic means and charitable giving, which is considered a low-level and basic method of implementing CSR. Interviewed companies by Jamali (2007) did not track the performance of its CSR outputs, showing that CSR is not implemented for a genuine purpose of serving a long-term positive impact to society, but to address the obligatory needs in order to build a positive corporate image. Due to the lack of understanding from global perspectives and North-driven ideology, countries may derive value and meaning from CSR in their own terms (Gugler and Shi 2009). China has come up with their own standards because of the dilemma of being the â€Å"world’s factory† and cannot comply with various standards demanded from different suppliers, it becomes too costly to be effective. In this instance, the Chinese government has developed various rankings and best practices for Chinese companies, and goes as far as prohibiting international certifications unless approved by the right local authorities (Gugler and Shi 2009, p.15). By doing so, Chinese companies do not face foreign pressure to comply with standards that are unfeasible for their modus operandi. Overall, this essay has shown that there are numerous motivations for companies to practice CSR. Answering demands to  achieve higher satisfaction in consumers and employees, helping to build a reputation and in its most strategic form, creates a competitive advantage for companies are some of the benefits that a company can yield through effective CSR. While there are numerous ben efits of conducting CSR, CSR implementation is highly diverse due to the various legal, socio-economic and cultural factors that each country brings. Furthermore, due to the development and history of CSR, CSR is still very much in its infancy stage in the Southern hemisphere and pressure to develop a CSR programs similar to current ones in the Northern hemisphere becomes unrealistic and untenable. As such, other actors such as international NGOs may step in to realign and create focus for different needs, or countries may come up with their own compliance standards as a global benchmark to ease doing of business internationally. This has shown thus far how CSR is highly complex as a practice, varying from simplistic to more complex approaches, and once again changing within localities due to the needs and issues to be addressed. As CSR continues to develop, one should take notice of how CSR might change in developing countries and how globalisation continues to affect how companies may choose to conduct CSR. References: Aupperle, K. E., et al. (1985). An empirical examination of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and profitability. Academy of Management Journal 28(2): 446-463. Bhattacharya, C., et al. (2012). Using corporate social responsibility to win the war for talent. MIT Sloan Management Review 49. Bhattacharya, C. B. and S. Sen (2004). Doing better at doing good: when, why and how consumers respond to corporate social initatives. California Management Review 47(1): 9-24 BP (2013). Sustainability. from http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability.html. Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review 32(3): 946-967. Carroll, A. B. (1979). A three-dimensional conceptual model of corporate performance. Academy of Management Review 4(4): 497-505 Dahlsrud, A. (2008). How corporate social responsibility is defined: an analysis of 37 definitions. C orporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management 15(1): 1-13 Donaldson, T. and L.  E. Preston (1995). The stakeholder theory of the corporation: Concepts, evidence, and implications. Academy of Management Review 20(1): 65 Esrock, S. L. and G. B. Leichty (1998). Social responsibility and corporate web pages: self-presentation or agenda-setting? Public Relations Review 24(3): 305-319. Friedman, M. 1970. The social responsibility of business is to increase profits. New York Times Magazine, September 13: 32–33, 122, 124, 126. Gugler, P. and J. Y. Shi (2009). Corporate social responsibility for developing country multinational corporations: lost war in pertaining global competitiveness? Journal of Business Ethics 87(1): 3-24. Institute, R. (2013). Reputation Institute The Reptrak system. from http://www.reputationinstitute.com/thought-leadership/the-reptrak-system. Jamali, D. (2010). The CSR of MNC subsidiaries in developing countries: Global, local, substantive or diluted? Journal of Business Ethics 93(2): 181-200. Jamali, D. and Ramez, M. (2007). Corporate social responsibility (CSR): theory and practice in a developing country context. Journal of Business Ethics 72(3): 243-262. Kanter, R. M. (1999). From spare change to real change: The social sector as beta site for business innovation. Harvard Business Review 77. Lindgreen, A. and V. Swaen (2010). Corporate social responsibility. International Journal of Management Reviews 12(1): 1-7 McGuire, J. B., et al. (1988). Corporate social responsibility and firm financial performance. Acade my of Management Journal 31(4): 854-872. McWilliams, A. and D. Siegel (2001). Corporate social responsibility: A theory of the firm perspective. Academy of Management Review 26(1): 117-127. Muller, A. (2006). Global versus local CSR strategies. European Management Journal 24(2): 189-198 Meyer, J. and B. Rowan. (1991). Institutional Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony, in P. J. DiMaggio and W. Walter (eds.), The New Institutionalism in Organizational Analysis (University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London), pp. 41–62. Nintendo (2013). Nintendo of America Employee Welfare and Well-being. from http://www.nintendo.com/corp/csr/#welfare. Porter, M. E. and M. R. Kramer (2002). The competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy. Harvard Business Review 80(12): 56-68. Porter, M. E. and M. R. Kramer (2006). Strategy and society. Harvard Business Review 84(12): 78-92. Smith, J. (2012). The companies with the best CSR reputation. from

Political Factors Affecting Education

Political Factors Affecting Education Education is the most important shared experienced in our lives it is so important and so all-pervasive that it is almost impossible to define. Education will not supply all the answers to the problems that beset us, either as individuals or as a nation, but if we set about it the right way, it is the best single means of promoting intellectual, moral, physical and economic wellbeing (Aldrich 1996 ). Education teaches us the joy of learning and gives us the qualifications for employment, which builds confidence and self esteem and gives us the skills and values to meet the demands of a fast changing worlds and society. (Estelle 2001 quoted in Chitty, C 2009). As education meet the demands of society so society is itself is a product of that knowledge or education which informs societal attitudes towards life and its problems, the value it attaches to the things of the world in general, the place of man in the universe in particular and the norm sets to which our thoughts and behavior must conform. The two contrasting regions of Peshawar and Khyber Agency in Pakistan have been selected for critical analysis and evaluation of the impact of varying social and political forces on the provision and type of education available in each area. Peshawar is a large city having a population of 2.9 million in 2005. The population is growing by 3.2 % annually and this growth rate is higher than most other Pakistani cities (Hayat 2006). Peshawars residents consist mainly of Pashtoon people with Hindkowans as the minority group. Languages such as Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Khowar, Dari, Hindko, Saraiki and Punjabi are spoken in Peshawar. Peshawar can be sub-divided into two distinct regions, namely the urban region, which accounts for 51.32 % of the population, and the rural area with holds the remaining 48.68 % of the population. The population had increased two fold in the previous two decades. (Gaffar 2005) .The area of Peshawar district extends from Warsak north to south Matani, a distance of over 30 miles, and 18 miles from Hayatabad east to Taro Jaba in the west. It is located at an altitude of 1138ft above sea level. Most of the citys dwellers are Muslims with some Hindus, Sikhs and Christians minorities. Historically Peshawar was the centre of the Indus civilization and home to many other communities like Bukharan Jews and Zoroastrians (Arbab 2000). The second area to be evaluated is that of Khyber Agency. Khyber Agency is a Federally Administered Tribal area of Pakistan. It encompasses an area ranging from Tirah valley to the Peshawar district. It borders Afghanistan to the East, Orakzai Agency to the north and Peshawar to the west. There are four main tribes the Mullagori, Shalmani, Shinwari and Afridi in Khyber Agency. According to 2007 estimates, Khyber Agency had a literacy rate of 34.2%. In world literacy rankings, Pakistan is listed as 160th of 177 countries, with an overall literacy rate of 49.9 %( Noreen 2008). The reason for selecting these Peshawar and Khyber Agency is that, whilst they are geographically close, they demonstrate clear differences in the type and standard of education they provide. These differences can, therefore, be usefully evaluated in terms of the social and political forces acting upon them. One such significant factor, is that Khyber agency has become a focal point for the war against terrorism which, this paper will argue, has been a dominant cause in the deterioration of the education system in that region. Before analyzing and evaluating the provision of education by the state, it is a matter to be taken in notice that high regard is accorded to education in Pakistan is enshrined in the constitution with education on the agreed legislative list of the central and provincial government. The 1973 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan recognizes the importance of education and says that the state shall: Encourage unity and observance of the Islamic moral standards Endorse with special care the educational and economic interests of backward areas. Eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education. Make technical and professional education generally available and higher education accessible to all on the basis of merit. Enable the people of different areas, through education, training, agriculture and industrial development and other methods, to participate fully in all forms of national activities including employment in the services of Pakistan. Ensure full participation of women in all the spheres of national life (National education policy 2010) In many developed countries of the world the school system has been divided into the state school and private school sectors. The commentators Adonis and Pollard have recently complained that the education system in England is based on a division between state and private (so called public ) schools with prestige and resources going mainly to the later rather then to the former (Adonis, A and Pollard S 1998). Like Great Britain, education system in Pakistan is also divided into state and private school. The existing state school systems in both Peshawar and Khyber agency are almost the same as that are provided in the rest of Pakistan. In Peshawar and Khyber agency, however, the school system has a further sub-division having state schools, private schools and madrassa schools. Private schools are considered schools for the upper classes, entry to which are generally limited to students from rich families, whilst state schools are generally for lower, middle class people. Madrassa, however, are for those children from lower class family backgrounds who do not have an access to any of the above mentioned schools for a variety of reasons; a key factor being accessibility. The students of madrassa depend solely on charities provided by the general public. In Peshawar only 4.6 million students are enrolled in the Public Sector, Private Sector and Madrassa. The remaining 2.8 million children have no access to formal education (Hussein 2007). Average dropout rates up to Matriculation level are at 38% annually. There are many factors that impact on the drop out including access problems, social and cultural issues particularly among females, poverty, ignorance, lack of financial resources,(with government and families) corporal punishment and so on. More than half of the children in Peshawar drop out of school before completing the fifth grade. On average, females remain in school for 1.3 years and males for 3.8 years. (Sohrab 2007) The education system in both areas is broadly divided into three stages namely; Primary, Secondary and Higher education. The pre school stage is introduced for children less then 5 years old and is further divided into three stages, play group, Nursery and Kinder Garden. Students progress from Primary schools to Middle schools and then High school. After completing High school (SSC), successful students progress to college, and is called Higher Secondary State Education (HSSC). After Primary Education, unisex education is the communities preferred choice but co-education does exist in Private Institution in Peshawar although not in Khyber Agency. The curriculum is usually designed by the federal curriculum bureau in Islamabad with prominent educationalists setting the objectives of the curriculum. Every province has its own text book boards who implement the curriculum made by the federal curriculum bureau. The provincial text book board has limited authority but can make some change s to the curriculum, subject to the approval of federal curriculum bureau. The provincial text book board conducts and monitors exams through different exam boards. (Iqbal 2007)The curriculum designed by the federal bureau is implemented in both private and state schools in Peshawar and Khyber Agency. O level and A level education system is employed in private sector in Peshawar. In Both private and state institutions the common subjects are Urdu, English, Maths, Social Studies, Islamyat, Computer science, and other science subjects like Chemistry, Physics and Biology. In Private schools, the medium of instruction is English whilst state schools teach in Urdu. (Majeed 2007). Secondary education teaches the boy{sic} to apply the principle he is learning, and so to learn the principles by applying them, or so to use the instruments he is being made to know, as to perform or produce something, interpret literature or a science, make a picture or a book, practice a plastic or a manual a rt, convince a jury or persuade a senate, translate or annotate an author, dye wool, weave cloth, design or construct a machine, navigate a ship or command an army (Bryce 1895). Secondary education is viewed as preparing students for entry into a career and that is why, after gaining the higher secondary school certificate (HSSC), students in both areas can appear in the entry test for professional institutions like medical and engineering colleges. Those who are unsuccessful in the entry tests follow the arts path or other science subjects. Higher education takes students up to PhD level. Since 2002, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been empowered to carry out assessment, improvement and promotion of higher education, research and development, devise policies, guiding principles and priorities for higher education institutions and to set down conditions under which institutions, including those that are not part of the State educational system, may be opened and operated. The mandate of HEC encompasses all degree granting universities and institutions, both in public and private sectors and supports the attainment of quality education by facilitating and co-coordinating self-assessment of academic programs and their external review by national and international experts. HEC also supervises the planning, development and accreditation of public and private sector higher education institutions. Its goal is to facilitate the educational reform process (Ghani 2006). The main distinguishing features in the provision and type of education system in each area is due to differences in the implementation of educational strategies and the number and types of educational institutions available. There are plenty of schools, colleges and universities flourishing in Peshawar but not in Khyber Agency. Indeed, in Khyber Agency there are no universities or other professional colleges at all. After graduating from secondary school, the students of Khyber Agency must move to Peshawar or other parts of Pakistan, depending on their family circumstances, if they are to continue their education. Students from Khyber Agency face an additional problem when seeking admission to the institutions in Peshawar because of their tribal domicile, as the constitution of Pakistan limits, via a fixed quota, the number of Khyber Agency residents who can be admitted to State Professional colleges. Those students who do not come in the quota system have to pay for their education in private institutions. Those who can not afford these expenses are left/remain without further education. There are number of social factors that play into the poor public provision of education in Khyber Agency. These include low level of awareness among parents, low income status, lack of administration and control, less parental involvement, less opportunity to study, parents relationship with institutions and teachers, low literacy ratio, peer rejection, regarding its outcomes and impact on household well-being. The parents in Khyber Agency often lack the necessary vision to see the benefits that education can bring to the future of their children. Further difficulties such as the non-availability of transportation, communication and health, social and family priorities, influence often negatively the educational opportunities of students. Clear differences exist in the administration of education within the two regions. The expenditure of funds and the nature and scope of educational planning has affected the education system in Khyber Agency. Poor Economic conditions is another factor that lower the literacy rate of Khyber agency to below that of Peshawar region. The persistent under-investment by successive governments in Khyber Agency has left many schools, poorly resourced and lacking in physical infrastructure. Academic institutions, with few exceptions face financial problems and constraints. Mostly Public sector schools face financial constraints due to the high burden of students in crowed institutions where facilities for students are minimal. If financially possible, parents utilize the services of private institutions to help their children get better education. Alternatively, parents may employ external/private tuition or coaching to enhance their childrens competence because, as mentioned, most state schools are overcrowded with high students numbers per class which prohibits adequate student teacher interaction. In Khyber Agency, the average income of parents prevents most families from seeking to enroll their children into the higher standard and more competitive institutions or opt for external tuition and coaching. It is generally acknowledged that the education department as a whole is the most badly administered governmental sector in Pakistan in spite of the fact that educat ion plays such a vital role in the development of any country. As mentioned earlier, the national government has never allotted the necessary resources to this department, resulting in a poor literacy rate country-wide. A structured system for funding education is necessary based on local community needs and subject to audit control at regional level. In both regions, especially in Khyber Agency, current provision is characterized by poor governance and management, a traditional way of teaching, an outdated and inflexible curriculum, lack of qualified educators, inappropriate utilization of existing infrastructure, political interference in teacher selection and infrastructure development, poor supervision and control by government, gender discrimination and a poor evaluation and assessment system, that has made the existing provision of the education system incompatible with modern education system and therefore changes must be made. Khyber Agency has been totally isolated from the main stream political system. Political activities were not allowed and people could not participate in politics till 1998.the people were given the right to vote in 1998 general elections. The political party system is still very fragile in the area and controlled by the Federal government through the governor of Khyber Pashtoon khawa. Commissioner and political agent are answerable to the governor in what is a very complicated political system. There still prevails the most hated laws called FCR (frontier crime regulation) imposed by the British in colonial times. These were the draconian rules that were imposed by British government to suppress the people of Khyber Agency. Political involvement plays a vital role in the administration and governance of education. Peshawars regional government has a long established record of political interference in the administration and control of education while Khyber Agency is being weakened daily due to the insurgency and acts of terrorism, lack of accountability and nepotism. Teachers in the areas have many serious concerns. They are generally low paid, given the prevailing economic depression, and have often been driven to desperate measures to gain a modicum of their urgent demands such as improved working conditions. It is necessary to meet these demands to ensure that teachers, as the makers of the nations, can contribute to the development of students which in turn will result in the development of nation. Education is a constitutional right of every male and female. The high level of social anxiety and low literacy rate clearly indicate the need for fundamental changes in education system; such improvements would include a single medium of instruction for text books, sufficient funding and proper implementation of strategies and plans. Due to social and political pressure the government announces special reforms for the development of education sector that also applies in these two areas. At the start of the 21st Century, the Government of Pakistan took several initiatives underlining the education sector reform. Some of these reforms are National Education Policy (1998-2010); Education Sector Reforms (ESR) (2001-06), Education for All (EFA) by 2015, Ten Years Perspective Development Plan (2001-2011), Ten Years Perspective Development Plan (2001-2011), National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP), Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) 2 005-10, and Education Millennium Development Goals.(National education policy 2010) Despite the above mentioned reforms which has been introduced by the government at various times, their positive impact has yet to reach many rural areas like that of Khyber Agency. As a consequence these areas have become breeding grounds for terrorism which will not only endanger Pakistan but will export terrorism to other countries of the world and thus endangering the whole world. The following recommendations, if properly implemented could improve the currant education system in both regions but particularly in Khyber agency. The existing system of education needs to be thoroughly scrutinized and audited to ensure transparency in order to address poor governance and management issues. A specialized Management Centre in Elementary and Secondary Education Department to provide accountability and proper training without nepotism and bias should be introduced. There is a need to empowering school heads to ensure they are free from political interference and control. A separate commission in the style of the public service commission could make appointments and standardize all grades. Maximum administrative and financial autonomy needs to be devolved down to school level with accountability of the school heads to community level. This make the monitoring and evaluation process more efficient and effective and new technology could be devised for the process. A revolutionary emphasis on education, social and economic development is critical in order to lay the foundations for educational development and poverty reduction in both of these areas. Without social and economic development, change cannot occur, as change never occurs in a vacuum. Private partnerships are critical for capitalizing upon social and other stakeholder such as NGOs, voluntary organizations, general public and private sectors. All stakeholders could be subject to regulatory mechanisms to ensure effective education development in both Peshawar and Khyber Agency. In both the regions rigid and hard line behavior has breed a biased and inflexible system allowing no space for students analytical thinking. This also prevents the development of life long skills that prepare students to face challenges in their daily life by exercising problem solving skills. In order to address these drawbacks the design of the curriculum should be based upon native, behavioral, unbiased and scientific research so that concepts taught should be made vertically and horizontally clear and should incorporate local, regional and global values of democracy, secularism, federalism, broadmindedness and non-violence. Finally to improve the education system in these areas education could be alignment with market demands, a uniform medium of instruction, the strengthening of the science facilities, Knowledge Park, Science and Technology Park should be established in both regions to impart standards through robust control and administrative techniques. All these efforts will help to improve the standard of education by replacing traditional modes of instruction with the use of technologies and productive work and problem solving skills will take the place of routine types of activities which will in turn help develop a knowledge based economy that responds to the needs of the people in a sustainable manner.

A Rose for Emily Essay -- A Rose For Emily, William Faulkner

Throughout the Eighteen Years of my life I read many interesting short stories. Some stories where more eye catching than others. Furthermore â€Å"A Rose For Emily† by William Faulkner and â€Å"Metamorphosis† by Franz Kafka were not on the top of my list. In my opinion, the stories were eye catching because of how the author made its characters react and respond toward the suspense and eeriness in certain parts of the climax of the stories. For example, in â€Å"A Rose For Emily† the ladies of the community said â€Å"We did not say she was crazy then. We believed that she had to do that† (Faulkner 81) These two lines were said about Emily after the people found out about the death of Emily’s father and they knew that she was keeping his body inside of her house because she could not let go of her father. The eeriness about this is that they did not think it was weird at all. Furthermore, these two stories look to me just like every other story t hat I have read from other authors. Nevertheless, when I started to look into the concepts and ironies, the stories reveal an aspect about how the characters progress and why do they progress a certain way throughout the story. On the other hand, not only did I start to create an interest towards them, but I caught how they were alike in many unusual aspects. â€Å"A Rose For Emily† and â€Å"Metamorphosis† develop a climax similar to one another because they both have unpredictable events, rare responses of those events, a theme that connects theme, and a twist to an unpredictable endings. To begin with, the aspect that caught my attention was how both of the authors, Faulkner and Kafka gave the passages an unpredictable events and another meaning to the characters. In â€Å"A Rose For Emily† Faulkner said â€Å"When her ... ...ore descriptive than Emily’s. Kafka described as Gregor’s death was peacefully even though he had died of starvation. Furthermore Kafka stated how Mr. Samsa took the death of his son. Mr. Samsa said â€Å"Well, now we can thank God† This not only does it describe them being happy that Gregor is dead but it describes the relief that the fell in their lives after Gregor’s transformation. To conclude, I am happy I looked deeper into these two stories. They gave me a reality check and showed me that things do not always turn out to be how one wants it and that life always brings surprises to shake things up in our lives. I did not like the ending of the story of the â€Å"Metamorphosis† by Kafka because I would of liked to see him getting revenge on those who did not treat him the way they should of, but that too surprised me that the story did not turn out to end like that.

A Mind Full, a World Shattered :: Personal Narrative Writing

A Mind Full, a World Shattered At the end of a long road one will look back and ponder the experiences that time has moved along the path. There is no doubt I am leaving high-school a different person and I doubt there are few ideas that I once held that have remained the same. At times I miss the simple lessons, the easy test, the mindless homework assignments. I wasn't sure what I expected in high-school, but I am leaving with a mind full, and at times, a world shattered. I'm not sure education meant much to me when I began this path. Perhaps it meant a little more when I had to work for the knowledge I chose to keep or dismiss. I have come to realize that high-school was no more than life lessons, ways to cope, how to deal with people, and a way to test my boundaries mentally and emotionally. It took me awhile to realize that those test given prove nothing, those papers written in structured form prove little else than the thesis statement on the paper topic demanded by teachers. As I look back I can say I will take this with me: Understanding who I am is understanding what I have learned, what I have failed at, what I have questioned, and what I believe. I have learned to distrust words but adore their depth. I have learned to follow directions and to break the rules. I have learned that teachers are just people, with their own minds and beliefs that, in some way, have infiltrated the class room and what I have been taught. At times this has been a tremendous gift, other times a great tragedy. I have learned that a brilliant person is not one who can memorize facts or maintain a high GPA. I have learned grades do not reflect who I am and my abilities. Grades are only maintained to because people are afraid to just "be" and just "learn." I have realized that grades and competition may be the system used to induce hard work and dedication, but I also know that there are better ways because the system fails on a moment to moment basis. I have realized the most important people of this world are not those walking around with the most money or graduating from the best high-schools.

Free Death Penalty Essays: Religious Perspectives of Capital Punishment :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Religious Perspectives on Capital Punishment    Travelling around the world, this paper presents the various religious perspectives evidenced in recent actions taken regarding the death penalty.    In St. Lucia, regional Roman Catholic Bishops, at the Antilles Episcopal Conference held as part of the Antilles Eucharist Congress held in St Lucia in May, publicly stated their wish to see the abolition of the death penalty. The president of the conference, Edgerton Clarke, Archbishop of Kingston, Jamaica, said that while he and his colleagues were mindful of the support for capital punishment in the region they saw life as being of tremendous value, and hoped for the abolition of the death penalty. Capital punishment was one of several issues discussed at the Episcopal Conference which is a forum through which Caribbean bishops examine what is happening in the church and society. The Congress was attended by some 20,000 Catholics from the regional and international community.    In Italy, at a papal mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II at Rome's Regina Coeli Prison on 9 July, prayers were offered for prisoners on death row who were awaiting the end of their existence, and for those kept in inhuman conditions. ''May the death penalty, an unworthy punishment still used in some countries, be abolished throughout the world'' the Pope said.    During the year 2000, the Jubilee Year of the Roman Catholic Church, the Coliseum in Rome has been lit up with a bright white light every time a country abolished the death penalty or announced a moratorium on executions. It was also illuminated if a death sentence was commuted or a prisoner sentenced to death was found to be innocent and released.    In the Russian Federation, meeting in Moscow, the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on 16 August called for an end to the death penalty. The church gave as its reasons for opposing the death penalty the fact that it can make a judicial error irreparable and also because the penalty causes controversy in society.    In the USA, in February the pastor of the White House, the Reverend Philip Wogaman, senior minister at Washington's Foundry Methodist Church, called for a review of the death penalty, adding his voice to those concerned that innocent people have been condemned and that sentencing is prone to racial bias.    ``Maybe there are circumstances in which historically one can justify this.

How Shakespeare Presents Helena Essay

Helena is clearly longing for something to make her like Hermia in hope that Demetrius would see some of Hermia in her. She is also jealous of Hermia’s beauty. It also shows us that she is insecure about her own appearance. The audience would’ve felt sorry towards her at this point as she is clearly devastated about Demetrius. A bit more into the play Helena expresses her confusion and betrayal towards Demetrius. â€Å"For ere Demetrius looked on Hermia’s eyne, / He hail’d down oaths that he was only mine. / And when this hail some heat from Hermia felt,/ So he dissolv’d, and showers of oaths did melt. In this metaphor Helena is saying that Demetrius had made so many promises to her like balls of ice (hail stones) but when Hermia came along he made broke them causing Demetrius’s promises to have melted. We feel sympathetic towards Hermia as Demetrius led Helena on, making all of these promises when only later he would break all of them. Desp eration is shown when Helena tells Demetrius about Hermia and Lysander’s plan to run away, betraying Hermia in the process. She is so desperate that she betrayed her best friend, Hermia. It was a bit hypocritical of her to betray Hermia and endangering their friendship like that when later on she accuses Hermia of throwing away their friendship when actually Hermia was stating the truth. â€Å"But herein mean I enrich my pain, / To have his slight thither, and back again. † In this quote it shows that Helena has come to the conclusion that Demetrius would never love her. So she would betray her best friend to just be pleased with by Demetrius but this doesn’t seem the case when you read later on in the play that Demetrius gets even more irritated with Helena. Helena is basically saying that even though it would pain her to see Demetrius chasing after Hermia she would still do it. At this moment the audience would’ve felt annoyed and sympathetic. The audience annoyed at Helena because she had ruined her best friend’s plan just to help her in her love life. This would be considered as selfish. However we would be sympathetic towards her as she has completely given up on being loved by Demetrius. However when her wishes are finally granted she doesn’t believe it creating a huge argument: â€Å"Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born? When at your hands did I deserve this scorn? † At this point Helena lets out all the insecurities, anger and sadness she’s ever been feeling. Her life for the last couple of months has been an emotional rollercoaster. â€Å"Is’t not enough, is’t enough, young man, / That I did never, no, nor never can/ Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius’ eye/ But you mu st flout my insufficiency? † The repetition that she uses suggests that she is so angry at Demetrius that she repeats her words; she’s so angry that she cannot think straight. The whole reason she’s angry is that she thinks that they are mocking her as Helena cannot believe anyone could possibly love her as she is so used to being rejected. If Demetrius couldn’t love her, who would? Her low self esteem also appears into her passage and her words. Helena feels confused at how anyone could ever like her and most of all outraged that her friends would mock and make fun of her. The audience feel humoured at this situation as Helena is claiming that Lysander and Demetrius don’t love her when actually they are in love with her to the point of madness. We also feel sorry towards her as she sees herself as a reject. At the end, when the confusion is solved and Helena finally has Demetrius she says some final words. â€Å"So methinks; / And I have found Demetrius, like a jewel, / Mine own, and not mine own. † In this metaphor she compares Demetrius to a jewel like she had been digging for a diamond and had finally found it. It shows how much Helena values Demetrius. At this point she finally realises that Demetrius actually does love her. At this point the udience would be feeling happy for Helena as she’s finally cheerful. However they might think that Demetrius doesn’t actually deserve Helena. In conclusion, Helena is showed as a heartbroken and desperate girl at the beginning then at the end she seems happy. The audience experience a range of emotions towards her, including sympathy, irritation and happiness. At the end of the play, we are likely to feel happy and satisfied because she finally has what she wan ts. Also throughout the whole play she is always depressed, sad or scolding herself.