Laws Governing Labor and Employment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Laws Governing Labor and Employment - Essay Example Furthermore, the company has to have more than 50 employees within a radius of 75 miles. The regulation also requires that employers: Protect their employees from any form of retaliation by an employer for such rights. Guard employee benefits while they are gone for leave. All employee benefits before they went on leave have to be reinstated. Protect the employee from being denied their right to go on leave under the act. Offer the exact health insurance benefits, which have to include company contributions to premiums that would be awarded should the employee go on leave. The employees on leave have to come back to a similar position they worked in before they went on leave. If the exact position is not available, then the employer has to offer a position that is equal in pay, responsibility, and benefits. Lastly, they have to be given occasional leave should they face any serious ill health, or that of a family condition, which include intermittent leave for appointments to the doc tor for treatment, therapies or other serious conditions (Goldman & Sigmond, 2010). Non-eligible types of leave and workers These regulations do not apply to: Workers in companies with less than 50 employees; nonetheless, the threshold does not apply to local educational and employer agencies. Part-time workers with less than 1,250 hours within a paid vacation and the 12 months period; Employees in need of leave to take care for elderly parents who are not parents; Employees needing time to recover from common illnesses like common cold or flu. Workers in need of regular medical checkups The employee in situation A has toiled for the company for at least two years. He took and 11 week leave to be with his spouse who had given birth to twins prematurely. So far, he has not broken the rules governing the employment law. Firstly, he has gone for 11 weeks of the maximum 12 and has been working for over two years. However, there is not provision for someone to be paid. Therefore, the new manager is not forced to release the employee’s salary for the time he was away. His spouse had given birth to twins prematurely, which is catered for in the AFMLA. Nonetheless, the new manager has not infringed the right to leave of the gentleman. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) The ADEA bars discrimination against employees 40 years of age and more. Employers are not allowed to: Snub, fire, or discharge a person because of the certain terms, compensation, or employment privileges in view of their individual age (Miller, Jentz, & Jentz, 2009). To lessen the wage rate of any worker to comply with the above regulations; To classify, isolate, or limit employees in ways that would deny or deprive the individuals of employment avenues because of their age. Furthermore, it will be unlawful for employment agencies to refuse to discriminate against any person because of their age. There are also other laws tackling labor organizations; Labor organizations ar e not allowed: To expel or exclude any person from its membership because of age; To classify, segregate, limit, classify or refuse to employ any person in ways that would deny employment opportunities. To try or cause any employer to discriminate against employees in violations of the regulation; In situation B, the employee in question is 68 years of age and nearing his retirement. However, he has worked for the company

Internal QMS auditor training assessment booklet Essay Example for Free

Internal QMS auditor training assessment booklet Essay Case Study 1: Pre-Audit Preparation Instructions: 1. Each participant should individually study the background of the company including the background of organisation, organisation chart and process flow chart provided: †¢ Managing Customer Service: Front Office VVG-FO-B-7.5.1 (D) †¢ Managing Customer Service: Food and Beverage VVG-FB-B-7.5.1 (D) †¢ Managing Property: Engineering VVG-EN-B-7.5.1 (D) †¢ Delivery Service: Housekeeping VVG-HK-B-7.5.1 (D) 2. Prepare an audit plan for an internal audit of one business process but not your own work (use template of audit plan provided in Case Study 1: Output 1 or current Internal Audit Program). State any assumptions that you have made in preparing the audit plan. The plan should: †¢ Define the scope of the audit; †¢ What to audit (documents, records, activities); †¢ Who to select for interview and reason for selection; †¢ Where and when to audit (locations, audit trails, sequences, estimated time required); †¢ Methods for gathering objective evidence (interview, observation, document / record review). 3. Prepare an audit checklist with suitable questions to guide you in verifying the conformance, implementation and effectiveness of the QMS at the Sales and Marketing Department (use template of audit checklist in Case Study 1: Output 2 or current Internal Audit Program) Case Study 1: Output 1Name of Participant: .. ISO 9001 Internal Audit Plan Audit Specifications | | | |Audit Objectives | | |Audit Scope | | |Audit Client | | |Audit Team | | |Audit Dates | | |Audit Locations | | |Audit Criteria | | Date: ..Day: Assessment Program / Audit Plan |Time |Area |Clause |Auditor |Auditee | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Lunch | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Date: ..Day: Assessment Program / Audit Plan |Time |Area |Clause |Auditor |Auditee | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Lunch | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Case Study 1: Output 2Name of Participant: .. Internal Audit Checklist Department: Date of Audit: . Title of Procedure / Documents: Auditor: .. Auditee: . Page(s): of . |No |Step |Internal Audit|ISO Clause | | | |Checklist | | | | |Questions | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Audit Conclusion | | Case Study 2: Output 2Name of Participant: .. For one selected non-conformity / observation: |Internal Audit Corrective and Preventive Action Report No.:.. | |To: From: | |(Auditee) (Auditor) | |Audit Criteria: ISO 9001 Clause No.: | |and / or Procedure: | |Description of Non-conformity / Observation (Part 1 by Auditor): | | | | | |Auditor’s Name / Signature: Date: | |Auditee’s Name / Signature: Date: | |(to be completed: 1 moth) | |(a) Root Cause(s) (Part 2 by Auditee): | | | | | |2. (b) Correction and Corrective / Preventive Action Plans to be taken | |Correction Plans: | | | | | |Corrective / Preventive Action Plans: | | | | | |Auditee’s Name / Signature: Date: | |Verification of Corrective / Preventive Action: | | | | | |Auditor’s Name / Signature: Date: |

The Eye of the World :: essays research papers

The Eye of the World is the first book of the â€Å"The Wheel of Time† series which is already on its tenth book. Robert Jordan has followed the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien. Here he dominated the magical world that Tolkien had revealed in his â€Å"Lord of the Rings†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For us to understand this book clearly, an introduction is needed. It says that the so-called wheel of time is a wheel that rotates as time passes. Because of this wheel, ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Sometimes legends fades into myth which is long forgotten when the age that left it returns again. But the Aes Sedai remember what men forget. The Aes Sedai are those chosen individuals that can channel to the True Source. This True Source is the source of power. The male Sedai channel to the Saidin form of the source while the women channel to the Saidir form of the source. But due to a war very long ago, Saidin was tainted by the dark forces resulting for the men to go crazy or die if they channel. This is why only female Sedai are in the book. A champion of the war, Lews Therin Telamon ( the Dragon), trapped the Forsaken (Aes Sedai who went to the dark side) and Shaitan (Drak One) but became crazy. After his death, it was prophesized that a Dragon Reborn would be born and lead the forces of light. The first book narrates the adventure of three boys, namely Rand Al’Thor, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara. Strangers have come to the Two Rivers during the Bel Tine holiday, and the three boys are all happy to live in peace with their families. With the mysterious travelers come strange stories of war and of a man named Logain, who claims to be the Dragon Reborn, the one prophesized to save the world, and also to destroy it in his madness. On the night before Bel Tine, Trollocs come and ransack the village where the young men live. Together with the mysterious Moiraine, an Aes Sedai, and Lan, a warder, the young men escape with a few other companions into the night and make their way toward Tar Valon, the city of the Aes Sedai. Dangers, such as Darkfriends, appear from many corners. Because of this, it becomes difficult to know who to trust. The boys can't escape the Dark One easily, for not only do his minions relentlessly pursue them, the Dark One even invades their dreams .

Legion: An Exegetical Analysis :: essays research papers

Legion: An Exegetical Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this analysis I will be drawing from five passages found in Mark 5: 9-13, which is the story of the demonic possession by the demon which is called Legion. I will be drawing on the context of the whole passage which is Mark 5: 1-20, but my main focus and purpose of this analysis is to shed light on verses 9-13. I have referenced three different versions of these passages in different Bibles, the KJV, NIV and the NRSV, but I have found no significant difference, so the context in which I will use these references bares no large concern to the analysis, other than to show a harmony of the translations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While this occurrence is accounted in the other synoptic Gospels, Mark gives us the longest and most detailed account of this occurrence. This is also the longest and most detailed occurrence in the gospel of Mark. This occurrence happens in the country of the Gerasene’s, which is stated in verse one of Mark 5, which it is uncertain exactly where this location is, but the herd of swine found in verse eleven of Mark 5 indicates that this is a territory of the Gentiles. Nothing about this land is kosher; everything was unclean; spirits, tombs, swine and the territory, but Jesus still had power just as much as in the land of the Jews. Which will prove to be of significance in my analysis when I start to touch on verses 9-13. The accounts found in Matthew and Luke is more vague than the account in Mark, which is rich with detail. This could mean that Mark may have had access to an eyewitness account of the event.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In verse 5 Jesus asks for the name of the unclean spirit that has possessed the man in which he replies, â€Å"My name is Legion; for we are many.† This is characteristic of the ancient belief that knowledge of a name gave you power over your adversaries. This was also evident in verse 7 where the demon already knows who Jesus was and says his name to try and have a somewhat of an upper hand. The fact that he replied with the name Legion which is actually a number rather than a name shows that the demons were trying to get out of a situation in which they felt powerless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This shows significance in two ways, in that Jesus had power over the demons even though he knew not their names and in the fact that this is not only one demon of Satan’s work, but a whole army.

Prescription Drug Abuse: a Growing Epidemic in the United States

Prescription Drug Abuse: A Growing Epidemic in the United States Prescription drug abuse and related overdoses are a major public health issue that continues to grow each year. The National Institute on Drug Abuse explains prescription drug abuse as â€Å"the intentional use of a medication without a prescription. † (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011) Since prescription drugs are legal and readily prescribed to alleviate pain and suffering, it poses a big challenge to control them. Many people, especially younger adults, feel that they are safer than illicit drugs because they can be found in their family medicine cabinet.Over the years, the number of people abusing these drugs has increased significantly. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), in 2007 there were â€Å"approximately 27,000 unintentional drug overdose deaths† in the United States. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) The use of prescription drugs continues to be the number on e cause of these overdoses, more than heroin and cocaine combined. As part of the CDC’s study, they reported that over a ten-year period, between 1997 and 2007, the number of milligrams of prescription opioids prescribed per a person increased from 74 milligrams to 369 milligrams.In 2000, pharmacies dispensed 174-million opioid prescriptions and in 2009, it increased to 257 million prescriptions. These are both major contributors to prescription drug abuse and overdoses due to the fact that prescription drugs are so easily available. As a result of this study, the CDC has classified prescription drug abuse as an epidemic. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Prescription drug abuse spans across a wide range of populations. The prevalence of prescription drug abuse is higher among men, individuals between the ages of 18-64, non-Hispanic whites, service members, and poor, rural populations.The highest rate of prescription drug abuse is by young adults between the ages of 18-25. (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011)) Of the individuals who reported non-medical prescription drug abuse, 70 percent reported getting the prescription drugs from a friend or relative, 18 percent reported getting it from one doctor, and less than 5 percent reported buying it from a drug dealer or stranger. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Younger adults are at higher risk for overdose because they have a higher tendency to mix prescription drugs with alcohol or other illicit drugs. Multiple studies have revealed associations between prescription drug abuse and higher rates of cigarette smoking, heavy episodic drinking, and marijuana, cocaine, and other illicit drug use among adolescents, young adults, and college students in the United States. † (U. S. Health and Human Services, 2011) This results in numerous emergency room visits for this particular population. Between 2004 and 2009, the number of emergency room visi ts related to non-medical use of prescription drugs nearly doubled. Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) Young adults are not the only population of prescription drug abusers that has continued to increase over the years. In 2008, the Department of Defense reported that one in nine active-duty service members reported prescription drug abuse. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) A study done by the Office of National Drug Control Policy found that â€Å"approximately two million adults age 50 and older used prescription-type drugs non-medically in the past year. (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) As you can see, the prescription drug abuse problem is not limited to a specific population. It effects people throughout their lifetime. Newspaper Article A recent article in the Boston Globe called â€Å"Antidote offers addicts’ families sliver of comfort: Nasal spray credited with reversing more than 1,800 drug overdoses†, talked about the distribution of Naloxone in the community as a way to prevent an overdose. Naloxone is an opiate antidote that can be given to someone who you suspect has overdosed.It can be administered intranasally or by injection. Massachusetts is one of the few states that have implemented a Naloxone distribution program. Beginning in 2006, Massachusetts’s health officials have been distributing Naloxone to individuals who are most likely to witness an overdose such as outreach workers, homeless shelter employees, active drug users and family members. (Canaboy, 2013) The article goes on to talk about the effect the Naloxone programs have had in Massachusetts. In 2010, overdoses were responsible for 738 deaths in Massachusetts, which was twice the number of motor-vehicle deaths. Canaboy, 2013) Studies have showed that the Naloxone programs have had a positive effect in the communities where it is distributed. There were also positive results f ound in a study done in California by two agencies that implemented Overdose Prevention Programs using Naloxone. The rate of overdose deaths was reduced between 27 percent and 46 percent in the communities where Naloxone was distributed in 2009. (Canaboy, 2013) As shown by this article, drug overdoses continue to be a major public health issue in communities throughout Massachusetts.With the help of programs like the Naloxone discussed in this article, there is hope that health officials and communities can work together to fight against it using harm reduction programs in conjunction with other treatment programs. Healthy People 2020 One of the topics for Healthy People 2020 is substance abuse. The goal of this topic is to â€Å"reduce substance abuse to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for all, especially children. † (Healthy People 2020, 2012) Healthy People 2020 reported that 22 million Americans had drug or alcohol problems in 2005 and 95 percent of them w ere not even aware of their problem. Healthy People 2020, 2012) They also reported that 273,000 people who recognized they had a problem with drugs or alcohol were unsuccessful in obtaining treatment. It’s reasons like this that Healthy People 2020 felt that substance abuse was an important topic to focus on for the future. Under the substance abuse topic in Healthy People 2020 there are two specific objectives directly related to prescription drug use. They state the following: â€Å"objective SA-12 reduce drug-induced deaths† and â€Å"SA-19 reduce the past-year nonmedical use of prescription drugs. (Healthy People 2020, 2012) Both these objectives are directly related to the issues discussed in the Boston Globe article and other initiatives that the Federal Government has outlined as part of their plan. Nursing Diagnosis One of the NANDA diagnoses that relates to prescription drug abuse and overdoses is Ineffective Community Self-Health Management. Carpenito-Moyet describes this diagnosis as â€Å"a pattern in which the community experiences or is at high risk to experience difficulty integrating a program for prevention/treatment of illness and the sequelae of illness and reduction of risk situations. † (p. 28) This can be related to the Naloxone program discussed in the Boston Globe article and other treatment services in general. The article talks about how there are only a few states that have been willing to implement the Naloxone program. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released a report on â€Å"Prescription Drug Overdoses – a U. S. Epidemic† which talked about the National agenda to combat prescription drug abuse. In the report, it talked about how the public health approach needs to include both secondary and tertiary prevention programs such as the Naloxone program discussed in the Boston Globe article. Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011) There are current programs out there but in dividuals are not successful in accessing them for one reason or another. The CDC’s report discussed the need to remove barriers to make treatment programs more accessible in the communities. The report stated, â€Å"Office-based care can be less stigmatizing and more accessible to all patients, especially those residing in rural areas. † (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012) Another NANDA diagnosis that is related to prescription drug abuse and overdose is deficient knowledge.This is defined by Carpenito-Moyet as, â€Å"the state in which an individual or group experiences a deficiency in cognitive knowledge or psychomotor skills concerning the condition or treatment plan. † (p. 269) This is directly related to the prescription drug abuse and overdose problem in a number of ways. It applies to the individuals who are actively using drugs, the prescribers who are prescribing the drugs to individuals, and the community in general. The Office of Natio nal Drug Control Policy developed a plan to combat the prescription drug problem.In their report, Epidemic: Responding to America’s Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis, they developed four major areas of focus, the first being education. The report stated that â€Å"A crucial first step in tackling the problem of prescription drug abuse is to education parents, youth, and patients about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs while requiring prescribers to receive training in the safe and appropriate use of these drugs. † (Executive Office of the President of the United States, 2011)Educating individuals about the dangers of prescription drugs is just as important or even more important than illicit drugs. People feel that prescription drugs aren’t as bad because a doctor prescribes them. Education is also required for family members and community members to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of drug abuse or an overdose. The Boston Globe article talks abo ut how part of the Naloxone program is to educate whomever it is getting the Naloxone how to recognize an overdose. It’s important for them to know what signs to look for. ConclusionAs evidence by the Boston Globe article and multiple reports put out by the federal government and different state agencies, prescription drug abuse is a major public health issue that needs to be addressed. It needs to be addressed at all levels, starting with the federal government’s drug policies and working down to the individuals who are abusing drugs. The population of individuals abusing prescription drugs varies for different reasons. There needs to be more treatment and prevention programs available to the different populations that address the specific needs of each.There are current programs established, like the Naloxone, that are shown to work. We need to keep moving in the right direction to implement and grow these types of programs in order to succeed in reducing the prescri ption drug abuse problem in the United States. Works Cited Canaboy, C. (2013, March 2). Antidote offers addicts' families sliver of comfort: Nasal spray credited with reversing more than 1,800 drug overdoses. Boston Globe , p. A. 1. Carpenito-Moyet, L. (2008). Handbook of Nursing Diagnosis (12th ed. ).Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, January 13). CDC Grand Rounds: Prescription Drug Overdoses — a U. S. Epidemic:. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www. cdc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a3. htm Executive Office of the President of the United States. (2011, April). Prescription Drug Abuse | The White House:. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from The White House: http://www. whitehouse. gov/ondcp/prescription-drug-abuse Healthy People 2020. 2012, September 6). Substance Abuse – Healthy People:. (U. S. Health and Human Services) Retrieved March 3, 2013, from Healthy P eople 2020: http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview. aspx? topicid=40 Lankenau, S. E. , Wagner, K. D. , Silva, K. , Kecojevic, A. , Iverson, E. , McNeely, M. , et al. (2012). Injection Drug Users Trained by Overdose Prevention Programs: Responses to Witnessed Overdoses. Journal of Community Health , 38, 133-141. Stanhope, RN, DSN, FAAN, M. , & Lancaster, RN, Ph. D, FAAN, J. (2012).Public Health Nursing: Population-Centered Health Care in the Community (8th ed. ). Maryland Heights, MS: Elsevier, Inc. U. S. Health and Human Services. (2011, December). Prescription Drug Abuse. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from National Institute on Drug Abuse: http://www. drugabuse. gov/publications/topics-in-brief/prescription-drug-abuse U. S. Health and Human Services. (2011, October). Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction. Retrieved March 3, 2013, from National Institute of Health: http://www. drugabuse. gov/publications/research-reports/prescription-drugs

Treaty Of Versailles and Hardi essays

Treaty Of Versailles and Hardi essays The Treaty of Versailles was a peace agreement between Germany and the Allies signed at the end of The Great War on January 18, 1919. The countries that were involved in this armistice were the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and the German Republic, which had just replaced the incumbent German government that was excluded from the meeting. The Republican Party in the United States, which was opposed to the treaty, consisted of Irreconcilables and Reservationists (who were the main reason that the bill did not pass in Congress). President Wilson, a democrat, considered spreading Democracy throughout the world, one of his most important goals. He was a deep-seated enthusiast of the settlement. Wilson overestimated his reputation, and his refusal to compromise on any provisos within the treaty led to its rejection in the Senate. The Treaty of Versailles contained many terms dealing with military, monetary, and territorial issues that were to be monitored by a newly created peacekeeping body, the League of Nations. Creation of the League of Nations was the first requirement of the Treaty. This multi-national forces duty was to see to the completion by Germany of all stipulations provided in the contract Germany was required to abolish compulsory military service; reduce its army to 100,000; demilitarize all land on the left bank and 50 km of the right bank of the Rhine; stop all importation, exportation, and almost all production of war material; to limit its navy to 24 ships, with no submarines, and to abandon all military and naval aviation by October of 1919. In addition to all military agreements, Germany was ordered to pay massive amounts of reparations to the Allies for damage acquired during the war. This payment was to be made in the form of money, ships, trains, cattle, and natural resources. Germany also lost 13% of its land, and was forced to recognize the sovereignty of multiple nations incl ...

Essay on Attack and Turro Prison Block

Essay on Attack and Turro Prison Block Essay on Attack and Turro Prison Block Ice Cream Collection The Prize Pod is a rare Unversed that drops a variety of tasty treats when they are defeated in battle. Every single hit makes it them drop plenty of different ingredients for you to collect. You can collect these delectable ingredients and bring them to Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Disney Town to exchange them for Ice Cream Item Commands. A complete list of ingredients and recipes, organized by end result, is provided below. Locations of Prize Pods within each of the three stories is also provided. - Vanilla Glitz Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Bijou Bean x1 | Enchanted Dominion: Waterway | - | - | Crystal Sugar x3 | Castle of Dreams: Palace Courtyard | - | - | Golden Jam x1 | Neverland: Skull Rock Entrance | - | - | - Rockin’ Crunch Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Galactic Caramel x15 | Deep Space: Turro Prison Block | - | - | Nutty Nut x12 | Dwarf Woodlands: Underground Waterway Olympus Coliseum: Town Near Thebes | - | - | - Big Bad Pete Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Bizarro Bean x20 | Deep Space: Turro Prison Block | - | - | Whipped Dream x20 | Neverland: Skull Rock Entrance | - | - | - Honeybunny Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Apple Pie x2 | - | Dwarf Woodlands: The Mine | - | Honeybunch x3 | - | Neverland: Mermaid Lagoon | - | - Goofy Parfait Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Chocolate Valentine x5 | - | Castle of Dreams: Mousehole | - | Forest Muffin x10 | - | Enchanted Dominion: Audience Chamber | - | Jumbo Almond x6 | - | Enchanted Dominion: Audience Chamber | - | Moogle Coffee x7 | - | Radiant Garden: Fountain Court | - | - Double Crunch Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Cherryberry x9 | - | Enchanted Dominion: Audience Chamber | - | Merry Dairy x5 | - | Dwarf Woodlands: The Mine | - | Star Syrup x15 | - | Deep Space: Durgon Transporter | - | Wedding Cake x14 | - | Castle of Dreams: Mousehole | - | - Fabracadabra Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Balloon Melon x2 | - | - | Deep Space: Turro Prison Block | Heroic Orange x2 | - | - | Olympus Coliseum: Town Near Thebes | Peach Fantasy x1 | - | - | Dwarf Woodlands: Flower Glade | - Donald Fizz Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Crystal Soda x8 | - | - | Castle of Dreams: Foyer | Fizzy Tizzy x15 | - | - | Deep Space: Turro Prison Block | Mermaid Salt x13 | - | - | Neverland: Indian Camp | Sky Blue Mousse x8 | - | - | Enchanted Dominion: Waterside | - Royalberry Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Birthday Cake x8 | Castle of Dreams: Palace Courtyard | - | Castle of Dreams: Foyer | Gaspberry x7 | Dwarf Woodlands: Underground Waterway | - | Dwarf Woodlands: Flower Glade | Nebula Nectar x10 | Radiant Garden: Fountain Court | - | Radiant Garden: Fountain Court | Rose Honey x7 | Enchanted Dominion: Waterway | - | Enchanted Dominion: Waterway | - Milkyway Ingredients | Location (Terra) | Location (Ventus) | Location (Aqua) | Cotton Cloudcandy x14 | - | Olympus Coliseum: Town Near Thebes | Olympus Coliseum: Town Near Thebes | Cream Fluff

Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essays

Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essays Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay Infosys and Corporate Social Responsibility in India Essay Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is defined as a businesss policy to encourage positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities and all other member of the public who may be considered its stakeholders. [8] Analysis The Infosys Foundation The Infosys Foundation was established in the year 1996 with the goal of serving the under-privileged sections of the society The focus areas of the foundation are: Learning and education in 2007, the foundation embarked on the Library for Every Rural School program to get people to donate books in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and Kerala. It has since set up 35,000 school libraries, the largest rural education program in India. Healthcare Since its inception in 1996, the foundation has constructed hospital wards, donated medicines and advanced medical equipment to hospitals, and organized health camps in remote areas, all in order to get the under-privileged access to modern medical practices. Arts Culture The Infosys Foundation sustains and preserves several art forms that are unique to our country and form a part of our heritage. Over the years it has sponsored art and music shows by rural artists, sponsored documentaries on Indian culture and published books that delineate the roots of art in Karnataka. Social Rehabilitation and Rural Uplift The foundation works for the welfare of destitute women and children and also helps towards developing rural India by providing education and vocational skills. It has built orphanages where education is prioritized and organized training centres for destitute women in and around Karnataka. Assessment There are a number of observations to be made from the above. Firstly, Infosys is seen to be engaged in various, unconnected welfare activities. Though laudable, this may not be the best policy to adopt towards CSR because many of these have little or no relevance to its core business ability. Thus, there is a chance that it may drop them in the future if aspects of the activities start to clash with their normal business working. This will damage the entire premise of sustainability that the company promotes about its CSR. The extremely local nature of these activities (most are based in and around Karnataka) show that Infosys is perhaps trying to build a good relationship at home where it wants to address as many problems as possible. However, scaling up of these activities will be the real test of its CSR practices because being a global company it cannot afford to limit its welfare activities to only one region. This may raise questions about their sincerity as their efforts may be construed as simply trying to appease the authorities at home and maybe get benefits over its competition. In the next section we will see that in matters in which it has expertise, Infosys has already expanded its activities to the global level. Sustainable Social Change Infosys makes the proud claim of influencing sustainable social change through its varied development initiatives. [1] The following are some of these initiatives: Education and Intellectual Capability It is no secret that India is engineering-mad with Indian Engineering Institutions churning out over 500,000 science and engineering graduates every year. However, even as rival IT companies and a host of other recruiters vie with Infosys over the recruitment of the fresh, inexpensive engineering talent, there is little that these corporates have done to aid in the recognition and reward of top Indian research. This is a matter of pressing concern because not only does this hamper the intellectual capital of our country in relation to competition from overseas (Even China has more PhDs per capita than India) but it promotes a lack of systematic learning that ultimately results in making a lot of these graduates unfit for immediate industrial employment. It is here that Infosys has once again differentiated itself from the competition by undertaking ventures that promote science and engineering education as more than simply a means of landing a job. The Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) was set up with the goal of achieving the above. It was set up by some of the companys founder members in February 2009 with the aim to elevate the prestige of scientific research in India and inspire young Indians to choose a vocation in scientific research. The ISF honours outstanding contributions and achievements by Indians in various streams of science with the Infosys Prize in five categories: mathematical sciences, physical sciences, engineering and computer sciences, life sciences and social sciences. The award is given to Indian scientists below the age of 50. The Foundation is funded by an amount of Rs. 215,000,000 contributed by the members of the Infosys Board and an annual grant from Infosys Tech. Ltd. The annual award in each category amounts to Rs. 5,000,000. The importance of this award is highlighted by the names of its past winners and their achievements, for e.g. last year the award for Life Sciences went to Dr. Chetan Chitnis for having discovered the first viable malaria vaccine and the award for Engineering Sciences went to Prof. Ashutosh Sharma for his applications in energy storage. Along similar lines is the ACM Infosys Foundation Award in Computer Sciences, established in August 2007 and carrying a cash award of USD 150,000 provided by the Infosys Foundation Endowment. It aims to reward educators and researchers whose work in software systems foster innovations that address existing challenges in the domain. Assessment Unlike a number of Indian companies whose education related welfare activities focus primarily on issues of primary/basic education, Infosys initiatives are unique in that they are associated exclusively with the domain of higher technical education, a segment in which it is arguably the most respected company in the country. This allows it to create perfect synergy between its everyday business activities and its investments in the above initiatives because unlike a lot of other companies who get into CSR without doing their homework and as a result get accused of doing it for ulterior motives, Infosys engagement with the field of technical education is a natural extension of its business practices. Its approach in this direction must also be lauded. While Narayana Murty has been accused in the past of favouring foreign universities when it came to giving grants, his decision of having Infosys establish the above awards is a godsend for the research establishment in India because though grants may be siphoned off by agencies without the threat of accountability, awarding individuals for their excellence is more effective as it provides a greater encouragement for others to follow in their shoes. But Infosys has not completely ignored the primary and secondary education sectors either. It has just approached it in a different way and yet received accolades all the same. A case in point is the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which was founded in 2000 and has three senior Infosys members apart from numerous Infosys volunteers who work towards providing free midday meals to schoolchildren. The foundations functions in partnership with state and central governments and currently serves over 1.3 million students in 7699 schools across India. Its impact is easy to assess from third party recognitions: it was awarded an International Fellowship by the US Congressional Hunger Centre, it received the 2008 CNBC India Business Leader of the Year Award and it even made it to the MBA curriculum as a case study at the Harvard School of Business in 2007. Similarly, Infosys BPOs work on Project Genesis, under which it works to improve the written and spoken communication capabilities in addition to the analytical skills of students in Tier 2 and 3 towns of the country so that they become employable, was awarded as the best CSR initiative at the 8th National Outsourcing Association (NOA) Awards 2011, in London. It was especially lauded for making sure that no expense was incurred by the participating academicians in the program. Community Development Unlike the education schemes already mentioned, community development initiatives do not at first seem the best fit with the companys existing activities. However, Infosys has done its share of work in this domain too and while most of it has been in the vicinity of its offices, there are projects like the Flood Relief Project for the victims of northern Karnataka in which the company has participated quite actively. Only last year the first phase of their initiative to construct 2250 houses across 18 villages was completed and subsequently these houses were handed over to the villagers. Assessment This aspect of Infosys CSR efforts can also be criticized for not matching with the core business abilities of the organization. The question to be asked is whether Infosys could have done a better job as simply a service consultant (a domain in which it already has expertise) to a third-party organization and have the latter handle the actual on-ground developmental work. Also, nearly all of Infosys developmental work has come in the neighbourhood of Karnataka. The scalability of this work can be called into question much like in the case of the Infosys Foundation. Regionalized developmental work can always raise questions about its sincerity, i.e. whether they are simply means to appease the local public/authorities. Infosys Eco Group Plans and Implementation Infosys has been considering the worsening impact of businesses on the environment for several years and has understood the importance of a clean environment and energy efficient solutions. It has hence committed itself to come up with innovations which positively impact the environment and can lead to large energy savings. Many of these have been implemented at Infosys itself. Under this initiative of Green Innovation, Infosys has not only come with a number of ideas but has also implemented some of them in tangible forms: iSustain: Carbon energy and resource management tool that helps the user to generate and monitor the use of various resources such as energy and water etc. being used, take majors to allot them efficiently and also monitor the carbon footprint. InGreen Energy Management: A tool used by Infosys to monitor the energy consumption at micro level and to take majors to cut on unnecessary usage. Using this, Infosys has been successfully reducing its carbon emission at a rate of more than 5% per annum. InGreen Personal Carbon Calculator: A tool that helps the user organizations to assess their impact on ecological systems in terms of carbon emission. Smart Integrator for Smart Grid: A device that continuously monitors the power usage of various devices in the range using a sensor and controls them accordingly. Infosys also plans to become carbon neutral and shift to entirely renewable energy by 2017. The steps taken for the same seem to be promising which include building of renewable energy power generation plants (recently they have built a solar energy plant at Jaipur Campus) and aiming for a platinum rating, the highest rating given by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for environment friendly architecture. In January 2012, the third building at the Mysore Campus achieved this rating. Besides these, Infosys has been taking small but effective measures to reduce its own energy consumption, such as building designs with maximum exposure to natural light, design of windows which could lead to reduction in room temperature thus saving on air conditioning consumption of energy, increasing use of green power and use of recycled water. (Refer Exhibit 1) Assessment In year 2011, Infosys has saved more than 4 lakh units of conventional energy units through the use of the renewable energy sources. Not only has this helped in energy conservation but it has also resulted in savings of Rs. 20 Crore for the organization. In a similar way, innovative ideas such as smart integrator, rooms having maximum exposure to day light, optimum room temperature maintenance measures and use of LED and CFL tubes in place of conventional ones saved more than 7 lakh units of electricity, accounting for monetary benefit of Rs. 35 lakhs. In addition to these, Infosys is working closely with the Karnataka Government and Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) for implementation of renewable energy power plants. It has been successful in convincing KERC to remove the cross-subsidy on renewable energy thus reducing its cost. Moreover as a result of these efforts, KERC has made it compulsory for the power utilities in Karnataka to buy at least 0.25% of total energy in form of solar energy, which will cost the end users only 4 paise more than regular rate per unit. Though listed under the CSR activities and initiated as Green Innovations, the activities mentioned above are not only intended to improve the environmental conditions as a social need but are also aimed at a reduction in Infosys energy consumption thereby giving it a competitive advantage as it can sell these innovative solutions to its clients as well. It is these latter observations that have been points of concern for critics who blame Infosys of hyping its energy savings and accuse it of Greenwashing. [18] Employee-Driven CSR Employees at Infosys are given ample opportunities to contribute to the society. This way of engaging employees to have hands on experience on CSR can also help the society, which needs responsible citizens to contribute man hours. The policy also helps these employees to attain their personal aspirations of serving the society. This sabbatical policy was initiated in the year 2008, where all the employees are encouraged to work through Infosys Foundation to support the needs of the society. The company as an entity is greatly supportive of its employees in executing the initiatives. The employees are made to pledge that they will make a difference to the society on a consistent basis. For effective execution, the company has individual divisions which run independent of each other under major themes like Health, Art, Education, Rural welfare and Rehabilitation and Targeted inclusive growth. A governance framework has also been put in place to streamline and implement the employee driven CSR initiatives in order to provide operational efficiencies and financial transparency.

Legal issues for managers - ILAC assignment Essay

Legal issues for managers - ILAC assignment - Essay Example This was even with the fact that Security One Pty Ltd was not well prepared to carry out the task. After his suggestion was accepted and SIL agreed to use Security One Pty Ltd for the consultation, he informed his wife, thus making it possible for his wife to have privileged information which allowed her to buy more shares in the Security One Pty Ltd and use this as a way to enrich herself. Yet, in all this, Paul never informed the other members about the possible conflict of interest. Paul also hired employees from an informal organization which led to the firm incurring huge losses after the employees form the informal organization stole property and hard cash from SIL. In hiring the employees, he did not carry out a due diligence and only did a simple web search fro the organization. This lack of delicate care led to him not being able to know that the organization was not a formal one and that it was run by criminals. Kim gave her sister in law privileged information about the proposal to create the new power plant. Using this information, the sister in law, Judy was able to buy purchased $50,000 worth of shares in the company. Karen, despite warning by the CEO, went ahead and made decision to invest more money even after the CEO had warned that an increase in the price of coal would reduce SIL’s market competitiveness and would lead to losses. Even after the CEO’s perditions of the price of coal going up came to be true, she still went on and continued to invest more money. This led to many losses. Conclusion Under the Corporations act 2001, an officer of a firm is supposed to act in the best inters of the firm. In cases where the officer has a conflicting interest in the firm, he or she should be able to look at this issue and be able to refrain from making company decisions. Paul was in a position where he had conflicting interests with the firm he was working for. He should have told

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The Relationship between the BBC and Public Broadcasting Corporation and the Commercial Sectors - Essay Example First, before going into BBC’s relationship as a public broadcasting corporation with the commercial sectors, it is helpful to identify first what is meant by public service broadcasting. The Communications Act 2003 (CA 2003) sets a duty on the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to obtain accessibility of a broad range of both â€Å"television and radio services† all over the United Kingdom that is of high quality and considered to draw diverse â€Å"tastes and interests† (Communications Act 2003 s. 264); and to keep an adequate number of providers for various â€Å"television and radio services† (Ridgway 48). While the Communications Act has not defined what comprises â€Å"public service programming†, the Office of Communications (â€Å"Ofcom†) characterized this kind of programming by setting forth â€Å"its  purposes  and  characteristics.†Ã‚   Ridgway in his article â€Å"All change for public service broadcasting in the UK?à ¢â‚¬  enumerates the following purposes and characteristics of public service broadcasting: Purposes: †¢Ã‚  Informing our understanding of the world  --to inform ourselves and others, and to increase our understanding of the world through news, information and analysis of current events and ideas.Stimulating knowledge and learning --to stimulate our interest in and knowledge of arts, science, history and other topics, through content that is accessible and can encourage informal learning. †¢Ã‚  Reflecting UK cultural identity  --to reflect and strengthen our cultural identity through original programming in the United Kingdom, at both national and regional levels, on occasion bringing audiences together for shared experiences. †¢Ã‚  Representing diversity and alternative viewpoints  --to make us aware of different cultures and alternative viewpoints through programmes that reflect the lives of other people and other communities, both within the United Kingdom a nd elsewhere. Characteristics: †¢Ã‚  High quality  --well funded and well produced. †¢Ã‚  Original  --new UK content rather than repeats or acquisitions. †¢Ã‚  Innovative  --breaking new ideas or reinventing exciting approaches, rather than copying old ones. †¢Ã‚  Challenging  --making viewers think. †¢Ã‚  Engaging  --remaining accessible and attractive to viewers. †¢Ã‚  Widely available  --if content is publicly funded, a large majority of citizens need the chance to watch it. (48) McGonagle on the other hand, defines public service broadcasting (PSB) as those broadcasted TV programs which are for the benefit of the public instead of solely for commercial ends (235). These programs consist of â€Å"local news coverage, arts programs, religious broadcasts, and augmented broadcasts featuring (for example) subtitling, visual signing and audio description† (McGonagle 235). It may also include â€Å"original drama, documentaries and chil dren's programming† (Ridgway 49). A particular quota on â€Å"public service broadcasts† is also required in their â€Å"license to broadcast,† in accordance with Ofcom’s regulations (Ridgway 49). The objectives on the other hand for the so-called â€Å"plural public service broadcast provision† are the following: â€Å"Sources of high quality impartial news at local, regional as well as national level, including the nations as well as the United Kingdom as a whole;† high level â€Å"original British content†; a broad range of both â€Å"voices and talent from across the whole United Kingdom,† to guarantee â€Å"continuation and development of creative talent clusters in the regions and nations,† currently assured â€Å"through regional production quotas on some public service broadcasters†; â€Å"guaranteed levels of investment in independent production† in order to ensure the supply of â€Å"the best crea tive ideas and the healthy development of this

Training Methods Used In Four Seasons Assignment

Training Methods Used In Four Seasons - Assignment Example It is apparent that we have a variety of many interactive sessions. The employee is given an introduction to the hotel. Here he is shown the physical structures of the hotel so as to familiarize with the environment. The culture of property location is also made clear to the employee that we put up a hotel in a city that has the long-term strong local economy, and that is a traveler's destination that chooses top luxury hotels. Our selection is also based on the safety and expensive part of the city for the hotel. As for the resorts, it is based on an appealing site and accessibility to recreational facilities. Also, we ensure our employees know that the design for the Hotels and resorts are created to be beautiful, comfortable and personal. Additionally, we introduce our new employees to the philosophy that have been embraced since the start of the Four Seasons. The philosophy is that one should treat others as you would want them to treat you. The philosophy led as to concentrate o n adaptive focused guest services and the best way to achieve that was by treating our employees well. We provide the employees with the essential things they require to serve our guest (Harvard business school, 2000). A system has been set up to ensure that they have the necessary feedback, information, training, and development to enable them to advance in their career if they wish to. It is evident that this keeps the employees motivated thus perform a very high standard service to the guest.

The Relationship between the BBC and Public Broadcasting Corporation Essay

The Relationship between the BBC and Public Broadcasting Corporation and the Commercial Sectors - Essay Example First, before going into BBC’s relationship as a public broadcasting corporation with the commercial sectors, it is helpful to identify first what is meant by public service broadcasting. The Communications Act 2003 (CA 2003) sets a duty on the Office of Communications (Ofcom) to obtain accessibility of a broad range of both â€Å"television and radio services† all over the United Kingdom that is of high quality and considered to draw diverse â€Å"tastes and interests† (Communications Act 2003 s. 264); and to keep an adequate number of providers for various â€Å"television and radio services† (Ridgway 48). While the Communications Act has not defined what comprises â€Å"public service programming†, the Office of Communications (â€Å"Ofcom†) characterized this kind of programming by setting forth â€Å"its  purposes  and  characteristics.†Ã‚   Ridgway in his article â€Å"All change for public service broadcasting in the UK?à ¢â‚¬  enumerates the following purposes and characteristics of public service broadcasting: Purposes: †¢Ã‚  Informing our understanding of the world  --to inform ourselves and others, and to increase our understanding of the world through news, information and analysis of current events and ideas.Stimulating knowledge and learning --to stimulate our interest in and knowledge of arts, science, history and other topics, through content that is accessible and can encourage informal learning. †¢Ã‚  Reflecting UK cultural identity  --to reflect and strengthen our cultural identity through original programming in the United Kingdom, at both national and regional levels, on occasion bringing audiences together for shared experiences. †¢Ã‚  Representing diversity and alternative viewpoints  --to make us aware of different cultures and alternative viewpoints through programmes that reflect the lives of other people and other communities, both within the United Kingdom a nd elsewhere. Characteristics: †¢Ã‚  High quality  --well funded and well produced. †¢Ã‚  Original  --new UK content rather than repeats or acquisitions. †¢Ã‚  Innovative  --breaking new ideas or reinventing exciting approaches, rather than copying old ones. †¢Ã‚  Challenging  --making viewers think. †¢Ã‚  Engaging  --remaining accessible and attractive to viewers. †¢Ã‚  Widely available  --if content is publicly funded, a large majority of citizens need the chance to watch it. (48) McGonagle on the other hand, defines public service broadcasting (PSB) as those broadcasted TV programs which are for the benefit of the public instead of solely for commercial ends (235). These programs consist of â€Å"local news coverage, arts programs, religious broadcasts, and augmented broadcasts featuring (for example) subtitling, visual signing and audio description† (McGonagle 235). It may also include â€Å"original drama, documentaries and chil dren's programming† (Ridgway 49). A particular quota on â€Å"public service broadcasts† is also required in their â€Å"license to broadcast,† in accordance with Ofcom’s regulations (Ridgway 49). The objectives on the other hand for the so-called â€Å"plural public service broadcast provision† are the following: â€Å"Sources of high quality impartial news at local, regional as well as national level, including the nations as well as the United Kingdom as a whole;† high level â€Å"original British content†; a broad range of both â€Å"voices and talent from across the whole United Kingdom,† to guarantee â€Å"continuation and development of creative talent clusters in the regions and nations,† currently assured â€Å"through regional production quotas on some public service broadcasters†; â€Å"guaranteed levels of investment in independent production† in order to ensure the supply of â€Å"the best crea tive ideas and the healthy development of this

Currently Ethical Issue in Business Research Paper

Currently Ethical Issue in Business - Research Paper Example This has mainly emanated from the absence of transparency, consistency; accountability, coupled with institutional weaknesses within judicial and legislative systems have been a primary cause of corruption within companies. The paper explores ethical challenges associated with corruption and bribery in business. Business ethics has overtime attracted significant interest partly owing to the perception of crude capital tendencies, which elevate the making of profits relative to ethical making of such profits. The realization of corporate goals and objectives necessitates that business managers design relevant policies and strategies, which enable them to attain the set objectives and cope with the overriding business environment. Nevertheless, some of the corporate policies may offend ethical sensibilities (Trevino & Nelson, 2011). Background Corruption is a complex phenomenon covering a wide range of and its origin lies deep within political and bureaucratic institutions. Although, t he costs of corruption may differ and systemic corruption may be accompanied by sound economic performance, studies on corruption demonstrates that corruption is bad for development. Bribery represents one of the core tools of corruption and can be employed by businesses as a mode of â€Å"buying† things availed by governments or other entities such as contracts, government incentives, lower taxes, legal outcomes, and licenses (Myint, 2000). Ordinary business practices when abused can be construed as corrupt payments. Bribery and corruption in companies limits competition, corrupts the society, and damages innovation. In most cases, â€Å"corrupt† and â€Å"illicit† can be employed interchangeably, which implies that corrupt behavior contravenes a principle of legality; nevertheless, not all illegal behavior is corrupt and not all corrupt behavior can be deemed as illegal (Kochan & Goodyear, 2011). Transparency International differentiates forms of corruption by motive, whereby corruption behaviors injurious to the firm can be labeled as dysfunctional corruption while that beneficial to the firm can be labeled as functional corruption (Myint, 2000). Such a distinction is relevant when discussing international business and corruption given that some acts such as bribes and kickbacks may enable the firm to operate profitably, especially in the short-term (Loughman & Sibery, 2012). Discussion The World Bank estimates that close to 0.5% of GDP is lost via corruption each year. Bribery is mode common form of corruption, which creates a leeway where organized crime can flourish, corroding of trust in institutions, and undermining the rule of and democratic practices. Corruption can be highlighted as endemic within emerging economies causing chaos in economic development. In recent years, there has been a surge in high-profile cases of corporate corruption and bribery, which have given rise to colossal fines for companies engaged in corruption su rpassing $ 1 billion and increasing diplomatic tensions between countries. In response to increasing incidences on corruption, the U.S. Justice Department has increased prosecutions of alleged acts of foreign bribery by U.S. corporations. For instance, in 2009, over 120 companies were under investigation representing a stark contrast from what was happening in the previous years. Recent trends toward vibrant enforcement of

Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † –Nelson Mandela The importance of learning is to enable the individual to put his potentials to optimal use. Education makes man a right thinker and a correct decision-maker. It achieves this by bringing him knowledge from the external world, teaching him to reason and acquainting him with past history, so that he can be a better judge of the present. With education, he finds himself in a room with all its windows open to the outside world. A well educated man is a more dependable worker, a better citizen, a centre of wholesome influence, pride to his community and honour to his country. A nation is great only in proportion of its advancement in education. Education is Self Empowerment. Receiving a good education makes a person strong enough to look after himself in any given situation. It keeps him aware of the given surrounding as well as the rules and regulations of the society. Its only through knowledge that one can question authority for its negligence or discrepancies and only then that can a person avail his rights as a citizen and seek improvement in the structural functioning of governance and economy. As a whole, people can bring about development only when they know where improvement is necessary for the greater good of mankind. Education gives a better understanding to the person, it helps realize potential and qualities one possesses as a human being. It helps tap into latent talent, so that people can sharpen their skills. Education teaches what man lives and struggles for. It cultivates an integrated life. By so doing, it gives significance of life. It helps restores financial stability and dignity of life. It is the essential basis of a good life. Education enlightens and lifts a nation to heights of progress. The problem in India is that it has adopted democracy without preparing the ground for it by educating population. But its never too late to undertake mass programmes of Adult education or Social education. Adult education is the education of grown up men and women. In the complex modern times, people must be knowledgeable and be aware of what they are doing and what is being done to them. To create such sentience every responsible citizen should take up this social cause and educate the knowledge deprived people. Teaching a daily worker for just an hour daily can change their lives in propitious ways as it was rightly quoted by Neil Armstrong, ‘One small step is a giant leap for mankind’. In recent history our country has taken up good measures to ensure a high educated population by taking up several social causes and concentrating on the rural areas, since they comprise a majority but the system has been laid back due the restraints imposed by old cultural ethics. For the past few centuries in India, the girl has been completely neglected even as a human being, her sole purpose of life has been to feed the family and bear a child. Good education has been denied to women. It is argued that women have their domestic duties to perform and that, if they were educated, they would bury themselves in their books and have little time for attending to the management of their households. But what people fail to understand is education involves knowledge of the means by which health may be preserved and enable a mother to consult such modern books as will tell her how to rear up her children into healthy men and women and skilfully nurse them and her husband, when disease attacks her household. The purpose of education is not just earning a livelihood but education makes an individual into a good human being, which is passed on to the next the kith and kin. It is true that, the education of girls has lately taken a slight leap but this is only in a very small segment of Indian society. Unless the motion is fast and continuous, and includes more of poor urban and rural girls in the field of education, there can be no hope of having a developed and first world country status for India. â€Å"When a man is educated, only he is educated but, when a woman is educated, a family is educated. † – Indira Gandhi â€Å"Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. † – Nelson Mandela.

Empirical Evidence Make Progress In Knowledge Philosophy Essay

Empirical Evidence Make Progress In Knowledge Philosophy Essay The dictionary definition of empirical evidence is evidence relating to or based on experiment and observation (rather than theory) or on practical experience (without reference to scientific principles). This type of evidence is necessary for a theory, in different areas of knowledge, to be confirmed. Empirical methods are generally used to base a theory or derive a conclusion in sciences (such as the natural sciences or the human sciences) after collecting all the necessary data. The meaning of the word empirical derives from the ancient Greek word for experience (ÃŽÂ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±), which means knowledge based on direct perception of things or events through our senses. Therefore, empirical data is information that is derived from the trials and errors of experience. In this way, the empirical method is similar to the experimental method. The empirical method is generally characterized by the collection of a large amount of data, with or without much idea of what to expect. The empirical method is necessary in entering completely unexplored fields, and becomes less empirical as the acquired knowledge of the field increases. Throughout centuries researchers use empirical research and evidence to test reality i.e. to test the state of things as they actually exist, basing their findings on direct or indirect observation. This kind of research is mainly applied to empirical sciences, mainly the natural sciences and the human (social) sciences. In these areas knowledge should be based on observable phenomena capable of being experimented for their validity by other researchers working under the same conditions. In natural sciences empirical evidence is crucial and scientists can count on this to continue experimenting and make progress discovering new sights. The core skill of a scientist is to make observations, i.e. receive knowledge of the outside world through the senses. The scientist sees, hears, or in some other way notices whats going on in the world and becomes curious about whats happening. This also includes reading and studying what others have done in the past since scientific knowledge is cumulative. In physics, for example, when Newton came up with his Theory of Motion, he based his hypothesis on the work of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo as well as his own, newer observations. Another example is Darwin who formed his Theory of Evolution based on the works of other naturalists but mainly on observations during his voyage to chart the coastline of South America, a voyage that lasted almost 5 years, during which Darwin spent most of the time on land investigating geology and making natural history collections  [2]  . In chemistry, the most important issues of atomic theory have been proved experimentally and nobody doubts about the existence of i.e. atoms. Nowadays, everybody knows and nobody can deny that all elements are made of atoms and all atoms have a nucleus. Moreover, science and technology helped to discover and study the tiny world of atoms. For example, nucleus, the massive centre of the atom was discovered in 1911, but it took scientists another 21 years of experimenting to identify its parts (protons, neutrons, electrons). In addition, for many years scientists thought that there was nothing smaller than the proton or the neutron in the nucleus of the atom. In 1968, they discovered that there are new particles inside the proton and the neutron (the quarks) that are even smaller. As we can see, chemical theory is confirmed by detailed agreement with experimental results, although, it takes scientists many years of experimenting and observation. Biology is the science that studies life mainly from an experimental perspective. Observations and experiments are used vastly to help scientists gather information and make conclusions on several aspects. For example, in biology, disease resides in cells (and, perhaps ultimately, in genes), but we know this because cellular dysfunction can be demonstrated experimentally. In addition, disease can best be controlled by attending to cellular function and dysfunction and by intervening to manipulate the cell using techniques that have empirically demonstrated effectiveness. In human sciences the situation is different. Sciences such as Psychology have just recently managed to convince people that they are credible. This has been mainly achieved because through observations and experimenting it has produced quantifiable, repeatable results based on empirical evidence. In other sciences such as Economics, Economists have conducted controlled experiments constructed to observe participants reactions to specific situations. However, in many cases behaviour is governed more by emotion than by reason. In all human sciences, the experiments are performed on human beings, using relatively small sample sizes and artificial environments which make the results difficult to generalise. Nevertheless, no one can deny the usefulness of observations on human behaviour during differentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In other areas of knowledge, such as Mathematics, the methods used to verify knowledge are independent of experience. Of course they involve an objective, careful and systematic study of an area of knowledge, but facts depend on reasoning alone as in the equation 1+1=2 for example. Mathematics is considered to be the science of rigorous truth and an island of certainty in an ocean of doubt. In such areas of knowledge, empirical evidence cannot be used to make progress. However, one of its main branches, geometry, actually started as a natural, empirical science. Hilbert made important contributions to both axiomatic geometry and to general relativity. Of course, a geometrical theory in physical interpretation can never be validated with mathematical certainty, no matter how extensive the experimental tests to which it is subjected. Like any other theory of empirical science, it can acquire only a more or less high degree of confirmation. Indeed, the demand for mathematical certainty in empirical matters is misguided and unreasonable, since mathematical certainty of knowledge can be only attained at the price of analyticity and thus of complete lack of factual content  [3]  . This is also summarised in Einsteins words: As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. The same stands for areas such as history, art, and religion. Religion, for example, is purely a matter of faith. People who choose to believe in God do not have evidence to support it and people who choose not to believe in God do not have evidence that there is no God. There is also no more evidence for any one God than for any other. It is just as sensible to worship the Gods of the ancient Greeks or Egyptians as it is to worship modern deities. Everybody must decide for himself or herself which religion (if any) to follow. And, when people decide to follow one religion, they believe that God exists even if their belief cannot empirically verified or falsified. Their belief is mainly based either on intuition or on some more or less intense personal religious experience. Some others have faith and their belief is based on the feeling that there must be something. As we see, whether or not God exists is something that cannot be proved (scientifically) by experimentation or observ ation, therefore, the existence of God is something that different people have different intuition about. As regards arts, From the above, I believe that empirical evidence used in the form of observation, experience, or experiment should be used in natural and human sciences, in order to provide accurate and unbiased information. This information will consist a reliable guide for future generations, which will be based on this information to make the necessary progress through further investigation. From the examples given, it is obvious that researchers should never stop examining, questioning and experimenting in order for new findings to come to light. Previous knowledge and experimental results form a solid base for new discoveries that make progress and evolve sciences. Above all, however, every scientist should question and analyse any findings in the most objective way and not allow prejudice influence his thoughts and his results. No hypothesis or theory can be called scientific or accepted if it lacks empirical evidence in favour. Therefore, empirical evidence can be use both to accept or counter any scientific hypothesis or theory. http://www.experiment-resources.com/empirical-evidence.html Read more: http://www.experiment-resources.com/empirical-evidence.html#ixzz0gIvSLOZN There is no evidence to support the doctrines of a particular religion. After all, certainty cannot be found in any area of knowledge. Even if we prove something by experiment or observation, it may turn out to be false after some years or more. The complete work of Charles Darwin on line (http://darwin-online.org.uk/) http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?viewtype=sideitemID=F10.3pageseq=1

How to join a site :: essays research papers

Amazon.com: Music: Shut Up - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Shut Up, Kelly Osbourne. ... 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:. 5 out of 5 stars Shut Up -- Kelly Osbourne, December 4, 2002 ... www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ tg/detail/-/B000071AZB?v=glance - 66k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares Amazon.com: Books: Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood ... - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Amazon.com: Books: Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood, Politics, and the UN are Subverting America by Laura Ingraham. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ tg/detail/-/0895261014?v=glance - 93k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares [ Mà ¡s resultados de www.amazon.com ] Shut Up Lyrics - Black Eyed Peas - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Shut up Just shut up Shut up [3x] Shut it up, just shut up Shut up ... The CopyRight of Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up Lyrics belongs to the writer or performer ... www.lyrics007.com/ Black%20Eyed%20Peas%20Lyrics/Shut%20Up%20Lyrics.html - 19k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares The Stranger - Home - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]JUST SHUT UP. Nobody gives a shit what anti-war or pro-war writers think. Really. So shut up. That goes double for poets. Shut the hell up, poets. ... www.thestranger.com/2003-02-20/feature.html - 22k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares Bill O'Reilly Wants You To Shut Up - Also, Al Franken, Tom Daschle ... - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Fox News channel talk show host Bill O'Reilly says "shut up" the way other people say "um." slate.msn.com/id/2087706/ - 36k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares SHUT UP AND SHOP - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Australian graffiti artist with qtvrs, interactive shockwaves, and quicktime movies, all with the theme of world hunger. www.shutupandshop.wild.net.au/ - 1k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares shut up you fat whiner! - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]shut up you fat whiner! still fat, fuzzy and as bent as a dog's tail. (that's a3uaj mithil thail al-chalib if you're Iraqi) ... justzipit.blogspot.com/ - 67k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares SHUT UP letra (Black Eyed Peas)Black Eyed Peas Letras de mà ºsicas - Letras.mus.br. black-eyed-peas.letras.terra.com.br/letras/77508/ - 26k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares This is Shut UP! From UK Software. Automatic computer shut down or .

Knights :: essays research papers

Knights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fourth century A.D. the Roman Empire fell and Europe was invaded by various barbarian tribes. One of the dominant groups was the Franks of central and western Europe, who gradually expanded their power until their leader Charlemagne became emperor of the West. Powerful local lords and their mounted warriors offered protection to peasants, who became their serfs in return. By the 11the century a new social order was formed my armored knights, who served a local lord, count, or duke, and were in turn served by serfs. When males were about seven, a boy of noble birth who was going to become a knight was usually sent away to a nobleman’s household, often that of his uncle or great lord, to be a page. Here he learned how to behave and how to ride. About 14, he was apprenticed to a knight whom he served as a squire. He was taught how to handle weapons and how to look after his master’s armor and horses. He even went into battle with his knight, help ing him put on his armor and assisting him if he was hurt or unhorsed. He learned how to shoot a bow and to carve meat for food. Successful squired were knighted when they were about 21 years old. Young men who wanted to be knights had to keep fit. So squires trained constantly to exercise their muscles, and improve their skills. They practiced with each other and also sometimes with their knightly masters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main body armor worn my early knights was made of mail, consisting of many small, liked iron rings. During the 12th century, knights started to wear more mail. Their sleeves got longer, and mail leggings became popular. A padded garment called an aketon was also worn below the mail to absorb blows. In the 14th century knights added steel plated to protect their limbs, and the body was often protected further with a coat-of-plates, made of pieces of iron riveted to a cloth covering. A suit weighed about 44-55 lbs. And the weight was spread over the body so that a fit man could run, lie down, or mount his horse unaided in his armor. The only problem was that the armor quickly made you hot. By the 15th century, knights were protecting themselves with full suits of plate armor. The armor’s smooth surface deflected the edges and points of weapons.

Hungergames

Katniss Everdeen volunteering in Prim’s place as tribute and deciding to fight against the injustice of the Games Katniss enters slowly, stunned, and then as the realisation of the words set in, she races towards the front of the stage to face the panel. And the girl tribute for District 12 is †¦ Primrose Everdeen! Not Prim! Not my little duck! There must be some mistake! This can’t be happening! Stop! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute in her place! I am Katniss and I wish to be Tribute for District 12. Don’t take Primrose!Katniss takes a minute to compose herself before continuing. I promise I will do whatever I can to bring victory to this District and that I will be a true and brave Tribute if you allow me to stand in for Primrose. Moving towards the fence line where her friend Gale is standing. Gale– come and get her and take her away from here. Please – watch over my Mother and my sister – make sure they are safe and fed. I have t o go! Turning on her heel, Katniss moves back to centre stage where she sees the crowd standing silently, with their three middle fingers on their left hand held to their lips.Is this really true? I see you and I understand the message you are sending me with your fingers touching your lips and then held out to me. This is our District sign – this is the sign that mearns thanks and admiration. I will try my hardest to be true to our District and to undermine this cruel and humiliating festival that is the Hunger Games. Katniss’ movements start to waver as the seriousness of what she has done starts to really sink in. She is moved to a room in the court house behind the stage.This room is where I finally await my fate and the reality of it is hitting me hard. The injustice of this reaping makes me physically ill. I want to throw up so bad! This room once seemed so big but now its walls are crushing me and closing in on me. I fear for my safety but I know I have made the right decision to stand in for Primrose. I feel so sad. Sad for my sister – tiny, sweet, delicate Prim – my â€Å"little duck†. I could never let her have to confront the degradation or torment of weeks of competition – she would not last a second.The other tributes would see her as a frightened deer – easy prey – and crush her like a bug. Pacing up and down and stopping every now and again to face the audience and look at them with conviction. Me on the other hand? At least I can hunt and I am pretty good with a bow. I am a sthronger person much more capable of looking after myself and using my wits to protect me than Prim will ever be. She is a baby! It astounds me how the Capitol can continue to hold these barbaric games.They have already taken our livelihoods and our freedom – what good could possibly come of the senseless slaughter of innocent children apart from the punishment for an uprising that happened so long ago, it is no t in my memory. Why must the children be put to death? Moves to centre stage and sits The anguish I am feeling is rising up in my chest, threatening to flood over me and cause more misery and hopelessness than I am already experiencing. But I am sthronger than that! Stands again and moves stage leftI will overcome this sense of utter desolation and take on the challenge of sticking to the Capitol in any way I can. Being led into this room reminds me of what prison must be like for those who betray the Capitol and it hardens my resolve. I am determined more than ever to fight for my freedom and the freedom of all children of Panem. We are not lambs bred to be slaughtered to teach the rest of Panem a lesson about subservience and submission. We are human beings! But am I really that brave? I am sthronger in spirit than many my age and that has got me in to all sorts of trouble so far.Maybe it will be to my advantage now. Katniss pauses and sits down pondering†¦ Maybe this was mea nt to happen. Maybe it is my task to do what I can to rebel against the insane faulty logic that governs the hearts and minds of the Capitol. I was once so close to accepting Gale’s offer to run off into the woods, to hide away from the rest of the world and live in relative safety out of the prying eyes of the all controlling, all pervasive Capitol. Now I know why that was not my fate. Katniss moves side stage and holds her It could be done!If I play cool and keep my head, I could turn this situation to my advantage. I could try to send a message to all in the Districts that Katniss Everdeen mearns business. She is not going to take this lying down. She is not going to give in to the brutality of the power-hungry Capitol, she is not a pawn to be played with like a rag doll. I must have some skills that I can use to survive this ordeal. The predators may have me in a corner and God knows, I am terrified, but a cornered animal is also a dangerous one. One wrong move, and it wi ll destroy – it has the most to lose.Katniss becomes immobilised by an overwhelming sense of inadequacy What am I talking about? I can’t possibly win. This competition is way beyond my abilities. I am reminded of Gale’s final words to me: â€Å"Katniss – it is just hunting! You’re the best hunter I know. You know how to kill – swiftly and painlessly. † But I don’t want to kill children! It’s just too awful! Katniss runs to centre stage, resolute in her conviction again. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do to begin the long journey towards justice. I will do what I must to begin this war against the Hunger Games. Starting right now.

Public School System Essay

Abstract The public school system in America is a topic that is surrounded by great debate. There are many questions that surround this topic. The research question for this paper was, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future? And, what solutions are available if the system is failing? The methodology the researcher used in this paper was literature review, and he also conducted an interview with someone working in the field. In this paper the researcher explains how the public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. The paper also explains how the teaching styles are out dated. The researcher also explains the solutions that are already in place and the possible solutions for the future. Introduction For several decades, the public school system has been a topic of great debate. There are many questions surrounding this topic, such as: Is the public schools system failing to prepare our children? Who should make the curriculum? Who should make the policies? And what role and say do the parents have in their children’s education? These are just a few examples of the questions that may come up with the topic of public education. This topic is important to me because of the diverse educational background I come from. I started out my educational experience in regular classes and then was moved to advanced classes and finally, after failing, I ended up at an alternative school. That is why I ask the question, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future, what are the problems, and if it is what is being done to fix it? Due to my educational background I do believe that the public school system is failing to prepare our children. I also believe there are many contributing factors, such as, the school staff, the government, the teachers union, and even the parents. I also believe that there are many ways to fix the system, like new union and staff rules, changing the curriculum, and involving more educators than politicians when forming policies. This topic is important for all children in the U.S. public school system, because if the system is successfully improved, their learning experience will be greatly enhanced. It will also benefit the teachers, because they will have the opportunity to truly serve the community rather than just going to work. This has become a very complex topic but after reading the research ahead you will see that the answer is relatively simple. Review of Literature There is an idea that our public schools are failing to prepare our children for the future. This future could be four year college, technical school or directly into the work place. It is the job of our public schools to prepare each student for all of these futures. However, it seems that the idea that their failing has become the reality and it is a concerning thought that America is producing children less prepared for the world than are other countries. The National Center for Education conducted a study in 1995 involving students from forty one countries. They tested skills in math and science for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. What they found at the fourth grade level was that the students were above the international average in mathematics and science. At the eighth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average in mathematics, but above the average in science. At the twelfth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average among the lowest of the participating nations. (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) This seems to be the trend with our students in America. They tend to level off instead of advancing like students in other nations. Part of this problem is due to the teaching that the students receive. This is described in the 1995 study by the National Center for Education; â€Å"eighth grade U.S. mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future problems.† (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) Some teaching was said to be boring and out dated. The students sometimes seem like drones listening to the person in the front of the room rather than grasping the whole idea. Mike O’Conner described in his interview. (O’Conner, 2012) The documentary Waiting for Superman also talked about the case of the bad teacher. Which, if your school has one, it was said that you would be stuck with it? This is mainly because of the union benefit called tenure that protects teachers from being dismissed for the wrong reasons, but also makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to dismiss the bad teachers. (Guggenheim, 2010) Teachers are not the only problem and should not be the only source of blame. There are higher positions to the school system than just teachers such as principals, administrators, and city officials that all play a role in the failing system. The article Dependant teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children describes the differences between having good administrators and bad. The article goes on to say that if a school has a good administrator they will attract good teachers. Then it talks about bad administrators and their need for power and control. This in turn will attract teachers who have dependency needs and do not tolerate independence. (Muschel, Fall 1979) In other words, if you have bad leaders you get bad followers. This article also describes how through the use of rules, regulations, paperwork, and language an administrator can control the staff. They do this to give themselves job satisfaction, but it ultimately stops the teachers from effectively engaging in the classroom. (Muschel, Fall 1979) The government officials also play a role in the way our schools’ lesson plans are laid out. The article Needed: Educational Philosophy as a guide for Decision Making in the Public Schools touches on this. (Klein, Spring 1977) The article talks about how the endeavors of our politicians change our schools curriculum. It also states that the direction our country is going in comparison with other nations changes our curriculum. One example of this is during our endeavors to beat Russia into space our children were required to learn complex and abstract science and math disciplines. (Klein, Spring 1977) Another example of the politics behind education is the No Child Left Behind act of 2002. This act by congress states that each state set up a standard that each student has to test at. It also gives the parents the right to pull a child out of a failing school and put them in a better one. In addition it holds the state accountable for its education. The article Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials, talks about this act. It says that the schools are more accountable for a student’s yearly success. It also states that the schools need to use researched based methods of teaching. It also talks about how the act is somewhat of a control of parental rights; in the manner that it is up for the individual to seek education. Overall, it mainly talks about how the act should help improve students who are in economically disadvantaged areas, but does not touch on the failing children in the more economically fluent areas. (Russo, 2005) Mike O’Conner also talked about the No Child Left Behind act in his interview. He mainly said that it is a good idea, but it is about twenty years too late. He said this because of the times we are in. He also described how this is the technology and information age, it is time we start teaching in that capacity, rather than make provisions that still support our old system. (O’Conner, 2012) One other problem which was touched on by the film Changing Education Paradigms. This problem was the fact that children are medicated for ADHA too much and too quickly. It was described that children now are being bombarded by information from every technological device around them. This, in turn, distracts them from the information on the blackboard, which appears boring. To deal with this the students are medicated to calm them down and making them pay attention. It also showed that the prescriptions are given more frequently as you head east across the states. (Robinson, 2010) That is just some of the problems with public education today. There are many more like attendance issues, and the children’s home environment. These are just some of the main points surrounding our public schools problems. Now it is time to address some of the solutions to these problems. As the problem of the failing public education system grew so did the demand for a solution. Educators and others came up with one solution which has mixed reviews. This was the invention of the alternative, or charter schools. These schools are set up for the student to ultimately succeed in today’s curriculum, with more ease and confidence. The article An Oasis of Hope: the Power of Thinking Developmentally (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) talks about how the public schools have placed some children in low quality, control based programs which give them limited outcomes. It goes on to say that these children need to be put in alternative programs that follow positive guidelines. These guidelines should follow these principles: All children must have opportunities for success based on efforts which are celebrated by significant adults. All children need to be seen for their strengths. All children must have opportunities to develop qualities which follow a healthy developmental progression. All children have the right to live and learn in contexts relevant to their real lives and dreams. (p. 106) The article also describes how to use these principals in the framework for alternative schools for special needs children. (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) The idea of alternative and charter schools is in our own backyard of Milwaukee. â€Å"Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in education,† according to the article Alternative Education Programs in Milwaukee. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article states that, â€Å"in 1990 the state of Wisconsin legislated mandatory alternative education programs for children at risk of not graduating from high school.† Howard states that the legislation set parameters that qualify the children as at risk such as; one or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained, habitual truants, adjudicated delinquents, and parents. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article also says that by August fifteenth of each year the schools must have a plan in place for each student who is at risk. It goes on to describe the classes as a fifteen to one student to teacher ratio, which allows personalized time with each student. (Howard, Summer 2003) Howard also talks about three different alternative schools which are Silverspring Neighborhood Academy, Shalom High School, and Cornerstone Achievement Center. Each school has a different approach to the alternative setting, but they all share equal success with their students, according to the article. (Howard, Summer 2003) The video documentary Waiting for Superman is a great example of the successes of charter schools. This documentary talks about several schools across the country. Most of these schools are in the larger cities, but some are in the suburbs. It talks about the great success stories that each school has where the public sector is failing. It also stated that the students graduating from the schools shown were adequately prepared for college. The film also showed the demand for the schools in the failing districts, because the students had to be placed in a lottery just to get in. According to the film, almost all the students who attended the charter schools were successful and most went on to college. Another way the school system can improve is by completely restructuring the way the children are taught. According to Mike O’Conner, in his interview, the schools were designed to educate children fifty years ago. He states that the schools need to â€Å"personalize learning† and base the education on â€Å"competency rather than credits.† One example of this would be not having â€Å"archaic technology bans such as cell phones and I Pads.† Also, with the competency rather than credit program, a child could start school and finish at their own pase, rather than six years of elementary, two years of middle school, and four years of high school. An example of that is two students start their freshman year; one student finishes school in three years, the other in five. Mike also says that part of the â€Å"solution is pacing, relevancy, and refocusing on creativity† which will help keep children involved and help them develop their passions. This is the focal points of what he is trying to do at his school. He also states that although these are great solutions, he does not see it at the state or national level yet. Additionally he thinks that if the school system does not act soon on these ideas, America’s dropout rate and failure rate will rise drastically. (O’Conner, 2012) Discussion As the research shows the public school system is failing to prepare our children. There are many contributing factors to this. The way I see it is there are too many people trying to be in charge. The schools are controlled by federal, state and local governments. First of all, none of these bodies are education experts. Second, each of these government bodies has their own interests in mind, not necessarily the well being of the children. Third, the three different bodies of government seldom see eye to eye with each other. This is why I think the state and local government need to step out completely in the areas of curriculum not in the areas of budgets. I think if this happened the school system will be on one united front, which would be a good start. They could make teaching a federal job then, and at that point they could abolish the teachers union, and the teachers could still get union like benefits. With this they could make the teaching jobs more performance based. This would also abolish the idea of bad teachers and administrators, because if they have bad performance they would no longer be working in that field. That is just part of the problem. The bigger problem at hand is our outdated curriculum and teaching style. I experienced this, my whole life in school, until my senior year of high school when I was placed in an alternative program. The idea of alternative and charter schools is great, because it gives children a chance, and it promotes competition with the public sector. I think the charter schools are on the right track, but if they do not keep continue with innovative ideas, they will be in the same situation as the public sector. I think the best way for all to benefit is to restructure the whole teaching curriculum and learning environment. I think we need to structure it as if our current time was 2025 and not 2012, because if we do that we will not be starting out dated from the get go. Conclusion Public education is an important role in our children’s lives. It is there to help them develop learning and life skills for the future, so that they may go on and play vital roles in society. It is unfortunate that the research shows that our current public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. It also shows that there are many reasons for this such as, the government, the design of the curriculum and teaching styles, school staff, the parents, and, in some regard, the teachers union. There is hope however, the invention of the charter school is helping children graduate and preparing them for college. There are also some acts that the government has put in place to have some accountability for the children’s success. It is hopeful because there are others out there trying to reshape our whole education system to benefit today’s needs. Our current system is failing. We are behind in almost all subjects when compared to other nations. This is a scary thought when you think of a global economy. Our children are not as prepared as children in other countries to fulfill job needs on a global scale. This means that our children currently are less likely to have the skills to make the new inventions that will carry our nation into the future. This potential is that America, as a whole, will fall behind other nations in all aspects, and it could all be due to education. All of these are frightening thoughts and if we do not act quickly and make changes now it is only going to get harder. Education is one of the most important parts in building society. In our country we are provided the opportunity to have somewhat free public education. Our system seems to be failing; this failure provides a great opportunity. There are many ways to repair it and it is time that we stop crawling with the issue, and start making leaps and bounds. If we start working together we can rebuild the corner stone to a successful society, which is education. References Calsyn, C., Gonzales, P., & Frase, M. (1999). Highlights from TIMMS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2010). Waiting for Superman [Motion Picture]. Howard, T. (Summer 2003). Alternative Education Programs Milwaukee. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 121-123. Klein, D. S. (Spring 1977). Needed: Educational Philosophy as a Guide for Decision-Makeing in the Public Schools. Education , 290-293. McCarty, B. C., & Quirk, C. A. (2003). An â€Å"Oasis OF Hope†: The Power of Thinking Developmentally. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 105-107. Muschel, I. (Fall 1979, Fall). Dependent Teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children. Education , 06-12. O’Conner, M. (2012, February 2). A Principals Point of Veiw. (D. Miller, Interviewer) Robinson, K. (Director). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Motion Picture]. Russo, C. J. (2005). Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials? The Journal of Education , 27-40.