American Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

American Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat - Essay Example The focus of this essay "American Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat" is on Jean-Michel Basquiat's biography and his specific art works. He had a unique mastery of art in quite a wide range of fields including music, painting, poem writing and graffiti. Just before his death in August 1988, he had become a distinguished primitivist and neo-expressionist painter. When he was seven years old, Basquiat was involved in an accident, where he was almost ran on by a car. As a result, he suffered some systemic injuries that made him to a surgical procedure where his spleen was extracted. Around this time, Basquiat’s parents separated and he was raised by his father. Due to their family’s financial strain, he dropped out of school at Grade 10 and began selling post cards and old shirts to take care of family needs. This paper describes such incredible artwork of Basquiat as The Untitled Head (1984). Contrary to many of his later works, which had been completed relatively quickly, The U ntitled (Head) was started and put aside for a few months, and was completed later in the year 1984. It is not clear why this happened but a number of analysts have alluded to the fact that Basquiat was hesitant to complete the painting because he became quite uncomfortable with the popularity he was gaining from his artistic works and the resultant unexpected image. Although the painting was exhibited in the artist’s debut presentation in New York as Untitled, when it became part of the collection of its current owners.

Hire for Attitude Essay Example for Free

Hire for Attitude Essay Professionals mostly from the human resource department believe in â€Å"hire for attitude, train for skills† and this can be supported by the fact that it is comparatively easier to inculcate and to make them learn new skills than to change their attitude. I believe that this statement is very true as the type of attitude adopted by an individual formulates due to various reasons and the environment he lives in. Depending on these factors and some of the other major factors an individual has passed through in his life, he then develops a certain type of attitude. There are various types of attitudes that a person might possess, however specifically talking about the attitudes of employees at workplace, I would say that people might be enthusiastic or efficient. Besides this, they might show their excellence at work, they might be flexible or might make their work easy by adopting a good attitude. Many companies have failed to hire the right candidate for the right job and this is the most important task of the human resource department to consider when hiring a candidate. In order to bring an improvement in the hiring process, many companies have analyzed many reasons over the years to find out the reasons why their hiring processes fail and they have come up to a conclusion that it is always better to hire a person with a right mind set and a right attitude rather than hiring a person with the right experience. Therefore, now the companies prefer to hire individuals for attitude after which they train them according to the requirement of the company and the job. (Carbondara, 2007).

How Power Corrupts in Macbeth Essay -- Macbeth, power, Shakespeare,

â€Å"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.† (John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton) It is in human nature that the more power one desires the more corrupt actions one must do to attain it. In Shakespeare’s tragedy of Macbeth, a Scottish noble's craving for power leads him to do terrible deeds that leads to his demise. Shakespeare shows that power corrupts by using Macbeth who corrupts under the thought of have power over others. Macbeth becomes corrupt under the thought of becoming king and gaining almost complete control over the people that he rules. Macbeth wants the power badly enough to do horrible deeds such as commit regicide. Lady Macbeth becomes very ambitious and allows herself to become seduced to the idea of becoming Queen. Her ruthlessness urges Macbeth to commit regicide by questioning his love for her and his own manhood. Jane Brendon, a female critic on Macbeth comments on the Lady Macbeth’s association with Macbeth, the hero, to commit crimes which tend to show that the corruption of Macbeth is previously designed and the result that they got was foretold: Lady Macbeth certainly had the upper hand over her weak husband; she found it easy to manipulate him into murder and then getting him to think it was his own idea! She even insults him by telling him that the only way he’ll be able to prove his manhood to her is to commit murder, since he hasn’t already proved it to her by â€Å"giving her a son.† That was a very, very harsh insult because in those times, males were everything. (p.9, The Follies of Power) The essence of Macbeth lies not only in the fact that it is written by the universal talent William Shakespeare; the royal-conspiracy, the political unethical activity, the killin... ...U of Pennsylvania Press, 1994) Domhoff, G. W. (1990). The power elite and the state: How policy Is made in America. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine de Gruyter. http://www.ehow.com/about_6635615_meaning-graft-corruption https://answers.yahoo.com/question John Wain, The Living World of Shakespeare: A Playgoer’s Guide (London: Macmillan, 1965), 23. Leonard Tennenhouse, Power on Display: The Politics of Shakespeare’s Genres (New York: Methuen, 1986 Mann, M. (1977). States ancient and modern. Archives of European Sociology, 18, 226-298. Mann, M. (1993). The sources of social power: The rise of classes and nation-states, 1760-1914 (Vol. 2). New York: Cambridge University Press. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated William Shakespeare, Macbeth, in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Ware, Hertfordshire, England: Wordsworth Editions, Ltd., 1996), I.v.25-28.

A Critical Reflection on PSHE

This essay will look at the teaching of an area in PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education); the chosen area the essay will discuss is keeping safe. The essay will discuss how this aspect of PSHE can be taught and how it varies from the teaching of other curricula subjects. The national curriculum states an aspect of the PSHE curriculum as â€Å"they learn the basic rules and skills for keeping themselves healthy and safe and for behaving well. † (QCDA 2011) In a school environment there are a number of policies that staff will follow to ensure that they can do everything they can to keep the children they work with safe. Severs (2003) looks at the responsibilities of the class teacher and the head teacher in insuring the children’s safety; the class teacher has the responsibility to follow the set policies and guidelines, ensure that the environment and resources are safe participate in inspections and risk assessments and ensure that any problems are reported straight away. Teachers will have a responsibility to keep the children safe when the child is in that school, but what happens when the child leaves school. A teacher may have the ability to protect the child in their classroom but all children should be aware of how to keep themselves safe at all times. This essay will look at the teaching of keeping safe and the following areas that may link with this aspect. Road safety, dangers of electrical objects, stranger danger, medicines in the home, hygiene and who can help you stay safe. The Institute for Citizenship (2000) looks at how PSHE and citizenship provide children with the skills, knowledge and understanding they may need to develop confident healthy and independent lives. It is important for all children to understand how to take care of themselves; or even just to be aware of how to stay safe when an adult is not right by them. On previous School Based Learning (SBL) experiences I have witnessed a year 1 class taking part in road safety exercises; the school carried out several assemblies on the importance of road safety, and the stop, look and listen method when crossing roads. In order for the children to experience this method and apply it to real life the class took part in a walk around the local area in which they all wore the florescent vests. When arriving at a road the children were told about the importance of using the pedestrian crossings and how before they cross the road they should always look both ways, and listen out for cars before they continue to cross. Robertson (2007) talks about how pedestrian injury is the second main cause of death for children aged between 5 and 9 years. Robertson also looks at the importance of reminding parents about the supervision of their children in road crossing and anywhere with traffic. When providing the children with road safety training the school could also provide the parents with the opportunity to attend. In the above description of the activity I witnessed just like any other school trip, the children’s parents were invited to take part. When looking at the teaching of PSHE I believe it may be difficult to teach it the same as other subjects; However when looking at the teaching of road safety there is the possibility to teach it imbedded in with another subject. Hayes (2010) looks at how teaching road safety can be linked with geography, maths, ICT, and art: for example creating warning posters. When teaching road safety there is the possibility to link with national curriculum geography; â€Å"make observations about where things are located (for example, a pedestrian crossing near school gates) and about other features in the environment (for example, seasonal changes in weather)† (QCDA 2011) After introducing the geographical aspects of their local area the children could begin to discuss why they think we need pedestrian crossings and why they think the crossings are positioned where they are. By developing road safety signs and warnings in art, the children can use their work around the school and in the local area to help share the importance of what they have been learning. Primary schools that I have attended both as a pupil and in earlier placement experiences have often had a road safety council, in which the council were provided with free equipment to hand out, such as florescent badges for coats and bags along with the florescent wrist bands. The council would help organise school assemblies and contests in which all children were asked to create posters demonstrating the dangers of roads and how to stay safe; when teaching road safety the school could do it either as a whole or as individual classes. Stones (1992) talks about how very little teaching on road safety takes place in school and when it does take place it is delivered through visitors such as road safety officers or the police. If teachers received some training from these sources on the issue they may be able to deliver more frequent sessions. When walking or playing in their local area along with road safety it is important for children to be aware of stranger danger. Many young children can be easily influenced and should be taught that if they do not know an adult that approaches them; then they should not talk to them as they may not be a nice person. Higton (2004) refers to an discussion he observed from a group of children about what they would do when separated from their parents in a shopping centre, he talks about the children making suggestions of asking another shopper when one child suggested that that person may be bad and take them away, the children then decided that they should ask somebody that worked in one of the shops for help. These children had developed an understanding of the stranger danger concept, but when teaching this subject it may need to be approached gently as the aim is not frighten the children into thinking any stranger will take them away. When looking for useful resources to teach stranger danger, I came across a book by Noel Gyro Potter, this book is called Stranger Danger and tells the story of a group of children who remembered what they were taught about stranger danger and chose to run away from the stranger, they then shared their knowledge with their friends, this book also comes with stranger danger tips that you can share with both children and adults. The book was full of pictures so may be useful in helping young children to understand. Children form a young age should develop an awareness of how to deal with the above situation and who the right person to ask for help would be. This area of keeping safe can lead to looking at who they can turn to if they need help. Wyldeck (2008) looks at the use of games to help the children understand how to deal with certain situations. She talks about reading out an incident and asking the children what they think they should do; Wyldeck talks about teaching the children how to call 999 by using a toy / disconnected telephone. In a classroom situation you can ask the children to work in groups to think of a solution to the emergency. Other useful tools for providing this knowledge could be role play. Teachers may feel it helpful to invite emergency services to the school / class to explain what emergencies it is necessary to call 999 for, and what to do when they call. Children may be aware of services such as the police and the fire service and how they help with bad situations, and therefore should be taught how to contact them. Along with gaining help from emergency services children should also be spoken to about who to go to if they are lost if there is no phone or emergency services nearby: for example asking help from a nearby neighbour that they know if at home or if in an area such as a shopping centre to ask somebody that works there to help. When teaching the children to stay safe it is important from a young age to inform the children about using electrical objects safely. Children will come into contact with electrical objects at home as well as school. Charlesworth (2007) talks about how the teaching of science can introduce the dangers of electricity; why it is dangers to play with objects such as toasters, why you should never place a metal object such as a fork into a plug socket. Many children will want to explore how and why things work, therefore it will be safer to teach the children in a safe environment rather than have the children investigate on their own and hurt themselves. Demonstrate safely and allow the children to use the electrical objects safely this may be a good way to help them explore but carry out the investigation under supervision. Explain to children that when they wish to plug an object in to ask an adult to help; or even demonstrate the importance of making sure the socket is switched off before they plug the object in. In any environment where young children will spend their time it is important to ensure that harmful substances such as medicines and cleaning products are kept in a secure place and out of the reach of children; children unaware of these products may ingest them and cause harm to them. Moyse (2009) looks at the use of speaking to nurses, using posters and leaflets and identifying resources such as teaching packages and the use of the internet. Children depend on the adults around them to make their environment safe for them. In many circumstances children may not have an adult at home that is capable of making their environment fully safe for them, therefore the school will need to do as much as they can to teach them the dangers and help make them capable of identifying and avoiding such dangers. The school can provide lessons that introduce warning signs and symbols, for example on cleaning products the sign for harmful. Children should be taught that medicines are for ill people and that they should not take any medicine unless an adult provides it for them. The use of role play in this situation may be useful as in the home corner children can be shown that medicines go on a high shelf or a locked cupboard so that they cannot harm babies and young children. The children can take part in a circle time session in which the teacher can ask the children ‘why do we take medicine? The teacher could show the children bottles of harmful substances and ask them if they know what they are used for? Should we play with these liquids? In my last SBL experience the reception children would often help the teacher tidy the snack area, the teacher would show them that they used one spray of the cleaning product on the table and then wiped the table with the cloth and that once they had finished they were to wash their hands in order to get rid of the cleaning product on their hands. The teacher would role model this as she ensured she was in the habit of washing her hands after cleaning. In one incident a child asked the teacher why the cleaning lady wore gloves top clean, the teacher told her that the teacher has to clean lots of different places and use lots of products and doesn’t want to get them on her hands because if she didn’t wash them properly when she ate her food she might eat some of the cleaning liquids and that isn’t very good for you. This child then suggested that they get a small pair of gloves for the person that helps to clean up. If the teacher explains the dangers to children clearly children may often come up with their own solution to the problem, by making suggestions the children are showing that they have developed an awareness of the dangers. The last area of keeping safe I will look at is the aspect of hygiene and the importance of keeping clean. In one SBL experience, I took part in an activity in which the teacher brought in a bowl of water, soap and paper towels the teacher then demonstrated to the nursery class how to wash their hands ensuring they washed all the creases. Each child then came up in small groups and washed their hands; the teacher told them how important it was to wash their hands after going to the toilet in order to get rid of germs. Mayesky (2011) talks about how it is important for adults in the child’s life to present good self hygiene in order for the children to lead from example; and that the children have the environment is equipped well to encourage good hygiene. Teaching children that being unclean can lead to illness; and that when they are ill they can easily spread germs and the importance of covering their mouth when they cough and using a tissue to wipe their nose. Encouraging children to wash their hands can be placed into the child’s school routine with ease. In one SBL experience I witnessed a class in which the teacher ensured they washed their hands before dinner, after any art classes and before and after any cooking activities. This allowed the children to develop a routine for washing their hands and keeping clean. . The following section of the essay will look at the possible difficulties of teaching PSHE. When looking at providing lessons for the keeping safe aspect of PSHE, I could think of areas of importance that the children should be taught however I was unsure of how best these areas could be taught in the classroom. The national curriculum provides very specific targets for curriculum subjects, and most curriculum subjects can be observed on a weekly basis. When teaching curriculum subjects such as maths the teacher will choose or be given a set topic to teach for a section of the term, the teacher can then look for the set targets that the age they are working with will need to meet. The PSHE curriculum has outlines for specific key stages; however I have yet to witness any direct teaching. After looking at the areas for keeping safe discussed above I identified that there are numerous ways of building the PSHE targets in to other subjects and even into the daily routine, if teachers found little time to teach it directly. Halstead (2006) refers to findings from researchers on schools lacking PSHE policies, and how many schools are not teaching PSHE in order to make room other subjects and activities. After writing and researching for this essay, and taking part in lectures around different PSHE areas, I believe that is a very important subject to teach in schools, as it may help to prepare children for independent living and in relevance to this essay help children to develop knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe in their own environments. Tew (2007) looks at one of the disadvantages of delivering PSHE is the difficulty of maintaining a consistent ethos as it is often delivered by outside agencies, however if teaching staff can receive training at the same time as the other agencies the school could take a much more consistent approach. One struggle that teachers may face in the delivery of PSHE is that after multi agencies pay visit to the school the teachers are unsure on how to continue to teach the chosen topic. In conclusion to this essay I believe that the teaching of PSHE can be very informative to teachers, children and parents; by providing children with the knowledge and understanding of the PSHE curriculum you may be able to help provide them with the ability to make their own safe choices. Many of the difficulties I have identified from this essay are that teachers may not necessarily have the full training or awareness on how to provides lessons around the PSHE curriculum, if teachers had the opportunity to gain the same training of the multi agencies that deliver the assemblies in schools they may be more willing to able in delivering it themselves. After writing this essay I believe that PSHE is very important for the development of children, and it is more important for teachers to deliver than I first thought.

Expository/Persuasive Writing: Romeo & Juliet Essay

Is Romeo & Juliet still relevant to a modern audience? Romeo and Juliet’s story is still relevant today, as people in society and religion have similar experiences with what they went through. For example: -Gang warfare (Capulet vs Montague) -Strength of love (Romeo & Juliet) -Strength of friendship (Romeo & Mercutio). Don’t you agree? Romeo and Juliet is a play that shows how prejudice leads to escalating violence, In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare teaches that families can divide a relationship. It took both families the deaths of their own children to realize the family feud had to be ended immediately. The two key factors of this message: Love is blind Vengeance never ends well. ‘Romeo and Juliet were silly kids who asked for trouble and got it’ is this fair to say? Was this Love or Stupidity? It was love alright. Love at its purest and most intense. I think that’s why Shakespeare chose such young people to be the lovers. And yes, they’re stupid. Young love often is. Unfortunately for Romeo and Juliet, they die before they get wiser, or more disillusioned. What lessons can we learn from Romeo and Juliet? We can learn that Romantic love can be beautiful and ennobling, Passion Can Overtake Reason and Common Sense, Immaturity and inexperience can lead to tragic endings, Judge People by their character and personal qualities, not by their name or social standing and Innocent children sometimes pay for the sins of their parents.

10 Things to Know about Dating Your College Classmate

10 Things to Know about Dating Your College Classmate 1. You Change Throughout College Whether it’s the kids that come in fresh out of high school or those that wait until later in their twenties, four years of undergraduate studies changes a human being. You’re one way when you arrive, and another way when you leave. Think about how much you’ll have learned! With that said, it makes dating somewhat more difficult for most students. There’s so much going on. So many deadlines. So many choices. Typically a large dating pool where everyone’s hooking up with someone. Just remember that if you hook up with someone early on in your freshmen year, the relationship must be able to adapt as you both change as people. 2. Many Different Shades of Grey You’ve got to be precise when it comes to college dating. Let’s look at the four most common types or definitions: Courting: You’re both digging on one another and it’s obvious to everyone there’s something going on, but it’s not serious yet. You’re still getting to know both yourselves and each other. Exclusive: It’s official, everyone else has to keep their hands off of both of you. Social lives can easily begin to suffer here, which isn’t necessarily a great idea in college where you’re supposed to be getting out there and involved. Temporary: You’re exclusively dating but there’s no illusions. Once the graduation dates come you’re both going your separate ways. It means you won’t have to deal with being single, but there isn’t a post-college long-term commitment either. However, there are still some ways to save your relationships after graduation. Fling: Also known as the fresh, sophomore, junior and senior year fling. Yeah, they can happen every year. Typically around spring. You’ve been eyeing one another all year in college or passing by in the halls or whatever, and finally you’re hooking up for the summer. 3. A Long Term Question In America, more than half of the ladies walking around campus everyday secretly or publically hope to meet their spouse while in college. As you might have guessed, that number tends to be a bit lower with college guys. Most of them aren’t thinking much farther ahead than mid-terms, or this coming Friday night. 4. Dating can get Expensive! Unfortunately, for the vast majority of college students out there today, dating isn’t really a viable financial prospect. Not serious dating anyhow. Going out get be pricey enough. When possible, keep dating as humble as possible. 5. Grades Could Suffer Once people begin throwing the â€Å"L† word around, things could get complicated. What if there’s a pregnancy? If grades are a high priority, then keep it that way and make sure that dating doesn’t cause you to completely divert from your long term goals. 6. Guys and Girls Are not at the Same Page While most girls think of relationships as committment to the other person and love, most guys dont strive for anything serious in college and approach relationships as fun. This is about not about good or bad its just the fact caused by differences in gender psychology. Both boys and girls should find balance between having fun and serious commitment and discuss their expetations from the relationships before jumping into things too quickly. 7. Be a Yes Person It’s college. If someone asks you out you nod and say, â€Å"yes.† Simple. Obviously there are exceptions, but as a general rule you should be taking every single opportunity that comes your way to make friends, learn about new people and set up college networks of friends. Give people a chance you normally wouldn’t. Remember, after college it’s all about who you know. 8. Expectations are Poisonous When dating in college it’s best to keep the expectations at a minimum for the first few months. Is it a fling? Are you expecting a relationship from someone who is in a transitional phase of their life? Are they expecting you to wait and be faithful while they’re in Europe for six months without you? It’s best to keep your priorities in line and go with the flow. 9. Date Outside Your Major Whenever possibly try to dating someone in finance or marketing. If you’re in finance or marketing, go for a philosophy major. I’m kidding. But honestly, try not to get yourself stuck inside a little bubble where you never leave your own area of study. Date someone from a completely different major. Mingle! Get to know and make friends with people in as many different majors as possible. 10. Online College Dating? Is it really even online dating if you go to the same college? Hey, these days if you have issues with going to parties or trying to ask out people in your classes, then hop online and reach out to them that way. At this point, there’s nothing abnormal about it. â€Å"Hey, aren’t you in my 9am English class?† You can engage people in texting conversations and Facebook updates without having to get up close and personal. Overall, dating in college can be tricky for some, and easy for others. Make sure to live it up! Have you ever dated someone in your class? What that easy or not? Share your experience in the comments section!

Turman Show Essay essays

Turman Show Essay essays Paradise Lost : The Truman Show Cristof's creation and the Garden of Eden parallel on many accounts and throughout both the simalarities and difference became quite clear . The two worlds had many elements of utopian thought which makes both worlds perfect . Furthermore , that element , utopianism , would make anyone want to leave because through reality Throughout "The Truman Show ," and The Garden of Eden there were many elements that had simlarities between the two worlds of utopia . In the Truman Show and The Garden of Eden we saw that there was no violence , no crime, no hatred , no destruction . An example of how The Truman Show had no elements of crime , hatred or violence was whenever something bad happend , it was all an act that seconds later was cleaned up . For example , when Truman went to see what was beyond there was traffic . Second later in the same place , there was none . In the Garden of Eden , the reason for no violence , destruction and hatred was simply because that there was only Adam and Eve . Adam and Ever were alone , no one to influence them .... so they thought . Another example of similarities was how Seanhaven was the perfect living environment . Seahaven had everything that anyone that doesn't know about the outside world would want such as : places to go to let out frustrations , places to enjoy themselves but more importantly they made believe that it was reality . The Garden of Eden has many of the same environmental facts as Seahaven such as the fact that everything that Adam and Eve needed they received simply because everything was provided . Adam and Eve needed nothing more then to kill or take what they needed from the society which in every way was perfect . The final part that had many similar elements between "The Truman Show ," and The Garden of Eden was the fact that both Seahaven and The Garden of Ede...

Why the Pennsylvania Germans Are Often Called Dutch

Why the Pennsylvania Germans Are Often Called Dutch First of all, we can quickly dispose of the Pennsylvania Dutch misnomer. The term is more properly Pennsylvania German because the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch have nothing to do with Holland, the Netherlands, or the Dutch language. These settlers originally came from German-speaking areas of Europe and spoke a dialect of German they refer to as Deitsch (Deutsch). It is this word Deutsch (German) that has led to the second misconception about the origin of the term Pennsylvania Dutch. Did Deutsch Become Dutch? This popular explanation of why the Pennsylvania Germans are often incorrectly called Pennsylvania Dutch fits into the plausible category of myths. At first, it seems logical that English-speaking Pennsylvanians simply confused the word Deutsch for Dutch. But then you have to ask yourself, were they really that ignorant- and wouldnt the Pennsylvania Dutch themselves have bothered to correct people constantly calling them Dutchmen? But this Deutsch/Dutch explanation further falls apart when you realize that many of the Pennsylvania Dutch actually prefer that term over Pennsylvania German! They also use the term Dutch or Dutchmen to refer to themselves. There is another explanation. Some linguists have made the case that the term Pennsylvania Dutch goes back to the original English use of the word Dutch. Although there is no definitive evidence that links it to the term Pennsylvania Dutch, it is true that in the English of the 18th and 19th centuries, the word Dutch referred to anyone from a wide range of Germanic regions, places that we now distinguish as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. At that time Dutch was a broader term that meant what we today call Flemish, Dutch or German. The terms High Dutch (German) and Low Dutch (Dutch, nether means low) were used to make a clearer distinction between what we now call German (from Latin) or Dutch (from Old High German). Not all Pennsylvania Germans are Amish. Although they are the best known group, the Amish make up only a small portion of the Pennsylvania Germans in the state. Other groups include the Mennonites, the Brethren, and sub-groups within each group, many of whom use cars and electricity. It is also easy to forget that Germany (Deutschland) did not exist as a single nation state until 1871. Prior to that time, Germany was more like a quilt-work of duchies, kingdoms, and states where various German dialects were spoken. The settlers of the Pennsylvania German region came from the Rhineland, Switzerland, Tyrol, and various other regions beginning in 1689. The Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites now located in the eastern counties of Pennsylvania and elsewhere in North America did not really come from Germany in the modern sense of the word, so it is not entirely accurate to refer to them as German either. However, they did bring their German dialects with them, and in modern English, it is best to refer to this ethnic group as Pennsylvania Germans. Calling them Pennsylvania Dutch is misleading to speakers of modern English. Despite the fact that Lancaster County and various tourism agencies keep using the quaint term Pennsylvania Dutch on their Web sites and promotional materials, and despite the fact that some Pennsylvania Germans prefer the Dutch term, why perpetuate something that contradicts the fact that the Pennsylvania Germans are linguistically German, not Dutch? Support for this opinion can be seen in the name of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. This organization, dedicated to the preservation of the Pennsylvania German language and culture, uses the word German rather than Dutch in its name. Since Dutch no longer means what it did in the 1700s and is very misleading, its more appropriate to replace it with German. Deitsch Unfortunately,  Deitsch, the language of the Pennsylvania Germans, is dying out. Learn more about  Deitsch, the Amish, other settlement areas.

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Environment - Essay Example That is on a rough estimate from 2.1 to 3.1 million tones. At the same time world production of green tea is expected to grow at a faster rate of around 4.5 percent on an annual basis for the next ten years. During this time FAO expects that tea production would outstrip the consumption part (Agritrade, 2009). Tea is basically grown in thirty six tropical and semitropical nations. Twenty one of these are from the ACP region. The first six biggest producer countries include; China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and turkey in that respect. This group accounts for eighty percent of the global output. However, it is only less than half of the production which is exported. This is because China and India are major consumers of their own productions. Since the period of 1993-95, global tea production has grown by around two percent. At the same time, consumption in Western states has less than matched this growth by only increasing by a one percentage upward move. In the year 2007, the world tea consumption was on a virtual stagnation point. The increase was quite minimal rising from 3.649 to 3.668 million tones on the basis of the year before. However, in a number of developing countries, the production pace has matched the consumption rate or in other states. In other cases it has fallen short of consumption demands. In this period, China’s consumption overtook that of India as a result of a thirteen point six percentage increase. It is also worthy mentioning that the United Kingdom purchases roughly half of the consumption of the European segment (Agritrade, 2009). The global production of tea witnessed a 2.3 percent growth rate in the year 2007 which saw production levels hit the 3.7 million tones level. It is the Chinese production that accounted for thirty point six percent of the total production, closely followed

Educational Philosophy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Educational Philosophy - Research Paper Example In my opinion, this transformation requires a systematic and organized development of the individual’s cognitive abilities as reflected in the acquisition of knowledge and skills in a manner that is consistent with the needs of the individuals and the society. On this score, it might be argued that education provides the compass that determines the destiny of both man and society. According to some educational philosophers, the precise value of education could be seen in clearer light from the imagination of a life without it. A barbaric society that lacks any organized system of education will ultimately push itself on the precipice of extinction. I think this is because such a society will lack an organized system that supplies and controls the development of knowledge and skills necessary for its own survival. The knowledge and skills that are supplied, developed, and organized within the profession of education are resourceful in management of the economic, social, and pol itical systems of the society. In this sense, it might be emphasized that the entire welfare of the society hinges on the profession of education (Matthews, 2005). In my consideration, this point brings out the utilitarian aspect of education as understood within the framework of skills and knowledge development. It lies within the profession of education to harness, organize, and disseminate knowledge and skills that are necessary for the general survival and progress of the society. Education does not occur in a spontaneous manner. It grows in sequence and in a longitudinal order, which entails the aspect of progress. It is also important to consider the value of education in terms of the combined effects of its impacts on the various disciplines that form the block of knowledge. An important consideration of the value of the education profession lies in the training of teachers. Teachers are the backbones that determine the manner in which knowledge and skills are developed and d isseminated to the general society. My approach to my learners would be consistent with the philosophy that knowledge is a participatory process. In line with this philosophy, I would seek ways that would harmonize relationships between my learners and me. I would wish to be regarded more as a partner in the learning process rather than an authoritative instructor. The classroom should not be a space for the transfer of authority from the teacher to the student but rather a conducive atmosphere that allows for the free flow of information from various sources (Hille, 2011; Marca, 2010). I would adopt an easy and relaxed approach, which would encourage the students to participate freely in the learning process. My goal would be to develop confidence in my students. Only by gaining their confidence will it be easy to condition their minds into the freedom of thought that is necessary in the general process of knowledge development. Studies have established that the development of the cognitive abilities of the students is largely dependent on the kind of learning atmosphere. The studies have argued that the creation of an appropriate mental atmosphere lies with the teacher. In the course of learning, teachers should strive to create atmospheres that the kind of environment that fosters the flourishing of interpersonal communication. This kind of communication should take place between the learners and the teacher and amongst the students. Studies

Government should be responsible for the unemployed in the uk. To what Essay

Government should be responsible for the unemployed in the uk. To what extent do you agree with this statement - Essay Example Major aim of this essay is to address the initiatives that are taken by British Government in order to reduce the growing unemployment rate. The first reason is British Government has utilized taxes that are collected from the common people in order to create employment opportunities for job seekers in public sectors. In addition to this, the British government has introduced government welfare expenditure programme in the year 2012 to provide income benefits to common people by utilising the tax amount. British government announced 16 percent of government spending in the year 2011 to create employment opportunities for job seekers (Heyes, 2011, p.6). Government has made significant investments in several benefit areas, such as state pension, disability living allowance, income support for job losers, rent rebate, allowances of job seekers and pension credit for old people. Government has ensured these expenditures by utilizing collected public tax amount. In the financial year 2011-12, the British government has made huge investment to pay employment benefits to unemployed people during the era of post economic recessi on. It is true that public service pension cost has risen effectively in last 10 years (HM Treasury, 2013, p.16). Moreover, British government has invested in several public service development programmes, such as introduction of public schools, hospitals and other institutions. Expenditure behind these initiations can come under other uncategorized expenditure. It enables huge number of job seekers to find employment opportunities in these public sectors. First of all, these developments used to help the common people to stabilize their social life. On the other hand, development process of these public services generally generates significant employment opportunities for the common people (Hall, 2003, p.21). Government generally utilises this tax amount in the development of public

Communication, Ethics, and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communication, Ethics, and Society - Assignment Example CNN’s story seemed more about creating a trending story on their network rather than reporting the plight of stranded passengers on a stranded cruise ship.evidently, the cruise ship’s accident was not catastrophic and that is perhaps why it elicited comical re-incarnation by live comedy shows. SPJ also requires journalists to ensure that they minimize possible harm resulting from the news they cover (Baran et al, 2012). CNN helicopters and boats kept hovering above and around the stalled ship. This act was highly insensitive to the passengers who were already nervous because it made them more tense and made them panic even more. The relatives of the passengers on the cruise ship were subjected to trauma by comparison of the ship accident to Hurricane Katrina which gave an impression of mass loss of lives. Assessments of the story point towards the conclusion that it was given unnecessary full-time coverage. The magnitude of the ship mishap was overly blown out of proportion and the story created a major hype with misdirected intentions. A story of such rating, warranted a much more honest representation of the true facts while avoiding the irresponsible comparison to Hurricane Katrina. However the story can not be said to poorly represent America because it was not a representation of the lives of Americans but an isolated case of a sea cruise gone wrong. The far the story went in terms of damaging reputations was to shed bad light on the company owning the

Class Dialogue Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Class Dialogue - Assignment Example Libreria Editrice Vaticana: 6-10, and 244 Accessed Online from http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html. As seen from the social settings that human beings are separated either by color or ethnicity, it is no surprise that Catholics are seen the same way by other religions. Christians have been ridiculed this leading to division. In context, the topic at hand is covered by this source as it projects the dimensions of faith and how such faith can be distorted given that other religions and some races within Christianity do not auger well with each other. Racism is the bias towards a certain race. The Catholic Church as been viewed as one among the foundations of Christianity. However, politics have been immersed in to the church with racial profiling of clergies and other service individuals segregated along these lines. In context, this source provides supporting dialogue confirming that racism as well as favoritism are particulars in Christianity and thus more perspectives of analyzing the church should be considered. This quote shows that the division among Christians continues to be the very reason that Christians are unable to live or co-exist peacefully. In nations ravaged by violence, the Christians are even in a worse situation as the lack of unity projects even further complications as to how to conquer the hardships. Racial profiling is a problem in the justice system as it is in the religious setting. Considering the crises in Egypt and Nigeria, religious wars and lack of cooperation among Christians has driven the bar of reconciliation further as terror rages on. For instance, the abduction of school girls in Nigeria by a terror militia shows that the racial and religious conflicts continue to rage due to division among the Christians as pointed out by the USCCB. Paul VI. (1975). Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. Libreria Editrice

Communication, Ethics, and Society Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Communication, Ethics, and Society - Assignment Example CNN’s story seemed more about creating a trending story on their network rather than reporting the plight of stranded passengers on a stranded cruise ship.evidently, the cruise ship’s accident was not catastrophic and that is perhaps why it elicited comical re-incarnation by live comedy shows. SPJ also requires journalists to ensure that they minimize possible harm resulting from the news they cover (Baran et al, 2012). CNN helicopters and boats kept hovering above and around the stalled ship. This act was highly insensitive to the passengers who were already nervous because it made them more tense and made them panic even more. The relatives of the passengers on the cruise ship were subjected to trauma by comparison of the ship accident to Hurricane Katrina which gave an impression of mass loss of lives. Assessments of the story point towards the conclusion that it was given unnecessary full-time coverage. The magnitude of the ship mishap was overly blown out of proportion and the story created a major hype with misdirected intentions. A story of such rating, warranted a much more honest representation of the true facts while avoiding the irresponsible comparison to Hurricane Katrina. However the story can not be said to poorly represent America because it was not a representation of the lives of Americans but an isolated case of a sea cruise gone wrong. The far the story went in terms of damaging reputations was to shed bad light on the company owning the

International Political Economy &Islamic Factor of Central Asia Essay

International Political Economy &Islamic Factor of Central Asia - Essay Example For example, Belarus has been able to advance the trade with Central Asia especially larly Kazakhstan. This was made possible by the high integration level within the economy of Russia. On the other hand, Ukraine has been promoted by the Turkmen and Uzbek governments as a way of escaping from the dominance of Russian and as a Europe opening. The Guam (anti-Russssian institution designed for fostering of the strategic) and the economical alliances between Ukraine Georgia Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan is not efficient to alter the regional balance. Besides, the chapter demonstrates a failing in the Caspian unity which included the south Caucasus and Central Asia. The growth in the connectivity and the cooperation of the Central Asia is discussed at length in the chapter. Aspects like the regional leadership Uzbek-Kazakh Competition are also highlighted. In this chapter, the author discussed the structural Agricultural sector trends. In central Asia Kazakhstan is one special case in terms of the level of agriculture. The whole republic was displayed as a key driver of the Soviet development of Agriculture, especially as a result of the Virgin campaign lands that were launched in the year 1954 by the Khrushchev. The campaign of the virgin lands facilitated the Kazakhstan Agriculture to an extent where it made over 20 percent of the whole land. The Kazakh republic made exports worth ten million tons of wheat in 1980. They also made over 300,000 tons of meat whose revenues were made up of a third of the GDP. The other produce were not of great relevance to the Soviet scale despite being relevant on the local level. The southern section of the republic cultivated cotton and rice. To date, the country is in possession of two hundred and twenty two million hectares farmland, most of which is used for pasture. This is about 85 percent of t he

Basic Statistics for Business and Economics Essay Example for Free

Basic Statistics for Business and Economics Essay Over the last four weeks of being in the QNT/351 course our team has learned a lot about researching a hypothesis and understanding the mean. The hypothesis testing begins with the statement and the assumption that determines the population of the mean, (Lind, 2011, p.288.). There are five steps taken which include; state the hypothesis, select level of significance for it, identify the test statistics, formulate decision rule, and take a sample to arrive at a decision. On the contrary, however, McClave, 2011 states that there are seven steps including; null hypothesis, alternate hypothesis, test statistic, rejection region, assumptions, experiment and calculation of test statistic, and the conclusion. With setting a hypothesis and testing it is important to understand the mean and how to compare it amongst two or more groups. With testing the mean with multiple groups, the data collected is used to help determine the probability of a given amongst two distinct groups being analyzed which have the same or equal variances. This info it all based off the given hypothesis and should result in proving the null hypothesis stated. When looking at the mean the distance noted between the hypothesis and the mean placed is a value given as a result of the probability of occurrence. When analyzing and testing the means of the two groups we use the variance analysis. An example of this type would be testing the means of the two groups based off statistical models and valid conclusions. Along with completing the testing of the means of the groups, we must also calculate the variance according to the distribution of the differences in means. If the standard deviation is known we can calculate the z-score by using the difference of the variance and the mean. In calculating the correlation between the two variables we see that it is crucial to know the characteristics of the coefficient. According to Lind, 2011 pages 386-389 we can calculate the coefficient of correlation. The coefficient of correlation can help dete rmine the cause as well as effect amongst the two variables. Calculating these numbers is  crucial as the results give information which help determine the level of significance of the given hypothesis. References Lind, D. A., Marchal, W. G., Wathen, S. A. (2011). Basic Statistics for Business and Economics (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. McClave, J. T., Benson, P. G., Sincich, T. (2011). Statistics for Business and Economics (11th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Analysis of the Global Steel Industry

Analysis of the Global Steel Industry Steel Industry is a booming industry in the whole world. The increasing demand for it was mainly generated by the development projects that have been going on along the world, especially the infrastructural works and real estate projects that has been on the boom around the developing countries. The Asian countries have their respective dominance in the production of the steel all over the world. India being one among the fastest growing economies of the world has been considered as one of the potential global steel hub internationally. Over the years, particularly after the adoption of the liberalization policies all over the world, the World steel industry is growing very fast. Steel Industry was till recently dominated by the United Sates of America but this scenario is changing with a rapid pace with the Indian steel companies on an acquisition spree. In the last one year, the world has seen two big MA deals to take place:- The Mittal Steel, listed in Holland, has acquired the worlds largest steel company called Arcelor Steel to become the worlds largest producer of Steel named Arcelor-Mittal. Tata Steel of India or TISCO (as listed in BSE) has acquired the worlds fifth largest steel company, Corus, with the highest ever stock price. It has been observed that Steel Industry has grown tremendously in the last one and a half decade with a strong financial condition. The increasing need of steel by the developing countries for its infrastructural projects has pushed the companies in this industry near their operative capacity. The most significant growth that can be seen in the Steel Industry has been observed during the period 1960 to 1974 when the consumption of steel around the whole world doubled. Between these years, the rate at which the Steel Industry grew has been recorded to be 5.5 %. This roaring market saw a phase of deceleration from the year 1975 which continued till 1982. After this period, the continuous fall slowed down and again started its upward movement from the early 1990s. Steel Industry is becoming more and more competitive with every passing day. During the period 1960s to late 1980s, the steel market used to be dominated by OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countri es. But with the fast emergence of developing countries like China, India and South Korea in this sector has led to slipping market share of OECD countries. The balance of trade line is also tilting towards these countries. The main demand creators for Steel Industry are Automobile industry, Construction Industry, Infrastructure Industry, Oil and Gas Industry, and Container Industry. New innovations are also taking place in Steel Industry for cost minimization and at the same time production maximization. Some of the cutting edge technologies that are being implemented in this industry are thin-slab casting, making of steel through the use of electric furnace, vacuum degassing, etc. The Steel Industry has enough potential to grow at a much accelerated pace in the coming future due to the continuity of the developmental projects around the world. This industry is at present working near its productive capacity which needs to be increased with increasing demand. STEEL GLOBAL SCENARIO The biggest boom in history of steel industry is that of the 1950s and 1960s, when the steel industry was driven by the post-War boom in the developed world. Where as the current boom is being led by growth in the developing world, particularly China, India and Brazil. Indeed, the China factor is huge and gives the impression that the boom has a broader basis than it actually has. In 2005, China produced 349 million tonnes of crude steel, accounting for almost one-third of the global steel output. Even this was not enough to feed the countrys appetite for growth. It was the biggest importer of steel and the sixth biggest exporter of steel in the world; in 2005, its net imports amounted to 12 million tonnes and its consumption of steel also amounted to a little less than one-third of the world consumption. China is clearly the engine that has driven steel consumption in the Asian region. Its consumption, as a percentage of the total consumption in Asia, increased from 41 per cent in 1 999 to 57 per cent in 2005. Steel prices, primarily buoyed by the Chinese boom, hit their peak between 2002 and 2004. This ensured high profits from investments in steel. Despite the moves towards consolidation, steel capacities are still fragmented. The gap between Arcelor-Mittal and Nippon Steel, the second biggest producer, highlights this. Nippon produced 32 million tonnes of steel in 2005 less than one-third that of the industry leader. More significantly, although the Tata-Corus combine will be placed at number five in the global steel pecking order, its capacity would still not be very far ahead of most companies in the top 15. This implies that under the threat of further consolidation the Tatas may well come under pressure to acquire more capacities from rivals or expose themselves to attack from aggressive bidders. The point about consolidation is that it is only happening at the top. The top 10 companies produce about 25 per cent of the global steel output. The rest of the steel about 75 per cent of the global capacity is still widely dispersed over 62 countries around the world, in plants with much smaller capacities. Industry sources say that consolidation needs to happen at the bottom end of the steel market. The smaller producers, rather than the bigger ones, affect the market more, said a senior official in the Ministry of Steel and Mines. The pressure building up at the bottom can result in the bigger producers losing control of the market suddenly and quickly. In the year 2004, the global steel production has made a record level by crossing the 1000 million tones. Among the top producers in the steel production, China ranked 1 in the world. Production of steel in the 25 European Union countries was at 16.3 mmt in January 2005. Production in Italy increased by 11.5 per cent in comparison to the same month in 2004. Italy produced 2.5 mmt of crude steel in January 2005. Austria produced 646,000 metric tones. In Russia it increased by 4.0 per cent to reach at 5.5 mmt in January. In case of the North America region particularly in Mexico it was 1.5 mmt of crude steel in January 2005, up by 8.0 per cent compared to the same month in 2004. Production in the United States was 8.3 mmt. Brazil had produced 2.6 mmt of crude steel in January 2005. In South America region it was 3.7 mmt for January 2005 INDIAN STEEL INDUSTRY Post liberalisation Steel industry reforms particularly in 1991 and 1992 have led to strong and sustainable growth in Indias steel industry. Since its independence, India has experienced steady growth in the steel industry, successive governments that have supported the industry and pushed for its robust development. Further illustrating this plan is the fact that a number of steel plants were established in India, with technological assistance and investments by foreign countries. In 1991, a substantial number of economic reforms were introduced by the Indian government. These reforms boosted the development process of a number of industries the steel industry in India in particular which has subsequently developed quite rapidly. The 1991 reforms allowed for no licenses to be required for capacity creation, except for some locations. Also, once Indias steel industry was moved from the listing of the industries that were reserved exclusively for the public sector, huge foreign investments were made in this industry. Yet another reform for Indias steel industry came in 1992, when every type of control over the pricing and distribution system was removed, making the modern Indian Steel Industry extremely efficient, as well as competitive. Additionally, a number of other government measures have stimulated the growth of the steel industry, coming in the form of an unrestricted external trade, low import duties, and an easy tax structure. India continually posts phenomenal growth records in steel production. In 1992, India produced 14.33 million tones of finished carbon steels and 1.59 million tones of pig iron. Furthermore, the steel production capacity of the country has increased rapidly since 1991. In 2008, India produced nearly 46.575 million tones of finished steels and 4.393 million tones of pig iron. Both primary and secondary producers contributed their share to this phenomenal development, while these increases have pushed up the demand for finished steel at a very stable rate. In 1992, the total consumption of finished steel was 14.84 million tones. In 2008, the total amount of domestic steel consumption was 43.925 million tones. With the increased demand in the national market, a huge part of the international market is also served by this industry. Today, India is in seventh position among all the crude steel producing countries. THE Indian steel industry, in line with global trends, is at a crossroads, witnessing a resurgent phase of modernisation, expansion and consolidation, mainly through mergers and acquisitions. A sector that was moribund just about five years ago because of a worldwide slump in steel prices, the industry has turned the corner and has in fact been vibrant over the past two years. Domestic steel companies, both public and private, are surging ahead on the strength of an unprecedented buoyancy in the economy and the resultant boom in real estate and various infrastructure sectors such as roads and highways, ports and airports. The official figures speak for themselves. Powered by an increased demand for steel from neighbouring China, which has been clocking a 15 per cent sectoral growth annually on account of construction projects in preparation for the Olympics, the steel industry in India has grown by about 10 per cent in the past two years, compared with the global growth rate of about 6 per cent a year. The countrys production of crude steel in 2005-06 stood at 42.1 million tonnes, reflecting an increase of 7.1 per cent over the previous fiscal. On the other hand, the consumption of steel during the year was pegged at 41.43 million tonnes, a massive growth of 13.88 per cent when compared with the 2004-05 figures. Likewise, the production of sponge iron also increased sharply by 25 per cent, from about 10.3 million tonnes in 2004-05 to 12.9 million tonnes in 2005-06. Currently, India is the largest sponge iron producer in the world and ranks seventh among steel-producing countries. The growth in domestic steel consumption is, by and large, in keeping with the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) forecast of a 10 per cent increase in steel use in 2006. While the IISI has projected the global demand for steel to grow by 4.9 per cent in the medium term up to 2010, it has pegged its forecast for the 2010-15 period at 4.2 per cent annually for the entire world. The IISI says India will lead the consumption growth story with an annual demand of 7.7 per cent, followed by China with 6.2 per cent. More heartening is the indication that the exciting phase in the domestic steel industry is expected to continue for the next five to seven years at the least, in terms of both consumption and production. Already, the growth in steel consumption, as projected by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in the National Steel Policy (NSP) formulated in 2005, stands exceeded by a huge margin. The NSP had conservatively estimated the countrys steel production to grow by 7.3 per cent, with an annual consumption growth of 6.9 per cent. Considering that the past two years have already witnessed a demand growth of over 10 per cent, the government expects the healthy trend to continue during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-12), provided an annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 9 per cent is achieved during the period as projected by the Planning Commission. Clearly, for primary steel producers, India is the place to be in as it has the greatest growth potential. There are two other major factors. One, India is bestowed with the largest reserves of high-quality iron ore in the world. Secondly, the annual per capita consumption of steel in the country is still one of the lowest in the world, at 35 kilograms against the global benchmark of 250-400 kg. In effect, the growth story in India is here to stay for quite a few decades in view of the sheer disparity in consumption l evels. The three ore-rich States Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh threw open their doors, steel-makers of all hues jumped into the fray to sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with more than one State government. In all, more than 116 MoUs have already been inked, pledging a total investment of a whopping Rs.3, 57,344 crores in the coming years. If all the pledges materialise, the countrys installed steel production capacity will surge to anywhere between 150 million and 180 million tonnes by 2014-15, compared with the conservative NSP target of 110 million tonnes by 2019-20. Orissa signed 43 MoUs to hike its production capacity to 58.04 million tonnes. Not to be left behind, Chhattisgarh entered into 42 MoUs to augment its steel capacity to 19.32 million tonnes, while Jharkhand signed 31 MoUs to increase its capacity to 68.67 million tonnes. The extensive availability of rich iron ore the basic raw material for steel-making in the three States has attracted big global names too who, at the outset, made it clear that they would require captive iron ore mines to feed their greenfield steel projects. Initially, it was the home-grown Tata Steel that signed a MoU with the Orissa government, in November 2004 for setting up a six-million-tonne plant at an estimated cost of Rs.15, 400 crores after the government made a commitment that its ore requirement of 250 million tonnes for a period of 25 years would be met. Pohang Iron and Steel Company (POSCO), the South Korean major and the third largest global steel producer, approached the Orissa government, the terms turned out to be far sweeter. Under the MoU signed in June 2005, POSCO plans to set up a 12-million-tonne plant at Paradeep, with an investment of Rs.51, 000 crores. The initial proposal was for a 10-million-tonne plant, but there is a catch here. The government has committed itself not only to providing 600 million tonnes of ore on a captive basis for a period of 30 years but also allowing POSCO to export the quality domestic ore for use in its steel plants in Korea. It has demanded the raw material from mines in Sundergarh a nd Keonjhar districts. Lakshmi N. Mittal, the non-resident Indian (NRI) tycoon and the worlds biggest steel-maker following the merger of Mittal Steels with the Luxembourg-based Arcelor in June last year, did still better. He put Jharkhand and Orissa in competition by proposing a steel venture in either State, depending upon the terms and incentives and the swiftness in approvals. Jharkhand lost out owing to litigation over its Chiria ore mines and for other reasons to Orissa, which signed an MoU with Mittal-Arcelor in December last year for a 12-million-tonne steel plant at Keonjhar. The state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) also undertook a major exercise to retain its position as the leading integrated steel producer in the country. The steel behemoth announced its `Corporate Plan-2012, envisaging an outlay of Rs.37, 000 crores to upgrade its plants and modernise its operations. Under the plan, expansion programmes are under way in various SAIL units to enhance the total production capacity to 22.9 million tonnes of hot metal from the present 12.5 million tonnes by 2011-12. Late last year, following the merger of IISCO with SAIL, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone for the modernisation and expansion of ISP (IISCO steel plant) with an investment of Rs.9, 592 crores. Mergers of a few more state-owned units with SAIL are on the cards with a view to consolidating public sector share in the steel market. The other public sector steel enterprise, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL), is already in the process of implementing an ambitious expansion programme for increasing its liquid steel capacity from the current three million tonnes to 6.3 million tonnes at an estimated cost of Rs.8, 692 crores. Launched on May 20, 2006, the project is scheduled for completion by 2008-09. Needless to say, the demand for iron ore has surged in view of the long-term supply commitments being given by the State governments at a time when the international market prices for the raw material are at a high. The government set up a committee under the Planning Commission, headed by Anwarul Hoda, to recommend changes in the National Mineral Policy. The existing policy permits free exports of iron ore with a ferrous content of less than 64 per cent. For exports of high-grade ore with higher ferrous content, a license is required and is currently canalised through the Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC). The Hoda Committee recommended free exports of iron ore with a ferrous content of less than 65 per cent but advocated discontinuation of the existing regime of canalisation and export licensing for the high-grade ore. Instead, the panel suggested free exports of quality ore lumps with ferrous content of more than 65 per cent on payment of an export duty. TATA STEEL Tata Steel, formerly known as TISCO (Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited), is the worlds fifth largest and Indias largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 28 million tonnes. Ranked 315th on Fortune Global 500, it is based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India. It is part of Tata Group of companies. Tata Steel is also Indias second-largest and second-most profitable company in private sector with consolidated revenues of Rs 1, 32,110 crores and net profit of over Rs 12,350 crores during the year ended March 31, 2008. Its main plant is located in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, with its recent acquisitions; the company has become a multinational with operations in various countries. In 2000, the company was recognised as the worlds lowest-cost producer of steel. The company was also recognized as the worlds best steel producer by World Steel Dynamics in 2005. The company is listed on Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India, and employs about 82,700 people (as o f 2008). On 2nd April, 2007, the Company completed the acquisition of Corus Group plc, Steel Company headquartered at UK for an Enterprise Value of USD 14.7 billion. Post the acquisition of Corus, Tata Steel Group is now the worlds 6th largest steel company with current steel deliveries of 32 million tonnes. Set up as Asias first integrated steel plant and Indias largest integrated private sector steel company, a century ago, it is now the worlds second most geographically diversified steel producer, with operations in 24 countries and commercial presence in over 50 countries. The Jamshedpur operations in India is increasing its capacity from 5 mtpa to 10 mtpa by end 2010 and the Company has also signed MoUs to set up four greenfield steel projects in the states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh in India and one in Vietnam. Few years back, Tata Steel embarked on a journey to pursue Growth and Globalisation through organic and inorganic strategy to increase its capacity in excess of 50 mtpa by 2015. The Company identified several strategic levers including building a stronger base in India, acquisitions in both growing and developed markets, strategic investments in raw material assets and focus on branding. TATA STEEL VISION MISSION STATEMENT Vision We aspire to be the global steel industry benchmark for Value Creation and Corporate Citizenship We make the difference through: Our people, by fostering team work, nurturing talent, enhancing leadership capability and acting with pace, pride and passion. Our offer, by becoming the supplier of choice, delivering premium products and services, and creating value with our customers. Our innovative approach, by developing leading edge solutions in technology, processes and products. Our conduct, by providing a safe working place, respecting the environment, caring for our communities and demonstrating high ethical standards. Mission statement Achieve sustainable, profitable growth in steel and related businesses. Create differential value for our customers through innovative offerings. Continuous improvement of business processes and technologies. Foster partnership with key stake holders. Enhance employees competencies to create a high performing and innovative organization. Be a responsible corporate citizen and enhance the quality of life of employees and key community. TATA STEEL FUTURE STRATEGIES Currently, the global steel industry is going through unprecedented times. The steel demand is strong with over 6% growth year on year over the last seven years unseen in the last several decades, primarily driven by robust growth in China, India, South East Asia, Middle East, Russia and Brazil. The iron ore and coking coal prices are at a record high both due to insufficient capacity creation for these and the heavy consolidation of minerals companies. Oil prices and ocean freight rates are at an all time high. The combined effect of all these have driven steel prices to a level higher than ever before though there is increasing pressure on margins of steel companies due to very high input costs. The new scenario both external, due to high raw material and freight costs and internal, called for a new Vision, strategies and action plans. The Company has co-created a shared Vision with its employees of becoming a global benchmark in Value Creation and Corporate Citizenship. Company has set goals for 2012 in terms of Returns on Invested Capital, Safety, Carbon dioxide emissions and of becoming the employer of choice in the industry. The integration with Corus is proceeding smoothly and is yielding better than the predicted results. Continuous improvement projects are being given focus in all companies sites and businesses. Greenfield projects in India are progressing, though somewhat slower than planned. Companys effort to enhance their raw material security has yielded positive results in Ivory Coast for iron ore, in Mozambique for coal and in Oman for limestone. There is greater emphasis on safety. They have well laid out plans to reduce CO2 emissions to benchmark levels. The Tata Steel Group will pursue strategic growth through capacity expansions and securing access to raw materials. The Group is expanding its capacity in India through the expansion of its operations in Jamshedpur to 10 million tonnes per annum and through the construction of a 6 million tonnes per annum greenfield site in Orissa. Other Greenfield opportunities in India and across Asia are being assessed. The Group is also looking at further integration upstream in raw materials with an ambition to achieve 100% self-sufficiency in India and around 50% self-sufficiency in Europe over time. Agreements for the exploration of iron ore in the Ivory Coast, coal in Mozambique and limestone in Oman have already been signed and opportunities are under review in India to support the Indian Greenfield projects; and in Africa and South America, primarily to support its European steelmaking assets Climate change is probably the biggest challenge ever to confront the steel industry. In response to this challenge, the Tata Steel Group will be part of the solution and is committed to minimising the environmental impact of its operations and its products. It has a goal to reduce its CO2 footprint by at least 20% by 2020 compared to 1990. To meet this objective, the Group will, for example, continue to improve its current processes, invest in breakthrough technologies and develop new products and services that reduce the environmental impact over the product lifecycle. To improve its processes, priority is given to energy conservation schemes; in technology break-through such as Ultra Low Carbon Steel making and in other innovative projects where the Group has proprietary technology. TATA STEEL SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS Tata Steels Indian operations are self-sufficient in the case of its major raw material iron ore through its captive mines. Very advanced Research and Development wing which is carrying out researches and experiments in the areas of raw materials, blast furnace productivity, steel making, product development, process improvement etc. Several thrust area projects were taken up Tata had a strong retail and distribution network in India and SE Asia. Tata was a major supplier to the Indian auto industry and the demand for value added steel products was growing in this market. The Company is on its way to reach a crude steel capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum by FY 2011. The first phase of reaching the crude steel capacity of 6.8 million tonnes per annum, Brown field projects, is nearing completion The Company has in place adequate internal control systems and procedures commensurate with the size and nature of its business. The effectiveness of the internal controls is continuously monitored by the Corporate Audit Division of the Company. Corporate Audits main objective is to provide to the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors, an independent, objective and reasonable assurance of the adequacy and effectiveness of the organisations risk management, control and governance processes. Corporate Audit also assesses opportunities for improvement in business processes, systems controls and may provide recommendations, designed to add-value to the organisation. It also follows up on the implementation of corrective actions and improvements in business processes after review by the Audit Committee and Senior Management Tata Steel has been on a path of accelerated growth with foray into several geographies and markets through aggressive mergers and acquisitions. Tata Steel now is in the process of implementing a structured approach in risk management called Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). The key objectives of the Company through ERM are : To enshrine the process of ERM as a usual Business Process and integrate into all decision making and planning processes. To ensure that all levels of Management identify and monitor risks through a properly defined framework. To provide periodic information and updates to the Board and the Shareholders on the significant risks and the ways of mitigating the same. Tata Steel addresses the risk of cyclicality of the Steel industry by marinating rich product mix and higher value added products whose volatility is lower. Moreover, the industry itself has been undergoing some structural changes with Consolidations. These changes are expected to bring in greater stability to prices. Tata Steel with its modernisation plans has ensured that it deploys the best technologies to ensure quality, cost-efficiency and environment-friendly processes. Through acquisition of Corus and with new Greenfield ventures, Tata Steel has ensured that it has diversified the concentration risk in single technology of Iron Steel making WEAKNESS Endemic Deficiencies These are inherent in the quality and availability of some of the essential raw materials available in India, eg, high ash content of indigenous coking coal adversely affecting the productive efficiency of iron-making and is generally imported. Advantages of high Fe content of indigenous ore are often neutralized by high basicity index. Besides, certain key ingredients of steel making, eg, nickel, Ferro-molybdenum are also unavailable indigenously. India is deficient in raw materials required by the steel industry. Iron ore deposits are finite and there are problems in mining sufficient amounts of it. Indias hard coal deposits are of low quality and the prices of coking and non-coking coal are ever increasing Raw materials for steel production are rapidly depleting and are non renewable, company has to come up with sustainable methods in steel production. Steel production in India is also hampered by power shortages. Insufficient freight capacity and transport infrastructure impediments too hamper the growth of Indian steel industry. Low Labour Productivity In India the advantages of cheap labour get offset by low labour productivity; eg, at comparable capacities labour productivity of SAIL and TISCO are 75 t/manyear and 100 t/manyear, for POSCO, Korea and NIPPON, Japan the values are 1345 t/man year and 980 t/manyear. High Cost of Basic Inputs and Services High administered price of essential inputs like electricity puts Indian steel industry at a disadvantage; about 45% of the input costs can be attributed to the administered costs of coal, fuel and electricity, eg, cost of electricity is 3 cents in the USA as compared to 10 cents in India; and freight cost from Jamshedpur to Mumbai is $50/tonne compared to only $34 from Rotterdam to Mumbai. OPPORTUNITIES The biggest opportunity before Indian steel sector is that there is enormous scope for increasing consumption of steel in almost all sectors in India. Unexplored Rural Market The Indian rural sector remains fairly unexposed to their multi-faceted use of steel. The rural market was identified as a potential area of significant steel consumption way back in the year 1976 itself. However, forceful steps were not taken to penetrate this segment. Enhancing applications in rural areas assumes a much greater significance now for increasing per capital consumption of steel. The usage of steel in cost effective manner is possible in the area of housing, fencing, structures and other possible applications where steel can substitute other materials which not only could bring about advantages to users but is also desirable for conservation of forest resources. Excellent potential exist for enhancing steel consumption in other sectors such as automobiles, packaging, engineering industries, irrigation and water supply in India. New steel products developed to improve performance simplify manufacturing/installation and reliability is needed to enhance steel consumption in these sectors It is estimated that world steel consumption will double in next 25 years. Quality improvement of Indian steel combined with its low cost advantages will definitely help in substantial gain in export market. The Tata Steel Group is leveraging the Groups collective Research and Development experience in the Groups various geographies to further enhance the Groups performance and also the integration process. Corus acquisition bring in a tremendous technological advantage by access to best practices in global steel industry Global MA brought in following synergies Greater productivity leading to increased output and market size. Greater economies of scale leading to cost reduction through combined buying Cross fertilisation of Research and Development capabilities and operational best practices, leading to greater innovation and operational efficiencies. Booming infrastructure has opened up high demand for steel worldwide THREATS In the developed world, industries have been facing rising environmental costs due to the increased concerns on Global Warming. It is, therefore, a challenge and responsibility for the Steel industry to be the trustee in conservation of nature for future generations It is recognised that the steel and aluminium industries are significant contributors to man-made greenhouse gas emissions as the manufacture of steel produces carbon dioxide (CO2), and th

International Kidnapping as a Business Essay -- essays research papers

Summary: 5 pages. 7 sources. APA format. International kidnappings are on the rise and have become one of the fastest growing ‘industries’ in the world. This paper looks at kidnapping as a thriving business. International Kidnapping as a Business Introduction The kidnapping and ransom of individuals for profit has dramatically increased in the past decade throughout the world. While the majority of victims are wealthy businessmen, more recently, the average tourist has become a target for kidnappers looking for monetary and material gain. In recent years, kidnappers have also become more organized and are demanding more money for the safe return of hostages. Why has international kidnapping been on the increase? The simple answer is because it has become an extremely profitable form of business transaction for the kidnappers. This paper analyzes and scrutinizes international kidnapping as a thriving business. The Business of Kidnapping Kidnappings around the world have typically had one of two major goals: publicity for a local political cause or as a form of ‘fund-raising’ for the kidnappers. Recently, kidnappings for political reasons have been on the decrease, whereas kidnapping for profit has seen a dramatic increase. A prime example of this trend is in Colombia. According to writer David Williams, Colombia is considered to be the kidnapping capital of the world, with rival guerrilla and paramilitary groups consistently abducting civilians –- including businessmen, tourists and aid workers (2001, para.1). The ransom money obtained from these activities is used primarily to finance a 37-year civil war in Colombia (Williams, 2001, para.1). The U.S. State Department estimates that more than 3,000 people are kidnapped in Colombia each year (Williams, 2001, para.2). Most kidnap victims are Colombians who are either wealthy or who can at least come up with a few thousand dollars. And, according to Williams, although the kidnappings are most often performed by political dissidents, the motivation for the kidnappings is usually money, not politics (para.11). Mike Ackerman, founder of The Ackerman Group, a Miami, Florida-based firm that consults companies in kidnap and ransom cases, said "They are political groups that do the kidnapping, but they're out for money. The political groups have to support themselves and one of the ways that they support th... ...insurance policies, one can surmise that kidnappings for profit will continue to increase throughout the world and continue to grow as a ‘business’. Bibliography Auerbach, A. H., (1998). Ransom – The Untold Story of International Kidnapping. New York: Henry Holt and Company. Clancy, C. (2001). Kidnapping businesspeople has become big business. Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Retrieved May 22, 2003, from http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2001/09/24/smallb2.html Expatriation Trend, The. (1997-2003). Cyberhaven.com. Retrieved May 22, 2003, from http://www.cyberhaven.com/offshorelibrary/expatriation.html Fielding Worldwide, Inc. (1998). Kidnap, Rescue and Extortion Insurance. Retrieved May 22, 2003, from http://www.comebackalive.com/df/kidnapp/kdnapins.htm Hargrove, T. R., (2001). Long March to Freedom. New York: Random House, Inc. Wall, T. (February 26, 1997). The Kidnap Business. Salon.com. Retrieved May 22, 2003, from http://www.salon.com/feb97/news/news2970226.html Williams, D. (May 7, 2001). Kidnapping is Big Business in Colombia. CNN.com/World. Retrieved May 22, 2003, from: http://www-cgi.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/americas /05/07/colombia.kidnapping/

“The Importance of Mother Tongue-Based Schooling for Educational Quality”

Commissioned study for EFA Global Monitoring Report 2005 Carol Benson, Ph. D. Centre for Research on Bilingualism Stockholm University 14 April 2004 Part A: Overview While there are many factors involved in delivering quality basic education, language is clearly the key to communication and understanding in the classroom. Many developing countries are characterized by individual as well as societal multilingualism, yet continue to allow a single foreign language to dominate the education sector.Instruction through a language that learners do not speak has been called â€Å"submersion† (Skutnabb-Kangas 2000) because it is analogous to holding learners under water without teaching them how to swim. Compounded by chronic difficulties such as low levels of teacher education, poorly designed, inappropriate curricula and lack of adequate school facilities, submersion makes both learning and teaching extremely difficult, particularly when the language of instruction is also foreign t o the teacher.Mother tongue-based bilingual programs use the learner’s first language, known as the L1, to teach beginning reading and writing skills along with academic content. The second or foreign language, known as the L2, should be taught systematically so that learners can gradually transfer skills from the familiar language to the unfamiliar one. Bilingual models and practices vary as do their results, but what they have in common is their use of the mother tongue at least in the early years so that students can acquire and develop literacy skills in addition to understanding and participating in the classroom.Bilingual as opposed to monolingual schooling offers significant pedagogical advantages which have been reported consistently in the academic literature (see reviews in Baker 2001; Cummins 2000; CAL 2001): Use of a familiar language to teach beginning literacy facilitates an understanding of sound-symbol or meaning-symbol correspondence. Learning to read is most efficient when students know the language and can employ psycholinguistic guessing strategies; likewise, students can communicate through writing as soon as they understand the rules of the orthographic (or other written) system of their language.In contrast, submersion programs may succeed in teaching students to decode words in the L2, but it can take years before they discover meaning in what they are â€Å"reading. †  ¦ Since content area instruction is provided in the L1, the learning of new concepts is not postponed until children become competent in the L2. Unlike submersion teaching, which is often characterised by lecture and rote response, bilingual instruction allows teachers and students to interact naturally and negotiate meanings together, creating participatory learning environments that are conducive to cognitive as well as linguistic development. Explicit teaching of the L2 beginning with oral skills allows students to learn the new language through commun ication rather than memorization. In submersion schooling teachers are often forced to translate or code-switch to convey meaning, making concept learning inefficient and even impeding language learning, while bilingual programs allow for systematic teaching of the L2.  ¦ Transfer of linguistic and cognitive skills is facilitated in bilingual programs.Once students have basic literacy skills in the L1 and communicative skills in the L2, they can begin reading and writing in the L2, efficiently transferring the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language. The pedagogical principles behind this positive transfer of skills are Cummins’ (1991, 1999) interdependence theory and the concept of common underlying proficiency, whereby the knowledge of language, literacy and concepts learned in the L1 can be accessed and used in the second language once oral L2 skills are developed, and no re-learning is required.Consistent with these principles, it is possible for chi ldren schooled only in the L2 to transfer their knowledge and skills to the L1, but the process is highly inefficient as well as being unnecessarily difficult. Code-switching and code-mixing involve alternation between languages, and are common communication strategies in bi- and multilingual contexts. Code alternation functions best when all parties are competent speakers of the languages involved, but in submersion classrooms it is more of a coping strategy for dealing with a foreign instructional medium and does not necessarily contribute to second language learning.As specialists Lanauze & Snow explain, transfer means that â€Å"language skills acquired in a first language can, at least if developed beyond a certain point in L1, be recruited at relatively early stages of L2 acquisition for relatively skilled performance in L2, thus shortcutting the normal developmental progression in L2† (1989: 337).  ¦ Student learning can be accurately assessed in bilingual classrooms . When students can express themselves, teachers can diagnose what has been learned, what remains to be taught and which students need further assistance.In submersion schooling cognitive learning and language learning are confounded, making it difficult for teachers to determine whether students have difficulty understanding the concept itself, the language of instruction, or the language of the test.  ¦ The affective domain, involving confidence, self-esteem and identity, is strengthened by use of the L1, increasing motivation and initiative as well as creativity.L1 classrooms allow children to be themselves and develop their personalities as well as their intellects, unlike submersion classrooms where they are forced to sit silently or repeat mechanically, leading to frustration and ultimately repetition, failure and dropout.  ¦ Students become bilingual and biliterate. Bilingual programs encourage learners to understand, speak, read and write in more than one language. In co ntrast, submersion programs attempt to promote skills in a new language by eliminating them from a known language, which may actually limit learner competence in both.All of these advantages are based on two assumptions: one, that basic human needs are being met so that schooling can take place; and two, that mother tongue-based bilingual schooling can be properly implemented. Simply changing the language of instruction without resolving other pressing social and political issues is not likely to result in significant improvement in educational services. However, because language cross-cuts race, ethnicity, gender, and poverty, even minimally implemented bilingual programs have the potential to reach those who have traditionally been left behind by L2 submersion schooling.This paper will discuss how choosing an appropriate language of instruction has positive implications for education in terms of both increasing access and improving quality. Education for All: Building Strong Learn ing Foundations thru the Mother Tongue * Philippine basic education is now at a critical crossroad. It now calls for the revisiting of our commitment to Education for All (EFA) 2015. All stakeholders have to be vigilant and involved. Otherwise, education will just be a weak transformative power in our society.Instead of education for all, it will be education for the few; instead of seeing Filipino youth become critical thinkers, coherent communicators, and productive citizens; we will see a generation of unreflective and mediocre mouthpieces of languages not their own. We affirm the need to improve learning competencies in all subject areas, including English. Our educational system has to move forward following a roadmap drawn by experts in language and education based on empirical proofs. Experiences of other multilingual countries all point to the mother tongue as the best language of learning, especially in the early grades.The mother tongue is the most effective bridge to and foundation for the learning of other languages like English. At this stage, however, many of our lawmakers and national leaders still hold on to the unfounded but long-held belief that an English-dominated initial basic education will produce superior learners. We submit that such educational strategy will only benefit a very small number of Filipinos—those who belong to families where English is the home language. But the truth is that the majority of our school children come from homes where the mother tongue is the predominant language.This explains their marginalization in the classroom. Such marginalized learners, as pointed out by scientific evidences face the double burden of learning. They are struggling to learn the 3Rs on top of the big burden of learning an alien language in which they are taught. This predicament is one of the major culprits of poor performance and high drop-out rates. All of these imply the needed approach– teach the yet unknown 3Rs throug h the already familiar local language and culture, build the learner’s capacity to learn and introduce a second language with the correct phasing.With such mother tongue-based multi-lingual education (MLE) framework, the mastery of all the learning areas including English is effectively attained. It is a basic truth that language embodies a person's cultural identity and heritage. To uphold this truth, even international law guarantees and directs states’ educational system to develop respect for the child’s own cultural identity and language (Article 29-c Convention on the Rights of the Child). Thus, we reject any assertion that a local language may be inferior, inadequate and poses an obstacle to learning.We also reject the usual argument that MLE is costly and, therefore, very hard to implement in the face of limited financial resources. Papua New Guinea, a poor Asian country of more than 800 languages, has demonstrated that reliance on local initiatives and resources for MLE is highly feasible and substantially saves on much costs of developing and producing learning materials. Recently, our own DepEd’s Agusan Pilot MLE Study corroborated the practicality and merits of local self-reliance and initiatives.Thus, we submit that ultimately, to insist on teaching with an alien language is more costly and inefficient when children do not become functionally literate and hardly develop higher order thinking skills and whose English competencies are mediocre. Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Many Filipino learners face barriers in education. One of these barriers is that our learners often begin their education in a language they do not understand. Because they do not understand the language of education, many learners become discouraged and tend to drop-out from school.Content of material is often culturally distant or unfamiliar to the learners. The limited education that learners receive does not prepare them for lifelong l earning. Mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) is a formal or nonformal education, in which the children’s mother tongue is used in the classroom as a bridge in learning Filipino and English. Children begin their education in a language they understand, their mother tongue, and develop a strong foundation in their mother language.The purpose of a multilingual education program is to develop appropriate cognitive and reasoning skills enabling children to operate equally in different languages – starting in the mother tongue with transition to Filipino and then English. It is a structured program of language learning and cognitive development which provides learners with a strong educational foundation in the first language. If the mother tongue is not used, we create people who are illiterate in two languages.Children do not become sufficiently fluent in their mother tongue (L1) in both oracy and literacy if their vocabulary in L1 is limited, thus restricting their ability to learn a second language (L2). A strong foundation in L1 is required for learning L2. Children’s understanding of concepts is limited or confused if leaning is only L2. The benefits of MLE include the following: †¢ Reduced drop-out †¢ Reduced repetition †¢ Children are attending school. †¢ Children are learning. †¢ Parents and community are involved. †¢ It is more cost – effective to implement mother tongue programs.A region wide training was conducted last summer in preparation for this school year’s pilot implementation. A Regional association of supervisors, school heads and teachers was organized during that training. Feedback gathered from the pilot implementers revealed that teachers find the use of the MTB-MLE very useful. Pupils are very participative and most of them have learned to read by this time. Although some teachers find it tiresome, especially in the preparation of materials, but they feel rewarded by seeing the enjoyment among the pupils in their learning experiences.