Educational Policy

Introduction Education usually takes place in many forms depending on the purpose through the many institutions. Educational policy is meant to guide reforms or programmes in the education system of a nation or an institution. Education policy therefore is a collection of laws as well as rules intended to govern the processes of an education system.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Since education policy affects the education outcome of those involved in the education system, the areas of debate in an education policy normally include the curricular content; teaching content as well as graduation requirements among other areas (Stevenson 2060, 21). Many countries have always come up with new education policies with an aim of reforming particular areas of their education system. For example, the National Curriculum education reform act of 1988 in England led to th e creation of a unified and balanced curriculum (Stevenson 2060, 49). The education policy analysis seeks to find the answers to questions on the purpose of the policy as well as the objectives it is supposed to achieve. The analysis also involves methods of attaining the objectives and the benchmarks for measuring the success or failure of the programme. In the United Arab Emirates, it is mandatory for private schools to teach Muslim pupils Islamic education (United Arab Emirates (a) 2007). This law was adopted in 1972 (Daair 1987, 15) and became permanent in 1996 (United Arab Emirates (b) 2000). It was mainly advocated for by the native Muslim groups and the political class considering that larger majority of the population in the country are Muslims. This is compulsory to all the types of schools that exist in UAE including the public, Arabic private as well as the foreign private schools. The course is compulsory to all learners up to grade 12 and the curriculum is decided upon by the ministry of education. It is compulsory to all Muslim pupils including those who speak Arabic and those who do not; however, it is optional for non-Muslims. The language of instruction is Arabic except for the non-Arab students who are taught Islamic Education through English medium (Ali 2010). The aim of teaching Islamic education to all Muslim learners is to enable them acquire Islamic culture and principles. They are also taught how to worship. This is meant to improve their understanding of the Islamic religion.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to the Ministry of Education and Youth’s second goal, they aim to reinforce the national, Arab as well as Islamic feeling. It also aims to strengthen cultural identity among the Muslim individuals. The Ministry of education and Youth supervises and provides guidelines to the program (Gardner 1995, 289). In Article 3 o f the Ministry of Education and Youth policy regarding the compulsory subjects in UAE schools, it is a requirement that any private school that has an Arab Muslim student provides Islamic education to the student(s) using books recommended by the Ministry. They are mandated by the Ministry of Education and Youth to teach 3 lessons of Islamic studies per week to pupils between grade one and three after which they provide a minimum of two lessons per week up to grade 12. The timetable for teaching Islamic studies is well structured in the curriculum and each lesson takes 30 minutes. The non-Arabic students’ timetable begins on Sunday through to Thursday while that of the Arabic students begin on Monday through to Thursday. According to the Board of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai (2009)private schools in the UAE are not permitted to allow Muslim learners to attend any religious classes except for the Islamic religion classes. Besides, Muslim learners in p rivate schools are not allowed to participate in activities related to non-Islamic religious classes. Policy analysis Lack of balance in the policy The purpose for the implementation of the policy is good as it ensures continuity of Muslim culture, traditions and principles across generations. However, in implementing the programme, the stakeholders of the UAE education system did not balance the curriculum. Non-Muslim learners always have unnecessary free time during learning periods each time there is Islamic studies. The policy did not consider the religious diversity in the UAE schools. In many countries, including both Christian and Muslim countries, religious education is provided and made compulsory to the learners, but is made part of the curriculum and drawn in the timetable as religious studies so that during that time all learners can be taught their respective religious studies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Policy specifically for yo u for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some countries such England teaches religious education that integrates contents from different religions. This ensures that no learner is left idle during the learning periods and also ensures that each learner acquires knowledge and experience about his or her religion, culture and traditions. Considering that only 20% of the population are UAE natives while the rest comprise of people from different nations from all the continents and that the country was colonized by the British, the education authorities, stakeholders and the ministry should be aware of the multi-religious setting in the schools. According to the Ministry of Education’s ninth goal, it aims to diversify educational opportunities to learners in regards to the teachers’ capabilities (United Arab Emirates (b) 2000). By implementing and making Islamic education compulsory to all Muslim learners and leaving out the non-Muslim learners, it co ntradicts its diversification goal. Providing Islamic education to Muslim learners while offering no option to the other religions is discriminative, and contravenes its fifth goal which aims at ensuring equal education opportunities for everyone (United Arab Emirates (b) 2000). Lack of involvement The development process of the education policy did not involve all stakeholders of education particularly in the formulation of the policy and the education programme. It only involved few elite, the political class, Islamic radicals and the religious leaders. The private schools including the foreign private schools were not involved in the formulation process, yet they are the ones implementing the programme. The private schools have been fighting for a long time to be included in formulation of policies and in decision making of important educational issues that affect education in the country (United Arab Emirates (a) 2007). This means that they do not perfectly understand the object ives to be achieved by implementing the programme. The implementation processes can only be successful if those mandated to implement the program clearly understand the expectations of the formulator. They therefore know the inputs and what they are supposed to contribute to the programme implementation to achieve the expectations.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The involvement of programme implementers in the formulation process makes them understand why and how the outputs are supposed to deliver the educational outcomes sought for. Since the private schools were not involved in the policy-making process, they really do not feel to be part of the programme. Some private schools may therefore just provide the programme because it is in the curriculum and not bother whether they are achieving the goals set by the Ministry of Education and Youth or not. Inadequate supervision and lack of commitment Implementation of the programme has not been perfectly taken care of by the Ministry of Education and Youth. Not all private schools strictly follow the provisions in the curriculum. The implementation process has not taken the same route as is expected by the ministry. Some schools, especially the foreign private schools which teach different curriculums such as the British National Curriculum provide only one lesson a week for Islamic studies wh ile others provide the normal number of lessons required. The total time for each lesson also differ depending on the curriculum of the school. This implies that the ministry does not properly supervise the implementation process of the programme since according to the law, the lessons are supposed to be uniform because they are using the same curriculum. Such problems or issues that occur during the implementation process can always be realized through supervision and a proper solution to the problem put into action. On the other hand, Muslim children lag behind in other subjects since the timetable was drawn without consulting those in charge of the education processes in these private schools. This made it difficult for some foreign private schools to fix their timetables to fit the teaching of Islamic studies. The ministry drew the timetable and they took it as it is and implemented it without changing the arrangements in their timetables. Muslim children in these private school s therefore have to miss other important lessons including literacy classes to attend Islamic studies. They are sometimes withdrawn from Science, Mathematics or even Physical Education classes to attend the classes. These schools are more keen on following their curriculum and therefore do not find it necessary to integrate Islamic studies within their school curriculum or timetable since they do not understand the need for creating time for the subject within the timetable. This shows lack of commitment by some of these foreign private schools and really contravenes the Ministry of Education and Youth’s policy that requires that Islamic studies be integrated in the school curriculum and be treated as an important subject. It means that Muslim children attend Islamic studies but have to gamble with other subjects. According to United Arab Emirates (a) (2007) Muslim students have to attend Islamic studies since the ministry only authenticates their certificates after providing proof of having learnt Islamic studies as well as Arabic as first their language. The inability of the Ministry of Education and Youth to correct the behavior of these schools that undermine the policy deprives the Muslim children of their learning opportunities and yet according to the goals of the ministry of education, providing for equal educational opportunities is their duty. Foreign private schools that only provide for one lesson per week of Islamic studies equally do not treat the subject as important. Considering that the syllabus is the same and the goals of teaching the subject remains uniform across the country, providing for just one lesson per week is undermines the spirit of the policy and the curriculum. It becomes difficult to complete the syllabus meaning that it is not possible to achieve the general goals of the subject. The Muslim students are therefore denied the opportunity to acquire important Islamic teachings as most of what they are taught in these schoo ls are just highlights of the real content provided for in the syllabus. Since the knowledge is not reinforced as there is little time for teaching the subject, Muslim learners do not really comprehend the contents learnt. The management of these schools is also not much concerned with evaluation of learning of the subject. The ministry does not emphasize more on internal evaluation of the learners to check their progress in the subject in relation to the set goals since the schools are only inspected ones per year (Dubai Schools 2011). To them, Islamic studies is taught because it is a requirement by the government and not because it is supposed to benefit learners. This behavior continues in these schools even though the ministry is in charge of supervision of these schools. Instructional methods and media The instructional methods involved in teaching Islamic studies is excellent as it takes care of age of the learners and the system also acknowledges that the Muslim learners are from different linguistic backgrounds. The teaching methods involving lecturing of learners and learners are allowed to ask and answer questions concerning the religion. The teachers may also invite Islamic leaders to provide more insight into the religion. However, the programme does not take of care Muslim learners who do not speak Arabic or English. Although Arabic language is a compulsory subject in UAE curriculum, it may take quite sometime probably a few years before a learner is able to communicate in the language. There are no bilingual teachers to provide Islamic education to such learners. Conclusion The education policy in the UAE making it compulsory for private schools to provide Islamic education to any Muslim learner in the school has good intentions. However, the policy-making process, implementation and evaluation have not been very inclusive. The programme seems to have been imposed on these schools as most of them are not committed to implementing it. Besides, th e Ministry of Education and Youth does not provide thorough supervision to the implementation process providing loopholes for some foreign private schools to ignore the rules of the UAE curriculum. Reference List Ali, M., M., 2010, Islamic studies. Web. Daair, S., 1987, Education in the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic value- system. Muslim Education Quarterly 5: 15-35. Dubai: Gulf Press. Dubai Schools, 2011. Schools in Sharjah. Web. Gardner, W., E., 1995, Developing a quality teaching force for the United Arab Emirates. Journal of Education for Teaching 21 (3): 289-312. Abu Dhabi: Paragan International Publishers. Stevenson, H., 2006, Education policy: Process, themes and impact. London: Les Bell Publisher. P. 21. The Board of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, 2009, Order no. (1) of 2009 amending order no. (1) of 2007. Web. United Arab Emirates (a), 2007, School agency gets commitment from schools. Web. United Arab Emirates (b), 2000. Report: Part III: Pr ospects and required changes. Web. This essay on Educational Policy was written and submitted by user Maya Pierce to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Educational Policy Human engagements have been characterized by rules and guidelines for a long period of time now. The processes involved in the setting out of these regulations take different forms and may vary from one country to another depending on how people are expected to interact and address the various challenges that may arise. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The guidelines are usually referred to as public policies since they are expected to provide general direction to the members of the public and to ensure social order (May, 2001). The process of formulating, formalization and implementation has proved to be a daunting task since each sector in the society has its own unique policies (Cockrel, 2004). Different stakeholders in the society that may be affected by the policies must be engaged in one way or another in the public policy formulation process. The essay s eeks to discuss and rate the influence of the legislative bodies, leadership, the justice system, as well as the bureaucracy on the formulation and implementation of educational policies. It will briefly discuss the general pattern in the public policy-making process. The influence of other entities, for instance interest groups, political parties, and the media will also be considered. Public policy-making process is a product of interactions as well as dynamics among different actors, interest groups, public and private institutions and other technical processes preceding the enactment and interpretation of any public policy. Numerous definitions of policy and policy-making process have been used depending on the context. For the purposes of this essay, a policy shall be defined as either an explicit or implicit decision or decisions made by a group that lays out the instructions for guiding the subsequent decisions, regulate actions, or monitoring prior decisions reached (Ben-Pe retz, 2008). The process of making policies, therefore, varies in complexity as well as scope and the dynamics involved must be acknowledged. A number of models have been designed to provide a general format followed in the process of formulating a given public policy. The stages involved are well sequenced from the primary level to the ultimate enactment, implementation and interpretation of the policies (Schmidt, Shelly Crain, 2009). There are five major components in any of these models and they include; problem advocacy, the opponents, the concerned authorities, the implementation, and interpretation/evaluation of the given public policy (Cockrel, 2004). The first step is the problem identification phase which involves the definition of the issue at hand that the policy will seek to address. This can be done by the concerned/line authorities, institutions, or activists. The advocates of a specified issue will raise people’s awareness and hence recruiting more of them in to their course. The target number of people depends on the scope of the problem and the anticipated policy. Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The next step involves the proposal of available alternatives for addressing the problems or conditions at hand. These proposals will provide a frame of action in alleviating the identified crisis. The third phase is the identification of appropriate authorities that will engineer the process of policy formulation. The concerned authorities will appoint/design a committee to investigate the problem and establish the magnitude. It will also be expected to offer a refined list of recommendations for addressing the crisis. The authorities play a central role in determining the progress of the process because they can choose to take the proposals or decline to act. In order to keep the process moving, the advocates continue with the popularization process to gain a wider support from the members of the public. The public mood has been found to be a great determinant of the success in any major public reforms (Denhardt, 2008). The process of advocacy usually encounters opposition of almost equal magnitude and hence defining another force. The model acknowledges the role of opposition since it plays a significant role in the entire process of policy formation and implementation (Cockrel, 2004). The opposition camp may emerge at any particular stage and the sequence parallels that of the policy advocates. In most cases, the stages are similar since the opponents may emerge right at the first phase of problem identification, then proposals to counter those of the advocates are made and served to the appropriate authorities. After submitting their alternatives, the opponents will seek to expand their support base to rally against the advocates for policy formation. The fifth phase is composed of three sections; decision by the au thority, implementation, and evaluation. The concerned government authority and the policy makers engage in extensive deliberations with an aim of weighing the situation at hand (Cockrel, 2004). It is at this sub-stage that conflicts/oppositions and dilemmas emerge resulting in shifts in balance between major stakeholders like powerful people and activist groups in the society. According to Ben-Peretz, these encounters may lead to either the implementation or decline of the proposed policy (2008). With successful negotiations and compromise among the concerned parties, the line authority issues a final decision on the policy. It is important to note that the sequences listed above provide just a general trend but it does not outline a strict step by step format to be followed (Denhardt, 2008). Once the new policy is enacted it becomes publicly binding and the next stage is its implementation. It will be the responsibility of the authorities to monitor the implementation of the poli cy. There are two methods through which the policy can be implemented. The first is the revolutionary method where there is immediate transformation of an organization or institution following a top-down format (Ben-Peretz, 2008). Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Policy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This approach is common in cases where the problem is identified by the authorities themselves. The other method is the evolutionary mode which normally results in a slow bottom-up transformation of the institution’s working pattern. The effectiveness of any policy is in its interpretations. Since all policies are developed to address specific problems, they ought to be evaluated for efficiency and relevance. This is done in the last stage of evaluating the implemented policy. The evaluation process is usually done by the stakeholders; the advocates, opponents, or other interest groups. Formal methods of evaluation which include the collection of data and their analysis are usually employed. Alternatively, informal approaches like the subjective evaluation of citizens’ opinions about the new policy may be used (Schmidt et al., 2009). The findings from the evaluation stage will be used in gauging the general performance of the policy and the necessary changes effected accordingly. As evidenced by the preceding discussion, the process of formulating and implementing any public policy involves several parties who may either be in agreement or holding different opinions about a given policy. In the formulation and implementation of an educational policy, a number of parties are usually at the center of the deliberations (Ben-Peretz, 2008). Some of the stakeholders may include; the legislative bodies, the leadership, the justice system, and the bureaucracy (Dye, 2002). Other influential parties are the interest/activist groups, political parties, and the media. It is c lear that education takes many different forms for varying intentions and in many institutions. There is the early childhood education, first to twelfth grade studies, between two to four year college or university education, postgraduate and professional studies, pedagogical education as well as training for a specific job. This implies that education policies affect people across all ages and sectors related to education (Cockrel, 2004). In the process of formulating educational policies for schools, issues such as the size of the school, student-teacher ratio, school control-either private or public, teacher training and certification, teaching approaches, nature of curricular and the content, qualifications for graduation, investment in infrastructural development, and the ethical values that schools are expected to observe(Dye, 2002). The different parties have quite a significant difference when it comes to influencing the policy formulation and implementation process. The po wer of the legislative bodies like the members of government such as presidents or the Ministers of Education really play a central role in determining the fate of proposed educational policies (Ben-Peretz, 2008). Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They are expected to ensure the formulation and enactment of good policies that will ensure both economic and social progress among the people. The legislature may be regarded as one of the most influential in the formulation of educational policies as well as their implementation and evaluation (Silver, 1990). The legislative bodies are responsible for the enactment of rules and regulations that monitor educational practices at virtually all levels of government authorities. The legislature provides educational guidelines that are implemented in a top-down sequence since the policies are formulated by highly trained and skilled people. Normally, the legislative branches include the city councils, state legislature, or the Congress. In some situations, the legislative may be an executive agency or a court. Understanding how the legislative bodies work in the formulation and implementation of educational policies is very important. The members are responsible for the identification of a given problem or condition that need to be addressed. A committee of experts is constituted and charged with the responsibility of investigating the problem and to make appropriate recommendations (Denhardt, 2008). The investigators collect different people’s opinions and analyze them before arriving at the recommendations. Within a specified period of time, the committee avails its findings to the legislative bodies for consideration. It is at this stage that the legislature may opt to adopt the recommendations or decline to act on them. The final decision is then declared to the public for implementation. The new policies have clear steps for their implementation. The process of effecting the changes may be either long term (evolutionary mode) or within a short period of time which is also referred to as the revolutionary mode of implementation (Ben-Peretz, 2008). In most cases, policies released to the public as legislative decrees or by executive orders are normall y expected to be implemented with minimal resistance. Another influence of the legislature is in the fact that they are also the ones who receive the proposals from the advocates for change in the educational sector. However, given the numerous number of stakeholders in the education sector, some educational policies may be rejected and hence hampering with the implementation stage. Moreover, legislative bodies are in direct control of government’s educational resources and may influence their distribution. Availing the resources may hasten the policy implementation process (Wilson, 2008). The legislative bodies at different levels of the society exert proportionate power on the formulation and implementation of educational policies. The role of state legislature, for instance, is to review the policies in educational institutions and agencies and may issue orders for policy improvement. Any issues and problems arising from the educational sector are part of the agenda for t he legislative bodies (Ben-Peretz, 2008). It is also evident that the legislatures respond to natural disasters, research findings, and other crises in education and trigger the formulation of appropriate policies. The other source of influence of the legislative bodies is the fact that they are acknowledged as public decision-making organs (Wilson, 2008). They are therefore responsible for making the final decisions or policy choice with reference to the alternatives proposed by other stakeholders in the educational sector. They have to harmonize the often competing interests and opinions from the different actors in education. Once they have formulated a given educational policy, the legislative bodies forward the new policy to the executive agencies which will facilitate their implementation (Wilson, 2008). When the legislators are forced to determine policies by voting, they would always be guided by the wishes of their constituents. The legislature holds a central role since they can assign duties, even to the executive by legislation. Although the legislative bodies have been demonstrated to wield a lot of power in the policy formulation process, they do not have direct influence when it comes to the implementation of the new policies/laws (Schmidt et al., 2009). Other government agencies will be monitoring the implementation of the prescribed educational policies. The legislative bodies are therefore very effective in influencing educational policy formation, particularly during the formulation stage. The second party that has influence on educational policy formulation and implementation process is the society’s leadership. The work of a leader is to have a vision of the future together with its associated challenges and to define and lead the way towards a brighter course. In this respect, leaders of organizations, educational institutions, and political parties, among others must be in a position to identify issues and problems in the socie tal sectors (Wilson, 2008). They also propose alternative ways of addressing the problems and forwarding them to the legislative bodies for consideration. The president as the leader of the states or a country has inherent discretionary powers to influence the policy formulation and implementation process. Most national leaders in the world have been known to influence the policies affecting education, and mostly through executive orders. They champion the legislation of appropriate policies that will bring meaningful transformation to the education sector (Silver, 1990). Furthermore, governors, city managers, and mayors in most states and cities have overwhelming discretionary policy-making power. These leadership positions are elective and hence carry with it some public good will necessary to identify issues and problems as well as recommend solutions on their behalf (Wilson, 2008). This implies that the leaders will strive to ensure the enactment of universal access to basic ed ucation policy, subsidized higher education, guidelines for proper teacher training, as well as policies for adult education. Leaders seeking elective positions usually have well written manifestos of how they will address societal problems, educational challenges included (Silver, 1990). Once they are elected, they are faced with the challenge of fulfilling the promises and hence they formulate policies for legislation purposes. During the advocacy for a given transformation in the education sector, there is usually a leader who motivates people to agitate for the formation and implementation of policies. In order to give the necessary support to express the seriousness of their call, the leader recruits more people from the society so as to overcome any opposition forces that may emerge (Ben-Peretz, 2008). Moreover, the leaders are usually in charge of committees and other decision-making groups and they will determine the general course of action in the policy formulation and i mplementation process. Depending on the nature of the new educational policy, leadership greatly influences the implementation process since they command respect from the people (Dye, 2002). In situations where unpopular policies are enacted, the same leaders will curtail the implementation process. Hence leadership plays a central role when it comes to the general process of educational policy formation and implementation (Cockrel, 2004). It is therefore apparent to note that leadership has such a significant degree of influence on the process of formulating and implementing educational policies. Further analysis of the forces that shape and influence the formulation and implementation of educational policies reveals that the justice system has great impact on the process. The role of the courts is usually to solve conflicts that may arise among different members of the society. It is not easy to acknowledge the contribution of the courts towards policy formulation and implementa tion in most sectors (Dye, 2002). During the initial phase of advocacy, opposition may emerge and depending on the extent of impact of the anticipated policy, those opposed may opt to move to court to halt the advocacy. With the judge as the decision-maker, he or she may give new directions that would shape the course of the agitation process hence contributing indirectly to the policy formulation process. This is reinforced by the fact that there will always be competing formulations of policies forcing the participants to want to seek the intervention of the courts (Wilson, 2008). The decisions made by the judiciary have been found to have far reaching consequences on the educational policy formulation and implementation. The most significant influences of the courts are mainly felt when it comes to the implementation of a given educational policy. This is because there are more conflicts at the implementation phase compared to the formulation stage (Denhardt, 2008). Some of the well-known examples include the civil rights cases which are sponsored by the court, particular in cases related to racial discrimination and abuse of labor force. In such a situation, the accused and the complainant act as the participants in the policy formulation and implementation while the judge is the final decision-maker (Wilson, 2008). In most instances, the court may rule against one proposal and approve a new set of policies hence participating in the implementation process. The courts have the authority to analyze any educational policy that has any unconstitutional clauses. They can also promulgate new sets of policies with adherence to the principles outlined in the constitution. This demonstrates the influence of the judicial system in the formulation of public policies, particularly educational policies. Instances that lead people to the court include conflicts involving two institutions, individuals against organizations, individuals against associations/groups, an d among individuals. The complainant will be seeking assistance from the court on the proper interpretation of the educational policy at hand (May, 2001). This implies that the role of the courts in the formulation and implementation process cannot be ignored. The fourth significant influential party in the formulation and implementation of educational policies is the governmental bureaucracies. They comprise of the civil/government employees who work in the different levels of the society and help in the formulation and implementation of government policies (Silver, 1990). Most of them occupy leadership positions and are able to influence the process of policy development. Since they handle issues that may arise from the educational sector, they can easily identify problems in education that need to be addressed by the development of a policy (Dye, 2002). They are also well placed to receive backing from the people because they are recognized as part of the authority. The bureaucr acies are such a strong force in policy formulation and implementation because they consist of experts. They assist the government in making informed policies by designing appropriate policy proposals (Wilson, 2008). The formulation phase, therefore, will be quite easier since it may take a bottom-up trend and hence increasing the chances of a strong support and subsequent implementation of the policy. In some states, the senior most government workers can issue orders that take the form of policies and ensure that they are observed. The state/federal government may also take recommendations from the members of the bureaucracy and use them to create new education policies (Wilson, 2008). Some transformations in the education sector like the need to review the system requires the advice of experts who can evaluate the significance of the policies before they are implemented. The most significant role of the bureaucracies comes in handy when it comes to the implementation phase of th e educational policy. When top government authorities pass new policies, they expect that they will be effectively implemented by their subordinates (Ben-Peretz, 2008). The task of implementation, however, may prove to be really challenging especially when it extends down to the lowest level of the society. Since most policies are developed by top government officials, they become easier to implement since they are usually passed on in a top-down approach. The bureaucracies facilitate representation of the government at all levels of the society. They monitor the enforcement of the new policies depending on the preferred mode of implementation. Within the educational sector, the implementation of policies is greatly influenced by other agencies in the society apart from the main implementing agency (Ben-Peretz, 2008). The bureaucracy therefore will have to coordinate this sensitive stage. In most cases, they do not force the people to obey the policies, instead, they put into consi deration personal concerns, difficulties, the members of the society, as well as other interests (Denhardt, 2008). Most government bureaucracies, therefore, hold crucial information in the formulation and implementation of educational policies. The authority bestowed upon them helps in overcoming the influence of political forces especially those who may object the new policies (Wilson, 2008). In some states, most of the government agents are elected giving them an upper hand over the implementation of new government policies on education. The bureaucracies control and regulate other policy makers in their territories like members of school boards as well as of city councils and local governments (Silver, 1990). They are responsible for the analysis of problems, formulation of policies, and monitoring their implementation and evaluation. These depict the degree of influence that the bureaucracies have over the formulation and implementation of educational policies. The above four m ajor parties at the center of the formulation and implementation of educational policies seem to wield uniquely significant influence on the process. Since each of them have the discretion to agree with the others or to hold differing opinions, there is need to always reach a consensus when it comes to issues affecting a wider section of the society (Dye, 2002). Most of the actors may remain adamant when it comes to sticking to their perspectives but the process of formulating policies will exhibit success especially when the policy provides for new ways of improving the education sector. Challenges of implementation may however be difficult to avoid but the opposition may also end up improving the quality of the policy through reviews (Cockrel, 2004). In this context, therefore, it is not easy to rate chronologically the influence of the different entities on the formulation and implementation of the various educational policies. Their varying degrees of influence are situational and may compliment each other in ensuring the successful formulation and implementation of policies. There are a number of other significant stakeholders in the education sector who play important roles in determining the success of the educational policies. Interest groups such as teachers unions and parents’ associations may be complimentary when it comes to both the formulation and implementation of a given education policy (Schmidt et al., 2009). These groups may greatly help the primary implementing agency in achieving its goals as well as the objectives of the policy. Some of the nongovernmental agencies may be affected by the new policies. Their conventional ways of operations may need to be changed as a result of the new policies. With these requirements, the interest groups may support the implementation or totally resist the policies especially if their opinions were not sought during the policy formulation stage. Moreover, the government provisions affecting such a sensitive field in the society as the school system will always receive extensive scrutiny from the members of the public. Any failure to take this consideration may result in difficulty when it comes to the implementation process. Significant resistance from these quarters will force the review of the policies before they are eventually re-implemented. This implies that organized groups of people can exert pressure on the implementing agency to make the necessary alterations to the policies (May, 2001). The other important actors in the formulation and implementation of public policies are the political parties. Political parties are always at cross-roads when it comes to advocacy for the different policies. As they seek election into government, different parties present their manifesto/agenda for the people. They accomplish this task by highlighting all the reforms that they intend to bring in the various sectors of the society (Schmidt et al., 2009). They may also resort to criticizing the existing educational policies. The number of registered political parties is usually large. For instance, two major ones (Republican and Democratic) in the US normally exchange the national leadership roles. This periodic alternation of leadership has influenced the formulation and implementation of educational policies in most states. The public media also plays a central role in the formulation and implementation of most public policies. The media can help in popularizing a given policy among the members of the society and hence gaining the approval necessary for its implementation (Ben-Peretz, 2008). In some cases, the proposed educational policy may be perceived to have far reaching negative impacts if implemented. The media will therefore influence people’s opinions of the same resulting in implementation difficulty. Given the non-interactive nature of the media, people may easily end up developing negative attitudes towards a given policy on education. Therefore, the media just like the other stakeholders can have such a significant influence on the entire process of formulating and implementing the educational policies (May, 2001). The essay has focused on the complex concept of parties involved in the formulation and implementation of educational policies and how each influences the process. The four major actors identified are; the legislative bodies, the leadership, the judiciary, and the government bureaucracy. Other stakeholders discussed include the media, political parties, and the various interest groups. The essay has also highlighted a general model that can be used to illustrate stages through which public policy formation may take. However, the format is not fixed or meant to be followed in a step by step manner. Instead, it captures the basic processes involved and may take any order. For instance, formation may come after the evaluation of a given policy for purposes of improving the provisions of the policy. It c an be concluded that the various parties and actors in the formulation and implementation of educational policy can influence the process in their own special way. However, it may not be easy to categorize all of them in the order of degree of influence, particularly the first four parties. References Ben-Peretz, M. (2008). Policy-making in education: a holistic approach in response to global changes. Rowman Littlefield Plc. Cockrel, J. (2004). Public Policy-making in America. University of Kentucky Press Denhardt, R. B. (2008). Theories of public organization (5th ed.). Thomson Wadsworth Dye, T. R. (2002). Understanding public policy. Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall May, P. (2001). â€Å"Reconsidering Policy Design: The Policies and Publics.† Journal of  Public Policy Process, 4 (2), 186-209 Schmidt, S. W., Shelly, M. C. Crain, E. (2009). American Government and Politics: a  focus on public policy formation. Cengage Learning Silver, H. (1990). Education, change, and the policy process. Taylor Francis Wilson, R. H. (2008). Public policy and community: activism and governance. University of Texas Press This essay on Educational Policy was written and submitted by user Leah Workman to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Cultural evaluation of Japan

Cultural evaluation of Japan Introduction Culture is a complex and diverse aspect. It entails the way of life in a particular group of people. It is characterized by different aspects, for instance, beliefs and behaviour.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Cultural evaluation of Japan specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Cultural differences could be seen through looking at different elements that define a certain culture for instance artefacts, myths and stories, rituals, rites, symbols, assumptions, values, norms and ethical codes and attitudes towards different things among others. Different cultural groups have different cultural elements (Sugimoto, 1997). This piece of work gives an in depth evaluation of cultural differences in Japan with much emphasis being given to health care and mental illness in particular. Discussion Generally, the culture of Japan is characterized by collectiveness where individualism is not usually a key concept in variou s practices in different sectors of the economy such as the education system, health care, and politics. Although collectiveness sounds to be advantageous at the face, it is not always beneficial and in some cases some special groups are left to suffer in the name of collectiveness or placing all aspects at the same level (Hendry, 1995). In regard to Japans health care, culture in the country has both positive and negative impacts. In respect to mental health in Japan, collectiveness of the culture does not add value. People suffering from mental illness are looked down upon by the society. Towards the beginning of the 20th century for example, those who suffered from the mental illness in the country did not integrate with the rest of the society but rather they were secluded and restrained to their households. The situation was not any better until the enactment of Mental Health Hygiene Law of 1950, which gave the mentally ill some rights including integrating them into the societ y. The situation is not however any different and the mentally ill are still looked down upon by the community and are seen to be a source of shame to a family and the society at large. As a result of the high value that is placed by the Japanese culture on the issue of uniformity and collectiveness, there has been some negative effects in the health care sector where many people who suffer from mental illness are at a loss since no special care is given to them as expected but rather they are treated as any other patient. This leads to a poor life standard as compared to the mentally ill in other cultures. The only positive aspect is that mental health care in Japan is being improved day by day and the stigmatization may reduce as days go by (Tajima, 2000).Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In terms of ethical issues related to the treatment of the mentally ill in Japa n, we can clearly see that it is unethical to treat the mentally ill in a bad manner; as a source of shame to the family which causes stigmatization. This is because they do not have any mistake and mental illness is just like any other disease. The mentally ill should therefore be treated with the due respect a human being deserves. Conclusion It is evident that there exist various major differences among cultures. Japan is a country that is known for various conflicting cultural issues especially when viewed in respect to other countries. The cultural issues usually conflict with the expected or general stipulated ethical, moral, and sometimes legal issues hence bringing about conflicts that raise a lot of concerns especially when it comes to international ventures. Cultural differences in the country need to be handled in a strategic manner so as to facilitate unity that will in turn lead to success in most of the practices involved. Reference List Hendry, J.   (1995).  Under standing Japanese Society, 2nd ed. London: Routledge. Sugimoto, Y.   (1997). An Introduction to Japanese Society.   Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Tajima, O. (2000).  Mental health care in Japan: Recognition and treatment of depression and anxiety disorders.  Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,62 (13), 39-44.

Your Own Preliminary Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Your Own Preliminary Research - Essay Example It is also evident in the contexts of the national governments. It is very evident that in some countries there are specific laws regarding this field of education. According to the writers, almost all universities in Europe have endorsed the e-learning strategies and actually more, they have endorsed them and included them as a part of their school curriculum. Some courses such as the general courses in communication skills and HIV AIDS skills are exclusively being offered through the e-learning programs.   The adoption of e-learning technology has motivated the learning institutions and colleges to take their tutors through rigorous and mandatory training on how to work with this technology and to be effective at doing so. The e-book article also points out that e-learning processes are enhanced by availability of free materials for documentation hence the universities have found it more or less a better source of studying materials since they only need to provide connection to t he internet for students to access the digital campuses (Brigitte). This source interests me because it is very clear; it is simple to understand the basic arguments and reasoning. The source is also loaded with a lot of important information concerning the research topic mentioned above. From the online open public Library, according to ‘The e-learning e-volution in colleges and university’ by the Advisory Committee for Online Learning. There have been tremendous changes in the manner in which universities have been offering their courses in Canada. The e-book referred above was focusing on Europe and the adoption of e-learning in their institutions focusing on France, Italy and other European countries. Here, the insights on this topic from the Open library are based in Canada. According to the corporate author of this article, most universities and colleges in Canada have at least five courses which are fully offered on the online platform,

The Hold as Management Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 23750 words

The Hold as Management Tool - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  the benefits and disadvantages of the control are also understood through various literature to draw a conclusion. Finally the Paper also makes some recommendations to operate the Control or hold to a possible extent to practice an effective management in the form of Internal control Order and covers the scope and implementation methods in real life.   This study highlights that the work practices of any organization involve certain rules and regulations to be followed by every employee of the company to maintain the standards of organization to give out the best quality of the productivity. These implications involve hold or control to variable extent depending on the needs of the organization and the past experiences and management philosophy towards the employee. The traditional work practices involve highly bureaucratic methods of work adoption, which slowly turned to mechanistic, and modernistic evolution. Still the practice of degree o f hold depends on the utilization of its ethical practices by its managers or leaders. The history reflects the impact of the Control or Hold on the employees in a clear way, so that industry should observe more profitable and productive ways of dealing with employee management. Workplace harassments and bullies create a tremendous liability for the employer by causing stress-related health and safety problems, and driving good employees out of the organization.  ... Finally the Paper also makes some recommendations to operate the Control or hold to a possible extent to practice an effective management in the form of Internal control Order and covers the scope and implementation methods in real life. 2. Introduction Aim: The aim of the paper is to understand the practice of Hold as Management tool to maintain an effective organization. Scope: The paper examines the concept of Power under different organizational design concepts like, leadership practices, Control, Power, authority, delegation and discipline at work site. Objectives of the Report: The paper observes to identify itself with the following objectives: To closely observe the detail characteristics of an effective control system; To explain the nature of power and management control, and review perspectives of organisational power; To explore the process of delegation, and detail a planned and systematic approach to delegation; To examine the concept and importance of Power and Authority; To draw a conclusion on the impact of Hold To make recommendations to effective management system. 3. Main Body of the Report Problem: The work practices of any organization involve certain rules and regulations to be followed by every employee of the company to maintain the standards of organization to give out the best quality of the productivity. These implications involve hold or control to variable extent depending on the needs of the organization and the past experiences and management philosophy towards the employee. The traditional work practices involve highly bureaucratic methods of work adoption, which slowly turned to mechanistic, and modernistic evolution. Still the practice of

Leading Innovation and Change Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

Leading Innovation and Change - Research Paper Example We elaborate the role of leader to bring the change and innovation in the organization, its impact on the people working in the organization and other stakeholders, we also discuss the peoples' resistance towards the change and innovation and the leaders strategy to overcome these types of reactions. In other hand we discuss the successful and unsuccessful change and innovation to evaluate the change and innovation, as well as did an assessment of the performance of leader as a leader of innovation and change and also include an action plan to support the further development.This assignment discusses all the aspects related to the innovation and change, like in this study, we critically evaluate the theories of innovation and change and leadership of innovation and change, assess the performance of leader of innovation and change and develop further plans to support the future development related to the innovation and change. The innovation and change are interrelated with each other and the factors, which are affecting both of them are the same. The leadership is necessary for bringing in the innovation and change whether at the individual level or organizational level. The importance of the leadership to bring in the innovation is gradually increasing worldwide because a leader has the ability to give the understanding to others related to something new, ability to convince people towards the improvement and also a leader can replace old ideas and techniques with new ideas and techniques easily (Aitken and Higgs 2010). ... Leader analyzes the situation as where the change is needed and develop an action plan according to the change required in order to bring in and implement the change. Now, the question is how to bring in the change? Who brings in the change? Why to bring in the change? These are some questions, which normally arise while bringing in a change and in its implementation, there are many other questions related to the change and innovation can arise and the person who brings that change has to give the answer of all these questions that can be convincing for the people who have concerns in respect to the coming changes. (Aitken and Higgs 2010) With the passage of time, the world is getting advanced and new technologies are introduced, organizational structure and systems are introduced and new ways of doing diverse works are presented, organizations have to adopt these changes otherwise they will not be able to survive in the digital world. Manager of an organization doing work in any of the situation must face the situation of change, he has to analyze the nature of the change in the initial level of the implementation of change that is the most appropriate way of managing the changing situations. First of all, he should analyze the need of change whether the change is required to take place in the organization or not and then he should find out whether the change it is appropriate according to the organizational environment or not. Since introducing the change, first thing is to recognize the need for this change like if there is a problem in working with the present ways of doing work, the work is not more efficient with the present ways and there are some opportunities existent, which encourage to bring in a

Rbs staff grievance procedure

Rbs staff grievance procedure INTRODUCTION Grievance is a complaint held by a member of staff against the RBS as an employer, including a grievance against another member of staff acting on behalf of the RBS. The grievance procedure established by RBS does not apply to collective disputes neither it entertains disputes between members of staff in their private capacities. These procedures mean a ground for complaint against an action taken by another member of staff of the employer acting under the authority of management. RBS Grievance procedures consist of several stages. Throughout all stages of the procedure, every attempt is made to settle the matter by conciliation and negotiations. STAGE 1 INFORMAL DISCUSSION 1. A member of staff when thinking of raising a grievance should try to resolve the matter by a direct approach to the person under the authority usually a Line Manager. www.worthingtonslaw.co.ukf STAGE 2 ONE ON ONE WITH LINE MANAGER 2. If the matter after informal discussion remains unresolved, the aggrieved he or she should request a personal hearing with their line manager. STAGE 3 IN WRITING 3. Then the request shall be made in writing or should be lodged on a Internal Operational Complaint system and shall specify: the grounds for the grievance; Such other background information as may appear relevant and useful. 4. The line manager shall: If appropriate seek the advice of the Human Resources Department or should consult his supervisor or Manager. Should meet the aggrieved staff within five working days. Aggrieved staff and the line manager shall have a copy of the written request or the reference number for the lodged complain. (Marson: Business Law) 5. Another member of the staff as a witness if required can accompany the aggrieved staff at the hearing with line manager. 6. Line manager should then write the report of the meeting or minutes of the meeting or hearing and send it to HR or in case if HR department is not involved or consulted for advice should keep it as a record. Please note: In the case of a grievance against a line manager, this initial hearing shall be with the appropriate Head of Department. STAGE 3 INFORMING AND MEETING THE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT 7. If the matter still remains unresolved and is not in hands of line manager, the aggrieved staff then requests a meeting with the Head of Department. The copy of request shall be sent to Head of Department or the lodged complaint print as a request for meeting. 8. The Head of Department then arranges the meeting within ten working days of receiving the request. 9. He shall also then obtain a copy of the written report of the initial meeting or hearing with line manager and if any relevant papers or documentary proofs from the line manager. 10. One of the Human Resources department members should be present at the meeting with Head of Department to keep a written record of the hearing. 11. Even, while meeting the Head of the Department, another member of the staff as a witness (if needs) may accompany the aggrieved staff on his hearing with Department Head. 12. After the hearing, the Head of Department shall: write to the member of staff to record the outcome of the hearing; copy the letter to the line manager, Head of Human Resources and to the Vice Chancellor; Please Note: In the case of a grievance against the Head of Department the hearing shall be with a Pro Vice Chancellor. STAGE 4 APPEAL TO THE VICE CHANCELLOR 13. If the aggrieved staff wishes to raise the grievance against the decision of the Head of Department she or he may appeal to the Vice Chancellor. But, the appeal should be made within five working days of receiving the letter from the Head of Department. 14. A full written statement of the grievance should be submit to the Vice chancellor; which shall be: a comprehensive background and the facts of the grievance and the issue raised and should attach the relevant supporting documents and in case of the member of the staff witnessed, his or her statement and complete detail. 15. The Vice Chancellor then will copy the written statement and any supporting documents and send it to the member of staff against whom the grievance has been raised. 16. The member of staff will be given ten working days within which to submit written answer or justification against the issue rose, which will then be submitted to the aggrieved member of staff. 17. If the justification is not satisfactory enough or the aggrieved staff does not agree with then a meeting is held with ten days with Vice chancellor holds a hearing with both the member of staff, aggrieved and the one against whom the grievance is made. 18. The Vice Chancellor may delegate this stage of the procedure to the appropriate Pro Vice Chancellor. The conduct of the hearing shall be: Both the aggrieved member of staff and the member of staff against whom the grievance is made. if any facts are in dispute, either or both parties may nominate witnesses and they can accompany them in the hearing but they should be the member of the staff only. 19. The decision of the Vice Chancellor will be the final say in the case and will be notified to the member of staff within five working days of the hearing. Please note: If the grievance is against the Vice Chancellor personally the aggrieved member of staff may submit a written statement of grievance to the Chairman of the Board of Governors through the Secretary to the Board. The Chairman if decides after examining the statement can carry out investigation and if not then declines the request. CONCLUSION RBS follows these 4 stages as their grievance procedure and throughout all the stages, the people in authority i.e. Line Managers, Head of Department, HR, Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the Board tries their level best at their stages to resolve the grievance raised by the aggrieved staff. Reference http://www.worthingtonslaw.co.uk/downloads/EmployeeDismissal.pdf Marson: Business Law http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199544455/resources/updates/statutory_dismissal.pdf

The Ambassadors Body Essay -- Screen Theory Films Essays

The Ambassador's Body "Screen theory" developed in the 1970s from the work of a group of French and English film theorists including Christian Metz, Laura Mulvey, Jean-Louis Baudry, Jean-Louis Comolli, and Stephen Heath. In the form in which it has come to influencecultural studies, it combines elements of an eclectic range of theoretical perspectives, including the early structuralist work of Roland Barthes which proposes that the meanings of signifiers are determined by their position within a network of oppositions and equivalences; Louis Althusser's conceptualization of interpellation as a process of meconnaissance (misrecognition); and Jacques Lacan's seminal work on the mirror stage as a foundational step in the child becoming a subject. Screen theory treats filmic images as signifiers encoding meanings but also, thanks to the apparatus through which the images are projected, as mirrors in which, by (mis)recognizing themselves, viewers accede to subjectivity. One of its major strengths lies in its techniques for uncovering ideological messages encrypted in images, messages which are taken to have a direct constitutive impact upon their viewers. In the context of the 70s, this aspect of the theory contributed importantly to the development of a politics of the image which critiqued the mass media on the assumption that the images which they circulate shape the subjectivities of their viewers. Such a view, divorced from the heady mixture of "high theory" and left politics associated with Screen theory, remains the cornerstone of much contemporary censorship practice as well as P.C. politics. According to Screen theory, in addition to functioning as a vehicle for ideological meanings, th... ...en it is in a highly overdetermined way, from the canvas as a whole, rather than, as Lacan claims, from a single formal element, namely the image of the skull. Despite these concessions to Lacan's critics, my theoretical account of the gaze remains firmly Lacanian. In particular, I reject Screen theory's account of the gaze as specular in favor of Lacan's rival claim that the gaze is a site at which the Real disrupts the visual field. My differences from Lacan reside in an attempt to historicize his work by showing the way in which ideological factors mediate the effect of visual objects upon their viewers. *(From Chapter Six of my forthcoming Fetish: An Erotics of Culture to appear with Cornell UP, 1999; an earlier version of this same chapter will appear in Chapter Seven of Tom Rosteck ed., At The Intersection to appear with Guilford, 1998).

Reading Level of Grade Three Pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School Essay

The current issue being faced today by most educators is that during enrolment, some pupils who are promoted in Grade Three are still considered as non-readers. According to Arnold Peralta (2006), enabling the child to read in Grade 1 and 2, the primary grade is very necessary. It is in this stage that the habit of reading should be developed. If a child will not be able to read, understand what he reads and developed the habit of reading, he/she can hardly make it in the higher grades. According to Businessdictionary. com, reading grade level means number assigned to the level of complexity of a reading material, it equates to a given level of schooling, For example, a reading grade level of seven means the reading material is intended for a seventh grade student. In the field of education, this concept is very important in determining pupils’ progress in reading. According to Juan Miguel Luz (2007), Grade Three (10 years old) is a critical year in terms of formal schooling. Before School Year 2012-2023 preschooling is neither compulsory nor part of the package of free public education guaranteed by the Constitution, Grade Three marks the third full year of basic education for children who attend public elementary school and the year when the facility to read, write, and do the four operations of arithmetic with competence is expected. (Less than 20 percent of those who go to public elementary school actually attend a full year of preschool education). Dropping out before this grade level thus becomes a major contributor to the lack of functional literacy, which in turn has a negative impact on adults and their eventual work productivity. This is assuming, of course, that by the end of Grade 3 (or the third year of formal full-time schooling), the children’s competence in the three ‘Rs are being honed fully. But seeing it, that may not be happening in far too many schools. Furthermore, since they learned the basic skills in reading during their previous grades, they are expected to be a good reader when they reach Grade Three. However, there are many pupils who are still considered as non-readers. Stothard & Hulme (1996) described reading as the interaction of two distinct processes, decoding and comprehension. For skilled readers decoding is a highly automated task. Skilled readers can focus their attention on comprehension of the novel material. Low ability readers typically have difficulties studying and learning from expository textual material (Helwig, Almond, Rozek-Tedesco, Tindal, & Heath, 1999). Readers with robust verbal ability skills are more likely to analyze new information and draw inferences than their peers with low verbal ability. DepEd intensifies reading literacy in schools by enforcing the policy called â€Å"Every Child A Reader† (the Education Post Vol. 21, No. 1). Undersecretary Bacani said the new policy aims to make every Filipino child a successful reader at the end of Grade 3. The undersecretary is expecting that no pupil will be promoted to higher grades unless he or she manifests mastery of the basic literacy skills in a particular grade (Arnold Peralta,2006). The researchers presupposed factors to consider in eradicating or minimizing non- readers in every school. Among this are children who have spent less time in reading, their father and mother educational attainment, type of pre-school attended whether in public or private, and monthly family income. This is caused by the influence of the modern world, and parents’ inability to monitor the child’s progress because they are preoccupied with their chosen job. Some children choose to hang around malls, play computer or video games, or watch cartoons and consider reading as part of school activities that need to be forgotten during their spare time. (Arnold Peralta,2006) On the other hand, this is maybe caused by parent’s low educational attainment, and the absence of any reading and educational materials in their homes. According to Arnold Peralta (2006), the parents’ role is very important in helping increase their children’s habits. They must be involved in any activity to improve their children’s reading ability. That is why, in relation to this, the researchers aim to conduct a study that shall determine if such factors have indeed some kind of influence with the Reading Level of Grade Three pupils of Luis Mirasol Memorial School. Statement of the Problem This study will be conducted to determine the Reading Level of Grade Three Pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School. Specifically, this study aims to: 1. Describe the respondent’s socio-economic characteristics in terms of educational attainment of the father , educational attainment of the mother, and the monthly family income,type of pre-school attended, and number of hours spent in reading; 2. Determine the reading level of the respondents; 3. Determine if there is a relationship between the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as: educational attainment of a father, educational attainment of mother, monthly family income, and type of pre-school attended and number of hours spent in reading of the respondents. Research Hypotheses 1. There is no significant relationship between the respondents’ socio-economic characteristics such as: educational attainment of a father, educational attainment of mother, monthly family income, and type of pre-school attended, time spent in reading and the reading level. Theoretical Framework This study is based on various theories on reading level: According to the theory of reading as defined by (Henry,1986) that it must deal with wide range of issues and account for a wide range of behaviors and capabilities. Reading occurs when a child has developed sufficient decoding skills. Decoding is the ability to decipher printed words into meaningful spoken language. More specifically, decoding refers to the skill at which one is able to recognize sound, individual phonemes in a printed or written word and then length and those phonemes to form the sound of the word by (Adams 1990)NRP,2000;National Researcher Council,1998) Philip Gough and Wesley Hoover (1990) describe a theory called simple review of reading, a theory that supported that decoding is necessary for reading level success. This view asserts that weaknesses in reading decoding will result in weak reading. According to (Moats 1999, p5). Reading is the fundamental skill upon which all formal education depends. Research now shows that a child who does [not] learn the basics early is unlikely to learn them at all. Any child who does learn [not] to learn to read-early and will not easily master other skills  and knowledge and unlikely to ever flourish in schools or in life. According to (Kantawala, 1980) states that, the higher the socioeconomic status the better the reading attitude, according to him students of small size family had a more favourable reading attitude than those of large families. Due to the lack of independent reading student may not have developed the positive attitude towards reading. Conceptual Framework Reading level is one of the problems of teachers and parents with regards to their pupils and children. As parents become worried on the reading level of their sons and daughters many of them are unaware of the factors which may significantly affect such occurrence. These pupils on the other hand, who have delayed reading level, frequently, consider reading a task for them to study. In this study, Monthly family income, Preschool last attended, Time spent in reading serves as the Independent Variables while Reading level serve as the Dependent Variable. In terms of Monthly Family Income the researcher believe that those respondents with a higher monthly family income are expected to have a high reading level. In terms of Pre-school last attended, researchers believe that those pupils who obtain schooling in private pre-school than in public are expected to a have high reading level. In terms of Time spent in reading, the researchers believe that those who spent much time in reading are expected to have high reading level. Independent variable 1. Socio-economic characteristics * Educational attainment the father * Educational attainment the mother * Monthly family income 2. Type of school where pre-school education was obtained * Public * Private 3. Time spent in reading Dependent variable Reading Level Figure 1. A Schematic diagram showing the relationship between the Independent and Dependent Variables. Definition of Terms To establish a frame of understanding for both the researchers and readers to facilitate correct interpretation of the results of the study, the following term were defined: Educational Attainment of Father – this pertains to the highest level of instruction, obtained in an institution of learning by the father. It is classified as elementary, high school or college. Educational Attainment of Mother – this pertains to the highest level of instruction, obtained in an institution of learning by the mother. It is classified as elementary, high school or college. Monthly Family Income. This refers to the total gross income of the pupils family per month and is further classified into High (Php 5000 and above), Average (Php2500 and above), Low (1500 and below). Pre-school last attended. Type of school where pre-school education was obtained whether it is in Day Care Center or Pre-Elementary Public School. Time Spent in Reading. This refers to average time not less than 80 to 100 minutes of independent or shared reading per week by the pupils. Reading Level- reading will be measured by using the IRI assessment and the respondents will be ranked through Frustration level, Instructional Level, Independent Level. Scope and Limitation of the Study This study aims to determine the factors related to the Reading Level of Grade 3 pupils at Luis Mirasol Memorial School during the School Year 2012-2013. This study will be conducted at Luis Mirasol Memorial School for convenience of both the researchers and the respondents. The Grade 3 pupils were selected as respondents of this study. The information needed in this study will be gathered using a self-administered questionnaire structured by the researchers. Furthermore, the interview and questionnaire will use to test the reliability of the research instrument. This study would be more reliable if it covers a larger scope and if more respondents will be involved. But this will also mean more effort, time and money that the researchers despondently lack. Significance of the study. The results of this investigation are expected to be highly beneficial to the following: Central Philippine University—College of Education. As an educational institution that hones every individual to become successful professionals in the future, the problem would be beneficial to the College of Education for the outreach center in the field study, to plan out certain programs, and strategies for the Luis Mirasol Memorial School as a partnership of Central Philippine University. Luis Mirasol Memorial School. If this study proves to be beneficial as a means of basis and standards, teachers will be able to find new ways and strategies on how to improve the reading level of their pupils. Parents. As the legal guardians of the children, the results of this investigation would serve as a stimuli towards their awareness on the factors that affect the reading level of their children. Furthermore, this study would initiate them to be more involved to follow up their children at home with partnership to the teacher and open line communication for the development of their children. Elementary Pupils. Whenever proven that the mentioned factors have something to do with the Reading Level of the pupils, the pupils themselves can learn and even do something to counteract negative impact caused by such factors as to their reading skills. Researchers. The outcome and conclusions drawn from this study will be beneficial to other researchers as a guideline for future studies. Chapter II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Educational Attainment of both Parents and Reading Level Research on parenting also has shown that parent education is related to a warm, social climate in the home. Klebanov et al. (1994) found that both mothers’ education and family income were important predictors of the physical environment and learning experiences in the home but that mothers’ education alone was predictive of parental warmth. Likewise, Smith et al. (1997) found that the association of family income and parents’ education with children’s academic achievement was mediated by the home environment. The mediation effect was stronger for maternal education than for family income. Thus, these authors posited that education might be linked to specific achievement behaviors in the home (e. g. , reading, playing). Preschool Attended and Reading Level Preschool helps children to use their minds by knowing where the child means also knowing how his mind deals with the activities of the curriculum and other experiences in the early years. Mental operation most relevant for early education can be grouped into 3 major areas: perception, memory and problem solving. According to Maria Montessori, early education has an indispensable role in the whole personality of the child. The stage of human development from 0-6 years is the stage of the most absorbent mind and the critical period of a child. This stage is the most sensitive period in the life of the child that needed a wholesome, healthful and rich background. If a child fails in reading during the primary grades, his chances for success in any other academic area are greatly reduced. It is therefore essential that a pre-school program for children do all it can to ensure that the children will succeed in reading when they enter school. (http://onlineacademics. org/ReadingDiagnosis. html) Preschool improves children’s problem solving abilities for elementary school. Educational advocates recognize early childhood education, during the preschool years, as among the most enduring and beneficial services a community can provide for its children. Some parents choose to delay formal education until kindergarten, instead instructing their children in reading readiness tasks and offering enrichment classes at home. Children who aren’t offered these opportunities, whether at home or in a formal school setting, perform below their kindergarten classmates in reading and social readiness. (W. Steven Barnett; January 2006). According to a study by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, children who attended preschool scored at a higher reading level than children who did not attend preschool. Even if they couldn’t read, exposure to reading, books and listening to stories resulted in higher levels of letter and number recognition. When introduced to numbers and letters during kindergarten, children who attended preschool already had conceptual and visual familiarity, making it easier for them to make sense of written words. This advantage in reading comprehension and ability continued through age 15. Time Spent in Reading and Reading Level. (U. S. Department of Education, 1986) have recently reiterated the assertion that time spent reading at school and at home is an important facet of a reading program. Despite the perceived importance of time spent reading, a number of studies have found that intermediate grade students spend relatively little time reading at school or at home. It has been well documented that, in general, the amount of time that students are engaged in academic tasks during the reading period at school is positively correlated with gains in reading achievement (Brophy & Good,1986; Fisher et al. , 1980; Stallings & Kaskowitz, 1974). At the same time, however, many activities besides silent reading occur during the reading period (Anderson et al. , 1985). Consequently, studies on general student engagement during the reading period do not provide direct evidence of a meaningful relationship between time spent on silent reading and reading achievement. A few studies have supported the assertion that time engaged in silent reading is an important determinant of elementary students’ reading achievement. Greaney (1980) found a positive relationship between the amount of time spent reading at home and the reading achievement of elementary-age children. In effect, the assertion that time engaged in silent reading at school and at home is important for children’s reading growth has little empirical support; the literature contains surprisingly few studies that have actually found significant relations between time engaged in silent reading and gains in reading achievement for intermediate grade students. In fact, Wilkinson et al. (1988) and Anderson et al. (1988) have recently bemoaned the paucity of evidence. Thus, in the present study we focus on the relationship between reading and achievement gains. We attempt to provide data directly relevant to the policy question of whether or not elementary teachers and administrators should advocate students devoting more time to silent reading at school and at home. Synthesis of Review of Related Literature The Related Literature presented above revealed that there are certain existing factors related to the Reading Level of the pupils in an educational institution. It was mentioned by Klebanov et al. (1994) that education of parents and family income were important predictors of the physical environment and learning experiences in the home. Likewise, Smith et al. (1997) found that the association of family income and parents’ education with children’s academic achievement was mediated by the home environment. The pre-school program for children do all it can to ensure that the children will succeed in reading when they enter school (Maria Montessori). This serve as a foundation to their basic learning during their elementary grades. The time spent on reading has been beneficial to children who read during their free time. It has been well documented that, in general, the amount of time that students are engaged in academic tasks during the  reading period at school is positively correlated with gains in reading achievement (Brophy & Good,1986; Fisher et al. , 1980; Stallings & Kaskowitz, 1974). Chapter III METHODOLOGY This chapter presents a description of the Research Design, locale of Study, Sampling Population, Research Instrument, Data Gathering Procedure and Data Analysis. Research Design The non –experimental Design, Specifically the One shot survey was used in this study since it is the most appropriate approach in collecting the prescribed data. This design is suitable for the collection of descriptive information about the population or subjects of the study. Moreover, the design requires data to be collected once and it also utilized when the objective is describe a situation or condition of a study population as it exist. Locale of the Study The data and information needed in this study was obtained at Luis Mirasol Memorial School, for the convenience of both the respondents and the researchers. The locale is also appropriate, as it can accommodate all the respondents of the study. Respondents of the Study. All of the Grade III pupils from Luis Mirasol Memorial School will be taken as respondents of this study. Census of the total population from the mention institution will be formally obtained with proper permission from the School’s Principal with the total 70 respondents. Data Gathering Instrument The information needed in this study will be gathered using self-administered questionnaire and to be structured by the researchers. It consists of four parts: The first part of the instrument will asks about the Educational Attainment of both Parents, the second part pertains to the  Family Income of the respondents, the third part will asks about the Type of Pre-school the respondent attended, and the fourth part is the number of hours that the respondents spent in reading. Data Processing and Analysis The data in this study will be subjected to computer processed statistics using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) Program. A coding manual was prepared for easy facilitation of the data. In order to achieve the goals of the study, Descriptive Statistics which included the mean and Inferential Statistics which included the frequency count and percentage of the results was used. CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The following are the results of our study conducted during the summer of 2012. We interviewed 53 students and the results show that when the respondents are grouped according to educational attainment of the father, the results are: Table 1. Distribution of Respondents According To Educational Attainment of the Father EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE FATHER| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent| Cumulative Percent| | Elementary| 4| 7. 5| 7. 5| 7. 5| | High School| 15| 28. 3| 28. 3| 35. 8| | College Level| 6| 11. 3| 11. 3| 47. 2| | College Graduate| 28| 52. 8| 52. 8| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100.0| 100. 0| | In table 1, out of the 53 respondents, majority of their fathers are college graduate, 28 in total which comprise 52. 8% of the total population, followed by fathers who are high school graduates 15 in total, which comprise 28% of the total population. College level fathers and Elementary graduate are the bottom two, 6 and 4 in total respectively and comprise 11. 3% and 7. 5% of the total population. The data shows that the degree of educational attainment of mother does not affect the reading level of the pupils. Table 2. Distribution of Respondents According To Educational Attainment of the Mother  EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF THE MOTHER| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | Elementary| 6| 11. 3| 11. 3| 11. 3| | High school| 15| 28. 3| 28. 3| 39. 6| | College level| 11| 20. 8| 20. 8| 60. 4| | College graduate| 21| 39. 6| 39. 6| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | In table 2, the data shows that out of the 53 respondents, majority of their mothers are college graduate, 21 in total which comprise 39. 6% of the total population, followed by mothers who are high school graduates 15 in total, which comprise 28. 3% of the total population. College level mothers and Elementary graduate are the bottom two, 11 and 6 in total respectively and comprise 20. 8% and 11. 3% of the total population. The data shows that the degree of educational attainment of mother does not affect the reading level of the pupils. According to____________________________________________? Table 3. Distribution of Respondents According to Monthly Income MONTHLY INCOME| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | 5000 and above| 23| 43. 4| 43. 4| 43. 4| | 1501-4999| 20| 37. 7| 37. 7| 81. 1| | 1500 and below| 10| 18. 9| 18. 9| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them have monthly net income above 5000, 23 in total which comprise 43. 4% of the total population, followed by those who have monthly income ranging from 1501 to 4999, 20 in total, which comprise 37. 7% of the total population, and lastly those who have monthly net income higher than 15000 comprised 18. 9% of the population, or 10 respondents. This data shows that According to Table 4. Distribution of Respondents According Type of Preschool Attended PRESCHOOL ATTENDED| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | Public| 51| 96. 2| 96. 2| 96. 2| | Private| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them have finished their preschool in public schools, which comprise 51 respondents or 96. 2% of the entire population. The remaining 2 or 3. 8% went to private schools. This data shows that? __________________________ According to_______________________? Table 5. Distribution of Respondents According Time Spent in Reading TIME SPENT IN READING| | Frequency (F)| Percent %| Valid Percent %| Cumulative Percent %| | one hour a day| 26| 49. 1| 49. 1| 49. 1| | two hours a day| 5| 9. 4| 9. 4| 58. 5| | three hours a day| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 62. 3| | one hour in a week| 5| 9. 4| 9. 4| 71. 7| | three hours in a week| 2| 3. 8| 3. 8| 75. 5| | Less than one hour a week| 13| 24. 5| 24. 5| 100. 0| | Total| 53| 100. 0| 100. 0| | Out of the 53 respondents, majority of them spent one hour a day in reading, 26 in all or 49. 1%, followed by those who read less than an hour a week, 13 in all or 24. 5%. Those who read two hours a day and one hour a week are both tied which comprise 9. 4% of the population or 5 respondents in all. Same is in those who read three hours a day and three hours a week, both 2  respondents’ responds positively comprising 3. 8% of the population. This data shows that? __________________According to_______________? When grouped according to the raw scores in Filipino reading comprehension test we get the following results: SCORES IN FILIPINO| | Valid| 53| | Missing| 0| Mean| 78. 58| Median| 80. 00| Mode| 80| Std. Deviation| 4. 050| Minimum| 59| Maximum| 83| The range of the scores in Filipino exam is from 59 to 83, 59 being the lowest and 83 the highest, with a mean score of 78. 58, mode and median at 80 and with a standard deviation of 4. 050. (Complete table is shown in Appendix A Table 1) When grouped according to the raw scores in English reading comprehension test we get the following results: SCORES IN ENGLISH| | Valid| 53| | Missing| 0| Mean| 42. 21| Median| 44. 00| Mode| 43| Std. Deviation| 5. 749| Minimum| 17| Maximum| 49| The range of the scores in English exam is from 17 to 49, 17 being the lowest and 49 the highest, with a mean score of 42. 21, mode at 43 and median at 44 and with a standard deviation of 5. 749. (Complete table is shown in Appendix A Table 2) To test for correlation for father’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents core in Filipino we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 093 with the significance of 0. 508. In terms for correlation between the mother’s educational attainments in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be -0. 21, with the significance of . 440. In terms of parents net monthly income in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get Spearman’s Rho of -. 013 with significance of . 464. In terms preschool attended in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be . 066, with the significance of . 321. In terms of time spent in reading in correlation to the respondents score in Filipino we get the Spearman’s Rho to be -0. 131, with the significance of . 176. To test for correlation for father’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents score in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 086 with the significance of 0. 269. In terms of mother’s educational attainment in correlation to the respondents core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 030 with the significance of 0. 415. In terms of monthly income in correlation to the respondents core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be .015 with the significance of 0. 456. In terms of preschool attended in correlation to the respondent’s core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be . 088 with the significance of 0. 265. In terms of time spent in reading in correlation to the respondent’s core in English we get, the Spearman’s Rho to be -. 114 with the significance of 0. 209. (complete table of correlation see Appendix A table 3. ) CHAPTER V CONCLUSION Based on the findings of the study the following conclusion was drawn: 1. Parent’s educational attainment, both mother and the father have no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the level educational attainment of the parents does not affects the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 2. Parent’s net monthly income has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the net monthly income of the parents does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 3. The pre-school attended by the pupil has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the preschool attended by the pupil does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 4. The pre-school attended by the pupil has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the preschool attended by the pupil does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. 5. The time spent by the pupil reading has no significant relationship with the scores both in English and Filipino. This means that the time spent by the pupil reading does not affect the scores in reading evaluation of the pupil. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the foregoing findings and conclusions, the following recommendations are generalized: 1. Central Philippine University must take action and do more research as of what is the cause of the low reading level among Luis Mirasol Memorial School’s Grade III pupils. 2. Since there are no significant relationship between parent’s educational attainment, net monthly income and the reading level of a pupil, the parent’s must get involve in other ways in the pupil’s academe aside from the given two. 3. Researchers are recommended to find other factors that have probable relationship to reading level aside the factors given in this research. REFERENCES http://www. businessdictionary. com/definition/reading-grade-level-RGL. html , Date retrieved: April 28, 2012 http:// indigo. ie/-sdblang/personal/papers. htm, Date retrieved: May 8, 2012 http://www. buzzle. com/articles/private-achools-vspublic-schools. html, Effects of Low Family Income on Children I eHow. com http:www. Ehow. com. /list _6195251-effects-low-family income children. html #ixzzluWkeyqBZ, Date retrieved: May 9, 2012 http://onlineacamemics. org/ReadingDiagnostisis. html, Date retrieved: May 11, 2012 The Philippine Journal of Education, Arnold Peralta (2006), Volume No. LXXXV, p. 243. Christian perspectives in education, Vol. 2, No. 2 Spring 2009.

Analysis on the Three Growth Options Essay Example

Analysis on the Three Growth Options Essay Example Analysis on the Three Growth Options Essay Analysis on the Three Growth Options Essay In this kind of value chain and set-up, the first applicable strategy to be used is broad differentiation strategy because of their broad market and large product line. In order to be a successful firm the following things should be emphasize and strengthen by the company: They must access to scientific researches and latest updates that concerns the Mega-yacht industry. They should also give emphasis on strengthening their skilled and creative development team. A strong sales team will be a great edge for them that has an ability to communicate and persuade people and companies to buy the company’s products. Strengthening the company’s reputation through quality service. Organized distribution channels- NSY should have a good standing relationship with all local suppliers that can possibly helped them served their clients They should also give incentives to those companies or buyers that buy in bulk to them or became their constant customers Stress continuous improvement and innovation in presenting the products that they offer If the company can properly implement the strategy they can build a competitive advantage, promote customer’s loyalty and knock the socks of rivals, ethically and honorably. Although the company should be careful in implementing this strategy because like any other strategies it has also weaknesses which the company should study very well on how will they be able to turn these weaknesses to strength. The company should be sensitive enough to play their card well. They should bear in mind that this is a fast –paced industry with so many changes going on and that there are possibilities that companies will merge or collaborate in order to have broader markets. The competitive strategies that the company should used must be flexible and the company must be open in changing their strategies so that they will have continuous competitive advantage over their competitors. In the case study there are three growth options facing Non Stop Yachts in 2003. Discuss and compare the pros and cons of each option and make a recommendation of which option to choose for the future. Analysis on the Three Growth Options for Non Stop Yacht S. I. There are three options facing Non Stop Yacht in 2003, they are : (1) Signing an agreement with Palmer Johnson or National Marine; (2) Growth through repair and refit yards and dealing direct to Yachts; (3) Organic growth through opening multiple locations The first growth option is signing an agreement with either Palmer Johnson or National Marine will make Non Stop Yacht their European arm this will give the NSY an immediate increase in their sales by $3 million with potential growth of 50 percent in second year, 30 percent in third year and 10 percent growth per subsequent year. But this option will make Non Stop Yacht a third party and they will have to stop dealing direct with crew members, captains or owners of mega yachts. The second growth option is the growth through repair and refit yards and dealing direct to yachts. This will give the Non Stop Yacht a sale of more than two million in three years with growth rate of 15 percent for each subsequent year. But when NSY choose this option they will have to give up dealing directly with yacht crews and owners to avoid conflict of interest. There is also a possibility that they lose their company identity in the eyes of the end user if they depend on the repair and refit yards. The third growth option is the organic growth through opening multiple locations. With this option the company will have a good exposure and would generate more walk in traffics for the company. More small offices of Non-Stop Yacht in each port where sales happen will possibly generate more sales for them. This will also make yacht crews familiar with the company. However, this option has smaller sales but it will make the foundation and credibility of the company firmer. The first option is a very tempting growth option because it will give a large increase in sales. It is a good opportunity for growth in Non-Stop Yacht because it will generate them large sales. They can grab this opportunity to make their company stronger and popular not only in the European market but also to the US market. With the large market that Palmer Johnson or National Marine have, they can established a good reputation that they can use in the future when their agreement with Palmer Johnson or National Marine expires. There is a possibility that they will lose their own identity as a company. Yes it is good thing at first because of the big sales that they can get by merging with this company, but there might come a time, when these two company get familiarize with the European market, might terminate their alliance with Non Stop Yacht leaving the company â€Å"a company with no identity†. If this happened, NSY must go back to square one where they have to establish a name for their company in the mega-yacht industry.