Lnk between Literacy and Unemployment Research Paper

Lnk between Literacy and Unemployment - Research Paper Example A five step hypothesis test of data pertaining to the selection will be carried out and a description of the results will be carried out to answer the research question. Research question To what extent does the literacy level in a country impact on its unemployment rate? The sample is obtained from global demographics data about different countries and this information is provided. Since the crux of the report is to establish the link between literacy and unemployment rates in different nations, two countries namely Switzerland and Algeria have been chosen for this study to test the hypothesis. For instance, Switzerland has the lowest unemployment rate while Algeria has the highest rate of unemployment. Therefore, a critical analysis of this raw data will be carried out to test these statistics obtaining on the ground in view of the literacy rates of the respective countries. Formulation of the hypothesis As aptly stated by Struig & Stead (2001), a hypothesis depicts the relationshi p between two or more variables. In some instances, there is no relationship between the variables in a particular research. In this case, the null hypothesis is: There is no link between the literacy level and unemployment rate in a country. ... Hypothesis testing Step 1: The null hypothesis suggests that there is no link between literacy and unemployment rates in a given country and this is represented by H0: ?a= ?b. On the other hand, the alternative hypothesis is of the view that there is a correlation between literacy and unemployment rates in a given country and this is represented by H1: ?a ? ?b . Step 2: It is assumed that the probability of unemployment rate is higher when the literacy level of that particular country is lower. As going to be shown numerically below, the raw data presented is going to be calculated in order to establish if this assertion is true with regards to the stated question in the research problem above. Step 3: Test static value from the sample data provided from the two population proportions namely Switzerland and Algeria is going to be obtained through calculating the mean variance of the data. The table below shows the mean variance of the data between the two countries. Name of country L iteracy rate percentage Switzerland 99% Nigeria 57.1% Mean 78.05 From the statistics obtained from the table above, it can be seen that the mean static value is 78.05% and this is going to be used to evaluate the static. Step 4: The evaluation of the static is based on the mean obtained from the data provided about these two countries. The mean average static is 78.05 and it can be observed that from the raw data about the unemployment rates in the population proportions given, Switzerland has 1.9 % unemployment rate while Nigeria has 28 %. In terms of literacy rate, Nigeria has 57.1 % and is below the mean static of 78.05 % while Switzerland is above the mean static with 99 %. Step 5: from the results obtained above, it can be noted that the null

Conduct an external environment analysis for a company (tesco) of your Essay

Conduct an external environment analysis for a company (tesco) of your choice assessing the impact of the external environment o - Essay Example Current paper focuses on the examination of the potential impact of the external environment on the HR policies of a well-known firm in the British grocery industry: Sainsbury’s. The level at which the recession, and other elements of the firm’s external environment, have affected the organization’s HR policies are critically examined using appropriate literature. It is proved that, despite the market pressures, HR policies in Sainsbury’s have been slightly affected by the firm’s external environment, a fact that has been strongly related with the strategic choices of the organization’s leaders. 2. Sainsbury’s – interaction between the external environment and the firm’s HR policies Like all organizations, Sainsbury’s is also highly affected by its external environment. In fact, it could be stated that the external environment of the organization affects all aspects of the firm’s strategies and operations, i ncluded the HR policies. In order to understand the level at which the external environment can influence Sainsbury’s HR policies, it would be necessary to refer to the organization’s performance, as part of the UK grocery industry. Then, the firm’s HR strategy should be presented and compared with the external environment – which is analyzed using the SWOT analysis – aiming to show the key points of impact of the external environment on the HR policies of the organization. 2.1 Overview of the organization Sainsbury’s is one of the major competitors in the UK grocery industry. The firm’s employees have been estimated to 150,000; the firm was first established in 1869 and has now about 890 stores across Britain (Sainsbury’s, corporate website, 2011). The firm is part of the J Sainsbury plc, which activates in many industries, including the banking sector – through the Sainsbury’s bank (Sainsbury’s, corporate website, 2011). The performance of the firm in 2010 has been increased, achieving a profit of ?21,421m, while in 2009 the firm’s profits were estimated to ?20,383m; the specific fact is quite encouraging, taking into consideration the turbulences in the global market – due to the recession which has not been terminated – but also the strong competition in the British grocery industry. Of course, the level of increase of the firm’s profitability may be reduced compared to the past – see Graph 1, Appendix section where the performance of the firm for the third quarter of the years 2008, 2009 and 2010 is compared; in accordance with the above graph, the growth of sales of the firm in the third quarter of 2009 and 2010 may be reduced – compared to the third quarter of 2008 – but it is standardized at a particular level, at a percentage of 3.6%. 2.2 External environment analysis – SWOT analysis The impact of the external environmen t on the firm’s HR policies requires the presentation of the main elements of this environment; the SWOT analysis can be used for highlighting the key characteristics/ trends of the organization’s external environment and their impact on the firm’s HR policies. In the context of the SWOT analysis, the following elements

Education in India Essay Example for Free

Education in India Essay Takshasila was the earliest recorded centre of higher learning in India from at least 5th century BCE and it is debatable whether it could be regarded a university or not. The Nalanda University was the oldest university-system of education in the world in the modern sense of university. [2] Western education became ingrained into Indian society with the establishment of the British Raj. Overall System Education in India is provided by the public sector as well as the private sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: central,state, and local. Education in India falls under the control of both the Union Government and the State Governments, with some responsibilities lying with the Union and the states having autonomy for others. The various articles of the Indian Constitution provide for education as a fundamental right. Most universities in India are controlled by the Union or the State Government. The National Policy on Education (NPE) is a policy formulated by the Government of India to promote education amongst Indias people. The policy covers elementary education to colleges in both rural and urban India. The first NEP was promulgated in 1968 by the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and the second by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986. It emphasizes three aspects in relation to elementary education: * universal access and enrolment, * universal retention of children up to 14 years of age, and * a substantial improvement in the quality of education to enable all children to achieve * Revival of Sanskrit and other classical languages for contemporary use. Today education system in India can be divided into many stages. * Pre- Primary It consists of children of 3-5 years of age studying in nursery, lower kindergarten and upper kindergarten. At this stage student is given knowledge about school life and is taught to read and write some basic words. * Primary It includes the age group of children of 6-11 years studying in classes from first to fifth. * Middle It consists of children studying in classes from sixth to eighth. * Secondary it includes students studying in classes ninth and tenth. * Higher Secondary Includes students studying in eleventh and twelfth classes. * Undergraduate Here, a student goes through higher education, which is completed in college. This course may vary according to the subject pursued by the student. For medical student this stage is of four and a half years plus one year of compulsory internship, while a simple graduate degree can be attained in three years. * Postgraduate After completing graduation a student may opt for post graduation to further add to his qualifications. 10+2+3 pattern [. * The central and most state boards uniformly follows the 10+2+3 pattern of education. [11]:3 In this pattern, 10 years of primary and secondary education is followed by 2 years of higher secondary (usually in schools having the higher secondary facility, or in colleges),[11]:44 and then 3 years of college education for bachelors degree. [12] Distant Education * National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi is one of the mega open universities in the world and caters to around 1 million students around the world. Vocational Education. Vocational Education at Certificate level are offered by 1500 vocational institutions in the country in the areas of agriculture, business, commerce, health and para-medical, home science and humanities in addition to engineering trades. Primary Education in India The World Education Forum, held in 2000 set an ambitious goal: universal primary education by the year 2015. Schooling all children until they reach young adulthood is recognized as important because it leads to many substantial positive effects: better family health, lower birth rate, higher productivity, higher earnings, and improved economics of the country as a whole. Globally, however, more than 115 million children of primary school age do not attend school. The Indian government lays emphasis on primary education up to the age of fourteen years, referred to as elementary education in India. [14] The Indian government has also banned child labour in order to ensure that the children do not enter unsafe working conditions. Further, education has been made free[14] for children for 6 to 14 years of age or up to class VIII under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009. [18] Current status of primary education in IndiaAbout 20% of Indian children between the ages of six and 14 are not enrolled in school. Even among enrolled children, attendance rates are low and 26% of pupils enrolled in primary school drop out before Grade 5. The situation is worse in certain sectors of the population Despite a vibrant emerging economy and a string of excellent colleges that produce high caliber professionals, India has not made the grade yet on primary education. Hurdles in primary education (double it as general problems as well) Shortage of resources and lack of political will. High pupil to teacher ratios,(shortage of teachers –one teacher schools) Shortage of infrastructure and poor levels of teacher training. (toilet for girls etc. ) The National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education of 2009 recommended longer preparation for teachers, but the B. Ed curriculum structure continued to be for a single year. There is also a lack of enough skilled trainers and preparation to develop skills, abilities and attitudes to teach students. Poverty and illiteracy of the parent Gender Issues(girls cannot study). Social Issues like caste system (some castes are not allowed) Several efforts to enhance quality made by the government. (primary education) The District Education Revitalization Programme (DERP) was launched in 1994 with an aim to universalize primary education in India by reforming and vitalizing the existing primary education system. [19] 85% of the DERP was funded by the central government and the remaining 15 percent was funded by the states. [19] The DERP, which had opened 160000 new schools including 84000 alternative education schools delivering alternative education to approximately 3. 5 million children, was also supported by UNICEF and other international programmes. [19] . [19] Significant improvement in staffing and enrollment of girls has also been made as a part of this scheme. [19] The current scheme for universalization of Education for All is the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan which is one of the largest education initiatives in the world. Enrollment has been enhanced, but the levels of quality HERE first Write to improve all the above negative issues. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)/Right to Education (RTE). Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All Movement) is a programme by the Government of India aimed at the universalization of elementary education in a time bound manner, as mandated by the 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free education to children aged 6–14 (estimated to be 205 million in number in 2001) a fundamental right. The programme was pioneered by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. SSA is being implemented in partnership with State Governments to cover the entire country and address the needs of 192 million children in 1. 1 million habitations. In FY 2009-10,60% of SSA funds came from GOI. This has now been revised to 65%. The programme is looking to open new schools in those habitations without schooling facilities and to strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants. SSA is now the primary vehicle for implementing the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE). National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL) The National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level (NPEGEL), is a focused intervention of Government of India, to reach the â€Å"Hardest to Reach† girls, especially those not in school. Launched in July 2003, it is an important component of SSA, which provides additional support for enhancing girl’s education over and above the investments for girl’s education through normal SSA interventions. The programme provides for development of a â€Å"model school† in every cluster with more intense community mobilization and supervision of girls enrolment in schools. Gender sensitization of teachers, development of gender-sensitive learning materials, and provision of need-based incentives like escorts, stationery, workbooks and uniforms are some of the endeavors under the programme. The future of primary education in India The importance of universal primary education has now been widely recognized by everyone involved. Policies and pledges are easy to make but implementation can be difficult and goals hard to achieve, especially in a vast and populous country such as India. International agencies, the government of India, and the numerous NGOs will have to work together with will, wisdom and tremendous energy to make their desire for universal primary education by 2015 a reality in India. Secondary education. For several decades, it has been argued in the literature that secondary education needs to be expanded both as a response to increased social demand and as a feeder cadre for higher education, giving little emphasis to its other important functions. It is also argued that investment in secondary education yields considerable social and economic returns, making it crucial for national development India is following a service-led growth model and striving hard to survive the global competition, in these conditions it is being increasingly recognised that secondary education, is the most critical segment of the education chain. Apart from the bottom-up pressure (i. e. arising from the growth of primary schooling) and the top-down pressure (as the source of potential intakes for higher education) for its expansion, there is a need to pay greater attention to secondary education as it caters to the needs of the most important segment of the population – adolescents and youth, the source of the future human and social capital of a nation. Secondary education covers children 14–18 which covers 88. 5 million children according to the Census, 2001. Features * A significant feature of Indias secondary school system is the emphasis on inclusion of the disadvantaged sections of the society. * Professionals from established institutes are often called to support in vocational training. * Another feature of Indias secondary school system is its emphasis on profession based vocational training to help students attain skills for finding a vocation of his/her choosing. [27] * A significant new feature has been the extension of SSA to secondary education in the form of the Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan[28] Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) programme was started in 1974 with a focus on primary education. [7] but which was converted into Inclusive Education at Secondary Stage[29] The government started the Kendriya Vidyalaya project in 1965 for the employees of the central government of India to provide uniform education in institutions following the same syllabus at the same pace regardless of the location to which the employees family has been transferred. [7] Policy Initiatives in secondary education After independence, the first step towards improving policy planning for development of secondary education was the setting up of the Secondary Education Commission in 1952(also known as the Mudaliar Commission). The primary objective of the Commission was todiagnose the growth pattern and suggest measures for reorganisation and improvement ofsecondary education. The commission’s major recommendation was to develop a 3-yearnational system of secondary education after 8-years of elementary education (8 + 3 systemof school education) to make it a complete stage. The commission also recommended thereconstruction of the syllabus to provide a wider and more balanced course and adopt mother tongue as the medium of instruction (Kabir, 1955). Nearly one-and-a-half decades after the Mudaliar Commission, the Kothari Commission(1964-66), while articulating goals and objectives at all stages of education in the context ofnational development priorities, recommended for a 4-year secondary education system anddiscontinuing the practice of ‘streaming’ up to Grade X. It may be noted that, ten years afterthe commission submitted its report; education was placed in the Concurrent List States and the centre responsible for its development. This changed the policy context fordevelopment of secondary education. The National Policy on Education (NPE), of 1986 subsequently reiterated the views of the Education Commission to implement a 4-year secondary education system across the states and UTs. 23 The NPE emphasised improving equitable access to secondary education and the enrolment of girls, SCs and STs, particularly in science, commerce and vocational streams (Para 5. 13 of the NPE, 1986). The NPE and the Programme of Action (POA), 1992 while recognising secondary education as a critical instrument for social change, called for its planned expansion. The NPE, (as modified in 1992) specifically laid emphasis again on increasing access to secondary education with particular focus on participation of girls, SCs and STs; increased autonomy of Boards ofSecondary Education to enhance their ability to improve quality; introduction of ICT inschool curriculum for coping with globalisation; renewed emphasis on work ethos and valuesof a humane and  composite culture in the curricula; And vocationalisation through specialisedinstitutions or through the refashioning of secondary education to meet the manpower requirements of the growing Indian economy Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) This scheme was launched in March, 2009 with the objective to enhance access to secondary education and to improve its quality. The implementation of the scheme started from 2009-10. It is envisaged to achieve an enrolment rate of 75% from 52. 26% in 2005-06 at secondary stage within 5 years of implementation of the scheme by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of any habitation. The other objectives include improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removing gender, socio-economic and disability barriers, providing universal access to secondary level education by 2017, i. e. , by the end of 12th Five Year Plan and achieving universal retention by 2020. Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) The Scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) has been launched from the year 2009-10. This Scheme replaces the earlier scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) and would provide assistance for the inclusive education of the disabled children in classes IX-XIITo enable all students with disabilities, after completing eight years of elementary schooling, to pursue further four years of secondary schooling in an inclusive and enabling environment. Higher education Indias higher education system is the third largest in the world, after China and the United States. [32] The main governing body at the tertiary level is the University Grants Commission (India), which enforces its standards, advises the government, and helps coordinate between the centre and the state. [33] Accreditation for higher learning is overseen by 12 autonomous institutions established by the University Grants Commission. [34] In India, education system is reformed. In future, India will be one of the largest education hub. After passing the Higher Secondary Examination (the grade 12 examination), students may enroll in general degree programmes such as bachelors degreein arts, commerce or science, or professional degree programmes such as engineering, law or medicine. [31] As of 2009, India has 20 central universities, 215 state universities, 100 deemed universities, 5 institutions established and functioning under the State Act, and 33 institutes which are of national importance. [33] Other institutions include 16,000 colleges, including 1,800 exclusive womens colleges, functioning under these universities and institutions. [33] The emphasis in the tertiary level of education lies on science and technology. [35] Indian educational institutions by 2004 consisted of a large number of technology institutes. [36] Distance learning is also a feature of the Indian higher education system. [36] Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), have been globally acclaimed for their standard of undergraduate education in engineering. [36] The IITs enroll about 10,000 students annually and the alumni have contributed to both the growth of the private sector and the public sectors of India. [37] Several other institutes of fundamental research such as the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Indian Institute of Science IISC), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Harishchandra Research Institute (HRI), are acclaimed for their standard of research in basic sciences and mathematics. Government programs on Education Rashtriya Uchattar Shiksha Abhiyan[. The Rashtriya Uchattar Shiksha Abhiyan is a centrally sponsored flagship umbrella scheme aimed at providing strategic funding to State higher and technical institutions. States will develop comprehensive state higher education plans that utilize an interconnected strategy to address issues of expansion, equity and excellence together. Central funding will be linked to academic, administrative and financial reforms of state higher education. The Rashtriya Uchattar Shiksha Abhiyan proposes to put a ceiling of maximum number of colleges to be affiliated to any university at two hundred . [17] Higher Education and Eleventh Plan (2007-2012) With the objectives and proposals of the Plan as the basis, the report mentions that the private sector has played an instrumental role in the growth of the sector. Private institutions now account for 64% of the total number of institutions and 59% of enrollment in the country, as compared to 43% and 33%, respectively, a decade ago. The Government has also given the required thrust to the sector in its Five Year Plans. During the Eleventh Plan period (2007–2012), India achieved a Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of 17. 9%, up from 12. 3% at the beginning of the Plan period. India’s higher education system faces challenges on three fronts: Expansion:India’s GER of16% was much below the world average of 27%, as well as that of other emerging countries such as China (26%) and Brazil (36%) in 2010. Excellence:Faculty shortage there is 40% and 35% shortage of faculty in state and central universities, respectively. Accredited institutions 62% of universities and 90% of colleges were average or below average in 2010, on the basis of their NAAC accreditation. Low citation impact India’s relative citation impact is half the world average. Equity There is wide disparity in the GER of higher education across states and the Gross Attendance Ratio (GAR) in urban and rural areas, and gender- and community-wise Drawbacks of Indian Higher Education System * Besides top rated universities which provide highly competitive world class education to their pupils, India is also home to many universities which have been founded with the sole objective of making easy money. * Regulatory authorities like UGC and AICTE have been trying very hard to extirpate the menace of private universities which are running courses without any affiliation or recognition. Indian Government has failed to check on these education shops, which are run by big businessmen politicians. * Many private colleges and universities do not fulfill the required criterion by the Government and central bodies (UGC, AICTE, MCI, BCI etc. ) and take students for a ride. * Quality assurance mechanism has failed to stop misrepresentations and malpractices in higher education. At the same time regulatory bodies have been accused of corruption, specifically in the case of deemed-universities. [39] Road Ahead in Higher Education * Merit-based student financing: This should ensure admissions to meritorious students independent of financial background * Internationalization of education: This would entail aligning different aspects of education (curriculum, faculty, etc) to international standards * Enabling a research environment. This would involve creating adequate means of research funding and practical application of research * High quality faculty: The need of the hour is to create a conducive environment and provide incentives to attract and retain high quality faculty. * Improved technology for education delivery: Leveraging technology for enhancing the teaching-learning experience will ensure better outcomes * Employability: Making education-industry relevant and practical would be the right way to ensure a highly employable talent pool India’s higher education system can be expected to be better aligned to industry and global practices, and be more transparent and inclusive by the end of Twelfth Plan period, provided the Government is able to create an enabling regulatory environment and put in place robust implementation, monitoring and quality assurance mechanisms. * Legislative support. One of the most talked about bill is Foreign Universities Bill, which is supposed to facilitate entry of foreign universities to establish campuses in India. * Private Sector-The private sector can be expected to play an instrumental role in the achievement of these outcomes through the creation of knowledge networks, research and innovation centers, corporate-backed institutions, and support for faculty development. Saakshar Bharat (Saakshar Bharat)/Adult Education. The Prime Minister of India launched Saakshar Bharat, a centrally sponsored scheme of Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India (GOI), on the International Literacy Day, 8th September, 2009. It aims to further promote and strengthen Adult Education, specially of women, Education Governing Bodies he Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE): This is the main governing body of education system in India. It has control over the central education system. It conducts exam and looks after the functioning of schools accredited to central education system. * The Council of Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE): It is a board for Anglo Indian Studies in India. It conducts two examinations Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and Indian School Certificate. Indian Certificate of secondary education is a k-10 examination for those Indian students who have just completed class 10th and Indian school certificate is a k-12 public examination conducted for those studying in class 12th. * The State Government Boards: Apart from CBSE and CISCE each state in India has its own State Board of education, which looks after the educational issues. * The National Open School: It is also known as National Institute of Open Schooling. It was established by the Government Of India in 1989. It is a ray of hope for those students who cannot attend formal schools. * The International School: It controls the schools, which are accredited to curriculum of international standard. * Classification of Colleges. Colleges in India come under four different categories. This categorization is done on the basis of the kind of courses offered by them (professional/ vocational) / their ownership status( Private/ Government) or their relationship with the university (affiliated/university owned). University Colleges These colleges are managed by the university itself and situated mostly in the university campus. Government Colleges The government colleges are few, only about 15-20 percent of the total. They are managed by state governments. As in case of other colleges, the university to which these colleges are affiliated, conducts their examination, lays down the courses of studies and awards the degrees. Professional Colleges The professional colleges are mostly in the disciplines of medicine, engineering and management. There are few for other disciplines too. They are sponsored and managed either by the government or by private initiative. Privately Managed colleges About 70% of the colleges are founded by the privately owned trusts or societies. But these institutes are also governed by the rules and regulations of the university they are affiliated to. Though initially started up as a private initiative, the state government also funds these college Private Education What is it? What is the need for it ? What are benefits? What are problems with it? What can be done to streamline it? India saw the largest increase in literacy rate in the decadeof 1991–2001 — from about 52 per cent to 65 per cent. From 2001 to 2011, the literacy rate increased by 9 per cent to 74 per cent (Planning Commission 2011). The 13 per cent increase in 1991–2001 has been the largest for any 10-year period in the history of the country. Private investments and the emergence of budget private schools was the main cause for this.! As parents began to earn more in the post-reform era, they began to invest in their children. As better employment opportunities arose, the value of education became more apparent to parents. This increased demand for education was met by a rapid expansion of budget private schools The biggest success story of literacy in India has been written withprivate initiative — parents’ willingness to pay and the edupreneur innovation of an aff ordable school. In post-liberalisation India, the importance of the private sector in economic growth is well understood and appreciated. For economic growth, the state’s role is primarily to enable the private sector as a facilitator, prudent regulator, impartial enforcer of contracts, and at times as a financier Incentives for efficiency are also weak. Government employees have little incentive to minimise costs, fi nd and correct mistakes, innovate, and acquire necessary information about resources and consumer demand. The high teacher absenteeism in government schools is just one indicator of poor incentives. . High prices in terms of tuition fees, donations andlong queues for admissions are signs of the shortage of quality educational institutions. The same paucity of supply existed for consumer goods before the 1991 liberalisation. The license-permit-quota raj still exists in our education system. Schools and colleges need to be made accountable not to education bureaucrats (licensors) but to parents and students (customers). The government policy should be to increase choice and competition in education as it has been done in many areas of the economy — facilitate, not control. The core competency of the private and public sectors should be combined. The private sector should be allowed to produce education — manage schools and colleges — and provide it to all who can aff ord to pay. For those who cannot aff ord to pay, the government should finance their education through scholarships, education vouchers and loans. Instead of focusing on the inputs to education, the government ensures the output — meaningful, high quality learning. This approach combines the efficiency and accountability of the private sector with the equity and independent supervision of the public sector. . Governments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should evaluate schools and colleges and publish the results so that parents can make informed decisions. One key goal of global reformers is to increase the accountability of schools towards parents — restructure the system so that schools are at least as much accountable to parents as they are to the education offi cials. There are many ways to achieve this goal: put parents on school boards or district education councils, give powers to parent-teacher associations, create something like our village education committees . One new idea in this bucket is that of school vouchers. Several countries have undertaken pilot projects. The voucher is a tool to change the way governments finance education, particularly of the poor. It is a coupon off ered by the government that covers full or partial cost of education at the school of the student’s choice. The schools collect vouchers from the students, deposit them in their bank accounts and the banks then credit the school accounts with equivalent money while debiting the account of the government. Section 12 of the RTE requires private unaided schools to reserve 25 per cent seats in the entry-level class (nursery or Class I) for socially disadvantaged and economically weaker sections. The government would provide private schools with reimbursements equal to their fees or the per student cost in government schools, whichever is lower. EDUCATION REFORM Just as in economic reforms, the list of education reform ideas could be quite long. This paper suggests that two principles should be the focus of reforms in the education ecosystem — effi cient use of public funds and the promotion of equity and quality through choice and competition. Achieve Efficient Use of Public Funds. (a) Fund students, not schools (school vouchers, charter schools, conditional cash transfers); (b) Convert state funding to per student basis and link it to performance; (d) Give poorly performing state schools to private parties on learning outcome contracts; (e) Hire teachers at the school level, not at the state level; Promote Equity and Quality through Choice and Competition: (i) Apply the same standards to both private as well as government schools; (ii) Annual independent learning outcome assessment across all schools; (iii) Decentralise and depoliticise syllabi and textbooks; (iv) Open Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and state board exams to all students, not only for students who study in CBSE or state board affiliated schools.

Job Description: Operations Manager in Echocardiography Lab

Job Description: Operations Manager in Echocardiography Lab Based on the week 1 final project paper, the position for this assignment is the Operations Manager for the Echocardiography Lab. Job descriptions identify the key tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position. They detail what, why, where, and how responsibilities are done (Flynn, Mathis, Jackson, Langan, 2006, p. 102). The general summary within a job description is a brief statement of general responsibilities and components that make the position unique from others. The essential functions section of a description is a set of precise statements specifying major tasks, duties, and responsibilities performed. The job specifications portion of the job description details specific qualifications needed to perform the job acceptably. This would include details such as required skills, education, experience, and physical requirements of the role (Flynn, Mathis, Jackson, Langan, 2006, p. 102). Standard and complete job descriptions can drive performance standards and competencies. They provide a platform to demonstrate what the position accomplishes and how performance is measured in relation to key areas of the job description. In fact, JCAHO standards require healthcare organizations to combine the job description with performance and competency assessment (Flynn, Mathis, Jackson, Langan, 2006, p. 103). If employees are familiar with the expectations, performance measurement, and required competencies, there is a far greater opportunity for satisfactory performance. The job description should be tailored to the specific need a position satisfies. The tasks to be performed and the outcome expected are pivotal. Critical competencies should include those that are integral for the job. They should reflect the ability to produce specific or minimum outcomes in a safe, timely manner (Patton, 2013, p 143). This ensures that every employee in the same role has a standard description and identical expectations. Each employee can then be gauged against those requirements. Position Overview: This role is responsible for coordinating the operations of allied health staff in the outpatient, inpatient setting for the echocardiography lab within the Division of Cardiology. The employee will manage the department in alignment institutional and division missions, visions, and objectives. This person will serves as a key member of the leadership team with a primary focus on planning and implementation of policies and systems. In addition, the position will require facilitates project management while leading a multidisciplinary team including financial analysis, problem solving, and team collaboration. This team member will regulate staffing in accordance with fluctuating workload. The position requires project management in support of institutional and divisional projects, staff recruitment, policy implementation, and serves as a primary resource for issues and communications. This person will performs duties independently and initiate sound judgment in handling a variety of management issues. Organizational Relationships: The hierarchy of this position is pretty straight forward. The operations manager reports to the Cardiology Medical Director and an Operations Administrator. Thus, there is physician and administrative oversight. Ultimately, the position would be directly responsible for several supervisors, including the managers of the outreach practice, education and quality, the program chair of the echocardiography school, the lab, and the administration office for the department. The position falls within the Cardiology Department, which is part of the Department of Medicine of the organization. Ultimately, Jeffrey Bolton, the Chief Administrative Officer and Dr. John Noseworthy, the President and CEO of Mayo Clinic are at the top of the organizational structure (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2013). Candidates will be required to work cooperatively with department/division leadership and multidisciplinary teams, supervisors, administrators, physicians, and personnel both w ithin and outside the organization. There is a number of staff that would directly report to this manager, including sonographers, nurses, administrative personnel, and various supervisors. Educational Requirements: The preferred educational background for this position is a Masters degree in Business or Healthcare field and two years healthcare management experience. Required Skills: Candidates should have strong leadership, team building, and problem-solving skills as well as demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with multiple disciplines. The candidate must have excellent communication, organizational and human relation skills. This position requires excellent decision-making and judgment capabilities. Candidates must have broad based knowledge of office support and computer systems along with software knowledge and installation. In addition, the candidate must have business acumen with experience with accounting practices for budgetary responsibilities. This job is unique based on the limited number of comparable echocardiography labs in the area and even the nation. There are certainly other management positions both within and outside the organization, but very few would provide the ability to manage such a world-class department. In addition, this position would provide a solid networking opportunity. The manager would have the opportunity to work alongside physicians and administrators, gain professional experience, and showcase skills. This position may be a on-the-job interview for future positions in the leadership hierarchy. The course text indicates that effective compensation programs should focus on four primary objectives, including legal compliance, cost effectiveness for the organization, equity for staff, and performance enhancement for the organization (Flynn et al., 2006). There are two components of any compensation package, direct and indirect. Direct compensation is essentially the pay for work achieved. Indirect compensation entails compensating employees with a tangible value without receiving monetary gain. Examples of indirect compensation are benefits such as health insurance, vacation pay, or retirement pension, which are provided to employees regardless of performance (Flynn et al., 2006). There must be a balance between compensation and cost that ensures competitiveness and rewards employees for experience, knowledge, skills, and performance. The organization should provide a comprehensive compensation package in order to recruit, retain, and reward performance. According to Hariharan (2014), a well-planned approach to recruitment will improve a healthcare organization’s leverage in recruiting the most talented individuals. Treating those employees with respect for the duration of their tenure will ensure retention. By recognizing what is important to a potential employee and offering competitive compensation and personal development opportunities, the organization can attract the best candidates and use the newfound intellectual capital to enhance organizational performance. Based on benchmarking similar positions within the organization and comparable academic institutions, the compensation package should be at the 50th percentile of the market. The salary range would be dependent on education, experience, and internal tenure. Preference for the position should be provided internally before the position is posted outside the organization. References: Flynn, W., Mathis, R. L, Jackson, J. H., Langan, P. L. (2006). HealthcareHuman Resource Management [VitalSouce bookshelf version] Retrieved fromhttp://digitalbookshelf.southuniversity.edu/books/9781133614395/id/ch03 Hariharan, Selena,M.D., M.H.S.A. (2014). Physician recruitment and retention: A physicians perspective.Physician Executive,40(2), 44-6, 48. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1518114883?accountid=87314 Patton, M. T. (2013). Avoiding Common Job Description Mistakes.AMT Events,30(3), 142-144.

Zara: Information Technology For Fast Fashion :: Problem, Solution, Case Study

Problem Statement: In 2003, Zara's CIO must decide whether to upgrade the retailer's IT infrastructure and capabilities. At the time of the case, the company relies on an out-of-date operating system for its store terminals and has no full-time network in place across stores. Despite these limitations, however, Zara's parent company, Inditex, has built an extraordinarily well-performing value chain that is by far the most responsive in the industry. Therefore the major problem to the company is to decide whether it has to upgrade the present system and by doing so, risking the reliability they have with the current system or to continue with the present DOS based system which will not be compatible for future changes or improvements. Analysis & Recommendation: Zara’s main strategy is the ability to respond very quickly to the demands of target customers which called for identifying trends of the customer in advance. The company has been able to identify the trends and meet the demand with the help of its autonomously organized structure and its effective value chain systems. The present system followed by Zara has been very effective and very easy to maintain, which as a result has persuaded the company to continue without any change in the present system so far. The problem that Zara faces right now is that the system that they use, P-O-S (Point of Sale terminals), runs on DOS which Microsoft does not support anymore and any hardware change in the POS terminal will not be compatible with the current POS software. Although the sense of urgency for the change may not be that high, investing in IT infrastructure is a must as MS Dos is an obsolete technology and there is no contract or guarantee from their POS terminal vendor that they will continue supplying the same terminal with out much changes in the hardware for any specific period of time, therefore change is unavoidable. The other main issue that Zara faces is that the stores don’t share inventory information electronically and hence inventory management becomes highly difficult and manual. The decision making process is based on the judgment of employees throughout the company instead of relying on a small set of decision makers; the majority of the decisions were made by store managers and as a result they placed orders for the items rather than simply accepting and displaying what headquarters decided to send them.

two different countries Essay -- essays research papers

It is said that technology is turning our world into a global village, and this is true to some extent but even now if we move from one city to another, one can feel the difference in language, culture, life style and many more. In my case I moved thousand of miles from my country, Pakistan. The differences are unimaginable. I was born in a very big house with 5 bedrooms, 2 living rooms, 2 kitchens, big lawns in front and back, servant quarters and couple of servants serving my family. This wasn’t like this because we were filthy rich or millionaires. It simply portrays a middle class home in my country. My grandmother was used to wake up before sunrise and opened all the windows and doors for fresh air, and for the voice of rooster. Then she was used to sit on a very low table with lots of colorful round pillows, directing servants what to do and peeling vegetables or cleaning rice. The house was cleaned from top to bottom everyday. For lunch a long red and white-patterned tablecloths was laid on the floor and all the ladies in home use to eat together. My mother use to make bread in a special underground oven. Men usually came home by the evening and dinner was an important event since everybody was supposed to be there for it. Things haven’t changed a lot now. I grew up in a very conservative city where girls have fewer rights and are raised with the concept that our essential goal is to get married and serve our husbands, making sure our household runs in the best way po...

Pylori associated gastritis

Helicobacter Pylori associated chronic gastritis resulting in duodenal ulceration or Peptic ulcer Dsease. Gastric pain at night and when hungry: ulcer Is duodenal as the pyloric sphincter is open. Single punched-out lesion In the duodenum where of peptic ulcers occur. H. PyIori most common cause of peptic ulcers. Erythematous stomach and history of dyspepsia: This indicates inflammation associated with chronic gastritis: result of long term hyperacidity in the stomach and duodenum. Patient was a smoker. Smoking reduces blood flow and Impedes healing of the epithelium and mucosa.Presence of curved and spiral-shaped bacilli within the superflclal mucosa of the antrum (no mention of the body of stomach) indicates H. Pylori infection. This induces hyperacidity, increasing the risk of duodenal and gastric ulceration (H. PyIori in of people with peptic ulcers). Large numbers of neutrophils in the lamina propria extending into the epithelium forming pit abscesses and large numbers of plasma and lyrnphocytic cells with germinal centres Infiltrating the lamina proprla Is characteristic of chronic gastritis as the body mounts an Immune response.Gastric epithelium regenerates rapidly, replacing damaged cells. Extensive blood supply to mucosa. Predisposing factors: H. Pylori infection 80% of peptic ulcers Smoking- reduces blood flow, impedes healing. High-dose corticosteroid use (inhibits prostaglandin production) More commonly seen in people with alcohol cirrhosis (alcohol stimulates gastric acid secretion), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (reduces 02 blood perfusion), chronic renal failure and hyperparathyroidism (promote gastrin secretion). 3) Natural history: o Peptic ulcers usually heal within weeks but reoccur within months(75% after one year) unless treated.Longer healing indicates quicker reoccurrence unless stimulus is removed. o A longer period of symptoms before presentation is associated with poorer response to treatment. Complications: o smaller vessels- anaemia o large vessel- malema or haematemesis o major artery: life threatening. o Perforation- spillage of GIT contents into peritoneum: leads to infection (peritonitis) o Obstruction- pyloric stenosis from continuous healing and scarring near pyloric valve. (10% of patients) Leads to hour glass deformity of stomach. o Carcinoma development- (1% of gastric ulcers, never duodenal ulcers)