Primary education Essay Example for Free

Primary education Essay The World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal approved a comprehensive vision of Education for All (EFA) to be achieved by 2015 based on the six goals. The six goals relate to the areas of early childhood care and education, universalising primary education, gender, youth and adolescents, adult education and quality of education. The main focus is on ‘reaching the unreached’ for ensuring complete coverage of education. With this background the Mid- Decade Assessment of Education for All was initiated to take stock of the progress made with respect to EFA Goals. Corresponding to this exercise, a comprehensive review of the progress made with respect to Education for All in India was conducted jointly by Government of India and the National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA). The present work which is a sequel to the National Report consists of a series of thematic and state review papers. There are nine thematic review papers covering all the six goals including three additional papers on three other themes, namely, Teacher and Teacher Education, Management Strategies for EFA and Financing of EFA in India. These thematic review papers are further followed by a series of analytical papers covering progress of EFA in twenty seven states of India. State reviews attempt to present a quick picture of the current level of progress in each state of India assessing the magnitude of the task involved in achieving EFA goals and projecting a realistic time frame as well as strategies needed to reach the goals. Each thematic review as well as state-specific analytical review paper has been prepared by an established expert in the respective area/state in close collaboration with national and state governments. The review papers along with the National Report present a comprehensive and disaggregated picture of the progress made towards EFA goals in the country. The papers are coming out at a very opportune time when the Parliament is engaged in debating the legislation to make education for all children a Fundamental Right. While the thematic papers highlight state of development of education with respect to different goals of EFA, the State papers present the diversity of the situation across the country. The whole series  would serve as an invaluable independent documentation on various aspects of EFA ranging from early childhood care and education to universal elementary education and adult literacy programmes using authentic data sources accompanied by a review of relevant empirical research. The whole Project involving the National Report along with the series of thematic and state analytical review papers were conceived and executed by Prof. Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 3 Early Childhood Care and Education R. Govinda, NUEPA who led the entire exercise and would like to thank him profusely for his leadership. Dr. Mona Sedwal who as a part of the Project Team at NUEPA contributed immensely to the whole exercise also deserves appreciation. The Team immensely benefited by the advice given by the Technical Advisory Group set up under the Chairmanship of Professor A. K. Sharma for guiding the entire exercise. I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Prof. A. K. Sharma for his invaluable guidance. Finally, I would also like to acknowledge the generous financial support provided by UNICEF and UNESCO. Ved Prakash Vice Chancellor. National University of Educational Planning and Administration 4 iv Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Early Childhood Care and Education Editorial Note Indian Constitution directs the State to provide free and compulsory education for all children upto the age of 14. This goal has been pursued by the country for nearly six decades through successive development plans. The last two decades have witnessed significant improvements in children’s participation in schooling, accompanied by substantial increase in investments. The recent effort to raise resources for the sector through imposition of an education cess is major effort in that direction. Even though school education has traditionally remained a subject for action by State Governments, Government of India has, during the last two decades following the National Policy on Education – 1986, begun to play a leading role. This culminated in the launching of the national programme of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in 2001. Despite all these efforts, the final goal of providing quality education for all has eluded the country. Urgency of reaching the goal has been heightened in recent years due to several national and international developments, including commitments made under the Dakar Framework for Action for providing quality Education for All by 2015, which not only covers primary education but also focus on literacy goals, gender equality and quality concerns. The Dakar Framework of Action listed the following six specific goals to be achieved by all countries. 1. Expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. 2. Ensuring that by 2015 all children, particularly girls, children in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities, have access to and complete free and compulsory primary education of good quality. 3. Ensuring that the learning needs of all young people and adults are met through equitable access to appropriate learning and life skills programmes. 4. Achieving a 50 per cent improvement in levels of adult literary by 2015, especially for women, and equitable access to basic and continuing education for all adults. 5. Eliminating gender disparities in primary and secondary education by 2005, and achieving gender equality in education by 2015, with a focus on ensuring girls’ full and equal access to and achievement in basic education of good quality. 6. Improving every aspect of the quality of education, and ensuring their excellence so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. The National Plan of Action for Education for All (2002) in India reflects this sense of urgency felt within the country by proposing to reach the targets much ahead of the international dateline. At the national level, the Constitutional Amendment in 2002 declaring education in the age group 6-14 which corresponds to the elementary education stage of schooling a fundamental right has brought the issue of universal elementary education (UEE) to the centre stage of public discourse. The country is in the process of drawing up the legislation for effective implementation of the right for Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 5 Early Childhood Care and Education translating the constitutional provision into reality. With the progress made in recent years the goal seems to be achievable by the international time frame of 2015. But this requires systematic assessment of the various goals the present exercise is one such effort. UNESCO has been bringing out annual review of the progress made in moving towards the goal of EFA through the Global Monitoring Report. These assessments do not reflect an encouraging picture of the Indian scene. This is an issue of serious concern for the national leadership as one sixth of the world population lives in India. With around 65% adult literacy rate, there are more around 350 million adult illiterates in the country. This should not be taken to imply that no efforts are being made to meet the challenge of EFA. Besides, the national averages do not fully reflect the diverse reality characterizing educational progress in India. In fact, it is paradoxical that while certain pockets of the country are emerging as the international hub for creating a knowledge society, certain other regions and sections of the population continue to be deprived of even basic education. It is clear that in pursuing EFA goals, not all states and regions of the country are in the same league. The variety is too wide to draw any generalization. While some states have made remarkable progress in education, practically eradicating illiteracy and achieving near universal participation of children in elementary education, several other states continue to remain far from the final goal. What is needed to progress faster in moving towards the 2015 EFA deadline in all parts of the country? This obviously demands an analytical exercise goal wise as well as statewise. It is with this objective in view that the present exercise was taken up to make an independent assessment of the progress achieved in different states and with respect to different EFA goals. The present series of papers constitute the outcome of such a comprehensive exercise carried out by independent experts, in collaboration with Central and State Governments. The main purpose of the exercise is to place before policy makers, planners and the civil society as a whole an analytical picture of the progress made towards EFA goals and the challenges ahead for reaching the goals in a realistic fashion. The exercise consisted of three parts. The first part consisted of presenting an overview of progress in the country with respect to six goals highlighted in the Dakar Declaration. This was largely based on the technical guidelines for assessment prepared by UNESCO. A national report entitled â€Å"Education for All Mid-Decade Assessment: Reaching the Unreached† has been prepared and published jointly by NUEPA and Government of India. The Second Part consists of a series of nine thematic review papers dealing with different dimensions of ‘Education for All’ keeping in view the Indian context and priorities. These include: (i) Early Childhood Care and Education; (ii) Universal Elementary Education; (iii) Adult Education; (iv) Towards Gender Equality in Education; (v) Education of Adolescents and Young Adults; (vi) Quality of Education; (vii) teacher and teacher education; (viii) Management Strategies for EFA and (ix) Financing of EFA. Each of these papers has been prepared by an expert or experts 6 vi Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Early Childhood Care and Education in the respective area. The papers were reviewed by another independent expert and revised based on the observations. The third part consists of analytical papers covering all states of India. Each thematic review as well as state-specific analytical review was prepared by an established expert in the respective area/state in close collaboration with national and state governments. The state level reviews are prepared on lines similar to what was followed for preparing the national review. Each of them deals with comprehensively on all six goals of EFA specified in the Dakar Declaration. The present paper by Venita Kaul and Deepa Sankar examines the situation with respect to Early Childhood Care and Education comprehensively dealing with school based pre-primary education programmes as well as the more widespread ICDS programme. In fact, this is an area of critical importance as increasing empirical evidence points to the value of providing pre school experience to children not only for improving their readiness for schooling but also as part of meeting their basic growth and development needs. Providing early childhood care and education is the first goal stated in the Dakar Framework for Action, and the National Plan of Action promises to take an integrated view of early childhood care and education. This elaborate exercise of assessing the progress in EFA should be viewed in the context of repeated assertions by the UNESCO Global Monitoring Report on EFA that Indian is at the risk of not making the global targets with respect to several EFA goals. The findings of the review clearly points out that the situation across the country is very diverse. While some States have registered fast progress on all fronts, some others continue to lag behind. Also in general, access to schooling has improved every where even though much remains to be done with respect to other goals of EFA. It is hoped that the various volumes brought out through the exercise would together present a realistic analysis and a disaggregated picture of the Education for All process and achievements in the country. R. Govinda Professor and Head Department of School and Non-formal Education National University of Educational Planning and Administration Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment. vii 7 Early Childhood Care and Education Acknowledgements This comprehensive exercise of reviewing the progress of EFA has been done through active involvement and support of a large team of experts and officials from Government of India as well as various State Governments. The exercise was carried out under the constant guidance of the members of the Technical Advisory Group under the leadership of Professor A. K. Sharma. The task could not have been completed without the commitment and support of Professor Ved Prakash, Vice Chancellor, NUEPA. Special thanks are due to Smt. Anita Kaul, Joint Secretary, MHRD, Government of India who played a central role in conceiving and implementing the whole exercise. Financial support for the exercise came from UNICEF and UNESCO; in particular, thanks are due to Mr. Samphe Lhalungpa who took personal interest in ensuring that the Project is completed smoothly. We would like to record our appreciation for the technical support and cooperation given by the NUEPA Publication Unit and for printing and publishing the volumes. EFA Project Team National University of Educational Planning and Administration 8 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment. Early Childhood Care and Education Technical Advisory Group Professor A. K. Sharma Former Director NCERT Chairperson Professor Ved Prakash Vice Chancellor NUEPA Member Joint Secretary (EE) MHRD Member Professor R. Govinda Head Department of SNFE NUEPA Member Deputy Secretary MHRD Coordinator NUEPA Project Team Professor R. Govinda Head Department of SNFE NUEPA Project Director Dr. Mona Sedwal NUEPA Project Associate Fellow Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 9 Early Childhood Care and Education About the Authors ix Venita Kaul is Senior Education Specialist in World Bank. Prior to joining the Bank she was Professor and Head of Department of Preschool and Elementary Education at the NCERT. She has written extensively in the areas of Early Childhood Education and Early Primary education in the Indian context and has several books and papers to her credit. Deepa Sankar is an Education Economist with the South Asia Human Development Department of the World Bank. 10 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Management of Elementary Education Contents Preface iii Editorial Note v Acknowledgements viii Technical Advisory Group ix About the Authors x Section I Introduction 1 Section II. Early Childhood Development (ECD) – The Indian Context 2 Section III ECCE –An Equity Issue 9 Section IV Providing for the Child in India Section V Coverage of ECCE Services 25 Section VI Public Spending on Children 30 Section VII Some Significant Issues and Concerns in ECCE 36 References 11 15 43 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Early Childhood Care and Education SECTION I INTRODUCTION The first six to eight years of a child’s life last a lifetime!! Known as the early childhood stage, these years are considerably, and often irreversibly, reduced. This research finding places a very large percentage of children in  globally acknowledged to be the most critical years for life-long development, since the pace of development in these years is extremely rapid. Recent poverty contexts, particularly in the developing world, ‘at risk’, in terms of their life chances. â€Å"By the time poorer children in many countries reach school research in the field of neuroscience has provided convincing evidence that â€Å"experience-based brain development in the early years sets neurological and age, they are at a significant disadvantage in cognitive and social ability† (The World Bank, 2005b:132). This early childhood stage is also biological pathways that affect health,  learning and behaviour throughout life†. (Mustard, 2007:40) It is in these early years of life that critical periods are important as a foundation for inculcation of social and personal habits and values, which are known to last a lifetime. It follows logically that these located for development of several cognitive, social and psychomotor competencies, which significantly contribute to later success in life. If years are crucial and important for investing in to ensure an enabling environment for every child and thereby a sound foundation for life. This is not these critical periods are not supported by, or embedded in a stimulating and  enriching physical and psycho-social environment, the chances of the child’s only the right of every child, but will also impact in the long term, on the quality of human capital available to a country, like India, whose main asset in the brain developing to its full potential are years to come will be its ‘youth power’. Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 1 Early Childhood Care and Education SECTION II EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) – THE INDIAN CONTEXT Our Cultural Heritage: Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs for children in the age group of prenatal to 6 years, derive their importance from the next. This  wealth of developmentally appropriate childcare practices is gradually becoming extinct, in the humdrum of more modern this rationale, and from the changing social, economic and demographic contexts over the last few decades that have often rendered homes ill-equipped provisions for children and changing social realities. to ensure optimal childcare. A look into India’s past cultural heritage indicates that traditionally, the early childhood years (from prenatal to five years) were are more specifically associated with changes in the family structure, from joint to nuclear, so that parenting, which was earlier a shared family  considered to lay the foundation for inculcation of basic values and social skills in children. It is believed that these values are imbibed from the responsibility, is now solely the responsibility of the parents; this responsibility is again often further delegated. While children from the family as the ‘sanskaras’ and the scriptures advocate an attitude of lalayat or indulgence, as the desirable mode of child rearing at this stage, as compared higher socio-economic strata are often left with paid surrogate care givers, in the lower socio-economic communities the responsibility of childcare gets to more disciplinary approach for the  older child! Much of the early care and education of the child was informal, within the family and largely through loaded on to the older sisters, thus keeping them often out of school and robbing them of both their childhood and basic education. In addition, the grandmothers’ caring practices, stories, lullabies and traditional infant games, handed down from one generation to growing urbanization and increase in maternal employment outside the home has further affected the possibilities of 2 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment In India, as elsewhere, these changes Early Childhood Care and Education  ensuring â€Å"quality informal early care and education’ for the young child within the home. It was this changing social context, over the years, which laid the however, the concept of early childhood care and education (integrating health, nutrition and education aspects) has been widely accepted. India has in this seeds for the introduction of the concept of organized Preschool Education /Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) in the country. context, been able to put together a fairly supportive policy framework and has launched some major initiatives for children for this stage of development, ECCE-The Beginning: The earliest  formal documentation of preschool/early childhood education, as an organized which are discussed later in the paper. As a result, there has been noticeable, though not adequate, progress over the last fifty years, in both public and private initiative in India, dates back to the latter half of the nineteenth century when Gijubhai Badheka and Tarabai Modak, among others, became the pioneers of provision for young children. this movement in the country. Influenced by Madame Montessori’s visit to India, they established preschool education centers in Gujarat. In 1946 Three important principles of Child Development, substantiated by  research, have steered the evolution of programs for young children from just Madame Montessori met Mahatma Gandhi, who asked her to ‘indianize’ her method to make preschool education available to a large majority of children. ‘preschool education’ to the concept of more integrated and holistic Early Childho od Development programs. These principles assert that: (i) A child’s That was the beginning of ‘pre basic education’ in the rural parts of the country, largely through voluntary effort. Till India’s independence in 1947, early experiences and outcomes will determine the extent to which s/he will gain from subsequent interventions,  since child development is a continuous voluntary agencies and private institutions primarily fulfilled the need for ECCE, particularly in the form of preschool education. The first and cumulative process. A recent study in US demonstrated that by the age of 3 years, gaps in learning as measured by vocabulary are already large among government initiative in this area was the setting up of a Central Social Welfare Board in 1953, which started a grant–in–aid scheme for voluntary children from different social groups (The World Bank, 2005b); (ii) A child’s cognitive learning is affected by his/her socio-economic status, through the  agencies. Over this half century, child’s health (malnutrition, iron and Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 3 Differentiating ECD, ECE and ECCE Early Childhood Care and Education micronutrient deficiency, and parasitic infections) and the quality of the home environment. Health, nutrition and education/ psycho-social development education has been one of its six components, in addition to health and nutrition. The nomenclature, Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) are all synergistically inter-related, and this makes a case for addressing all needs of children through a holistic approach; and (iii) The child’s  found its due place in the policy framework in India later in 1986 when an exclusive chapter of the National Policy on Education was devoted to it. development gains will be optimized and more sustainable, if the programs address not only the child, but the child’s overall context, including the ECCE was defined, in the policy in ways similar to ECD, as an integrated and holistic concept of care and education of children between 0-6 years from socially family. Consequently, Early Childhood Development (ECD) and/or ECCE as disadvantaged groups. This provision was seen as facilitating to lay the child’s foundation for life and also a support  service for girls and working mothers. understood by Indian professionals working with young children, refers to a holistic and integrated program of nutrition, health and early childhood The policy emphasized the joyful nature of ECCE, especially for the 3-6 years olds, and discouraged any formal instruction of the 3R’s at this early stage education which caters to children from prenatal to 6/8 years and which addresses the all round development of the child from a lifecycle perspective of education. In practice, however, ECCE programs for children have assumed various nomenclatures and definitions, depending on the priority a  (See Fig 1 for an Indian Conceptual Framework). While this nomenclature of ECD is relatively recent, India has the distinction of having conceptualized and particular program serves. These include Early Childhood Education (ECE) /preschool education programs which are focused only on preschool floated perhaps the world’s largest program for children, modeled on this definition, as early as in 1975. Known as the Integrated Child Development education for 3-6 years olds (e. g. prenurseries, nurseries, kindergartens, preparatory schools, pre primary etc). These do not have any health or Services (ICDS), this program targets  children, pregnant and lactating mothers and adolescent girls from a lifecycle perspective. Non-formal preschool nutrition component, are ‘stand –alones’ or part of primary schools and generally in the non-governmental or private sector. 4 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Early Childhood Care and Education Figure 2. 1: An Indian Conceptual Framework for Integrated Child Development Determinants  ¦Maternal health, nutrition adequacy and quality of care of newborn  ¦Safe delivery, family and community support for the mother and baby  ¦Environmental hygiene, safe water and sanitation Prenatal to one month Outcomes  ¦ Healthy, responsive  newborn Indicators  ¦Mother not anemic or underweight  ¦Child weighs more than 2500 grams  ¦Child moves head side to side on being stimulated Determinants One month to three years Outcomes  ¦Freedom from intermittent diseases (diarrhea acute respiratory infection)  ¦Nutritional security  ¦Curiosity, sociability  ¦Confidence selfhelp and sensory motor skills Indicators  ¦Full immunization by end of year one  ¦Completion of all prophylaxis (e. g. vitamin A) by end of 3 years  ¦Toilet trained  ¦Ability to communicate clearly and confidently  ¦ Sociability and ability to stay away from family for a few hours  ¦Appropriate height and  weight for age  ¦ Age-appropriate gross motor and auditory-visual skills Three to six years Outcomes  ¦ Interest in learning school readiness skills (language, numeracy psychosocial skills)  ¦ Activeness, selfconfidence, awareness of environment  ¦ Freedom from intermittent diseases, nutritional security  ¦ Management of any identified disability Indicators  ¦Active participation in early childhood care and education activities.  ¦ Ability to narrate experience confidently  ¦Demonstration of curiosity  ¦Age-appropriate self-help social skills  ¦Age-appropriate height weight  ¦ Regular preschool attendance  ¦Nutrition adequacy, including  exclusive breast-feeding  ¦ Responsive complementary feeding, quality of mother/caregiver-child interaction  ¦Immunization, management of diarrhea and other illnesses  ¦Health and hygiene practices  ¦Sensory motor and language stimulation and opportunities for play and exploration  ¦ Cultural attitudes and stereotypes Determinants  ¦Quality early childhood care and education.  ¦Basic healthcare services including disability screening  ¦Nutrition adequacy and incidence of intermittent diseases  ¦Literacy level of parents, educational environment at home Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 5 Early Childhood Care and Education Determinants.  ¦ Early childhood care and education experience/ school readiness  ¦Access to schooling  ¦Nutritional adequacy  ¦Quality of school  ¦Socio-cultural factors – extent of inclusion (gender, tribe, caste, etc. )  ¦Early detection of learning disabilities  ¦Social norm, role models and supportive home environment  ¦Safe water and sanitation, incidence of infestation and infection affecting regular attendance  ¦Female teachers Six to eight years Outcomes  ¦Sociability, selfconfidence/ selfesteem  ¦Ability to read and write, with a continued interest in learning  ¦Freedom from anemia and intermittent diseases Indicators  ¦ Demonstration of  competencies for Class 2 by end of age 8  ¦Regular attendance  ¦No worm infestation or anemia Determinants  ¦Quality of school  ¦Socio-cultural factors – inclusion (gender, tribe, caste), social norm  ¦Health promoting school  ¦Early detection of learning disabilities  ¦Infestation and infection occurrence, nutritional levels, particularly in girls  ¦Supportive home environment, community Eight to twelve + years Outcomes  ¦Successful completion of primary school with appropriate literacy and numeracy skills  ¦Active learning capacity  ¦Good health, nutrition  ¦Positive self-image  ¦Coping and social skills Indicators  ¦Regular school attendance.  ¦Eagerness to learn  ¦Sociability, activeness  ¦Demonstration of competencies for Class 5 at end of age 11  ¦Motivation and confidence to continue education Source: World Bank, 2004, pp. 12. It is now being increasingly realized that the ECCE stage itself has within it more than two distinct sub-stages, each with the first sub-stage of prenatal to three years, the developmental priority is ensuring health and nutritional wellbeing its own developmental priorities (See Figure 2. 1). ECCE can thus be further classified into the sub-stages of (a) prenatal to two and a half to three years; of the mother and child, since this is the  vulnerable stage for growth faltering and is also critical for brain development. This stage requires more of home- (b) 3- 4 years and (c) 4 to 5/6 years. For targeted 6 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment parent counseling in nutrition Early Childhood Care and Education and health education and in ‘early psychosocial stimulation’. For the 3-4 years olds, the priority shifts to early learning and all round development include the more structured school readiness elements. Within this integrated framework, this paper focuses especially on the latter two sub- through a more organized center-based ECCE program, using the play way  method. For the 4-6 years olds, this program gets further expanded to stages within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), i. e. for the 3-6 years olds. Graph 2. 1 Child Development Index 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 CDI- 1993 CDI 1999 Kerala Gujarat HP Haryana Punjab Orissa UP MP Bihar 0 CDI 2006 Graph 2. 1 shows that although almost all states showed improvements in child development related parameters, the improvements varied. The states, which had already reached higher levels of child development, improved marginally, while states with very low base indicators improved faster – like Bihar and UP. However, Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and MP continue to be below the all India average figures. These states are the laggard states in terms of child development and need more focused approach to develop child related outcomes. For that, it is also important to address their provision needs, as well as the socio-economic barriers to improve child development. Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment 7 Early Childhood Care and Education Graph 2. 2 Comparative difference in CDIs using immunization Vs malnutrition indicators (2004-06) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10  4 indicator CDI Nagaland JK Arunachal Rajasthan Assam Manipur Bihar Uttarakhand MP Mizoram Tripura Sikkim Meghalaya Punjab All-India AP UP Orissa Delhi Chattisgarh Goa West Bengal Karnataka Gujarat Haryana Maharashtra Kerala Jharkhand TN HP 0 5 indicator CDI However, if malnutrition indicators are taken into consideration in the CDI instead of immunization, the profile in terms of absolute CDI values changes. Interestingly, this shift is more significant in the case of states which are at the higher end, for example, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala (Graph 2. 2). Possibly, with better governance, literacy levels etc, these states demonstrate higher CDI levels when education and immunization indicators are included since both and related to the quality of service delivery. However, when impact in terms of child development outcomes are included (e. g. , underweight and stunted children), the inter-state variations get narrowed down. With states like Tamil Nadu, which have a history of effective feeding programs, the deterioration in CDI values indicated in Graph 2. 2 may well raise the question â€Å"Is feeding enough to address malnutrition in children? 8 Education for All – Mid-Decade Assessment Early Childhood Care and Education SECTION III ECCE –AN EQUITY ISSUE ECCE is now emerging as a significant equity issue in the Indian context. largely an outcome of a rapid expansion of private facilities, particularly in the Despite significant expansion of the ICDS program from the eighth plan onwards, the recent NFHS-3 data shows that the status of children in the urban sector. On the other, children from the lower socio-economic strata, whose need is perhaps greater due to impoverish.

The Factors Influencing The Built Environment

The Factors Influencing The Built Environment Introduction The proposal assumes the role of a developer presenting to the client. This will help the client to understand the factors influencing the Built Environment (Moxon Street) site. The site would be developed for a Student Accommodation. Though details of the site are not given in the report but an overview of all the factors that would affect the site development, the techniques used, the precautions ought to be taken, etc. It is a general description of how a site will be developed keeping in mind the health, safety welfare and the environmental implications from the development of the site. Section 3 In a built environment it is necessary for the Designer to reduce the health risks that occur from the construction work and also to provide for the safety and welfare to the workers. So Health, Safety and Welfare play an important in the design process. It can be further divided into stages. The Design process which is a benchmark to identify the health risks that arises from the design as well as eliminate the hazardous to a reasonable extent. An onsite register can also be maintained in this regard to show that we have to consider the onsite risks. It would be mandatory for the chemicals contained in the product to be registered under REACH. For Health Hazard the services of a CDM coordinator will be hired and certain components would be assembled off site which would reduce the health hazard on site. The project risk review gateways will be linked to RIBA at the plan of works stages. There is a need for systematic risk assessment and solution will be assessed on the basis of risk control hierarchy. There would be a Red-Amber-Green list which can help the designer to identify and also to negate the hazards and to control risks as far as possible. The Development will have a negative impact on the environment. The Council stipulates that necessary Environment Impact Assessment and Environmental Performance Statement should be part of the development plans. The design should have provisions for natural sunlight, ventilation of air, energy consumption, etc. This should be able to reduce air and noise pollution. This will help the developer to create goodwill for himself as well. There will be ultra low flush toilet which would reduce the use of water. There are certain Risks Assessments which are to be carried out for the health and safety of the employees on site. They would be in respect of- As per the Control of Substance hazardous to health regulation precaution would be taken by a systematic approach. The services of an Agency would be hired for workplace monitoring for harmful dust, vapours, fumes and gases. This would be done as per the Workplace Exposure Limits given by E40. European Union Noise at work regulation would also be considered as per the guidelines- The 1st and 2nd Action Levels are 80dB(A) and 85dB(A) respectively. 1st and 2nd Peak Action Levels of 135dB(C) and 137dB(C) Peak respectively. A Maximum Exposure Level Limit of 87dB(A) and 140dB(C) Peak at the ear will be introduced which includes any hearing protection. There would be due consideration given to Fire Risk assessment of Catering Extract Systems with regards to the guidelines- BSRIA Fire Risk Assessment Catering Extract Ventilation Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order (RRFSO) 2005 HVCA DW172 Specification for Kitchen Ventilation Systems. Indoor Air Quality Sick Building Syndrome would be identified as this will affect the health of the occupants of the building. This complains could arise from a particular room or floor but could have a lasting impact on all the occupants. Odour Threshold analysis would also be conducted. This is relating to the strange smell i.e., presence of volatile organic compounds in the building that could affect the health to the occupants. The majority of these volatile organic compounds are present in very low concentrations i.e. 0.1-1ppb (parts per billion). Legionella risk Assessments and Asbestos Identification Surveys would be conducted as well. This would be in accordance with the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance L8, Legionnaires disease Approach There would be a Multi discipline approach taken in the risk management in the design process. This will be fruitful because of the vast experience of the Architect, Consultant, Engineer; etc would be integrated right from the design process. Design Implication This all will help us to have a safe and a sound design which would eliminate the hazards to the health and safety of the workers as well as of the occupants. This will also help us to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. Primary Services Utilities It is necessary to accommodate these services in the early stages of the design process. There should be early checking of availability of these services Early decision on intended location of such services on the site This will ensure that there is a proper plan in place and will also help us to avoid complications in the future. Provisions should be made for- Telecommunications Gas Water Electricity Sewage services If there are issues with the availability of any of these services than a decision can be taken at the early stages of the design process. The Location of these services would be depended as per the acceptable framework provided by RIBA Plan of Work 2007. This will assist the design team to plan, coordinate and also to have a definite approach to the various services. Entry to the building would be given from all the four sides with the main entrance from the front of the building. There can also be distribution and scaling down of different services done by the Designers to meet the needs of our development. The provisions for accessibility and the maintenance of these services would be done at the early stages of the design process. We would hire competent staff which would look after the maintenance of these services with an access given to them on each floor for easy maintenance and repair. The environmental implications of these services would be- Create a sustainable environment for the communities Protect public health by giving safe drinking water, effective sanitation services, etc Safely recycling waste Comply fully with all the environmental legislation These above precautions and approaches will help us to achieve effective management of services with regular maintenance and also providing with a safe environment for the community. The Water extraction will be done by the he liquid ring vacuum pump contains a twin start helical rotor mounted eccentrically in a cylindrical pump casing and is designed to pump liquids or combinations of liquid, air and fine solids through long suction lines, generating suction lifts to up to 8.5m. For the waste Disposal there will be a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) in line with the DTI Code of Practice and associated good practice guidance. On completion the new building should be subject to Post Occupancy evaluation. Global Warning The building designs will be based on the UKCIP medium high emission scenario rather than that which is based on historical data. UKCIP predicted that the average temperature in UK will rise by 3.5 degree by 2080, therefore a mixed mode ventilation stems incorporating the passive and mechanical ventilation coupled with high thermal mass and complete solar shading are likely to cope with the effects of the climate change. Mayor of London commissioned a report stating that London is the most susceptible to flooding than any other urban area in the UK. The site is not in the Zone 3 established by the Westminster Council that specifies areas the areas affected during floods. In order to minimise the energy demand of the building we must increase the efficiency in the building envelope, using high efficiency windows, insulation in walls, ceilings and floors will be used. Passive solar building design could also be used. This will minimise energy demand. In order to control emission to water point of water treatment would be used. This improves the quality of water and also reduces the amount of water in circulation. Non-sewage would be used on site which would minimize demand on the local authority. There would be a good thermal insulation system in place this would minimise the emission to air. The ex filtration of warm air would result for 30% of the heat loss through a buildings envelope. A air leakage test would be carried out as well. Renewable Energy Issues Technical- The site will have a- Solar energy technology Heat pumps Energy from waste Co-generation This will help to reduce the impact on the environment. Economic- Initially the cost of the machines would be higher than the conventional equipments but over a period of time there would be a lot of savings due to a decrease in the bills. Social- This will have a positive impact on the occupants and the community. The carbon and the fuel emission would be quiet low. This would sub dued the hazards caused to the health and safety of the people. Range of Sustainable construction technique includes- Wind Solar Wave Biogas Landfill gas Hydro Waste to Energy 84 KW wind generator Double exterior walls with foam insulation Radiant slab heat for excess energy storage Section 4 The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 describes the risks associated with the construction industry and narrates the specific provision which ought to be taken to negate the danger. The CDM regulation 2007 encourages co ordination and co-operation among the various parties of the project. It works towards making health and safety an integral part of designing and construction. It recognises the hazards in the planning and construction stage of the project and helps to take corrective steps. The construction health, safety and welfare regulation 1996 are a set of rules to protect the health and safety of the people engaged on the site and the people who may be affected by the work. It is a leaflet which describes the regulation and precautions to be taken by the people on the site. The main focus of the Management of the Health and safety at works regulation 1999 is to reduce the damage on the site and to create a action plan for the emergencies. There is a need to comply with the specific regulation of the industry. Works at Heights Regulations 2005 is concerned with the injury that could occur to a employee as a result of a fall. It covers both the internal and the external areas of the building. There is present no height limit. It places duties on the persons who control the work on the site to take necessary care and precaution. Method Statement Site Foundation The site has a mixed structure type up to 30 metres. So mechanical handling is essential. There should be no public access until the construction work is complete. Adequate security is to be provided to see there is no theft or damage to the site. The site will be developed in two phases. Loading/Unloading of materials As the project is conducted in two phases here is sufficient space at the corner of the site for the loading and unloading of materials. This would also give rise to some risks but it would be handled by the experienced staff that operates the machines. Machines Non-maintenance of machine will pose a great threat to the workers engaged in site development. So a good maintenance schedule is needed to reduce the need of replacement. All machines should have the current safety inspection certificate and the person operating it should also be certified. Electrical Equipment There is a need to keep a check on the conditions of the equipments. Weather Condition When there are unsafe a situation arising from the weather conditions the authority is given to the site foreman to take the precaution which is deemed necessary. Individual Safety Clothing Individual safety clothing will be provided on site and it is necessary to wear them at all times. Safety Systems of Work It is divided into three parts It analyses the task at hand Hazards caused to health, safety and welfare Precautions to be taken to eliminate the hazards It is an extension of the Risk assessments and the method statement All this should take place from the planning stage, the design and also on the construction stage. (Example included in the appendix) Site Induction and Training It is the legal responsibility of the employer to provide induction and training relating to the hazards and risk associated to the health and safety of the employees and the contractors. It includes- The scope of work Amenities on the site such as toilet, water, etc Safety rules in place Safety procedures for high risk construction activity PPE required to be worn First aid arrangements on the site Good Site management It is necessary to hire Project Manager for a good site management. They coordinate all design and construction process. They assist the site from the development stage to the actual completion of the site. As the size of the project is reasonable there is a need to hire a Project Manager. Health and Safety Signage site safety signconstruction multi sign 1 Personal Protective Equipment Safety footwear Hard hats High visibility waist coats Goggles Life jackets Safety harness Insulated clothing for adverse climatic condition Mitts Gaiters Checklists is required for the safety of the employees on site It is necessary for-; Scaffolding Powered Access equipments Roof Work Hoists Cranes Fire Hazardous substance Noise, etc. Roles and Responsibility of the various parties under CDM 2007 Clients Competence of the contractors Suitable arrangements for the welfare facilities Provide pre construction information to the designers and contractors Planning Supervisor Assist the client Notify HSE Co ordinate health and safety in regards to design Ensure good communication on the site Prepare and update health and safety file Designers Reduce risk during design To check whether the CDM co coordinator is been appointed Make client aware of his duty Contractor Prepare and develop a written plan Site rules Ensure suitable welfare facilities are provided Ensure proper induction and training is provided to the workers Sub-contractor Manage and monitor own work and also of his workers Train own employees Provide them information Comply with the requirements of the part 4 of the regulations Users Report risks Check competence Co-operate with each other Health and safety Officer Check that health and safety arrangements are made Report any risks Impose fine if there are inadequate arrangements Supply Chain The materials are available in the free market however there are some materials which would be procured locally and some internationally through Wholesale Agency for Environmental friendly materials. International Procurement Reflective coatings and non structures Phase change material High efficiency insulation system Solar heaters Local Procurement Bricks Cement Concrete Pre cast structures Steel Electrical Fittings Elevators Furniture Wood for Flooring, etc. The access of the truck and the delivery of the material would be from the front entrance of the site with a possible provision at the back end of the site for the exit. A temporary warehouse would be constructed at the corner of the site depending on the construction phase. The handling of the material would be done by the employees who are trained beforehand. The eight rules of handling are included in the appendix Sustainability of resources Recycling facilities would be provided for paper and glass and with textile and plastics. Waste minimisation techniques will also be used to reduce waste and it will bifurcate into clean rubble, timber, general chemical waste, etc. Recycled and Eco friendly materials list is provided in the appendix Embodied energy issues We will try to include more renewable materials in the project which has lower embodied energy than non renewable materials. http://www.canadianarchitect.com/asf/perspectives_sustainibility/measures_of_sustainablity/images/images_optimized/eecontent.jpg Concrete produces 1 tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne manufactured. Waste treatment and management techniques are important for bio degradability of materials at the end of their useful life. The techniques used are- Combustion or gasification Anaerobic digestion Mechanical treatment Biological treatment Modern Method of Construction It includes ready- made walls, floor and roof which are transported and then assembled on the site. They make construction faster. It also includes modular Kitchen, Bathroom, Furniture, etc which are factory fitted and help in reduction of project duration and also on site environmental hazards. The MMC houses are also energy efficient. Because only assembling is done on the site there are fewer accidents and produces less noise and dust. It also has a less impact on the local residents. References (The mentioned sites were accessed on 21st and 22nd of December 2009) Building a Better Quality of Life: a strategy for sustainable construction. DETR (2000) Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education and Skills. Department for Education and Skills (2003). Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). US Green Building Council (2001). Environmental Performance Indicators for Sustainable Construction The Movement for Innovation (M4I) Sustainable Construction. Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (HEPS). (2002) Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Building Research Establishment (2002). http://www.cskills.org/supportbusiness/healthsafety/cdmregs/index.aspx http://www.btinternet.com/~kendalhang/hands/INDG220_HS_Construction.pdf http://www.netlawman.co.uk/info/health-safety-work-management.php http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/safety/0505.shtml http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Sectors/Construction/Safe_System_of_Work_Plan_SSWP/ http://www.hydrostatic-testing-consultants.co.uk/Health%20and%20Safety%20Management%20System/ssp5wacg.htm http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos005.htm http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/minimising-workplace-risks/ppe.aspx#what http://www.healthandsafety.co.uk/sitesafchecklist.html http://www.processingtalk.com/news/tol/tol102.html http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/cdm/summary.htm http://earth2tech.com/2009/11/02/venture-firm-nth-power-names-5-next-gen-green-building-materials-to-watch/ http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/postpn209.pdf http://www.slrconsulting.com/slr_waste_management.pdf http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/minimising-workplace-risks/occupational-health-surveillance.aspx http://www.futuregate.co.uk/Written_Health_Safety_Policies.html http://www.chas.gov.uk/downloads/appendix2.doc http://www.hcibib.org/bibtoc.cgi?file=bibdata/CHI99-2.bibabstracts=true http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/environment/guidance/building.html http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=633292.633466 http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=632919 http://www.hcibib.org/bibtoc.cgi?file=bibdata/CHI00-2.bibabstracts=true http://www.noiseatwork.info/occupational_hygiene.html http://www.healthandsafetytips.co.uk/News%20Archive/April%202004%20News%20Archive/April%202004%20Consultation%20on%20New%20Noise%20at%20Work%20Regulations.htm http://www.eckeleurope.co.uk/ http://www.noiseatwork.info/monitoring_the_built_environment.html http://www.lda.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.2445viewPage=6 http://www.lda.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.2445setPaginate=No http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070705090343AAtqBfl http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/environment/guidance/building.html http://www.noiseatwork.info/monitoring_the_built_environment.html http://www.processingtalk.com/news/tol/tol102.html http://community.benchmarkemail.com/users/simonreed/newsletter/Civic-09-14-Editors-Newsletter-30th-July http://www.fife.gov.uk/atoz/index.cfm?fuseaction=advice.displayadviceid=2E4DDB61-FA29-ACC7-48F889880B70CA8D http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/resources/index.aspx http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/minimising-workplace-risks/occupational-health-surveillance.aspx http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/minimising-workplace-risks/occupational-health-surveillance.aspx http://www.healthscotland.com/advancedsearch/index.aspx http://chas.gov.uk/Downloads/Appendix2.dox http://www.worldpumps.com/view/3626/seaquarium-choose-liquivac-liquid-ring-pump/ http://www.filtsep.com/view/3626/seaquarium-choose-liquivac-liquid-ring-pump/ http://news.hse.gov.uk/lau/2009/09/17/health-risks-at-work-do-you-know-yours/ http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/minimising-workplace-risks/HRatW.aspx http://www.masterytech.com/productpage.php?product_id=spmtlmpg http://www.mastery.com/productpage.php?product_id=spmtlmpg_htm http://www.training-classes.com/programs/00/19/1917_material_handling_safe_material_handling.php http://www.futuregate.co.uk/Written_Health_Safety_Policies.html

Training Scenario In Indian Industry Management Essay

Training Scenario In Indian Industry Management Essay Training  is an educational process. People can learn new information, re-learn and reinforce existing knowledge and skills, and most importantly have time to think and consider what new options can help them improve their effectiveness at work. Effective trainings convey relevant and useful information that inform participants and develop skills and behaviors that can be transferred back to the workplace. The goal of training is to create an impact that lasts beyond the end time of the training itself. The focus is on creating specific action steps and commitments that focus peoples attention on incorporating their new skills and ideas back at work. Training can be offered as skill development for individuals and groups. In general, trainings involve presentation and learning of content as a means for enhancing skill development and improving workplace behaviors. Organizational Development  is a process that strives to build the capacity to achieve and sustain a new desired state that benefits the organization or community and the world around them. (from the Organizational Development Network website) OD work implies creating and sustaining change. An OD perspective examines the current environment, the present state, and helps people on a team, in a department and as part of an institution identify effective strategies for improving performance. In some situations, there may not be anything wrong at the present time; the group or manager may simply be seeking ways to continue to develop and enhance existing relationships and performance. In other situations, there may be an identifiable issue or problem that needs to be addressed; the OD process aims to find ideas and solutions that can effectively return the group to a state of high performance. These two processes, Training and Organizational Development, are often closely connected. Training can be used as a proactive means for developing skills and expertise to prevent problems from arising and can also be an effective tool in addressing any skills or performance gaps among staff. Organizational Development can be used to create solutions to workplace issues, before they become a concern or after they become identifiable problem. http://traininganddevelopment.naukrihub.com/images/1.JPG ROLE OF TRAINING TRAINING SCENARIO IN INDIAN INDUSTRY TRAINING PROGRAMS IN RETAIL/FMCG SECTOR Some of the training programs that are given in the retail sector are: Sales Training On-the-Job Training Seminars/Workshops Customer Relationship Management Online Course Group Study Computer-Based Training TRAINING IN BANKING AND INSURANCE SECTOR Favourable economic climate and number of other factors such as growing urbanization, increasing consumerism, increase in financial services for people living in rural areas etc, has increased demand for wide range of financial products that has led to mutually beneficial growth to the banking sector and economic growth process. In the insurance sector also, rapid expansion has created about 5 lakh job opportunities approximately in the past five years. These openings are mainly in the field of insurance advisors or marketing agents. The eligibility criteria for this job is graduation with some experience in marketing or become insurance agents after completing school but this needs some relvant training. Earlier there were no training programs as such for insurance agents but on-the-job training only that was given once the new agent was appointed. But now the scenario has been changed, with the coming up of big players like  ICICI Life Insurance, ICICI Lombard, HDFC Life Insurance, Tata AIG General Insurance, etc in this sector, people whove had some formal training are preferred while recruitment because it can be helpful in the insurance field. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN IT/SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY With the growing investment by IT companies in the development of their employees many companies have now started their own learning centers. As an example, Sun has its own training department. Accenture has Internet based tool by the name of My Learning that offers access to its vast learning resources to its employees. Companies are investing in both the technical training, which has always been an essential part in IT industry, as well as in managerial skills development. Companies now kept aside 3-5% of revenue for training programs. As an example, some of the major players like Tata Elexi and Accenture are allocating 7% and 3% respectively of the companys overall revenue. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN HOSPITALITY SECTOR Programs are available for the following areas: Food Production Food and Beverage Service Front Office Housekeeping TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN KPO SECTOR With the expected increase in number of employees, training has become the core of KPO industry as well. No matter how much qualified the person is he needs to be trained on processes. As the name itself implies, knowledge, this sector requires high level of functional know-how as well as domain know-how. There is a constant need of well-planned training programs as the work profile requires understanding of market research objectives and methodologies. This sector requires behavioral training as well as training to handle stress because of odd working hours. If a person is committed to deliver quality, and is willing to learn with positive attitude then definitely KPO is the right place to work for him. EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING FOR AN EMPLOYEE IN AN ORGANISATION Companies invest quite a bit on the training and development of their employees. On the other hand, there are companies which refrain from investing in training. This is partly because they doubt whether such investments would pay back anything to the organization. However, today, most managers in companies appreciate the importance of training and want to invest in their employees training and development. Human Resources (HR) departments in companies could play an important role in capitalizing this opportunity and put in place systems and processes to make training more effective. Here are a few actions that HR could take: LINK TRAINING TO OTHER SYSTEMS: Training is part of the development process. However, development would mean understanding the capabilities of individual employees, identifying gaps and focusing on the right training for the right person. We can see that this leads to linkage of training with recruitment and performance appraisals. Recruitment, i.e., the entry point of an employee in the company, is the best starting point for tracking capabilities of employees. Capturing the profile of an employees capabilities at this stage helps the company build on his strengths and develop them further. Similarly, performance appraisals which are a periodic exercise, give adequate opportunity for organizations to take stock of the capabilities of employees and identify the gaps or the desired capabilities that need to be developed, and which emerge either from the career aspirations of the individual or business plans of the company. MAKE TRAINING A SYSTEMATIC ACTIVITY: An employee receives a call from a Manager out of the blue one day, who asks her to attend a training program on communication to be held two days later. The employee is unprepared. There are other priorities lined up for the week. Suddenly, the employee is having to do her bit to either re-prioritize, or re-schedule activities, or, worse still, stretch herself for the next two days to complete some of the high priority assignments in a hurry so that she can attend the training program. All this only leads to the employee going to the training program in a totally unprepared frame of mind. A positive and receptive mood, that is necessary for learning, is absent. The time and the money spent on the program turns out to be a waste. This is a common scenario in many companies treating training programs as one off events to which employees need to be sent. HR can do a lot to take control and make training a lot more of a systematic activity. Planning for programs adequately beforehand, preparing the employee with reading material or exercises, sending alerts and other communication related to the training at different stages before the program-all these would help. In all, planning well in advance, preparing the employee, laying the foundation for an eagerness to optimise the benefit derived from the program-all these will help. TRACKING OF TRAINING ACTIVITIES: Many companies have metrices such as number of man days of training. Some track them periodically, but most do not. It is necessary to compare the tracking of training to that for compensation. Compensation is tracked meticulously, analysed in depth across departments, levels, functions and so on. The same level of meticulousness, however, is missing in the case of training. Metrices, however, need to be carefully analysed and presented to the stakeholders periodically, to help them focus their efforts and plan for the training in a systematic manner. FEEDBACK LOOP: Measuring training effectiveness has always been a challenge, given the fact that the direct correlation between the training effort and results on the job cannot be clearly established. However, no one can deny that training contributes in a very significant manner to both improvement in the knowledge, skills and performance of a companys employees, as well as the overall business performance of the company.. Such training- performance correlation has been well established, and thus, the best employers worldwide invest significantly and systematically in training their personnel. Notwithstanding the fact that the direct correlation between a training program and improvement in the performance of an employee who has undergone such a training program, is by now indisputable, collecting feedback on the impact will help in fine tuning the efforts made towards training. In this context, there exist three stages of process for collecting feedback on training. Timing is very important here. The first stage is immediately after the completion of the program. The main objective of this feedback is to get to know how well the trainer delivered the program, the usefulness of the content and effectiveness of the methodology. The second stage would be the collection of feedback thirty days from the completion of the program. The objective here would be effectiveness in retention, and the question to be asked is this: are the learnings from the program still retained by the employee? BLEND OF METHODOLOGIES: Learning styles differ from one individual to another. To elaborate, the manner of teaching and learning different subjects can vary. What works for a training program on a technical subject may not necessarily work well for a behavioral area, and vice versa. With the leveraging of technology and proliferation of the net learning culture, learning is no longer confined to the traditional manner of training. Each of the methodologies have their respective advantages and disadvantages. A particular methodology may work well in a specific context and not so well in another. The cost would also vary from one methodology to another. It becomes the responsibility of the training personnel to choose the most appropriate methodology for the appropriate organizational context, for a particular subject and for the appropriate audience. Instead of trying to choose what works best, one may choose to provide two or three options with the same objectives, i.e., learning and improvement in the capa bilities of the employees. What would help in effective implementation of all the factors mentioned above:   A good and comprehensive training management system. Such a system covers all the areas mentioned above and involves all the stakeholders, employees, managers, HR/training function and the leadership. Trained and dedicated personnel to manage the training. It is desirable to have a dedicated team to oversee the training process in a company. However, given the size of companies today, some small ones may not be able to dedicate full time personnel. In such cases, the responsibilities need to be clearly built into that of the HR system of these companies.

Life In The Universe :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the selection I have chosen Chapter 6 of Life in the Universe; The Evolution of Life on Earth begins with the theories of Darwin and natural selection and how survival of the fittest was one of the main theories of evolution of life of an organism. Although it is a good theory, and has been tested through years it is not one of the main priorities of evolution. There was a reason of an outside force that forced the funas to extinction, not because it was unable to adapt to an environment. Also the past of origin goes too far back and is so complicated that there is no sure way to point a certain time or place in the history of our origin, unlike the work of nature. For example Homo sapiens come to be through neural complexity. Human arose from thousands of events happening in time that altered our past in a dramatic way. In order to understand the drastic changes we have to understand not just the principals of evolution but to understand the theory and life st yles of fossils found.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Complex creatures don’t mean that it has a better chance of survival and evolving into something better. Yet the simplest form of creation like bacteria still rule all with the enormous amount occupying the earth. Still the more complex we are doesn’t mean we have a better chance of survival. More complex animals like dinosaurs have already been extinct, so that tells us a great deal about evolving or surviving in the future. Bacteria occupy a wider range of space on earth and are an indestructible type of organism. Humans and other type of complex organisms have to worry about their extinction while bacteria on the other hand have a low chance of getting wiped out. Even as they are simple organisms they also have the same chance as we do to evolve without the tough struggle. Comparing the two it shows that complexity was not good or favored issue in evolution. Complexity is probably a bias made by us for the reason of our being and our evolution. E volving in such a way, it would state that animals evolve by greater complexity, or ecological adaptation with the theories of Darwin. Still there is no proof to us that this was true. Also if complexity was such a great thing why did it take so long for evolution of these type of species (including us).

Essay --

This paper will attempt to state and explain the Cartesian Ontological Argument, its most promising lines of objection and some of the replies to these objections. Before studying the argument, it is important to notice that this type argument, unlike causal or teleological arguments, tries to be based on reason alone, not observation. Descartes considers that his a priori claims can derive the existence of God from the very concept of God. The Cartesian Ontological Argument can be formulated as follows: (1) God is that being than which nothing more perfect can be conceived upon. (2) Existence is a perfection. Therefore, (3) God exist. The argument can also be formulated through reductio ad absurdum: God is the most perfect being that anyone can conceive. One might conceive that God exists just in thought alone and not in reality. However, in that case, the conceived God would not be the most perfect conceivable being because one can think of a more perfect God, namely a God that exists. Thus, it would be a contradiction to conceive a God that does not exist. Therefore, God exists. There is a third formulation of the argument forwarded by Descartes in his replies to the objections: â€Å"(A) That which we clearly and distinctly understand to belong to the true and immutable nature, or essence or form of something, can truly be asserted of that thing (B) With sufficient and careful investigation of what God is, we clearly and distinctly understand that existence belongs to his true and immutable nature. (C) Hence, God does exist.† 1 The first objection is that existence does not follow from essence. One might imagine, for instance, a minotaur and what would constitute its essence. However, even if one could 1 1 DESCARTES, ReneÃŒ . â€Å" Repli... ...rcle. The ideal is always â€Å"more perfect† than the real. For this reason, a God that only existed in the intellect would be the best conceivable God because it would avoid the â€Å"inherent imperfection† that comes with reality. In this manner, existence is not a perfection. In short, the Cartesian Ontological Argument attempts to prove the existence of God without any claims based on the external material world. Even though, intuitively there seems to be something immediately wrong with the argument, it is difficult to identify the actual mistakes in the argument. All the objections and replies to the argument have been supported and/or been refuted in conceptual, logical, and analytical grounds. The existence of God has been one of the most debated and intricate topics in Philosophy. As Car Sagan once popularized, â€Å"An extraordinary claim requires extraordinary proof.10†

Tok Titles for the 2011-2012

These are the following titles that were given for 2011-2012. 1600 words need to be written. 1. Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge. 2. Compare and contrast knowledge which can be expressed in words/symbols with knowledge that cannot be expressed in this way. Consider CAS and one or more areas of knowledge. 3. Using history and at least one other area of knowledge, examine the claim that it is possible to attain knowledge despite problems of bias and selection. . When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing? 5. What is it about theories in the human sciences and natural sciences that makes them convincing? 6. ‘It is more important to discover new ways of thinking about what is already known than to discover new data or facts'. To what extent would you agree with this claim? 7. ‘The vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; it shapes what we can know'. Evaluate this claim with reference to different areas of knowledge. . Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and in one area of knowledge from the ToK diagram. 9. As an IB student, how has your learning of literature and science contributed to your understanding of individuals and societies? 10. ‘Through different methods of justification, we can reach conclusions in ethics that are as well-supported as those provided in mathematics. ‘ To what extent would you agree?

Fast Food Nation Essay

â€Å"Fast Food Nation† is a film directed by Richard Linklater and it was released in the year 2006. This is one of those films, which provide new sources of thinking to a generation. This film deals with a large number of topics, which are old but still existing on our planet. Among these topics the mentionable ones are gender, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and oppression. The film also shows that although being different parts of the social strata – these things are actually well related with each other. They act not only in the small communities but also throughout the world. There is no bar for these topics among the developed and developing countries in the present day world. â€Å"Fast Food Nation† upholds the problems, which are old enough to have been erased by now. But as a matter of fact, they still loom large in the human societies of all standards. Don Anderson is the main character of the movie. He is the famous Anderson who is known for the preparation of â€Å"Big One† of Mickey’s hamburger. This shows how the protagonist of the film is connected with the world of fast food. The main thing around which the film is constructed is to judge whether these businesses are honest or not. Anderson is not a bad human being but as a matter of fact he does not seem to know everything that is associated with his business. He finds one fault with the products of his company and travels to Cody in Colorado to trace the source of these bad and unhealthy ingredients in the products. Cody in Colorado is the center for the preparation of all the products of Mickey’s. Very soon Anderson comes to know about the faults that are actually taking place while manufacturing the products of his company. These are some of the most horrible truths waiting for him. The film has dealt with some other complicacies as well. Among them, the most important one is the exploitation of the illegal immigrants. People come to America to win a good fortune from various corners of the world. Mexico is one of these countries from where a number of illegal immigrants come in search of jobs. Very soon after entering the country they are exploited by the white settlers of the United States of America. Fast food culture has given birth to a huge industry in this country and most of the immigrants are taken in for the jobs that are available in this industry. Cheap labor is the main reason why the companies are always interested in taking these employees. By doing this, they can also earn a huge amount of profit within short time. (Linklater, et al, 2006) The tagline of â€Å"Fast Food Nation† says â€Å"The Truth Is Hard To Swallow†. In a way this film introduces the audience with the modern day world where almost every vice is present in the society just as they used to exist in the past. The presence of cow manure in the Mickey’s product is highly symbolic as it shows the commonly found tendency to live by cheating on others. A fast food nation like USA today looks after only the benefits from the business and not after the quality of service they are providing the customers with. This is the harsh truth, which Don Anderson discovers in his own company while visiting Cody in Colorado. â€Å"Fast Food Nation† is a movie that concentrates on many of the recent problems, which we come across in the modern world. Apart from that there are also other problems, which are not felt by us. Some of the downtrodden people have to face these truths in their lives. This is really unfortunate as we talk about the overall development of the world we act in a very hypocritical way. According to some of the well known critics â€Å"Fast Food Nation† is a well made angry movie which vents out the idealistic wrath on the wrong way in which the nation like USA is traveling towards a so called progress. It is obviously a credit going to Richard Linklater for the fact that he has chosen such a sensitive subject on which the economy of USA is dependent to a great extent. The glamour-less style of the movie is one of the most important symbolic, which is followed throughout the movie. We all know that America is a country of glamour and this is why a movie based on this country is hoped to be flashing with glamour and style. Unlike all other movies, â€Å"Fast Food Nation† is an entirely anti-glamour movie where all the characters are the dwellers of a very indifferent land. Truth hidden beneath the glamour is the main motive of this movie and this is why Linklater has focused more on incidents rather than the glamorous aspect of the film. (Morris, 2006) Linklater is very much successful in taking the audience to the root of the problems. He takes the audience to the slaughterhouses where raw materials for hamburger are produced. Visiting these places the audience is able to go through a series of events, which are revealing about how USA still deals on the grounds of race, gender and ethnicity. The Mexican immigrants are nothing better than the cows, which are slaughtered for the production. They are also exploited to a huge extent. By connecting to the story of the Mexican border Linklater actually introduces the audience with another horrible truth, which is looming large in the country. The country, which boasts of its democracy, is itself a system of exploitation and this is something, which Fast Food Nation deals with very carefully. Uniglobe is the meat plant where the team of Mexican workers joins. This is the place where the white Americans take the full advantage over the Mexicans as they have come in the country obtaining illegal process. It is very shocking to see a white that works as the floor supervisor threats the Mexican workers to kill them through the slaughtering machine unless they work properly. This show of rudeness opens up the horrible way in which the white people in American society are still dealing with the Mexicans. Money is the main thing, which draws the poor Mexicans to this vast land of USA where they have neither identity nor respect. There is a scene in the movie where a Mexican falls inside the slaughtering machine and loses his hand, which is chopped by the blade. The terrible scene is something, which agitates the audience to the core. Fast Food Nation not only focuses on the macro system of the society but also on the micro system where the workers are exploited at the same rate. We see the troubles, which are faced by Sylvia, the Mexican young woman who starts working as a hotel room cleaner. She faced huge problems in the slaughterhouse of Uniglobe where her husband and sister continue to work. The dangers of crossing the border are one of the most important elements, which the movie has dealt with. It shows the extent of risk, which the Mexicans are ready to undertake for their survival. Throughout the film it has dealt with huge problems in modern America. But the most important thing about them is the fact that everything, which happens in the life of the Mexican friends, is also the parts of the greater American life. Exploitation and all the other associated elements in the movie are actually representing the wholesome picture of the United States of America.   (Mother Jones, 2006) The use of satire in the film is a main thing, which consolidates the theme even more. There are actually three narrative parts that have been used in this movie. The pattern of the movie is very much like the documentary films, which shows the true picture of the world and easily deal with even some of the most controversial topics. Apart from human cruelty, animal cruelty is also an integral part of the film. However, the movie also concentrates on the matter of sexual orientation, which is a big issue in today’s America. Amber, the role played by Ashley Johnson, faces problems seeing the difference of sexual orientations among her friend. She asks her close friends not to meet cute looking boys, believing that they practice homosexuality. This is somehow associated with the slaughterhouse atmosphere and the theme thus becomes more convincing.