Environmental Awareness Among Prospective Teachers

Environmental Awareness among Prospective Teachers of Himachal Pradesh Dr. Ajay Kumar Attri Lecturer, Deptt. Of Education, MLSM College Sundernagar, Mandi (HP) ABSTRACT The present study was undertaken to compare the environmental awareness of male and female, science and arts and rural and urban prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh. The sample comprised 260 (130 male and 130 female) prospective teachers. For the study Environment Awareness Ability Measure (EAAM) was developed and standardized by Parveen Kumar Jha (1998) consisted of 71 items was used. It was found that environmental awareness of prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh remains almost the same as far as effect of gender, stream and locale is concerned. This may be attributed to the fact that prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh were studying ‘Education for Human Value, Environment and Human Right’ as a compulsory subject during their B. Ed course. INTRODUCTION: India is one of the first countries where the constitution recognized the need for harmonizing environmental concerns with development. Article 48A specifically directs ‘The state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forest and wildlife in the country’ and Article 51A (g) enjoins upon Indian citizens a fundamental duty ‘to protect and improve the natural. The concept environment can be understood in totally of all components surrounding the man i. e. environment is the sum of all social, biological, physical and chemical factors which compose the surroundings of man. Each component of these surroundings constitutes a resource on which man draws with a view of promoting human welfare. According to a Report of a Conference of African Education at Nairobi (1968) â€Å"Environmental Education is to create an awareness and understanding of the evolving social and physical environment as a whole, its natural, manmade, cultural, spiritual resources together with the rational use and conservation of these resources for development†. CONCEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS: The issue of environmental awareness is becoming global in nature. It has also drawn the attention of common people as environmental degradation and pollution are causing a serious threat to survival of mankind. There are several factors like thinning of ozone layer, creation of ozone hole, over population of many developing countries, the ever-increasing natural and technological disasters and threat of chemical and radiation hazards are threatening to wipe out the humanity from the earth. There are four major and integrating components of environmental awareness–knowledge, real life situation, conservation and sustainable development. Himachal Pradesh Government is trying to promote the development of an economically and environmentally sound eco-system while endeavoring to improve the living standards of the people in the state. The government is conscious of the intrinsic value of the environment and of ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic values there of further the government of Himachal Pradesh is trying to conserve and enhance the environment and follow a policy of sustainable development. Being aware of its central role in directing the development on a sustainable matrix, it calls upon people of Panchayatiraj, Local bodies, institutions and the organs of state for extending their full cooperation in this effort. REVIEW OF RELATED RESEARCH: The number of research studies has been undertaken by investigators on environmental awareness of students at various levels of education and findings of the same are as: Shahnawaj (1990) found that a very high level of awareness existed on the part of teachers and students and also found that environmental awareness was more in urban groups than in the rural group. Santipapwiwatana (1991) concluded that awareness of students was satisfactory with respect to environment. Gopalkrishan (1992) inferred that children were inspired from nvironmental education. Patel (1994) observed that the male teachers with long school experience of urban area are more aware about the environment education. Vashisht (1995) inferred that the level of awareness was found to be higher in case of boys as compared to girls. Bala (1996) indicated that level of awareness of university students especially university boys were satisfactory with respect to environment. Kumari (1999) fo und that private school teachers were more aware about environment as compared to government school teachers. Sharma (2000) indicated that urban students were more aware about their environment, about forests and environment component as compared to rural students. Owena (2000) concluded that the environmental literacy of urban middle school teachers were almost satisfactory. Thakur (2003) concluded that at primary stage both the rural and urban students are not much aware about environmental situation. Biasan (2005) concluded that both government and private school students have the same level of environmental awareness. Nagra and Dhillon (2006) inferred that Science teachers showed higher environmental education awareness than art teachers. Nagra, et. al. (2007) showed that secondary school teachers showed significant variation in environmental education awareness than elementary school teachers. The male and female secondary school teacher showed significant variation in environmental educational awareness. OBJECTIVES: 1. To find out the significant difference between mean scores of Male and Female prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. 2. To investigate the significant difference between mean scores of Science and Arts prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. 3. To study the significant difference between mean scores of rural and urban prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. HYPOTHESES: 1. There will be no significant difference between mean scores of Male and Female prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. 2. There will be no significant difference between mean scores of Science and Arts prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. . There will be no significant difference between mean scores of rural and urban prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness. METHOD AND PROCEDURE: In the present study descriptive survey method of research was used and following method and procedure was used. POPULATION: All the prospective teachers of private B. Ed colleges of Himachal Pradesh constituted t he population of the study. SAMPLE: For the selection of 260 prospective teachers (130 male and 130 female) from the 8 private B. Ed colleges, method of convenient sampling was adopted. VARIABLE STRUCTURE: Gender, Stream and locale constituted the independent variables whereas Environmental awareness was the criterion variable. TOOLS USED IN THE STUDY: Environment Awareness Ability Measure (EAAM) was developed and standardized by Parveen Kumar Jha (1998) consisted of 71 items was used. The value of Reliability co-efficient varies between 0. 61 to 0. 84. It was quite valid as the items in it had already been treated and their content made relevant by incorporating the suggestions of the various experts. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: To test the hypothesis of the study t-test was performed on the scores of environmental awareness. The summary of the obtained results has been presented in Table-1. It is evident from the table-1 that the ‘t’-value testing the significance of mean difference among the Male and Female prospective teachers was calculated as 0. 15, which is non-significant both at 0. 05 and 0. 01 levels of confidence, which reflects that mean scores of Male and Female prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh do not differ significantly on environmental awareness. Thus, the null hypothesis that â€Å"There will be no significant difference between mean scores of total Male and total Female prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness† is accepted. Thus it may be concluded that Male and Female prospective teachers don’t differ significantly in their awareness toward environment. Table 1 Summary of the Statistical Calculations for Obtaining ‘t’-values with regard to Environmental Awareness among Prospective Teachers of Himachal Pradesh on Gender, Stream and Locale |Group |N |Mean |S. D. |t-value |Result | |(Prospective | | | | | | |Teachers) | | | | | | |Male |130 |44. 20 |4. 52 |0. 15 |Non-significant at | | | | | | |0. 05 level | |Female |130 |44. 12 |3. 91 | | | |Science |130 |44. 8 |4. 88 |0. 44 |Non-significant at | | | | | | |0. 05 level | |Arts |130 |44. 05 |3. 45 | | | |Rural |65 |43. 94 |5. 10 | |Non-significant at | | | | | |0. 66 |0. 05 level | |Urban |65 |44. 46 |3. 87 | | | Further, Table-1 indicates that the calculated ‘t’ value showing the significant difference in the mean scores of Science and Arts prospective teachers came out to be 0. 44, which is not significant even at 0. 05 level of confidence thereby, accepting the null hypothesis that â€Å"There will be no significant difference between mean scores of Science and Arts prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness†. Hence it may be concluded that Science and Arts prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh don’t differ significantly on environmental awareness i. e. they have almost similar awareness toward environment. Table-1 further shows that the‘t’-value reflecting the significance of mean difference among the rural and rural prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh was calculated as 0. 66, which is non-significant at 0. 05 level of confidence. Thus, the null hypothesis that â€Å"There will be no significant difference between mean scores of rural and urban prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh on environmental awareness† stands accepted. Thus, it may be concluded from the above interpretation that rural and urban prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh don’t differ significantly at environmental awareness i. . locale does not show much effect on environmental awareness of prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh. Thus, on the basis of the conclusions, it is inferred that environmental awareness of prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh remains almost the same as far as effect of gender, stream and locale is concerned thereby showing that gender, stream and loc ale do not show much impact on their environmental awareness. This may be attributed to the fact that environmental education has become the integral part of school as well as college curriculum. Same is the case with prospective teachers of Himachal Pradesh who study ‘Education for Human Value, Environment and Human Right’ as a compulsory subject. This gives them complete awareness about environment in relation to both stream and sex. Also, our findings get support from the study of Thakur (2003) which reflected that sex groups had equal awareness regarding the environment. REFERENCES: Bala, I. (1996) A Study of Environmental Awareness among University Students, M. Ed. Dissertation, Department of Education, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. Biasan, A. 2005) Comparative Study of Environmental Awareness Among Government and Private Secondary School Students in District Kangra of Himachal Pradesh, M. Ed. Dissertation, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla,. Constitution of India (Part IV Directive Principles of State Policy) †¦ Article 48A Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests. Gopal Krishan, S. (1992) An Impact of Environmenta l Education on Primary School Children, Fifth Survey of Research in Education (1988-92), Vol. II, NCERT, New Delhi. Kumari, S. (1999) A Study of Environmental Awareness among Elementary School Teachers. M. Ed Dissertation, Department of Education H. P. U, Shimla. Maheswari, B. K. and Sharma, B. L. (2004) Education for Values, Environment and Human Rights. Merrut: Surya Publication, PP. 1-4. Ministry of Education, Government of India (1985) Challenge of education: a policy perspective. Document C06370 Nagra, V. and Dhillion, S. Jaiswinder (2006) Environmental Education Awareness among Secondary School Teachers. Perspective in Education, Vol. 21, No. 3 Nagra Vipinder and Dhillion, S. Jaiswinder (2007) Environmental Education Awareness among School Teachers in Relation to Level and Gender. Perspective in Education, Vol. 3, No. 2 Nairobi(1968), Third Conference of Ministers of Education in African Member States (MINEDAF III) Owena and Marcia, A. (2001) The Environmental Literacy of Urban Middle School Teachers. Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol. 61. No. 4 Patel, Delip, G. , (1994) Environmental Awareness of Primary School Teachers in the Progress of Education, Dissertation Abstract s International, Vol. 58 (10-11), P. 234. Santipapwiwatana, Winyoo (1991), Knowledge and Opinions Concerning Environmental Conservation of Prathomsuksa, Six Students in Amphur, Chaiangkham, Phayao Province, Dissertation Abstracts International, Vol. 2. Shahnawaj, (1990) Environmental Awareness and Environmental Attitude of Secondary and Higher Secondary School Teachers and Students, Fifth Survey of Educational Research, Trend Reports, vol. I, New Delhi: NCERT. Sharma, Rajeshwar. (2000) A Study of Environmental Awareness among Primary School Students, M. Ed. Dissertation, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. Vashisht, K. Narinder (1995) A Study of Environmental Awareness among Adolescent Students, M. Ed. Dissertation, Department of Education, H. P. U. , Shimla.

Impact of Social Networking Sites on the Youth of India

IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES(SNS) ON THE YOUTH OF INDIA : A BIRD’S EYE VIEW. Ruchi Sachdev College of Management Studies Kanpur (UP) India Abstract-This paper is focused to find out the answer whether the social networking sites are boon or bane for today’s society. No doubt these SNS provides employment ,marketing ,personal growth ,sharing of information but the most prevalent danger through often involves online predators or individuals. These SNS has great impact on youth of India. One can easily see the entry gate of these social networking sites but it is unable to find exit for these SNS.One side these sites provide to communicate with our dear ones on the other side it creates platform for many cyber crimes. Everyone should be understood that The SNS is a â€Å"child of† computing â€Å"by computing† but† for the society â€Å". So we focused on the fact that how SNS are implementing and used in an effective manner that is also beneficia l for Indian society and what are the role of Indian youth . In this paper we focused on the positive as well as negative impact of these social networking sites on the Indian youth and what are the ethical responsibilities of the users of these sites.Keywords-IEEE standards ,internet,WI-FI, elecommunication, , online ownership, online credibility. SNS(Social networking sites) are connected, both in their leisure time, and at work. There are various factors which have prompted us to consider the implications of these technologies for policy-making. One of these is the willingness of users to embrace SNS as a means of communication and social networking in everyday life. The increasing dependence on technology for basic communication also highlights the importance of analyzing how SNS are affecting daily processes.Sites like Face book, Friend ster and LinkedIn are influencing the way users establish, maintain and cultivate a range of social relationships, from close friendships to ca sual acquaintances. II CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES The basic characteristics of social networking sites can be explained with the help of following table-1 FEATURES Presentation of oneself DESCRIPTION The basic level of entry in most SNS is the setting up of a ‘profile': a personalized page developed by the user in which he/she presents him/herself to peers, through text, photos music and videos amongst others Functionalities.SNS allow users to mobilize and organize their social contacts and profiles in the way they want other members to see them. I INTRODUCTTON Social networking phenomenon has emerged over the past ten years. In that time, social networking sites (SNS) have grown from a niche to a mass online activity, in which tens of millions of internet users are engaged, both in their leisure time, and at work. However, there has been very little research on the socio-economic impact of these sites in the Indian context. In this paper we focused on the impa ct of these social networking sites on the youth of India in both positive as well as negative phase.Social networking is a phenomenon which has existed since society began. Human beings have always sought to live in social environments. The proliferation of social networking sites (SNS) and their pervasion in everyday practices is affecting how modern Indian youth societies manage their social networks. To a significant extent, SNS have shifted social networking to the Internet. In less than five years, these sites have grown from a niche online activity into a phenomenon through which tens of millions of internet users Externalization of dataThe externalization of networks is possibly one of the first times online users have been able to view their own online social networks, and share them with friends and the general public. Some SNS also support applications which allow users to describe the relation between themselves and other members. Though notions of virtual communities ha ve existed since the beginning of online applications, SNS support new ways for people to connect between themselves. Users of these sites may choose to communicate through various digital objects, such as tags and in-built applications within the SNS, such as the ‘visual shelf' application in Facebook.Users may join a community of book readers, connecting through books they have liked [4]. New ways for community formation Bottom-up activities SNS provide the ideal platforms through which users with similar values and interests can come together to collaborate effectively and cheaply. For instance, doctors can share and double check rare medical cases on health SNS such as Within3, or activists can organize a protest through sites like Care2 [5]. A major attribute of SNS' popularity is their simplicity.Anyone with basic internet skills can create and manage an online SNS presence. Prior to SNS, users gained an online presence by having a personal homepage [6]. The drawbacks we re that these homepages are not easy to create and development and hosting of the site often incur costs. In contrast, SNS are free of charge and open for anyone to join. Most of them require registration, while others limit membership through an invitation from members who are already members of the site. SNS support new points of entry to the internet: people's personal worlds.Until recently, people spoke of the internet in metaphors of places (cities, addresses, and homepages). Ease of use Figure 1: Graph 1[2] (a) Negative Impact of SNS on Youth of India Reorganization of Internet geography Table 1[5]: Taking all these characteristics together, we can observe significant changes in how users network and operate their social contacts according to different social environments. In particular, SNS seem to be influencing and shaping the way we communicate between ourselves and how we manage our social contacts.In considering the disadvantages, respondents identified a number of negat ive aspects of online social networking including: (i) the time-consuming nature of online social networking sites, Indian youth admitting that they waste a lot of time on these sites. (ii) Concern about access to personal information by others, with almost half of the youth worried that â€Å"non friends? may see their personal information. (iii) Concern that information posted may be used against them. The waste timing percentage of Indian youth on SNS can be explained with the graph shown it figure 2. IIISOCIAL IMPACT OF SNS ON INDIAN YOUTH There has been significant interest and concern about the risks of online social networking because of access to personal information and the anonymity that the system allows. A number of public cases of bullying and identity theft have put this issue in the public arena. In the survey participants were asked whether they have ever had a bad social networking experience. A considerable number of respondents in a survey (28%) reported having h ad a negative online experience with adults aged below 30 the most likely to export this (60%).These participants were asked to provide further information about the negative experience. For most respondents the experience reflected unwanted contact or people posting in appropriate or upsetting information online. Some respondents specified having online bullying and provided examples such as abusive messages and harassment from someone of the opposite sex. The number of users using SNS according to age group can be explained with the help of the graph shown it figure 1. Figure 2: Graph 2[3] b) Other Negative Impacts Of Sns The negative effects of a new technology are never fully visible in the initial stages due the hype and excitement involved. However with time we observe the more time we spend online the more connected we get hence the urge to not miss out on anything this induces an invisible layer of stress and pressure on the individuals. The very fabric of our societies is n ow beginning to take a new shape. scientist has warned. Sites such as Face book, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centered. i) My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, which have a small attention Span and who live for the moment. (ii) A 2010 Case Western Reserve School of Medicine study showed hyper-networking (more than three hours on social networks per day) and hyper texting (more than 120 text messages per day) correlated with unhealthy behaviors in teens, including drinking, smoking and sexual activity.Hyper-networking was also associated with depression, substance abuse, poor sleep patterns, suicide and poor academic performance [4]. (iii) While the above studies show actual correlations between social networking and negative consequences, others argue that many other negative consequ ences may exist that have not yet been studied. Some of the harmful effects people suggest social networking has that have not yet yielded conclusive study results include: can also be positives. I guess there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the effect social networks are having on us all in this day and age.It has never been easier to make friends than it is right now, mainly thanks to social networking sites. Just a few decades ago it was pretty tough to connect with people, unless you were the overly outgoing type able to make conversation with anyone at a party. The rise of mobile phones helped change this, connecting people in a new way, but then social networks sprang up and the whole idea of friendship changed once more and forever. It’s entirely possible to have hundreds of friends on Face book.They may not be friends you know on a personal level and spend time with in the real world on a weekly basis. But they’re friends nevertheless [7]. There are several people I consider friends who I have never met – indeed, I may never meet them – but that doesn’t lessen the connection we have thanks to social networks. Other major positive impacts are given as(d) Speedy Communication: Our time is being stretched thinner and thinner by work and family commitments, but social networking sites offer a chance to communicate in a speedy and efficient manner.Writing an update (i) Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent (ii) Encouraging poor grammar, usage, and spelling Allowing the spread of misinformation that may be perceived as fact even in light of evidence to the contrary. †¢ Exposing children to online predators †¢ Creating a culture in which a single mistake such as a racy picture or poorly thought-out comment can cause irreparable harm to your reputation †¢ Decreasing productivity as workers habitually check social networking sites while they should be working. Providing information that increases the risk of identity theft. (c) Positive Impact of Social Networking Sites Social networking isn’t for everyone, but it’s now such a massive part of all our lives, whether we embrace or reject the notion, that it can no longer be ignored. But are social networking sites such as Face book, Twitter, and Google+ a force for good or evil? As with most questions there are multiple angles to approach this quandary from.Having already looked at the negative impact of social networking sites on society, I thought it only fair to redress the balance. Every ying has its yang, after all. Using the previous article as a loose template it’s clear to see that what some people would conceive as negatives for Twitter takes all of 20 seconds and with cross-posting over other social networks switched on, that update reaches everyone you want it to reach (and probably more besides) in an instant[5] . Social networking sites a llow you to live a life unhindered by small talk. e) In Touch with the world: It isn’t just your inner circle of close friends and even closer family members that social networking sites allow you to communicate with easily and effectively, either. They open the world up to you, making it a smaller place than it has ever been before. So much so that I actually haven’t a clue where many of my contacts reside. When it comes to social networks everyone is equal, regardless of location. Family living abroad can be kept abreast of the latest happenings in your world as quickly as those living next door.Friends who you haven’t seen since school, and who have since moved away, are able to keep in touch. Location-based services such as Foursquare and Gowalla emphasize your location but social networking as a whole means it has become a lot less important. Social networking sites have made the world a smaller place. (f) Building Relationships: There is no doubting that s ocial networking sites can lead to the breaking up of relationships. But there is another side to the tale, which is that people are moving onto other, perhaps better, relationships at the same time.Social networks can put you (back) in touch with those you have lots in common with, and that common ground is often the starting point for longlasting relationships. (f) Promises of Ownership and Authorship Online. (g) Maintain Credibility. So the youth of Indian can play an important role to reduce the negative impact of social networking sites sucha that it can be used in the beneficial way. V CONCLUSION IV ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUTH USING SNS The new digital social networking media are a frontier that is rich with opportunities and risks, particularly for young people.Through SNS technologies, young people are participating in a range of activities, including social networking, blogging, vlogging, gaming, instant messaging, downloading music and other content, uploading and shar ing their own creations, and collaborating with others in various ways. Five key issues are at stake in the new social networking media identity, privacy, ownership and authorship, credibility, and participation [8]. These issues decide the social and ethical responsibilities of the youth that using the services of social networking sites. a) Every person that using the SNS should be aware about their rights and moral responsibilities. (b) We should respect the authentication and privacy of those members that are using SNS. (c ) We should follow the ethics of online identity. (d) Create culture of disclosure. (e) Online, a number of strategies—including privacy settings, selective disclosure, code switching, and deception are used by youth to control the presentation of their identities and thereby manage their privacy. Most social networking sites have privacy settings that allow users o limit access to their profiles to a narrow audience of confirmed friends, and evidence s uggests that many young people use them. (e) The online culture of disclosure holds important promises for young people, including empowerment of themselves and others, the creation of communities of support around shared struggles, and the development of a broad ethical sense of responsibility with respect to privacy. No doubt that SNS has great impact on the Indian youth it has lot of challenges which we have to face .There are many questions arise when we think about the impact of these SNS that What does it mean to manage online privacy in an ethical manner? How do online spaces facilitate and undermine ethical thinking about privacy? How much personal information is reasonable to share online? Young people who share personal experiences online taking steps to protect their own and others’ identities, and are these steps sufficient? Is it reasonable for young people to expect a certain measure of privacy when it comes to their online lives?Who is at fault when an unintend ed audience can read a young person’s revealing blog or MySpace page? So we should focus on the ethical use of these SNS so that it serves our society in a right way and the youth can play an important role because SNS is a boob and curse both for the Indian society . In one hand it provides away to connect our dear ones on the other side it gives a platform that become danger for Indian heritage and culture. REFERENCES [1] Introduction to SNS technology, Retrieved on September 24, 2006 From www. wi-fitechnology. om [2] Consumer Reports (2010). Social insecurity: What millions of online users don't know can hurt them. Retrieved from http://www. consumerreports. org/cro/magazinearchive/2010/june/elec tronics-computers/social-insecurity/overview/index. htm [3] Nie, N. H. & Hillygus, D. S. (2002). The impact of internet use on sociability: Time-diary findings. IT & Society, 1, 1 – 20. [4] IEEE 802. 16 and WiMAX: Social networking sites Access for Everyone, Intel Corporati on, 2003. http://www. intel. com/ebusiness/pdf/SNS/intel/80216_wimax. df [5] The Role of Technology in Telecom Expansion in India†, IEEE Communication Magazine, Vol. 36, No. 11, pp 88-94, November, 1998. [6] Bender off, E. 2007. â€Å"Cheating a Real Problem in youth’s Virtual World. † Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 1, 2008, from http://www. chicagotribun e. com/business/chi-0703080167mar08,0, 4256114story? cull=chi-bizfont-hed. [7] Of com. (2008). Social networking: A quantitative and qualitative research report into attitudes, behaviors and use. Retrieved from http://stakeholders. ofcom. org. uk/binaries/research/medialiteracy/report1. pdf

Things Fall Apart Reflective Statement

REFLECTIVE STATEMENT Response to interactive oral on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart When I first read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart I found it very interesting how she was able to show us what was going on in Nigeria at that time, how he showed us the ways of living of the blacks, and whites weren’t the only ones who had a culture, but in fact were the ones who destroyed the African culture. Moreover during the interactive oral interesting themes and issues such as Town Unity and Culture were highlighted, which gave me an even more distinct insight of the characters in the book and how they were affected by these things.Achebe uses the main character, Okwonko as a vessel to depict how ‘Things Fall Apart’; in the novel, and through Okwonko we are able to adequately grasp a lot of cultural practices in Nigeria. Diction in this novel plays a major role, and it is through diction that many of the themes are unlocked and also the diction used in th e novel, effectively induces you into the culture and lifestyle of the Nigerians. Achebe uses Proverbs, Short Songs, Nigerian Words and Some Literary devices like metaphors and similes.These all contribute to keeping you in-tune with what kind of setting you are in and in this case Nigeria. The women in this novel are characterized too be empowered and they genuinely help each other, through Ezinma, who is even a little girl and the only daughter from Okwonko’s first wife, you can tell how strong willed she is, as she even tells her dad to eat his food when he wasn’t in the right state, she was also even seen by Okwonko as the ideal son, in contrast to Nwoye who is actually even a boy.Okwonko’s wives also in the novel stick together and look out for each other; the prepare food for each other’s children when one happens not to be around and they also even go on to lie for each other. Wrapping it all up, the interactive oral gave me a better understanding of the book and brought to light many details that were covered. Through diction and proper documentation of the novel Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart also taught me many things about Nigeria and their various cultures.

JFK Inaugural Speech Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

JFK Inaugural Speech - Research Paper Example His personal and political convictions can be determined not just by reading the contents and evaluating the style but also be learning about the context. John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech has been considered as one of the best ever made not just by an American president but by a world leader. Apparently though, the speech became famous not just because of its inherent characteristics but because of the man who delivered it. President Kennedy is one of the most enigmatic leaders in the 20th century. He was at the help of the US government when the country faced serious challenges coming from USSR at the height of the Cold War. One of the most prominent incidents that highlighted his effective leadership and diplomacy was the successful initiative on the nuclear test ban treaty in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis which he also handled well. President Kennedy did not pursue the ban merely due to his geopolitical views. He personally saw it as necessary as he explicitly pointed out when he said that the US owes it â€Å"because we are the only country that engaged in atomic warfare in the last war† (Schlesinger 453). ... A brief glance of President Kennedy’s life several years before he ran and won the presidency does give the readers or audience of the context of what he wrote and then spoken during his inauguration. President Kennedy’s inaugural address is best remembered by the oft quoted line â€Å"ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country† (1961). The reason why this line has been recognized as the most compelling part of the speech is that it departed from the usual practice of previous presidents who took their oaths and rendered their own inaugural addresses. Prior to Kennedy, it was expected of newly elected presidents to state the domestic and international policies that their administration would pursue while in office. In this regard, the inaugural addresses served as the reiteration of the promises they might have made during the electoral campaigns, assuming that these are what the public wanted which is why they were vot ed into office. The most commonly used formula for the inaugural address was to state the problems confronting American society and then to provide the audience a briefing on the actual steps that the new president and his administration would initiate to develop and implement effective solutions. As a result, this leaves the audience with higher expectations but at the same time instilling in them a certain degree of passivity. President Kennedy’s inaugural address, however, took a radically different approach to the methods of how the problems of the country and of the world could be resolved. There is not a single portion in the speech that mentioned what concrete steps

Economic Competitiveness of the EU in the Light of Growing Trade Essay

Economic Competitiveness of the EU in the Light of Growing Trade Expansion from China - Essay Example The study will try to understand the competitiveness by taking into consideration of the emergence of China. However, it is not possible to consider all the above mentioned aspects in accordance to their merit due to space restriction. This can be referred as the major limitation of this report. Trade Deficit between EU and China International trade between EU and China has been increased in last decade, for example, export of EU to China has been increased by 110 billion euro during the year 2000 to 2011 (Eurostat, 2012). However, import from China to EU has been increased by 173 billion euro in the same period of time (Eurostat, 2012). The trend is showing that balance of trade is declining for EU and dependency on Chinese export is increasing. Export and import deficit of EU in context to China can be depicted in the following manner. (Source: Eurostat, 2012) Although the trade deficit between for EU has been decreased from 75 billion euro to 67 billion euro in the first six month of 2012 but still the amount of deficit is large enough to impact the competitiveness of EU. After the economic recession, the trade deficit between EU and China has been improving but still the difference is large enough to affect the economic strength of EU nations. According to the above table only Germany and Finland have trade surplus to china while other European countries have trade deficit with China. However, Germany and Finland were unable to convert the trade deficit into trade surplus prior to recession. Careful analysis of the chart shows that growth rate of export from EU nations to China has been outpaced the growth rate of import from China. For example, export volume of Greece to Chine has been doubled... This essay presents a modern comprehensive analysis of the changing nature of economic relationships between China and European Union. It is shown in the essay, that China gradually improve its level of competitiveness in these relationships, by increasing its exports to the EU, to an extent with the help of such practices as protectionism, intellectual property rights violation and dumping. International trade between EU and China has been increased in last decade, for example, export of EU to China has been increased by 110 billion euro during the year 2000 to 2011. However, import from China to EU has been increased by 173 billion euro. The trend is showing that balance of trade is declining for EU and dependency on Chinese export is increasing. Although the trade deficit between for EU has been decreased from 75 billion euro to 67 billion euro in the first six month of 2012 but the amount of deficit is large enough to impact the competitiveness of EU. After the economic recession, the trade deficit between EU and China has been improving Harsh fact is that there cannot be a single recommendation which can help EU nations to improve its competitiveness in overnight manner. It is shown through that low cost advantage of China cannot be depleted easily by EU manufacturers. EU can use the concept of vertical specialisation to decrease its dependency on Chinese imports and give the domestic players some breathing space. In vertical specialisation model, EU needs to identify sectors which need immediate attention.

Presentation and Supplementary Report Assignment

Presentation and Supplementary Report - Assignment Example Organizations have to bear the high initial cost of acquiring and running the operations, but innovative developments in technology is shortening the life span of the previous one. This is leading the organizations to re-invest in current technology, and increasing the cost to the company. Apart from this, if today’s environment is considered, then the likes and dislikes of customers are also changing frequently. The fast altering opinions, lifestyle, and preferences pose a challenge for the manufacturing business organizations, as they cannot exactly estimate the preferences of their target customer group. Further, generation gaps in the society have also made it difficult for the marketers to determine the consumer behaviour. Companies are investing heavily on analyzing consumer behaviour, so as to determine the appropriate way of satisfying the needs of the customers. Business organizations are facing a two sided challenge, in which the first side is consumer preference and behaviour, on the other side is the cut throat competition in the market. The recession is certainly squeezing the spending of the consumers and the market of the companies. Countries like UK, USA slipped into deep credit crunch, which also led its companies both in public and private sector into the economic slowdown. This also indicates that the challenges faced by the organizations in the past are different from those faced now. The world is changing rapidly and the organizations are facing challenges like intense competition, rigorous ethical inspection, globalization, digitalized workplace, requirement for fast response, and increasing level of diversity. These mentioned challenges which are affecting the business organization are further affecting the society at large. Managers in organisations measure marketing performances for evaluating and analysing effectiveness and efficiency of the business. This can be accomplished by concentrating on the

Undecided Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Undecided - Assignment Example The project personnel was present to answer the questions and concerns raised by the members of the public. The scope of the proposed project would widen the existing six-lane road facility to an eight-lane road highway and in addition, extend the shoulders of the road by reconstructing the existing two-lane frontage roads and upgrade to meet the current standards. It was proposed that by improving the infrastructure, the economic growth of the city will increase because of reduced traffic delays, improvement of safety in the city and it shall facilitate evacuations during an emergency. Due to the expansion project, an additional 11-acre stretch of land was required to complete the project successfully. It meant that several businesses shall be displaced by the improvement; however, the personnel manager present provided procedures, programs, benefits and other information on land acquisition. The environmental document and another drawing showing the proposed project was displayed t o the public hearing as well as other tentative schedules of how the program shall be executed. At 1400HRS, the expected speakers and the public had arrived and taken the various seats and position. A short prayer was offered and the was started by the city clerk who took us through the norms of the meeting. The first part of the discussion involved free intermingle among the public and the project developers, this was very interesting since it gave the public to have a close interaction with the project managers. It further enhanced rapport and close understanding of the project since several people were able to ask questions, which they may not have a chance to ask during the actual presentation. After a one hour of interactive mingle and discussion, everybody took back their seats for the full technical presentation of the project. The personnel project manager was given a chance to take us through the whole project, stating its merits and it is going to affect the citizen.

Financial reporting methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial reporting methods - Essay Example Later it joined hands with the FABS and the US GAAP to tackle global accounting issues and to develop uniform accounting standards worldwide. IASB, at both domestic and international level, consistently has been trying to develop ways of providing investors and stakeholders accounting information that is comparable, transparent and reliable. Financial markets and investors, despite of geographic location, depend on high quality information in order to operate efficiently. IASB is hence making concerted efforts in this regard and is developing principles that would enable the merger of latest and traditional business conducts and at the same time is consistent with current accounting trends. The Cash flow statement of Y limited for the year ended 31st September 20XO showed that that was a decrease in total Cash with the Company and the year end balance reflected a cash outflow of 17000. Moreover company's income statement figures have shown that the organizations operational performance has been good for the year and revenues have been on the high side. Despite the favorable trend in revenue and profit a decrease in the cash can be explained by taking a look at the investing and financing activities for the company during the year. Y limited Cash inflow from operational activities is 737000, which is a good show. But at the same time the cash outflow from investing activities is 855000. This figure reflects that Y limited had adopted a investment policy for the year 20X0 and according to which they planned to expand the scale of operations and hence an investment was undertaken in the purchase of Fixed Asset to achieve the objective. Moreover the payment of Cash dividend was also on the higher side and the company gave away 600000 as cash dividend resorting to the policy of retaining investors and to enhance the interest of Shareholders in the company. This policy bore fruit and the company was able to attract investors to the company and it was able to issue Debentures worth 500000. Task 6 Statement of Goodwill Particulars Ordinary Shares 3000000 Add: Share Premium 500000 Retained Earnings 495000 Total Equity 3995000 Less: Total Tangible Assets (3833000) Add:

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Law - Essay Example (Zander, 2004, p 701). While solicitors are the ones who hire barristers and apprise them of the facts of the case, they were not permitted right of audience in the higher courts, therefore this often entailed double the costs for clients, since they had to hire a solicitor and a barrister as well, and in difficult cases to be contested in the highest courts they were also obliged to hire a Queen’s Counsel. Since these legal professionals charge by the hour and costs are particularly high for Queens Counsels who are allowed audience in the High Court and Crown Courts, this has often pushed the option of litigation right out if the province of poorer clients. Barristers function on the lines of the â€Å"cab rank† principle which could be projected as an advantage, however the reality is that in some cases there are returned briefs and the question of an unprepared barrister appearing in Court on behalf of a client instead of a solicitor who is better acquainted with the case, which â€Å"may be a major source of unfairness and poor justice for offenders and litigants.†(Darbyshire, 2001, p 263). Moreover, as demonstrated in the Report by the National Association of CAB (www.unece.org), few clients are properly informed about costs and this is part of the reason why the fees associated with processing a case are most often the cause of customer complaints. Duplication of costs has been inevitable because both the solicitor and the barrister must be paid and it is often difficult for a client to comprehend why he is faced with the necessity of paying two people for one case. Moreover, the lack of audience in the higher Courts has been the biggest grievance of solicitors, who are often the best acquainted with the facts of the case after their close association with the clients. It is the solicitors who brief the barristers but since there is no guarantee that the barrister who has been briefed will be free to appear in court

Information Technology in Contemporary Business Annotated Bibliography

Information Technology in Contemporary Business - Annotated Bibliography Example Coulson-Thomas believes: 'IT departments need to rise above equipping people to use standard corporate technologies and help key workgroups such as bid teams working on critical tasks to be more effective. Rather than spend money on infrastructure IT directors need to become more involved in revenue earning activities.' But the major problem comes out to summarizing the cost within all the departments in an organization. It comes to the count of what should be the different cost for an individual department within an organization. For any individual IT department, it requires the setup cost, with other departments as because all the departments need to make proper links with the IT department. If an organization is organized with five or six departments, then, there must have an IT department that will serve for the IT department. ...The costs of such service departments must be allocated to the production departments, which in turn will allocate them to the product. It is known that one can view the cost allocation problem as a fascinating Markov process, with the production departments as the absorbing states and the service departments as the transient states. Using Markov analysis, we will show that this yields additional insight into the underlying concept of reciprocal service department cost allocation by proving that the "full service" department costs can be used to determine the price that should be paid to an external supplier of the same service currently supplied by the service department."So far, it has a similarity with a quote that should be in mind that if the whole cost is not owed within all the departments, as per its self usages of the department by prefix schedule of target budget, they must take all the advantages of the benefits of IT resources. These sounds can be found here if we consider another example for an IT department, we can say, "Any organization can develop an IT department, getting profit developing IT department is the hard part." Nevertheless, operating a profitable IT department can be achieved with appropriate management routines in place. Determining your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), tracking purchases and sales, and attending to the spending habits of your customers are the fundamentals of every successful IT departments.

The significance of endings in The Great Gatsby The Kite Runner and Audens poetry Essay Example for Free

The significance of endings in The Great Gatsby The Kite Runner and Audens poetry Essay Write about the significance of the ways writers end their narratives in the work of the three writers you have studied. In ‘The Great Gatsby’ Fitzgerald creates a sense of finality in the last chapter through the repetition of the word ‘last’, which suggests to the reader ‘the party was over.’ Also the repetition relates to the end of Nick’s experiences and relationship with Gatsby, creating a subdued tone in the ending of the narrative. Fitzgerald references the colour ‘green’ once more, which is symbolic of Gatsby’s dream, the use of it in this final chapter signifies the sombre end of the dream and pursuit of Daisy. Fitzgerald’s construction of a tone of finality within this final chapter in relation to Gatsby’s dream reflects the loss of hope, considering the dream has been a symbol for hope for the entirety of the novel. Fitzgerald’s further utilisation of colour similarly reflects the loss of hope. The ‘motor-hearse’ was described as ‘horribly black’ which heavily contrasts the vulgar displays of colour in Gatsby’s life ‘pink rag of a suit’, this compounds the fact that Gatsby is indeed gone, thus ending the narrative in a pessimistic tone since neither Gatsby, nor his dream succeeded. Coupled with this is the pathetic fallacy, used to parallel the sombre feeling of death and loss, there was a ‘thick drizzle’ which has ominous connotations. Also, the fact the rain has only been described in one other instance over the whole narrative builds tension since it’s not an ordinary description ‘he spoke of the rain in a worried, uncertain way.’ However, despite this pessimism throughout the final chapter, Fitzgerald uses the final line to reference Gatsby one last time and reflect his passionate struggle to realise his dream. ‘So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.’ This metaphor shows that despite Gatsby’s life being full of obstacles ‘current’, nothing stopped him relentlessly trying to achieve what he wanted ‘so we beat on.’ Through this Fitzgerald references the reader and demonstrates the human need to dream and to be challenged and suggests to the reader that despite obstacles and hardship in our own lives ‘tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms further’ and ultimately we should never give up until we have secured what we dream of. This ends the novel with a moral message directed specifically towards the reader through the character description of Gatsby, creating a sense of closure in the reader. In ‘The Kite Runner’ Hosseini uses descriptions of how Amir’s ‘mind flashed back’ to his childhood with Hassan and the profound detail of Sohrab in the final chapter, in order to epitomise Amir’s guilt which spawned from ‘a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975’, and which has been the central aspect in the novel. Amir says his ‘hands are stained with Hassan’s blood’ and he prays ‘God doesn’t let them get stained with the blood of his boy too.’ The ‘blood’ is suggestive of Hassan’s rape which is the source of Amir’s guilt and the fact that Amir ‘pray(ed)’ shows how he feels utterly powerless suggesting he is overwhelmed with guilt. Hosseini creates a detailed explanation of ‘Sohrab’s face’, his ‘slanting bamboo-leaf eyes so much like his father’s’, this comparison exemplifies Amir’s guilt over his cowardice and disloyalty towards Hassan which is compelling him to devote himself to his son in repentance. Alternatively this concern over ‘Hassan’s boy’ could reflect Amir’s genuine care and love of his friend and half-brother Hassan, especially since ‘blood’ is mentioned which has been symbolic for the brotherhood between the two characters Amir and Hassan. Hosseini’s description of Amir’s deeply rooted guilt in this final chapter ends the narrative positively since the reader ultimately sympathises with Amir, as his heavy conscience reveals his benevolence towards Hassan and presents him once more as an appealing character. Hosseini also significantly parallels Amir and Hassan in the closing lines of the narrative to suggest that Amir did finally receive redemption for his betrayal of Hassan, this ends the narrative in a light hearted manner composing a positive ending. Hosseini says that Sohrab ‘took hold of the string’ of the kite which symbolises the bond now formed between Amir and Sohrab, since the kites always were an omnipresent symbol for friendship within the novel. Therefore Hosseini suggests that Amir and Hassan have reconciled through Amir’s bondage with Sohrab. The final line of the narrative ‘I ran’ shows how Amir running the kite for Sohrab, mirrors the actions of Hassan, suggesting Amir has at last been redeemed of his disloyalty, because he has changed. He is running for Hassan’s son, the personal pronoun ‘I ran’ shows he is no longer selfish and his superiority demonstrated before has vanished. Similarly, Hosseini suggests Amir finally receives redemption since Soraya ‘had a glimpse of the mother she might have been’ in her eye, ‘had her own womb not betrayed her’ which shows she has finally become a mother and subsequently, Amir a father. This symbolises redemption because Amir’s infertility had been a symbolic punishment for his cowardice towards Assef during Hassan’s rape ‘someone†¦had decided to deny me fatherhood for the things I had done.’ However the fact that now he is able to be a father to Sohrab suggests he no longer needs to be punished. In ‘As I Walked Out One Evening’ Auden uses the ending of the piece to consolidate the overall theme of the power of time, which permeates the poem. Auden describes the setting ‘late in the evening’ in the final stanza of the poem, which contrasts the beginning where the time frame was simply identified as ‘one evening.’ This suggests time has elapsed between the first and last stanza. Then Auden says ‘the lovers they were gone’ which suggests that because of the passage of time their love has ended, ‘gone’ showing love to be fragile against the vast power of time. Furthermore the comparison between ‘the lovers they were gone’ and ‘the deep river ran on’ shows how despite the lovers perishing in time the ‘deep river’ has remained unchanged from the beginning of the poem where it was revealed to be a ‘brimming river’, a synonym for full or ‘deep.’ This rhyme between ‘gone’ and ‘on’ and the parallel description of the river from the beginning shows the ‘lovers’ haven’t impacted upon anything, which presents love as an inexorably insignificant force in life, a key theme within the poem. In ‘O What is That Sound’ Auden uses meaningful absence in order to reflect the uncertainty in the voice of the poem and to create an exciting ending. In the poem Auden describes ‘scarlet soldiers’ en route to the ‘broken lock and splintered door’ where the voice of the poem is residing. Auden uses the final stanza as a climactic moment in which to suggest the soldiers have reached their destination and are about to harm the voice in the poem. The final line the soldiers’ ‘eyes are burning’ has ominous connotations and implies the impending doom of the voice. Similarly the propounding ‘b’ sounds in ‘broken’ and ‘boots’ symbolises the loud movements of the soldiers which reflects their close proximity and subsequently emphasises their threat, creating a tense exciting ending as the reader fears for the fate of the voice. However the ‘b’ sounds could also reflect the aggressiveness of the soldiers and equally show their threatening presence. Auden also rises the threat of the soldiers and tense tone of the poem at the end through the lack of questions presented in the final stanza. In the previous stanzas, two voices were present explicated through repetitive questions and answers, however in the final stanza there is only description of the soldiers ‘turning, turning’ which increases the pace of the poem and reflects the imminent danger since the voice is now all alone, which allows the reader to vicariously experience the situation of the voice in the poem, spawning an exciting ending.

Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Underage Drinking Essay Episode 4 Underage Drinking; A National Concern of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia addresses underage drinking through politically incorrect satire while still focusing on the seriousness of the subject matter. It is widely known and accepted that alcohol abuse by teenagers is not only a crime; it is also a sorrowful situation when it involves ruining lives and it can even result in death. The cast of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia presents a new and obviously demented view point to the subject. The friends portrayed in the show understand teenage drinking is unacceptable and in the opening scenes of this particular episode the cast shares some personal youthful experiences while sitting together in the bar that that is owned collectively by the group. Charlie points out a particularly dangerous moment when he says several times â€Å"Remember when we totaled Ben’s car after we plowed into that tree!† (â€Å"Underage Drinking, A National Concern†). Alcohol use among teens increases dramatically during the high-school years and leads to serious consequences for many teens. As studies by statistics from the National Institute of Health show, each year in the United States, alcohol-related automobile accidents are a major cause of teen deaths. Alcohol is also often a cause in other teenage deaths, including drowning, suicides and homicides. â€Å"Teens who drink are more likely to become sexually active, have sex more frequently and engage in risky, unprotected sex than are teens who dont drink.† (National Institute of Health). For each person who will agree with a specific angle to this subject there will be two who will stand up and disagree. A classic example from this episode is the early comment from Dee, â€Å"[there is] a social responsibility to keep teenagers from drinking.† (â€Å"Underage Drinking, A National Concern†). Obviously this is right thinking however this is the twisted turning point with regards to this episode. It is suggested and then agreed upon to give the local youth a â€Å"safe† place where they can consume alcohol without the worries typically associated with attempting to purchase liquor without valid identification. The topic should be black and  white. There isn’t supposed to be a gray area involving illegal activities and the bottom line is simple; if you’re under 21 you cannot drink alcohol. What happens on the show is especially ironic because the owners of the bar justify making money off of ignorant teenagers while telling each other they’re providing a controlled environment for something that teenagers are going to do anyway. They point out that in many countries the world over it is not uncommon for someone as young as 12 or 13 to be found drinking with some degree of regularity and rationalize that they’re actually providing a community service. Everyone would like to know why teens use drugs and alcohol; some use narcotics to fit in and then become addicted. Others think a more complicated reason exists why people use drugs, especially teenagers. During the teen years, kids are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. The increasing need for teenaged independence may make kids want to defy their parents wishes or instructions as a way of asserting their independence. Peer pressure can also have an effect on an adolescents decision to begin drinking. While much has been written about peer pressure, and its effect should not be ignored, study after study proves that parental involvement carries much more weight. Teenage bodies and minds are still developing, and drinking at that age has a much more negative effect than on an adult The abuse of alcohol by teenagers is a sneaky thing, and many times adults who dont want to believe their children would do that, find out too late that they already have. â€Å"Parents, teachers and social workers need to remain alert to the signs of alcohol abuse in teenagers.† (National Institute of Health). There is a misconception, especially among non-alcoholics, that a teenager is too young to become an alcoholic. This is a subject that is completely overlooked in the episode in spite of the tongue in cheek satire. Some recovering alcoholics can look back through specific teenage years and see that they were drinking as an alcoholic when they were much younger. It is true that most teenagers wont come to grips with their drinking problems until much later in life. Alcoholism does not discriminate against its victims, and it crosses into all age groups. What the show does not focus on ultimately, is that bad choices have bad consequences. If a teenager thinks they have a drinking problem, they should be assisted in finding help and not given rationalizations that offer a quick escape. There are many young people Alcoholics Anonymous groups available today all across the country. They are living their teenage years as it was intended to be, free of alcohol and happy. Underage drinking is a serious and criminal offence and there should be zero tolerance in spite of the success of comedic displays in the media. Works Cited National Institute of Health. Alcoholism When Drinking Becomes a Disease. â€Å"Underage Drinking; A National Concern.† It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. By Glenn Howerton. Rob McElhenney. Charlie Day. FX Productions. 18 Aug. 2005.

Music Essays English Music Hall

Music Essays English Music Hall A Short History of the English Music Hall. The term ‘Music Hall’ is used to refer to a venue, or to a form of entertainment taking place at that venue, typically featuring a number of miscellaneous acts, possibly including musical turns, comedy and acrobatics, in a relatively formalised programme. It is also often termed ‘variety’. This essay considers the early roots of Music Hall, its growth in the late 19th century, and its subsequent loss of popularity in the face of competition from other media in the 20th century. Taken into account are the socio-economic environment and also the development of musical styles within the Music Hall context. It will be shown that the influence of Music Hall is still widespread in popular culture today. Background Music Hall developed from a range of entertainments, some of which had been part of English culture for centuries. Broadsides first appeared in the 1500s (Gammond 1991: 82): they were an early equivalent of the newspaper. News stories and satire were printed in verse form with the instructions ‘To the tune of†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, with the intention that the text should be sung to a well-known musical theme, typically a folk-ballad. The music itself was rarely printed, and so broadsides relied on the tradition of passing tunes on orally. In later broadsides, tunes were often popular songs from plays, with the intention of promoting shows in return for sponsorship – an early form of advertising revenue. The ballad was engrained in culture, but the demand and resources of the populus were not yet sufficient to support the growth of a performance industry. Also influential were the many fairs which were trading and entertainment events. In his diary, Samuel Pepys mentions attending Bartholomew Fair in 1661 and â€Å"seeing the monkeys dance† (Pepys 1661), and a number of Music Halls in the late 19th century featured animal acts (Gillies 1999: 31). One-man shows, such as those offered by Charles Dibdin (1745-1814), show elements of entertainment that were later developed in Music Halls. Dibdin can be seen as a key link between earlier folk-art traditions and the increasingly commercialised musical world of the 19th century (Gammond 1991: 153-5). He was a prolific song-writer, who had considerable success with light operas and by selling rights to his songs. These were the early days of copyright law, which developed in the late 19th century firstly to grant exclusivity of performance rights to singers and subsequently to effect a royalties system for composers. Two types of venue preceded Music Halls and had a particular influence on them: taverns and song-and-supper rooms. In taverns, a working-class clientele participated in singing along with their drinking. In song-and-supper rooms, the middle-class man-about-town (no women were admitted) could enjoy a meal while singers entertained. Song-and-supper rooms typically opened around midnight, and entertainment could be bawdy. Some of the early stars of Music Hall began their careers in taverns and song-and-supper rooms. Sam Cowell (1820-1864) is an example, and can be considered one of the first professional singer-songwriters. By 1850, he was earning a good living from the song-and-supper rooms, but had begun his career as an actor and had also performed in opera. In ‘Villikins and his Dinah’, regularly performed by Cowell, we see characteristics that were to become widespread in Music Hall songs, in particular the use of ‘commentary’ between sections of the song to increase its drama. Thus prior to verse 8, where the ghosts of Villikins and Dinah appear to Dinah’s father, the performer sets the scene: â€Å"Now this is the superlatively supernatural wisitation [sic] which appeared to the parient [sic] at midnight after the disease of his only progeny.† (Davison 1971: 23) The affectations in the language and pronunciation suggest the creation of the narrator as a character in his own right, and characterisation is another important element of the Music Hall song, as will be seen shortly. The growth of Music Hall was dependent on an audience able to pay for it, and with an interest in what it had to offer. The growth of a potential market is evident by the mid-19th century, when a number of Music Halls were opened (Sadie 1980: XII/832). In the mid-1840s, Evans’, a former song-and-supper room was reopened as a Music Hall. In 1849, Charles Morton, a pioneer of Music Hall, took over the Canterbury Arms in Lambeth and developed it as a venue. He enlarged it in 1856, and in 1861 opened the Oxford Music Hall in Oxford Street (Sadie 1980: XII/832). This idea of having a chain of venues gained ground in the latter part of the century. Early Developments 1850-1870 The 1850s and 60s can be considered as a first phase of Music Hall. Programmes were varied, with classical and popular music appearing on the same bill. Extracts from Gounod’s opera Faust (1859) performed in Music Halls provided the first hearings of the work for English audiences. A number of early Music Hall songs use old musical themes with new texts: for example, ‘Sam Hall’ can be traced back to a ballad about Captain Kidd. Harry Clifton’s ‘Polly Perkins of Paddington Green’ (1863) uses what appears to be a folk-tune (possibly ‘Nightingales Sing’), but its lyrics possess a humour not seen in folk music: Polly doesn’t marry a ‘Wicount’ or a ‘Nearl’, but in the punchline of the song, weds a â€Å"bow-legged Conductor of a twopenny bus† (Gammond 1991: 411). The same tune is used for another well-known Music Hall song, ‘Cushie Butterfield’, which was particularly popular in the Newcastle area. Tyneside had its own strong Music Hall tradition, giving rise to songs such as ‘The Blaydon Races’ and ‘Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinney’ and all three songs display a similar humour to ‘Polly Perkins’. The lyrics draw on local diale ct – Cushie is â€Å"a young lass in Gyetsid [Gateshead]† who â€Å"likes hor beor [her beer]† (Davison 1971: 31). With ‘Champagne Charlie’ (1868), the development of the character song is evident. Performed and co-written by George Leybourne, the Champagne Charlie character is described as a ‘swell’: a well-to-do man-about-town with a taste for Moà «t. Unlike ‘Villikins’, the text is in the first person, Leybourne becoming the Champagne Charlie character in performance. The song is perhaps the first advertising jingle, and was used to promote Moà «t, with Leybourne rumoured to partial to the drink (he died prematurely of alcoholism). His salary at this time was around  £30 a week – certainly adequate to indulge in the Champagne Charlie lifestyle. However, the character was an act: Leybourne was not a ‘toff’, but a former mechanic who remained illiterate and spoke with a strong Black Country accent (Gammond 1991: 334) Concern was growing over the activities in Music Halls. Articles in The Tomahawk focus on the quality of the entertainment: it had been suggested that the Music Hall would â€Å"exercise a beneficial influence over the progress of music amongst the lower classes† but â€Å"Music Hall†¦is mischievous to the art which it pretends to uphold† (Anon 1867).   At the time, improvement of the working classes through access to the arts was promoted among some thinkers. Two years later, Music Halls are criticised for being dens of vice: â€Å"I am positively assured†¦that on certain recognised nights loose women are admitted to these places without payment.† (Greenwood 1869). The often poor reputation of the Music Halls contributed to later attempts by the authorities to regulate their activities. Heyday 1870-1900 The development of Music Halls should be seen in context of wider developments in the social and economic environment of Victorian England. Following the Industrial Revolution, workers migrated from rural communities to cities, and this pattern accelerated in the 1870s. By the mid-1880s, around half the population of London had been born elsewhere (Harris 1994: 42-3). Simultaneously, leisure time increased. In the late 1860s, a half-day holiday was introduced on a Saturday, and in the 1870s, the 9-hour working day was introduced (Harris 1994: 139). Leisure time became a larger part of life for the working classes, and Music Hall was one activity that benefited from this. Drinking had always formed an element of the Music Hall entertainment, but the ruling classes had sought to control this. In 1878, London County Council restricted the consumption of liquor to the back of the halls (Sadie 1980: XII/833), also demanding that a proscenium arch and fire curtain be installed at all venues (there had been a number of fires at Music Halls). A number of smaller operators were forced to shut down, while the larger operators built up chains of venues, with Music Halls growing in size and number. In June 1888, a House of Lords debate quoted a figure of 473 Music Halls in London alone (Gillies 1999: 23). Larger halls meant that some of the intimacy of earlier venues was lost. Instead of a Chairman introducing acts and enjoying banter with the audience, venues identified performers by use of an indicator board, with each act having a number. In this environment of larger audiences, the most successful performers were able to command substantial fees, and some became internationally famous. Up to this point, Music Hall stars had been almost exclusively male, but from around 1880, women appeared regularly at Music Halls and were among the most successful Music Hall stars. Marie Lloyd is probably the best known: by 1891, she was appearing at several venues each night and earning  £100 a week. At this time, a 2-up, 2-down house in Oldham cost  £150-180 (Harris 1994: 113). In 1911, twenty years later,   only just over 2% of the population earned over  £160 in a year (Harris 1994: 107). In comparative terms, therefore, Lloyd’s earnings were on a par with a Premiership footballer today. In her early career, she infamously fell foul of performing rights by adopting ‘The Boy I Love Is Up In The Gallery’ as a key song in her repertoire, and she is still strongly associated with it. However, Nelly Power, another singer of the day, had exclusive performance rights for the song, and Lloyd was forced to stop singing it (Gillies 1999: 18 et al). At this time, exclusive association with a particular song enabled a performer to generate bookings, as nobody else was allowed to perform it. Songwriters sold a song with performing rights to a singer, and were thereafter not entitled to any further income. They relied on writing more songs on the same basis, but campaigned for further payments and the royalties system of today developed.   Pantomime was also an outlet for Music Hall stars, who would appear singing the songs for which they were most famous. This had a profound influence on the development of pantomime, with traditional characters such as Harlequin and Columbine dropped in favour of interpretations of fairy tales built around the Music Hall personalities and their repertoires. The music publishing industry had grown alongside the development of Music Halls. By the 1830s, songs such as ‘He was such a nice young man’ and ‘All round my hat’ (a folk tune) were produced for sale at Pleasure Gardens or song-and-supper rooms. The music catalogues of publishers typically included a range of material including songs, operatic arias, hymns and dances. Charles Sheard was publishing Music Hall material from around 1852 as part of its Musical Bouquet series (Gammond 1991: 410). From 1850-1900, the price of a piano dropped and some manufacturers introduced monthly payment schemes, making the instrument more accessible (Gillies 1991: 66). This helped the Music Hall songs become firmly engrained in the popular musical culture of the time. Songs had an air of respectability about them until around 1860, after which many started to display more vulgarity. This was still subtle by modern standards: Dan Leno’s trademark song ‘The Swimming Master’ (by Herbert Darnley) makes much of the need for bodily contact with the ladies being taught to swim – if they feel they’re sinking, then â€Å"To my manly chest they cling† (Davison 1971:69) – but goes no further than suggestion. Some venues decreased the classical element of their music programmes. Dickens (1879) comments that â€Å"the operatic selections which were at one time the distinguishing feature of the Oxford have of late years been discontinued†, and evidence from Music Hall programmes from this time onwards shows a focus on popular idioms. However, other Music Halls continued to offer what might be considered as more ‘highbrow’ entertainment. The Alhambra in Leicester Square specialised in ballet, and Evans’ in Covent Garden offered â€Å"songs, glees, and part songs, executed by a well-trained choir† (Anon 1867). The ballets at the Alhambra continued to at least the turn of the century and it also staged a number of operettas. Decline 1900-1920 In its early days, Music Hall had been seen as a largely lower-class entertainment. In the early 1900s, it gained respectability, with knighthoods for some of its key personalities and the first Royal Command Performance, featuring Music Hall acts, taking place in 1912 (Sadie 1980: XII/833). A number of developments led to the decline of Music Halls. In 1914, eating and drinking in the auditorium was banned (Gammond 1991: 409 et al) and Music Halls in effect became theatres. Many continued to offer seasons of variety performances, and there was still great interest in the entertainment, but it was now required to compete with new media: first the cinema, then radio. New music styles such as jazz were also gaining in popularity. Its influence is evident in some later Music Hall songs: ‘Lily of Laguna’ (1898) uses syncopation and describes an idealised world of African Americans living in the Southern States of the US. Its use of language such as ‘nigger’ and ‘coon’ would be considered offensive today, but reflects the very different attitude to race at the time (Davison 1971: 95). The song was written by the English songwriter Leslie Stuart for Eugene Stratton, an American performer who appeared regularly ‘blacked up’ : this practice was widespread within the Music Hall, and continued for many years with The Black and White Minstrels a popular TV show as late as the 1970s. By the 1940s, Music Hall had largely disappeared. Gramophones provided musical entertainment in the home. The stars of variety diversified: Gracie Fields developed firstly a film career then focused on radio broadcasts in addition to appearances in variety (Gammond 1991: 189), and George Formby appeared in a number of films as well as continuing the work of his father (also George Formby, a popular variety singer at the turn of the century) in Royal Command performances and other revues (Gammond 1991: 203). The Legacy of the Music Hall The influence of the Music Hall is still very much evident in British culture. It played a major part in the development of stand-up comedy, and the Comedy Club, which has seen a revival in recent years with chains such as Jongleurs, owes an obvious debt to the Music Hall tradition. The variety show featured regularly on TV well into the 1970s on shows such as ‘The Good Old Days’, and the annual Royal Command Performance, with a range of acts, is still televised. Pantomimes too feature many characteristics of those in the late 19th century, with TV personalities taking the roles that Music Hall celebrities enjoyed a hundred years ago. The musical styles seen in Music Hall continue to influence artists. ‘Obladi, Oblada’ (Lennon and McCartney, recorded by the Beatles 1968) features a fourline verse with sequence-based melodies and a simple refrain, with a line repeated, reminiscent of the choruses inviting audience participation in Music Hall. More recently, Blur’s ‘Parklife’ (1994) uses the concept of performer taking on a personality, with club- and concert-goers joining in with the ‘Parklife’ motif at the end of each line, much like a Music Hall audience would have joined in with choruses. Music Hall should therefore be seen not just as a cultural phenomenon in its own right, but as a development in a long history of popular song and entertainment. Bibliography Clarke, Donald (Ed) (1989) Penguin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music (Viking, London) Davison, Peter (1971) Songs of the British Music Hall (Oak Publications, New York) Dickens, Charles Jnr (1879) Dickens Dictionary of London ‘Music Halls’, reproduced on www.arthurlloyd.co.uk Frith, Simon and Marshall, Lee (2004) Music and Copyright (2nd Edition, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh) Frow, Gerald (1985) Oh Yes It Is! A History of Pantomime (BBC, London) Gillies, Midge (1999) Marie Lloyd: The One and Only (Gollancz, London) Gammond, Peter (1991) The Oxford Companion to Popular Music (Oxford University Press, Oxford) Harding, James (1990) George Robey and the Music Hall (Hodder and Stoughton, London) Harris, Jose (1994) Private Lives, Public Spirit: Britain 1870-1914 (Penguin, London) Kilgariff, Michael (Compiler) (1998) Sing us One of the Old Songs: A Guide to Popular Song 1860-1920 (Oxford University Press, Oxford) Middleton, Richard (1990) Studying Popular M usic (Open University, Milton Keynes) Price, Richard (1999) British Society, 1680-1880 (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge) Sadie, Stanley (1980) New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians Vol. 12 pp831-834 (McMillan, London) Thompson, F M L (1988) The Rise of Respectable Society: A Social History of Traubner, Richard (1984) Operetta: A Theatrical History (Gollancz, London) Victorian Britain 1830-1900 (Fontana, London) Waites, Bernard, Bennett, Tony and Martin, Graham (Eds.) (1982) Popular Culture: Past and Present (Croom Helm, London, in Association with the Open University) Weightman, Gavin (2003) What the Industrial Revolution Did for Us (BBC, London) Websites www.arthurlloyd.co.uk Anon (1867) Extracts from ‘The Tomahawk, 14th and 21st September 1867   Dickens, Charles Jnr (1879) ‘Music Halls’ from Dickens’s Dictionary of London Greenwood, James (1869) The Seven Curses of London www.pepysdiary.com Pepys, Samuel (1661) Diary extract from 31st August 1661 Recordings Blur ‘Parklife’ (From the album ‘Parklife’, 1994, Food Records) The Beatles ‘Obladi, Oblada’ (From the White Album, 1968, Parlophone)

Cassius Words in Shakespeares Julius Caesar Essay -- Julius Caesar E

Cassius' Words in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, the importance of Cassius and Brutus' dialogues in Act 1, Scene 2, lines 135-78 to the play is that it enables Cassius to deceive Brutus to join the conspirators. Cassius' words in this passage show that he is a very cunning individual who persuades Brutus to join the conspirators to rid Rome of his so-called " tyranny."    Cassius' words expose his hypocritical nature during his conversation with Brutus. At one point, during the ceremony to offer Caesar the crown after his victory in battle, Brutus remarks, "I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king" (79). Cassius seizes that opportunity and convinces Brutus to join the conspirators. He claims Caesar was a tyrant: "He doth bestride the narrow world / like a Colossus and we petty men / walk under his huge legs and peep about / to find ourselves dishonorable graves" (135-38).    Not only does Cassius use Brutus' fears to influence him to join the conspirators, but also in line 162, Cassius hovers and p...

Eerie, Eldritch Erlkönig Essays -- Goya, Sleep of Reasons Produces Mon

Goya’s The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters is an ominous image of the dark vision of humanity. A man sleeps, apparently peacefully, even though he is besieged by creatures associated in Spanish folk tradition with mystery and evil. There is an ‘unhomely’ feeling of darkness as the brutes seem to move in closer towards to the man that accomplishes a scary environment in the aquatint (a method of etching that creates a rough sketch). A mysterious creature sits at the center of the frame, staring not at the sleeping figure, but at us, the viewer. Goya forces the viewer to become an active participant in the painting — the monsters of his dreams even threaten us. This creates a blur between the dream and the real world; an obscure boundary between fantasy and reality. As Freud would claim, â€Å"we are faced with the reality of something that we have until now considered imaginary.† This negative quality of feeling, filled with dread and horror, repuls ion and anxiety, where the supernatural becomes a part of common reality, is one of the uncanny. It is a frightening feeling which leads back to something forgotten and lost. Similar to The Sleep of Reason, there is a sense of ambivalence in what is real in Hoffman’s tale The Sandman. The uncanniness attaches directly to the figure of the Sandman, which a boy believed to be true in his childhood. Hoffman exploits disturbances of the ego that involve regression to times when the ego had not yet clearly set itself off against the world outside and from others. Freud writes that the â€Å"uncanny [unheimlich] is something which is secretly familiar [heimlich], which has undergone repression and then returned from it.† The music of Schubert’s Erlkà ¶nig dramatizes Goethe’s haunting poem in an uncann... .... It contained works (from 1800s and 1900s) that were dominated by themes of the uncanny, the inexplicable and the incomprehensible from the 1800 1900s. A spokesperson at the exhibition said, â€Å"things that are mysterious or inexplicable will always evoke curiosity and interest.† Works Cited Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828) Etching Freud, Sigmund, David McLintock, and Hugh Haughton. The Uncanny. New York: Penguin, 2003. Print. Hoffmann, E. T. A., and Christopher Moncrieff. The Sandman, Surrey. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print. Kerman, Joseph, and Vivian Kerman. Listen. New York, NY: Worth, 1980. Print. Gibbs, Christopher H. ""Komm, Geh' Mit Mir": Schubert's Uncanny "Erlkà ¶nig"" 19th-Century Music 19.2 (1995): 115-35. Print. Stein, Deborah. "Schubert's "Erlkà ¶nig:" Motivic Parallelism and Motivic Transformation." 19th-Century Music 13.2 (1989): 145-58. Print.

The Maturing of Jane in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

The Maturing of Jane in Jane Eyre When a caterpillar hatches from its mother's egg, it enters this world as an innocent, pure creature. As time passes by, it unwraps its cocoon and goes through metamorphosis. Once the caterpillar grows into a fully developed butterfly, it has lost its innocence and purity forever. Jane was an inexperienced caterpillar but her stay at Lowood and her challenging time at Thornfield with Mr. Rochester has changed her into an independent, matured butterfly. When Jane was young, she taught herself to be virtuous. Her aunt's criticisms and punishments has made Jane realize that she wasn't treated as part of the family. Her development of determination and self-reliance become more superior each day she spent at Gateshead. Jane states: "...I hate to live here." This quote proves that Jane hated Gateshead and she was determined to find a better place. The place Jane found was the Lowood Institution for orphans. It was not a better place but it helped Jane stand on her own feet. Through the help of Helen Burns, Jane has learned to love, forget hatred and live her life in happiness. Helen states: "Life appears too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs." These words shows that Helen is more mature and experienced than Jane. Jane observes: "Miss Temple is full of goodness..." Miss Temple was another great influence in Jane's life, she treated Jane as if she were her own daughter. We realize now that Jane was no longer alone. She had friends to love her and guide her to the next step in life. Jane had not only gained more experience and confidence, she also achieved a great education during her eight years at Lowood. Jane's next destination was Thornfield where she was to become the governess of Adèle, an orphan just like her. Adèle's presence reminded Jane of her old self and her awful childhood at Gateshead. Jane taught Adè le good virtues and the vicissitude of life. She wanted Adèle to have a better childhood than she did. Jane was happy at Thornfield mainly because of Mr. Rochester's love. The following quotation states that Jane has fallen in love.

Childcare †Orientation Package Essay

Introduction Child Care in Ontario Child Care Licensing in Ontario Role of the Operator The Director under the Day Nurseries Act Role of Program Advisors The Application Process Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres Obtaining a Licence Health Canada – Product Safety Program Duration of Licensing Process Types of Licences Child Care Licensing Website Child Care Service System Managers 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 9 9 10 10 10 11 11. Summary of Licensing Requirements for Day Nurseries Organization and Management Staff Qualifications Health Assessments and Immunization Number and Group Size Criminal Reference Checks Building and Accommodation Equipment and Furnishings Policies and Procedures Playground Requirements Inspections Insurance Requirements Fire Safety and Emergency Information Health and Medical Supervision Nutrition 13 13 13 13 14 15 15 17 17 18 19 19 19 20 21 2. Behaviour Management Enrolment Records Program 22 23 23 Summary of Licensing Requirements for Private-Home Day Care Agencies Organization and Management Numbers of Children Criminal Reference Checks Building and Accommodation Equipment and Furnishings Policies and Procedures Inspections Insurance Requirements Health and Medical Supervision Nutrition Behaviour Management Enrolment Records Program Health Assessments and Immunization 25 25 25 27 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 33. Conclusion Glossary of Terms (Appendix 1) Things to Look Into Before Applying for a Licence to Operate a Day Nursery or a PrivateHome Day Care Agency (Appendix 2) Ministry of Children and Youth Services Regional Offices (Appendix 3) Child Care Service System Managers (Appendix 4) 34 35 36 37 38 3 INTRODUCTION One of the goals of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services is to help support social and economic development in Ontario by investing in and supporting an affordable, accessible and accountable child care system which helps benefit children, their parents and caregivers, and the broader community. The early learning and child care system in Ontario should: †¢ be accessible, affordable and inclusive †¢ care for children in a safe, nurturing environment †¢ foster early childhood development †¢ help support early learning and readiness for school †¢ be flexible and provide choice †¢ support children and their families †¢ provide appropriate standards of child care †¢ provide supports for parents in financial need, who are employed, in training, or involved in other employment activities †¢ support economic growth, and †¢ work in partnership with others involved in Ontario’s  early learning and child care system. This Orientation Package has been designed to provide individuals who are interested in obtaining a licence to operate either a day nursery (also known as child care centres) or a private-home day care agency in the Province of Ontario, with practical information and advice. The following information is included in this package: †¢ the process for obtaining a licence †¢ a summary of the licensing requirements to operate a day nursery or a private-home day care agency under the Day Nurseries Act †¢ a glossary of terms (Appendix 1) †¢ information to assist you in considering your decision to apply for a licence to operate either a day nursery or a private-home day care agency (Appendix 2) †¢ a list of the Regional Offices of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (Appendix 3), and †¢ a list of the Child Care Service System Managers responsible for planning and managing the delivery of child care services throughout Ontario (Appendix 4). 4 CHILD CARE IN ONTARIO The child care system in Ontario consists of a range of services for families and their children, including licensed day nurseries and private-home day care which provide supports to children and their families. The Day Nurseries Act requires any premise that receives more than five children under the age of 10 years, not of common parentage (children who have different parents), for temporary care and guidance, to be licensed as a day nursery. A person may provide informal child care to five children or less under the age of 10 years who are not of common parentage (children who have different parents), in addition to his/her own children, without a licence. This number may not be exceeded, regardless of the number of adults present or on site. When a person provides in-home child care at more than one location or co-ordinates the provision of care at more than one site, a licence to operate a private-home day care agency is required. It is an offence to establish, operate or maintain a day nursery or private-home day care agency without a licence. On conviction, the fine is up to $2,000 for each day the offence continues, or imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or both. Ministry staff have the responsibility to follow-up on all complaints about child care being provided without a licence. CHILD CARE LICENSING IN ONTARIO The Ministry of Children and Youth Services is responsible for the Day Nurseries Act and issues licences to operators of child care programs. There are two types of licensed child care programs: day nurseries and private-home day care agencies. In the Day Nurseries Act and in this package, child care centres are referred to as day nurseries. Day nurseries may include nursery schools, full day care, extended day care, and before and after school programs. 5. Private-home day care agencies arrange or offer home day care at more than one home. Care is provided to five children or less, under 10 years of age in a private residence other than the home of the parent/guardian of the child. Homes are monitored by the agency. Role of the Operator Operators have responsibility for the operation and management of each day nursery or private-home day care agency, including the program, financial and personnel administration of the program. Operators of licensed day nurseries and private-home day care agencies are required to achieve and maintain compliance with the standards set out in Ontario Regulation 262 under the Day Nurseries Act at all times. The Day Nurseries Act and Ontario Regulation 262 are available through: Publication Services 777 Bay Street, Market Level, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C8 416-585-7485 or 1-800-668-9938 The Day Nurseries Act is available on the ministry’s website at: http://www. elaws. gov. on. ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90d02_e. htm. Ontario Regulation 262 under the Day Nurseries Act is available online at: http://www. elaws. gov. on. ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_900262_e. htm#37. (1). The Director under the Day Nurseries Act Child care licences are issued by a â€Å"Director† who is an employee of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, appointed by the Minister for the purpose of the Day Nurseries Act. The Director reviews all documents required for licensing, approves and signs the licence. The Director has the authority to refuse to issue a new licence if: †¢ the applicant or any of the officers, directors or employees of the applicant are not competent to operate a day nursery or privatehome day care agency in a responsible manner in accordance with the Day Nurseries Act 6 †¢ the past conduct of the applicant affords reasonable grounds for the belief that a day nursery or private-home day care agency will not be operated in accordance with the Day Nurseries Act, or the building in which the applicant proposes to operate the day nursery or provide private-home day care does not comply with the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. †¢ In addition, if there are grounds, the Director may refuse to renew or revoke an existing licence. The Director may also issue a direction and temporarily suspend a licence if there is an immediate threat to the health, safety or well-being of the children. An applicant or licensee is entitled to a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal. Role of Program Advisors Program Advisors, Ministry of Children and Youth Services staff designated under Section 16 of the Day Nurseries Act, are responsible for inspecting day nurseries and private-home day care agencies to enforce licensing requirements. In some regional offices, this position is referred to as Licensing Specialist. Program Advisors are responsible for assessing whether the operator has met the licensing requirements before an initial licence is issued. Unannounced inspections are conducted by Program Advisors for licence renewals on an annual basis or more frequently for a shorter term licences. In addition, Program Advisors conduct unannounced inspections in response to complaints related to licensed child care programs and to monitor operators who have difficulty maintaining compliance with licensing standards. The Ministry of Children and Youth Services also responds to complaints from the public pertaining to persons who are alleged to be operating without a licence (i. e. caring for more than five children under 10 years of age, not of common parentage, without a licence). The Application Process An individual or corporation can apply for a licence to operate a day nursery or a private-home day care agency. (Licences cannot be issued to partnerships. ) 7 Types of operators include: †¢ an individual †¢ corporations (non-profit and for-profit) †¢ municipalities †¢ community colleges †¢ churches, or †¢ Bands and Councils of the Band. The prospective operator contacts the local Regional Office (see Appendix 3) to request an application package and confirm the information required before proceeding with the next steps in the licensing process. Prior to requesting an initial site inspection for a day nursery (a visit to determine if the space is appropriate), the operator submits the completed application form to the Regional Office, as well as: †¢ †¢ †¢ written verification from the zoning authority confirming the location is approved for use as a child care centre detailed floor plans, and detailed site plans of the proposed location. These plans must include room measurements, window measurements (actual glass area), location of fixed cabinets (counters and storage areas) and fenced outdoor playground space dimensions (if required). Please note that effective July 1, 2005, as part of regulatory changes to the Ontario Building Code, all building or renovation plans for a day nursery must be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services prior to a municipality issuing a building permit. It is the operator’s responsibility to determine whether the location will meet zoning, building, fire and health requirements. Written verification must be submitted to the regional office confirming that these requirements have been met prior to a licence being issued. The fee for a new licence is $15; the renewal fee is $10. If a licence renewal is submitted to the ministry after the licence expiry date, the late fee is $25. 8 Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres This guide provides information about the planning, design and renovation of licensed child care centres. It is intended to be used by persons involved in the site selection, design, and operation of a child care centre in the province of Ontario. This guide is available through the local MCYS Regional office and on the ministry’s website at http://www. children. gov. on. ca/mcys/english/resources/publications/be ststart-planning. asp. (Alternately, from the ministry’s home page at http://www. children. Gov. on.ca, you can follow the links to Best Start, then Best Start resources, then Planning and Design Guidelines for Child Care Centres. ) Obtaining a Licence To obtain a licence, applicants must demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation 262 of the Day Nurseries Act in a number of areas including: confirmation of compliance with municipal zoning, building, fire and health requirements; the suitability of the building; availability of equipment and furnishings; conformity with space requirements and playground standards; maintenance of staff/child ratios for various age groups; staff qualifications; nutrition; appropriate behaviour management; programming and insurance. Private-home day care agencies must demonstrate compliance with the requirements set out in Regulation 262 of the Day Nurseries Act in a number of areas including: staffing and training; policies and procedures; records of inspections of providers’ homes; availability of equipment and furnishings; appropriate behaviour management and insurance. The Program Advisor makes a recommendation to the Director under the Day Nurseries Act about the issuance of a licence based on their assessment of compliance with the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. The Director decides whether to issue a licence and the type and term of licence to be issued. The Director may add terms and conditions to the licence. The operator is required to comply with the terms and conditions of the licence as well as the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. 9 Operators must apply for a licence renewal prior to the expiry date of the current licence. Licences may be issued for a period of up to one year if all licensing requirements are met. Health Canada – Product Safety Program Health Canada helps protect the Canadian public by researching, assessing and collaborating in the management of the health risks and safety hazards associated with the many consumer products, including children’s equipment, toys and furnishings, that Canadians use everyday. Through their Product Safety Program, Health Canada communicates information about juvenile product hazards and recalls to protect children from avoidable risks. Advisories and warnings, juvenile product recall notices, food recalls and allergy alerts are posted on the Health Canada website. The Consumer Product Recalls webpage can be accessed at http://209. 217. 71. 106/PR/list-liste-e. jsp. Health Canada offers an electronic newsletter so that the public can receive updates when consumer advisories and warnings, juvenile product recalls, and consultation documents regarding consumer product safety are posted on the Health Canada Web site. As a prospective operator, you are encouraged to register on line for this service at: http://www. hc-sc. gc. ca/cps-spc/advisories-avis/_subscribeabonnement/index_e. html. Duration of Initial Licensing Process It may take up to 6 to 12 months to open a new day nursery or private-home day care agency depending on a number of factors, including the extent of the renovations, the incorporation of a corporation, the purchasing of equipment, the hiring of a supervisor or home visitors, the recruitment of staff, the development of policies and obtaining all required approvals. Types of Licences †¢ Regular licence – may be issued for up to 1 year if the operator was in compliance with licensing requirements when last inspected. 10 †¢ Regular short-term licence – issued at the discretion of the Director – routinely issued to new licensees (generally for a period of up to six months) or when more frequent licensing visits are appropriate to support ongoing compliance. Regular licence with terms and conditions – terms and conditions are requirements prescribed by a Director and are additional to the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. They may reflect circumstances specific to the operation, such as half day or 10 month service. They may also be in place to minimize the recurrence of a non-compliance, such as incomplete staff medical records. Provisional licence – When Day Nurseries Act requirements have not been met and the operator requires time to meet requirements, a provisional licence (generally for a period up to three months) may be issued. This licence gives the operator a period of time to meet licensing requirements. Copies of a letter indicating that a provisional licence has been issued and a summary of the non-compliances are sent to the centre for distribution to parents. The summary of non-compliances will also appear on the Child Care Licensing Website. †¢ †¢ Child Care Licensing Website MCYS has launched the Child Care Licensing Website to provide parents with information about licensed child care in Ontario. The site is accessible at http://www. ontario. ca/ONT/portal51/licensedchildcare. A search tool allows parents to search for child care by city, postal code, type of program, age group, program name, operator name and language of service delivery. The site also provides the status of the licence and the terms and conditions of the licence for any licensed program parents might be considering or about which they might be concerned. Once a licence is issued, the information appearing on the licence of the program will be available on the website. Child Care Service System Managers The child care system is managed at the municipal level by fortyseven Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) /District 11 Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs). Each service system manager has responsibility for planning and managing a broad range of child care services, including fee subsidy, wage subsidy, family resource centres and special needs resourcing. Prospective operators should contact their local child care service system manager (see Appendix 4) to discuss the need for child care in the area being considered and for information about funding and fee subsidy. 12 DAY NURSERIES ACT SUMMARY OF LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR DAY NURSERIES Day nurseries are centre-based programs and can include nursery schools, full day child care, extended day and before and after school programs. Organization and Management The operator of the day nursery is responsible for maintaining compliance with the Day Nurseries Act and ministry policy. This includes responsibility for the operation and management of the program and financial and personnel administration. A qualified supervisor who directs the program and oversees the staff is required for each child care centre. This person must have a diploma in Early Childhood Education, or other academic qualifications which are considered equivalent, and have at least two years experience in Early Childhood Education. The supervisor must also be approved by the Director under the Day Nurseries Act. Staff Qualifications †¢ The supervisor must have a diploma in Early Childhood Education or equivalent qualifications, with two years experience and must be approved by the Director under the Day Nurseries Act. †¢ One staff with a diploma in Early Childhood Education or equivalent qualifications must be hired for each group of children. Health Assessments and Immunization †¢ Staff immunization/health assessment, as required by the local medical officer of health, must be completed before commencing employment. 13. Number and Group Size Number of Staff required for a Day Nursery Other than a Day Nursery for Children with Disabilities Ratio of Employees to Children 3 to 10 1 to 5 Maximum Number of Children in a Group 10 15 Group Age of Children in Group Infant Toddler Under 18 months of age 18 months of age and over up to and including 30 months of age more than 30 months of age up to and including 5 years of age 44 months of age or over and up to and including 67 months of age as of August 31 of the year 56 months of age or over and up to and including 67 months of age as of August 31 of the year 68 months of age or over as of August 31 of the year and up to and including 12 years of age Preschool 1 to 8 16 Junior Kindergarten 1 to 10 20 Senior Kindergarten 1 to 12 24 School age. 1 to 15 30 †¢ All children must be supervised by an adult at all times. †¢ Ratios are not permitted to be reduced at any time for children under 18 months of age. †¢ Ratios are not to be reduced on the playground. 14 †¢ Where there are six or more children over 18 months of age or four or more children under 18 months of age in attendance, there must be at least two adults on the premises. †¢ Staff/child ratios may be reduced to 2/3 of the required ratios during the periods of arrival and departure of children and during the rest period, with the following exceptions: †¢ †¢ when children are under 18 months of age on the playground with any age group. †¢ In a full day program operating six or more hours in a day, for the purposes of staffing, the period of arrival is not to exceed two hours after the opening and the period of departure is not to exceed two hours before the closing of the day nursery. †¢ In half day nursery school programs and school age programs, the period of arrival is not to exceed 30 minutes after the opening and the period of departure is not to exceed 30 minutes before the closing of the day nursery. Criminal Reference Checks Individuals and directors of a corporation applying for new licences will be required to submit a criminal reference check to their local Ministry of Children and Youth Services Regional Office as part of the licence application. In preparation for the initial licensing visit, the operator of the day nursery is required to develop a criminal reference check policy for all full and part time staff working with the children, as well as for volunteers. Additional information about the Ministry of Children and Youth Services criminal reference check policy is available from Regional Offices. Building and Accommodation Each day nursery must: †¢ comply with the requirements of applicable local authorities i. e. zoning and building department, medical officer of health and fire department †¢ comply with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, O. Reg. 170/03, where applicable. These provisions only apply to designated facilities with drinking water systems where 15 the water is not provided through service connections with a municipal residential water system. The requirements of this regulation are available from the Ministry of the Environment’s website at http://www. ene. gov. on. ca/envision/gp/5361e. pdf †¢ comply with the requirements for lead flushing and water sample testing (where applicable) under the Safe Drinking Water Act, 2002, O. Reg. 243/07. The requirements of this regulation are available from the Ministry of the Environment’s website at http://www. ontario. ca/ONT/portal51/drinkingwater/General? docId= 177450&lang=en †¢ comply with the requirements of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. †¢ have designated spaces for washing, toileting and separate storage areas for toys, play materials and equipment †¢ have designated space for eating and resting, preparation of food if prepared on premises or a food service area if food is catered (prepared off premises by a food catering company and delivered to the centre), a fenced playground (see page 15), storage for beds, a staff rest area and an office area if the program operates for six or more hours †¢ have play space of at least 2. 8 square metres (30 square feet) of unobstructed floor space for each child, based on the licensed capacity †¢ have separate play activity rooms for each age grouping. A separate sleep area for infants is also required †¢ have rooms on or below the second floor where the rooms are for children under six years of age †¢ have a clear window glass area equivalent to 10% of the available floor area for each play activity room for a program that operates for six or more hours in a day. 16 Equipment and Furnishings Each day nursery must have: †¢ an adequate number of toys, equipment and furnishings for the licensed capacity. The toys, equipment and furnishings must be age appropriate and include sufficient numbers for rotation as well as for gross-motor activity in the playground area †¢ infant and toddler diapering areas that are adjacent to a sink †¢ cribs or cradles that meet the requirements of the Hazardous Products Act, for infants, and cots for older children †¢ equipment and furnishings which are maintained in a safe and clean condition and kept in a good state of repair †¢ a telephone or an alternative means of obtaining emergency assistance that is approved by the Director †¢ Where children are transported in a day nursery vehicle, child seating and restraint systems are used that meet the requirements of the Highway Traffic Act, O. Reg. 613. Policies and Procedures Every operator must develop the following policies and procedures: †¢ Fire evacuation procedures †¢ Sanitary practices †¢ Serious occurrence policy, including child abuse reporting procedures †¢ Criminal reference check policy †¢ Medication policy †¢ Behaviour management policy, including monitoring procedures and contravention policies 17. †¢ Program statement/parent handbook †¢ Playground safety policy †¢ Anaphylactic policy, including an individual plan for each child with a severe allergy and the emergency procedures to be followed. Playground Requirements †¢ Programs operating six or more hours in a day require outdoor play space equivalent to 5. 6 square metres (60 square feet) per child, based on licensed capacity. †¢ The playground must be: †¢ sub-divided if licensed capacity is over 64 children †¢ at ground level and adjacent to the premise †¢ designed so that staff can maintain constant supervision. †¢ If used by children under 44 months of age as of August 31 of the year, the playground must be fenced to a minimum height of 1. 2m (4 feet) and furnished with one or more gates that can be securely closed at all times. †¢ If used by children 44 months of age and up to an including 67 month of age as of August 31 of the year (children eligible to attend junior and senior kindergarten), the playground is fenced to a minimum height of 1. 2 metres and the fence is furnished with one or more gates that are securely closed at all times, unless otherwise approved by the Director. †¢ Fixed playground structures (i. e. climbing equipment, slides) are not required by the Day Nurseries Act; however, if the operator intends to install fixed play structures, the structures and safety surfacing must meet current Canadian Standards Association standards. †¢ The current Canadian Standards Association’s (CSA) Standard applies to new and newly renovated playground equipment, and 18 safety surfacing. The CSA Standards also set out the requirements for routine maintenance and inspections. †¢ Playground plans indicating the type and location of fixed structures as well as the type and area of safety surfacing must be approved by the ministry before installation. †¢ Once play structures and surfacing are installed, compliance with the CSA standards must be verified in writing by an independent certified playground inspector before the structures can be used by the children. Inspections †¢ Copies of fire and health inspections are to be sent to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services program advisor and kept on file at the day nursery. Insurance Requirements †¢ The operator must have comprehensive general liability coverage and personal injury coverage for all staff and volunteers. †¢ All vehicles owned by the operator and used for transportation of staff and children must have motor vehicle insurance. Fire Safety and Emergency Information †¢ A fire safety plan must be approved by the local fire department. †¢ A written evacuation procedure, approved by the fire department, must be posted in each room. †¢ Staff are to be instructed on their responsibilities in the event of fire. †¢ Monthly fire drills must be conducted and written records of drills maintained. †¢ Tests of the fire alarm system and fire protection equipment (as required under the Ontario Fire Code) must be conducted and written records of test results maintained. 19. †¢ There must be a designated place of emergency shelter. †¢ An up-to-date list of emergency telephone numbers including the fire department, hospital, ambulance service, poison control centre, police department and a taxi service must be posted where they can be easily accessed. †¢ Medical and emergency contact information for each child must be accessible. Health and Medical Supervision †¢ A daily written log that includes health and safety incidents is required. †¢ Any instructions or recommendations made by the fire department, public health department or other regulatory bodies must be implemented and recorded. †¢ Sanitary practices and procedures must be approved by Ministry. †¢ Children must be immunized according to the requirements of the local medical officer of health, unless a fully authorized exemption is on file. †¢ Before each child begins to play with others, a daily observation of the child’s health is required. †¢ An ill child must be separated from others and arrangements made for the child to be taken home or for immediate medical attention, if required. †¢ Serious occurrence procedures must be in place and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services notified of any occurrence. A serious occurrence includes such things as the death of a child, a serious injury, alleged abuse/mistreatment of a child, a missing child, a disaster on the premises (e. g. fire) or a serious complaint. 20. †¢ A written anaphylactic policy is in place that includes: †¢ A strategy to reduce the risk of exposure to anaphylactic causative agents †¢ A communication plan for the provision of information on lifethreatening allergies, including anaphylactic allergies †¢ An individual plan for each child with an anaphylactic allergy that includes emergency procedures in respect of the child †¢ Staff, students and volunteers have received training on procedures to be followed if a child has an anaphylactic reaction. †¢ A first aid kit and manual must be readily available. †¢ A written procedure approved by a qualified medical practitioner regarding the giving and recording of medication is required. The procedure should include the storage of medication (e.g. medication must be stored in a locked container). †¢ If a child has or may have a reportable disease or is or may be infected with a communicable disease, this is reported to the medical officer of health as soon as possible. †¢ Cats and dogs on the premises must be inoculated against rabies. Nutrition †¢ Infants are to be fed according to written parental instructions. †¢ Food and drink from home must be labelled with the child’s name. †¢ All food and drink must be stored to maintain maximum nutritive value. †¢ Meals and snacks must meet the requirements of the Day Nurseries Act. Canada’s Food Guide provides useful information about nutrition. 21 †¢ Meals are to be provided where a day nursery operates for 6 or more hours each day or where the daily program operates less than 6 hours each day and operates over the meal time. This generally refers to the provision of lunch as the mid-day meal. In day nurseries that offer care over extended hours, this may mean that breakfast and/or dinner are also provided. †¢ With the approval of a ministry Director, children 44 months of age or over as of August 31 of the year may bring bag lunches. Written policies and procedures with guidelines for bag lunches should be both posted and provided to parents. †¢ Menus must be posted with substitutions noted. †¢ Children’s food allergies must be posted in the kitchen and in all rooms where food is served. †¢ Special dietary arrangements for individual children are to be carried out according to written instructions of parents. Behaviour Management †¢ Corporal punishment is not allowed under any circumstances. †¢ The following are not permitted: †¢ deliberate harsh or degrading measures that would humiliate or undermine a child’s self respect †¢ deprivation of food, shelter, clothing or bedding †¢ confining a child in a locked room †¢ exits locked for the purpose of confinement. †¢ Written behaviour management policies and procedures which guide centre staff in managing children’s behaviour are to be reviewed annually by the operator. The operator is required to review the policies and procedures with employees and volunteers or students before they begin working, and annually thereafter. These policies must set out permitted and prohibited behaviour 22 management practices and measures to deal with any contraventions of the policy. †¢ There must be: †¢ a signed, written record of all reviews, and †¢ a written procedure for monitoring behaviour management practices of employees, students and volunteers, and a record kept of this monitoring. Enrolment Records †¢ Up to date enrolment records for all children in attendance must be on site at all times and be available to the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. These records include, in part, an application, immunization records, emerg.