Teaching Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teaching - Personal Statement Example This cooperation occurs between students and their peers as well as students and teachers. Social literacy is supported for example, where there is opportunity to work in groups, discuss issues, and contribution to class works. Appeal to the interest of children: this principle supports science literacy since it is based on a curriculum that responds directly to the interest of children. This provides opportunities for knowledge construction. The tenet also allows a constructivist teacher to recognize and stimulate the interest of children. This will support science literacy when for example, the teacher observes what children do, solicit the ideas of children, and propose activities that entice children. Teaching in terms of the type of involved knowledge: this tenet defines the kinds of knowledge helpful to constructivist teachers. Physical knowledge, conventional or social knowledge, and logico-mathematical knowledge may be used among children. This supports science literacy in that varying strategies are used for different types of knowledge. For example, with conventional knowledge, children are shown and told the information via direct instruction, in physical knowledge, the children are assisted in getting chances to act on things and their reactions noted while a teacher provides experiences in logico-mathematical knowledge through which student reorganize their own knowledge. Choosing content challenging children: this principle creates a culture of inquiry and develop teaching curriculum based on ideas which allow a very in-depth study. It supports science of literacy through providing activities appropriate for wide development levels. For example, it analyzes activities in terms of relationships and regularities. Promote reasoning among children: this principle supports science literacy because it encourages

Describe the worst team experience you have ever had. What did you do Essay

Describe the worst team experience you have ever had. What did you do - Essay Example He asked me to fill in as head of our unit until they found an officer whos free and ready to take on. I gave him my worries of being a temporary superior to my team mates. The head promised me his full support in case of any insubordination. This was not a solution, I would still have to go back and work with these people once the new officer arrives. I decided I had to do my job as head of the unit, and still keep strong ties with my colleagues. I remembered Jim Collin’s level five leadership styles and was ready to undertake the challenging role (Collins, 2001). My colleagues became jealous of my new appointment. One of them swore not to take any orders from me, and stormed out of the room. The first 2 weeks in my position were a nightmare. People refused to due their work, or take any new assignments from me. But as tough as it was, I could not report them for that meant losing them. I felt like a juggler, trying not to drop a ball. As time passed, I realized all my team mates needed was equality. I decided to restructure our unit temporarily while I’m heading it. I gave each member a field where only he was responsible. They still had to report back to me, but I think it made them feel as if my appointment was just and administrative one, while in fact not much had changed. Not only did this strategy work for work relations, but our unit was doing better work than before. This worked right because my colleagues treated me well after I left the

Vulnerable Adults Essay Example for Free

Vulnerable Adults Essay Introduction Health service is defined as a top most service that is related to the diagnosis and treatment of disease, or the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health (Capezuti, Siegler and Mezey, 2007). There are personal and non personal health services. In UK, National Health Service (NHS) launched in the year 1948. Now it is the world’s largest publically funded health service. The health service in NHS is adorned with efficiency and comprehensive to provide maximum help and support for the needed people. Social care is defined as a profession where people work in partnership with those who experience marginalisation or disadvantage or who needs special care and support, vulnerable people leaving in the community and in the residential care ( Miller, Vandome and McBrewster, 2009). The policies and the legislations for support the caring and supporting the elder people are very important and it should be cared by each health professionals and by the society (http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/socialcare/index.htm). Care quality commission provides the assurance for the quality of care and support for the residence in the care homes residential homes with the support of policies and legislations in the England. The aim of this essay is to identify the law that is related to vulnerable adults is the lack of resources. Literature review In definition, a vulnerable adult is a person aged over the sixteen and not able to protect or take care of himself. There are number of reasons behind it; they are illness, physical disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency and old age. The children act 1989 offer social workers and local authorities a clear legal framework to go along with their duties and obligations. This act is to provide maximum help and support for the children with its significant resources. This act got passed on the basis of simplifying the child care legislation that is exciting (Gupta, Playfer and Bhowmick, 2008). However, it is clear that for vulnerable adults it is difficult to find out a unifying statue, but instead there is some fragmented legislation that is difficult to locate and implement in an effective way. As the reason for a social worker and other care provider it is difficult to carry their skill, knowledge, experience and sensitivity for the support of the vulnerable adults. In this particular area, mental health legislation and community care lead the provision of services offering some regulations and guidance. But there are some confusion can be found out these regulations and guidance for the health providers. As the result it is a confused area to provide the needed duties and obligations from the part of the care providers. It is clear that there are some specific written policies to support the vulnerable adults, however with the involvement of different agencies in the protection of vulnerable adults it is still in confusion thinking that who is the right responsible to provide help and support. To rectify all these problems, NHS trust, social service department and all other related health services organisation should work together for a better result. But unfortunately th is is not the case. Care in the community According to the Health and Social Care Bill 2011, it gives an importance to the care , general health and other social issues. The social issues and care is very important and it should be cared by the medical professionals and other publics. The care and support for the adults in the society is very important and it should be valued for each and every persons especially by the health professionals. The Health and Social Care Bill was introduced in 19 January in 2011 in the parliament and the major part of this include with the modernisation in the medical facilities and world class health care delivering by the health professionals. The caring of the adults is very important and it also very important to give the modern and effective facilities to the adults and the other public (http://www.info4local.gov.uk/documents/related-links/1820651). The community care is aimed to offer help and support for both the vulnerable adult and their carer. The first step is to provide help for vulnerable adults is the recognition of him. Since the lacking of collaboration with multi agency and resources in majority of the local authorities and primary care trusts it would be unrecognised with the arrangements or referrals for the assessments related to needs (Baggett, 1989). This problem takes place with the lack of information and knowledge of the care providers since they are lacking of knowledge with the present legislation. It leads to more spending and needless action to provide maximum help and support for the vulnerable adults in the needed time. Most of the vulnerable adults are unaware of the help that is to be provided; there should be an immediate action to prevent this situation from worsening. Most of the adults are too proud seeking their help and needs from the care providers (Backhaus, 2011). For example, the visitors of the adults in hospital give the more support to offer help and support from the care providers. But there are some adults those who are avoided especially in majority of situation and their condition is getting worsening. Section 46 of the National Health Service and community care act 1990 defines the care plans and services to be provided for the needed people. It includes with laundry services, meals on wheels, residential care and social work. This section is a leading one to uplift the quality of care provider to maintain his service and help for the needed people. According to the local authorities the meaning of need because of financial constraints it guides to procedural bias and restriction of services. It clearly defines that the lack of resources with the law related to vulnerable adults and this area needed a special care. Old age According to the ‘Promoting Health and Well Being’ that is a standard which used by the national service frame work in Wales, they care about the older people and they gives some guidelines and the standard line for the old age lives. The major points which include with this are strategy for the nutrition and the well being of the older people, active and healthy life style of the people who lived in Wales, frame works for actions and National service frame work for diabetes, mental health and coronary heart diseases (http://cymru.gov.uk/topics/olderpeople/health/?skip=1lang=en). In old age a person comes in to the position of vulnerability with the reasons of not been provided adequate services and help or being a victim of some kind of abuse or neglect. As far as the duty of a social worker is concerned with old people, there should be some kind of a special treating on the basis of respect to provide maximum help and support for the old age people. Their voice should be valuable and heard with its prior important. On the basis of human rights 1998, a social worker should respect the human rights of adults, right to privacy, right to liberty and right to fair trial. A social worker should be friendly and can work in partnership with service user to make eligible the service users to be feeling as comfortable and supported (Duquenoy, George and Kimppa, 2008). Their needs skills and professional judgement from the part of the social worker to provide the needs of the adults and also to protect them. Since there are no laws to old people but for children, child act 1989, a social worker should be capable of with the legislation from different areas to offer the better results for the service users. In clear words, if a social worker is trained with specialist knowledge he becomes more positive to offer his better result. It is unmistakably true that the availability of the resources in the local authority plays and important impact to provide support and care for the old people and it is different in regions (Kamp and Hvid, 2012). It shows that it takes place with the lacking of proper application of the law. For example, the health services and public health act 1968, (HSPHA)’s state that the local authority may take arrangements to offer some services that is based on the well fare of older people. This wording act can’t take a major part to provide the obligations on the local authorities related to their better services, but only grants them power to do so. It is evident that if there is some problem with funding or services there may be a lot of old people can’t access the needed help and support from it. The National Health Service and community service at 1990 (NHS, CCA) S46 needs that every local authority must have a plan for their community care and they should be regular to make sure for the well fare of older people. It is the legislation that is important in some manner but it is failure in opening an account about the solid duty that is related to the local authorities to offer the help and support for the older people. The National Health Service Act, 1977 (NHSA) schedule 8, is aimed for providing services for the elder people who live in the local authority. This help is include with shopping, cooking, cleaning etc. it appears that a fame obligation on the local authority to offer the help and support. When an old person is recognised as to be given help and support from the part of the local authority, it is questionable that local authority is capable of helping and supporting of needed person. But from the part of the serviced user, in most of the cases the ultimate help from the local authority is not in a full result. And as the reason, the service from the local authority is not as much as improved than they started from. Residential accommodation The national assistance act 1948 (NAA) S.21 defines about the duties and obligations of the local authority to offer the accommodation for residence. As far as most of the laws connected to the adults is concerned, all those ones is included the right duties and obligations to provide help for the older people from the part of the local authorities. For example, the NAA 1948 (Choice of accommodation) directions 1992 were introduced to make the adults with accommodation and other needs. However the needed people are paid a specified amount. As the reason, the freedom of choice is cancelled since there are financial implications. Residential care is provided as an easily accessible one to 24 hour care home like it is the carefulness of local authority. Since there is choice, majority of the people would like to stay in the home, it is hard for a social worker to balance the value of his social work based on oppressive practice empowerment with financial implications and partnership and to be a well service provider with maximum help and support for the service user (Williams, 1992). The liberty of an adult is given with much priority. However in some cases, it is unavoidable for their own health safety and safety of others compulsory removals have been done. It means that it is the duty of a social worker to offer maximum support and help in the home environment itself (Norman and Redfern, 1997). It is significant to clarify that in residential homes there should be a high quality of caring and supporting. In some cases people in residential care has been exploited with neglect and employee abuse. The care standard act 2000 got introduced in order to make sure a regulatory system that is able to capable of delivering a high quality service with all its concerns (Burchell, 2000). In April 2002 with upgrading the services for vulnerable adults and children national care standard commission regulated the services. It includes four main components. They are monitoring, providing national bench marks, representing the consumer and encouraging the development of better services. It guarantees a new protection for vulnerable adults and it make sure to avoid the unsuitable people is not allowed to work with vulnerable adults (Williams, 1992). It established a general social care council for England and care council for Wales. It came to action with its first step as an effective act but the lacking of funding and human resources stopped its implementation with full perfection. In the care standard acts 2000, it mentions that there should be high quality social care worker provided with high standards of training. But it became questionable with the lack of funding, qualified trainers. In the article done by David Brindle, mentions that in UK the number of abuse against elderly people is alarming and it is growing as a top most problem to be rectified. Research shows that when the staffs are well trained and educated the abuse against elderly people is restricted or no longer a problem in the social care field. It means there are some staffs that are stress, over worked and feels undervalued can be the reason for abuse on adults. Studies prove that in some working area the care workers are not valued well, in some working environment they are stressed highly with their over working and hard working (Lechner and Neal, 1999). These are the problems that lead them to unleash their anger on elderly people and it comes to a result like abuse. It is estimated that there are 800,000 untrained staffs are involved in working with older people. If there is an action on elder abuse it may cost 600 pound each to make sure that they had recognised qualifications according to the charity. There are some potential employees have become part in abuse. In that case it is difficult to identify them and it should be the duty of a social care worker to guide and control himself at first. He should do his best with the support of good practice and vigilance. There should be consistency from the part of the employers, rigour, thoroughness in the implementation of needed checks and procedures that are apt in each and every time. Lacking of time, money or resources may be the problem with the employees. In other case, lacking of qualified and skilled employees with their leaving jobs is another problem. All together it is difficult to maintain an employee in an organisation providing his basic things. First of all there should be advanced type of training from the part of the organisation for the employees. It should help the employees to get matured and to know the rights and responsibilities in their duties to be done. Secondly providing value of an employee offering good salary and to give him comfortable shifting time to work is essential. It will enable him to feel comfortable in his working environment and to follow the duties and responsibility of his work. Thirdly, to stop the quitting jobs of employees an organisation should find out some strategies and techniques to retain their employees in their organisation (Roit, 2010). As far as abuse on elders is concerned from the part of the social care workers, the above said things are significant to rectify the problem to a great extent. Mental Health There are a lot of policies and legislations which related to it in the case of older people are established by the governments in the European countries especially in England. The elder people should be cared and support by the other people and society in their final stage of life and the value of humanity is considered by the each legislation and policies that established by the government. The law on mental health is very much as same as the law that is related to the groups of vulnerable adults. It is needed updating and consolidation. The department of health defines that there are some changes in mental health services with new drug treatments, different patterns of care, which is commonly seen in people treated in the community than in institutions and also wider role for other therapeutic approaches, these things have made a different landscape. As the reason modern mental health legislation is needed to reflect that landscape. Since the law has got updated approved social wo rker should be able to aware of his power and duties under the mental health act 1983. It is clear that the numbers of mentally ill patients are alarming and the treatment they get within the community is not fulfilled with its perfection. It needs support networks, more approved social workers and also better home services. But it is sad that the mentioned things are working efficiently very scarcely and the government should be able to provide extra funding to support their care in the community (Fulmer, Foreman and Walker, 2001). The national assembly for Wales started the adult mental health services strategy with four main key points. They are (1) Equity- it means, mental health service should be provided for the needed people with its perfection. (2) Empowerment- it means service users and carers should work together to find out a better strategy to help and support the mental health patients. (3) Effectiveness – there should be some effective intervention provided by mental health services that is needed for improving the quality of life. (4) Efficiency- the services of mental health should be capable of using the resources perfectly and they should care the public money is spent with accountability. In England it is questionable that mentally ill patients are treated well or not. In the past years there were good help and support for mentally ill patients from the part of the hospitals providing 63,000 beds in the year 1988. But in the year 2000, it was halved with 34, 3000 beds. Considering this number of beds and above said reasons there should be well planned strategies to provide maximum help and support for the mentally ill patient and also they should be in secure accommodation. Conclusion In conclusion, legislations, policies and guidelines for the caring and supporting for the older people are very important and effective in providing good and standard service. The government in the England and other European countries are providing a lot of rules, legislations, and policies to provide the support and good caring and support for the elder people in the society. Most of the legislations and the principles are followed by the each and every health professionals and it support to provide a standard and supporting care for the elder people. It is difficult for a social worker to provide maximum help and support for the vulnerable adults, to check it the care workers should ask questions by themselves and value the judgements by them related to the services that they provided. They should be capable of understanding where a person is in capable of taking decisions especially like a mentally ill patient. It means, the care worker should be the ultimate health provider apart from policies and procedures from the government. It means the more a social care worker is capable of handling his duty with its full perfection, the more he becomes available to the needs of service users. In the case of skilled employees in a health care organisation, there are some problems like burnout; quitting their jobs etc. these problems should be settled in with the perfect strategies from the government and health organisations as well. As far as the vulnerability of the adults is concerned there are some lack of clear legislation that hinters the correct implementation of the law and also the ambiguity of the law and all these things contribute to the lack of resources. References Backhaus, P. (2011) Communication in Elderly Care: Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Continuum International Publishing, Baggett, S. (1989) Residential Care for the Elderly: Critical Issues in Public Policy. Greenwood Publishing Group Capezuti, L., Siegler, and Mezey, M. D. (2007) Encyclopedia of Elder Care: The Comprehensive Resource on Geriatric and Social Care , Springer Publishing Company Duquenoy, P., George, C. and Kimppa, K. (2008) Ethical, Legal, And Social Issues In Medical Informatics . Idea Group Inc Fulmer, T. T., Foreman, M. D. and Walker, M. K. (2001) Critical Care Nursing of the Elderly. Springer Publishing Company Gupta, A., Playfer, J. and Bhowmick, B. (2008) Measurement Scales Used in Elderly Care. Radcliffe Publishing Kamp, A. and Hvid, H. (2012) Elderly Care in Transition: Management, Meaning and Identity at Work. A Scandinavian Perspective. Copenhagen Business School Press Lechner, V. M. and Neal, M. B. (1999) Work and Caring for the Elderly: International Perspective s. Routledge Miller, F. P., Vandome, A. F. and McBrewster , J. (2009) Elderly Care. Alphascript Publishing Norman, I. J. and Redfern, S. J. (1997) Mental Health Care for Elderly People. Elsevier Health Sciences, Roit, B. D. (2010). Strategies of Care: Changing Elderly Care in Italy and the Netherlands. Amsterdam University Press Williams, D. K. (1992) Residential Care Services for the Elderly: Business Guide for Home-Based Eldercare. Routledge

The Evolution Of The Mauritian Economy Information Technology Essay

The Evolution Of The Mauritian Economy Information Technology Essay In the past two decades, the world scenario has considerably changed with one of the pioneering factors leading such changes as globalisation being information technology (IT). The pervasiveness of information and communications technologies (ICTs), may it be at home, within offices, or at schools cannot be denied today. The phenomenal growth of ICTs worldwide has had economic, social, political, and legal implications. For instance, businesses operate in more competitive environments today while others have closed down due to unforeseen pressures. ICTs have also been the foundation blocks for globalisation. Global network systems are today considered as being the new basis for power. The core elements propelling developing and developed economies to surface have been free trade, unrestricted investment, deregulation, balanced budgets, low inflation, privatisation of state owned institutions and infrastructure among others (APC, 2003). Few multinationals are dominating a large part of the market share in the majority of countries. ICTs have been contributing largely to such encroachment in the social and economic conditions of states. With the advent of ICTs instantaneous, global and electronic information is widely available to all. Today, a world without ICT cannot be fathomed. Increased dependence on the new forms of information has marked the whole world: financial markets, competition, research and development, educations and innovation are all sustained by the recent developments in ICT. According to Castells (2000) ICTs are the equivalent to the importance of electricity in the Industrial Era. Various other authors have appraised ICTs as being the tool to leapfrog economic growth through modernisation of production systems and increase competitiveness. Economies ignoring the developments in technology will only remain poor, marginalised and cast aside while those taking advantage of it will simply gain further by going beyond the traditional restrictions of space and time (ITU, 2004). The Mauritian Economy has not been left unscathed by phenomenal changes brought about by globalisation. Reduction in trade barriers and the erosion of trade preferences enforced by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has exposed the economy to diverse hazards on the world market. Fiscal measures are currently being tightened with a view to sustain the economy in the long-term; increased dependence on local quality products is being encouraged. Consultancy services are being sought from knowledgeable persons with a view to identifying means as to how the economy can survive the impact of globalisation. Among the long-term strategies put forward, lies the development and progress of the Mauritian ICT sector as a means of reducing reliance on other pillars. The ability of ICTs to counter the effect of globalisation has been proven by countries such as Singapore as a reliable path towards sustaining competitiveness in the world market. Indeed, several years have elapsed since Mauritius has engaged itself in a new vision of transforming the country into a cyber-island. As such, numerous changes and developments have been achieved taking from infrastructure to the legislative framework for ICTs. Contribution of established pillars to economic progress Agriculture Manufacturing Tourism Financial and Services The ICT Sector Contribution to the economy Given the lack of figures for GDP contribution, the main emphasis has been on the level of employment generated in the ICT sector to describe its growth. However, in 1997, the ICT sector has been reported to have generated 3.3% of total sales to the economy and by 2002 this figure had grown to a total of Rs.4.1 Billion (2.9% of the Gross National Income). The Mauritius IT Industry Association (MITIA) estimated the ICT sectors turnover to be around $70 Million for the 2001/2002 period. The telecommunications sector has been accredited with bringing in the major contribution from the ICT sector to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). This result is due to approximately 300 companies operating in the ICT sector, involved in a wide range of activities including software development, call centre, Business Process Outsourcing, IT Enabled Services (ITES), training, hardware assembly and sales, networking and other support services. World leaders such as IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, HP, Infosys, Accenture, Hinduja Group have started operations on the island. ITES-BPO so far is the strongest segment of the local ICT industry, experiencing a robust growth recently. These ITES-BPO companies have already invested some MUR 727 M and were employing around 5513 people at the end of September 2006. This figure includes an increase of 27.2% from January 2006 to September of the same year. Call centres contributes most to ICT sector employment in Mauritius with 42% of the workforce pooled into their activities (2338 persons). A remarkable increase of 158% should also be noted with regard to software development where employment incre ased from 277 to 716 lately, indicative of a rise in demand for software developers as well (BOI, 2008). Furthermore, with respect to encouraging small local entrepreneurs to invest in ICT, some 18 start-ups have benefited from the National Computer Board (NCB) Incubator Centre. These start-ups have in turn contributed towards the creation of 86 jobs and an investment of MUR 12.75 M. When it comes to IT Export, companies like Blanche Birger, DCDM Consulting, State Informatics Limited and Mauritius Telecom have extended their operations to the regional market (NCB, 2006). Investment The Mauritian government has realised the huge potential of ICT, in boosting the economy. It wants ICT to offer efficient, effective and citizen-focused public services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (ITU, 2004). Mauritius is presently ranked 32nd worldwide as an easy and attractive location for business (BOI, 2008). Foreign investment being constantly sought; the government offers a range of facilities and incentives aimed at creating a favourable climate for FDI; for both the Individual and Corporate Investor. At the international level the government maximises on its political, economic and diplomatic endeavour to secure market access and investment guarantees (NCB, 2006). Mauritius has been a leader in Africa in making tax concessions and giving other investment incentives, dating from 1970. All of these benefits have now been extended to the ICT sector. It is now emphasising a targeted promotion project instead of an incentive driven approach. The government has, in that respect, given many facilities regarding FDI. The package of incentives as listed in the ICT Incentive Regime is as follows: low corporate tax of 15% instead of 25% VAT at 15%, refundable No capital gain tax 100% foreign ownership Free repatriation of profits, dividends and capital No minimum foreign capital required 50% annual allowance on declining balance for the purchase of electronic and computer equipment Streaming of all administrative procedures exemption of customs and excise duties on the import of materials and equipment exemption from tax on dividends FDI is governed by the Non-Citizen (property restriction) Act of 1975. This investment regulation is in line with WTOs agreement on TRIMS. A World Bank study conducted in collaboration with the Board of Investment (BOI) indicated that delays in the issue of business licenses and operating permits severely and negatively affect investment. Consequently, recent developments have led to the creation of business within three days. Most activities in the ICT sector are undertaken by a few big groups and governmental entities. The latter fare fairly well, as compared to other regional countries. Most of our investment in 2005 has been obtained from Indian companies with the objective of using the island as a channel to the African market. For example Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Limited (MTML) has started operation in July 2005 with international long distance telephone services. As from this year, it has launched fixed phone services and will soon be offering cellular phone services. It was estimated in 2005 that MTML would have invested $25 million in its network. Many European companies are also reported to have entered into joint ventures with Mauritian organisations in the ICT sector. The potential for BPO, call centre services and offshoring is increasing. Many foreign-owned call centres have invested in Mauritius, such as V-Lines from France, and Infinity; joint venture between French and Mauritian organ isations. As such, the potential for BPO, call centre services and offshoring in particular are increasing. In fact, BPO is the most thriving activity at the moment. Investment in BPO activities has increased by 38.3% (to the number of 148) over seven months (January 2006 to September 2006). Following Mauritius, France brings the most funds in the sector (forecasts indicate a figure of MUR 529 million). India is the next big investor in BPO, with a forecasted investment of MUR 440 million (BOI, 2006). The ITES-BPO sector is actually intended to bring investment of MUR 1.94 billion in the island. So far, MUR 1.01 billion has already been pooled in the economy. By September 2006, ITES-BPO activities were distributed as follows: Figure 1: ITES/BPO Activity in Mauritius (In Numbers) Many foreign-owned call centres have invested in Mauritius such as V-Lines from France, and Infinity; joint venture between French Mauritian organisations. Software Development companies are coming in larger numbers, with a 43% growth rate, followed by BPO (40%) and Multimedia Companies (33%). By end September 2006, the BOI has approved of 29 ITES/BPO investment projects. 24% of these come from call centres and 21% from Software Developers. The main target markets of investing companies are France, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and India. Legislations Given the increasing growth of the ICT sector, there has been a shift in the paradigm of regulation during the last decade. The development of the ICT sector is not solely dependent on the technological advancements but also on a strong and supportive regulatory and legislative environment. The ICT Authority (ICTA) has identified seven major market segments where regulation is deemed to be imperative. The market segments are as follows: 1. Fixed telephony a. Local b. International i. Conventional ii. Internet Telephony 2. Mobile telephony 3. Services related to fixed and mobile telephony 4. Dial-up Internet 5. Broadband Internet 6. Wholesale 7. Sale of Equipment Mauritius has been accredited with having a sound and an impartial legal system based on the Napoleonic Codes and the British Common Law. Intellectual Property rights have been strengthened by recent trademark, patent and industrial design laws which comply with the WTOs TRIPS agreement. Furthermore, Mauritius is also a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and party to the Paris and Bern conventions for the protection of industrial property and the Universal Copyright Convention (Bank of Mauritius, 2006). Over the past decade, the Government of Mauritius (GOM) has taken a proactive role in the regulation of the ICT Sector and has passed five laws to deal with issues such as recognition of digital signatures, protection of copyrights and combating cyber-crime. A brief description of each act is provided below: Table 1: Overview of Main Legislations for the ICT Sector Regulation Law Description Date Passed The Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Bill Provides for repression of criminal activities perpetrated through computer systems and protection against computer misuse and new forms of Cybercrime May 2003 Information and Communication Technologies Act Provides for the establishment, management, regulation and promotion of ICT sector December 2001 Electronic Transaction Act (ETA) Covers electronic records and electronic signatures and the security thereof. (ICT Sector in Mauritius, ICT Authority, 2004) July 2000 Information Technology (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Deals with admissibility of electronics documents as evidence in court cases; data protection and security, computer misuse and patenting of software. December 1998 Copyright Act Pertains to the protection of software and electronic databases. September 1997 Data Protection Act 2010 As per the provisions of the ICT Act, a number of institutions, namely the ICTA, the ICT Appeal Tribunal, the ICT Advisory Council and the Internet Management Committee have already been set up. This regulatory framework has encouraged and allowed international ICT players such as Microsoft, Infosys and so on to successfully conduct their business from Mauritius while allowing the state to meet its social and economic goals. The GOM has also proposed one more bill, entitled the Data Protection Act, which is planned to reassure the ITES companies and their customers on the safety of their data (BOI, 2008). This bill has been in the pipeline for the past 2 years now. Liberalisation There has been a marked difference in the ICT sector structure as from 2000 to 2004. The international long distance and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have changed from having a monopolistic structure to a highly competitive one. The mobile operators have also drifted into full competition, as compared to a previous situation characterised by partial competition (World Bank, 2004). As per the WTO agreement, in 1997, to liberalise the telecommunications sector, the ICT Act was laid as a foundation for proper legal framework governing and enabling liberalisation to take place (ICTA, 2001). It was agreed that all state monopolies and exclusivity rights in domestic and international services would be terminated by 2004. This date was however advanced to the 1st January 2003 as the legislative environment was then deemed insufficient to meet the development of the ICT Sector as regards to foreign investment. Prior to 2003, Mauritius Telecom (MT) held exclusive rights on most national and international services. However, with liberalisation, the Mauritian population has seen the emergence of several new entrants in the sector to their benefit. In 2001, the ICTA replaced the MT Authority as per the ICT Act of 2001. It oversaw the full liberalisation of the telecommunications sector and in its first year it granted several licenses. The liberalisation of the telecommunications services since 1st January 2003 has given a major impetus to the ICT sector (African Economic Outlook, 2006). Exclusive rights of ownership of the SAFE cable have been given to MT however. The mobile market on the other hand, involves two major competing firms: Emtel and Cellplus, and a third likely in the near future: MTML. Current State of Information Technology in Mauritius People Mauritius is a highly erudite economy with 88% literacy rate (BOI, 2006). The island is on the go towards increasing its IT literacy rate. For this purpose, it has started at the ground level i.e. from schools. Another project launched in 2001, was the School Information Technology project, where primary and secondary schools will have computers, with at least one computer lab. In 2002, 100% of schools in Mauritius had a computer but only 18.7% of these had access to the internet (ITU, 2005). All the universities have LANs and high speed internet access. In 2004, 48% of the secondary schools and 4% of the primary schools had internet access (BOI, 2006). With regard to the distribution of the educational level in Mauritius, in the year 2005, there were a total of 11,814 school leavers in S.C. and 5555 school leavers in H.S.C. Only 4444 tertiary students enrolled in Mauritian institutions of which 2,020 enrolled for IT Courses taking from Diploma to Master degrees (BOI, 2006). Adding to the tally of developing IT skilled professionals is the high number of students who are returning to Mauritius each year with degrees from leading universities in Europe, Australia, India, Canada and South Africa. There are five main institutions offering courses leading to certificates, diplomas and degrees in IT. These include the University of Mauritius (UOM), Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Swami Dayanand Polytechnique, De Chazal Du Mee Business School (DCDM) and University of Technology Mauritius (UTM). Other institutions include Formation, Recruitement et Conseil en Informatique, State Informatics Limited and NIIT Computer Education and Training Centre (NCB, 2006). However, the Mauritius College of Air (MCA), which is the countrys leading public distance learning institution, has very few Computer Science courses and in the year 2002 only 3.6% were enrolled in the Computer Science field. Nevertheless, there are many other international universities which provide distance learning courses. Distance learning accounted for the largest share of tertiary Computer Science students with a total of 1,962 students in 2002 (ITU, 2004). The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and the Task Force on E-Education and Training projected the number of graduates to join the ICT labour market up to 2005 at around 4000 (NCB, 2006). The following diagram illustrates this distribution by the type of institution: Figure 2: Enrolment in Tertiary Computer Science Courses by Institutions (2001) [Adapted from ITU (2004)] However, the forecasted demand of IT workers and/or IT specialists far exceeds the forecasted supply. It was forecasted, in 2003, that if GOM accelerated training accompanied with a low demand for IT professionals, Mauritius will just meet the demand for IT professionals in 2006. If the contrary was to be true, then Mauritius would face an acute shortage of capable labour which was forecasted to be around 8000 IT professionals. In the year 2000, there were approximately 1,900 IT Professionals according to a survey carried out by the NCB. Three years later that figure had increased to 3,200 professionals. Furthermore, an annual growth rate of 15% per annum of newly trained IT graduates is estimated by the TEC. However, as stated earlier, it would prove to be grossly inadequate to meet the demand if there is the expected and the desired growth of the ICT sector. The GOM is providing incentives to attract internationally renowned institutions and universities to set off-campus branches in Mauritius (ITU, 2004). Due to Mauritius relatively poor adoption of the internet, the GOM has sharpened its focus on education at all levels. Promotion of an ICT Culture at the national level has been acknowledged through operation of: An IT Coach Project (Cyber Caravan) to raise ICT awareness around the country A Computer Proficiency Program a joint Government Private-Sector initiative by the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) on basic computer skills is available to the community at large at a subsidised fee of Rs.700. Also, the GOM has recently launched an ambitious and enormous training programme of 400,000 Mauritians in ICT over the next four years on the 4th September 2006. Commonly known as the IC3 programme, it aims to dispense a series of training sessions under the Universal ICT Education Programme (UIEP) which will eventually lead to the highly recognised Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3). In that respect, the NCB has been delegated the task of implementing the project which will include people from various background, be it educational, social, or work. The IC3 Certification which was developed by Certiport Incorporation (USA) is the first globally accepted, standards-based, validated certification program for basic computing skills. It consists of three modules, namely: Computing Fundamentals, Key Applications, and living Online. IC3 being a foundation course for ICT studies, the trainees can further evolve in the sector by going as far as the MCSE (Microsoft Computer Softw are Engineer) qualification. IT Penetration among the Mauritian Population Since it has adopted a vision of becoming a cyber-island, the state has been strongly emphasising the need to bring the technology to the reach of one and all. On one hand, the younger generation has been heavily benefiting from the inclusion of ICT in their curriculum. 2004 reports confirm that around half of all secondary school and a number of primary institutions benefit from internet access. A large portion of the educational institutions have been equally fitted with computers for students use. On the other hand, the government has also been providing training in IT. As per October 2004, 2500 civil servants had already been trained. The table below illustrates some economic and ICT indicators for 1999-2004: Table 2: Economic and ICT-related indicator (1999-2004) Year Indicators 2003 2004 Estimated Population (Millions) 1.186 1.196 GDP per capita (MUR at Market Price) 128,288 141,826 GDP Growth at basic prices +3.7 +4.5 Mobile Subscribers/100 inhabitants 38.13 47.58 Fixed Telephone Penetration (%) 91 92 Estimated Internet Users 180 000 230 000 No. of Internet Subscribers (dial up) 60 052 77 558 Estimated Household Internet Penetration (%) International Internet Bandwidth (Mbps) 45 61 Estimated Internet Hosts 3985 4836 Source: Central Statistics Office, Mauritius A survey conducted by the NCB in 2002 showed that the main reason why people did not have a PC at home was that they already had one at work and the second reason was cost. The government started a Computer in Every Home campaign and also provided subsidised loans to civil servants for buying PCs; but CSO figures claim that people did not know about these initiatives. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health had implemented the National Health Information System, so as to make health care more efficient. By 2002, seven health centres had been computerised. Mauritius also has the cheapest internet access rates in the African Continent. However, on a global basis, the price of internet connection is relatively high. Indeed, in July 2004, there was a 15% VAT charge on internet services. Such diverging strategies directly hinder the governments policy of spreading internet use throughout the island. With prospective competition from MTML, the internet tariffs were expected to fall by the end of 2006. This would have rapidly increased the number of internet users. Nowadays, post offices also provide electronic services, namely for payment of bills and the sale of telephone services. Mauri-Post is further expected to launch online banking services. Conclusion The ICT Sector in Mauritius has undeniably emerged as a sector in its own right today. The vision of the Mauritian government to make it the next engine of economic growth is in its making as ICT starts to make important inroads to the contribution of GDP. An analysis of 18 economies on their abilities to effectively implement ICT putting Mauritius in 5th position clearly supports this view. The Mauritian government has taken several steps to make the islands outlooks more favourable to investors in the ICT Sector. Additionally, infrastructural developments, especially in the physical terms, are highly conducive to the foreign investment and the GOM is taking pro-active measures to attract further FDI in the ICT Sector. The legislative framework for the sector clearly demonstrates the countrys willingness to foster competition, openness, and an attractive business environment as well as the provision of universal service with efficient interconnectivity. With the liberalisation of the local telecommunications market, investors can expect lower rates of internet access as well as better services from international brands in the future. The liberalisation is also attracting investment in the telecommunications field. To complement the above, several unprecedented initiatives, with the IC3 programme being the latest, have been undertaken to create a first-time-ever educated population in respect of information technology. The combination of the discussed issues, projects, and factors in this chapter will irrefutably link Mauritius firmly to the global information highway in the near future. Yet, development cannot happen in a vacuum, and Mauritius will need to keep pace with the fast changing environment of ICT as it develops the sector further. Pro-activeness, responsiveness, and flexibility represent key requirements for the ICT sector development to prevent the country from losing its position. Literature Review This chapter describes the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the Mauritian ICT industry. The following diagram illustrates the main elements of the analysis: STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES Language- Bilingual Workforce Political Willingness Infrastructure Physical Telecommunications Attractive Fiscal Incentives Sound Legal Framework Geographical Location Political Stability and Low Risk of Terrorism Infrastructural Weaknesses Poor education system Deteriorating economy Lack of Research and Development (RD) OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Membership in major Regional Trade Blocs Indian Government support Rapid Development Pace Brain Drain Competing ICT economies in the region Risk of natural disaster/s Table 3: SWOT for the Mauritian ICT Industry Strengths Bilingual Workforce Mauritians are bilingual being conversant in both French and English and can therefore service both English-speaking and French-speaking markets (Novatech, 2008). The Industrial Vocational Training Board (IVTB) furthermore organises the training of call centre and BPO operators (which currently constitute a high proportion of the ICT sector) on a regular basis. Additionally, ten public and some thirty private institutions, in collaboration with reputed foreign universities and international training centres provide professional training courses in the IT sector. Key players operating in Mauritius include NCC, NIIT, Aptech, University of Surrey, University of Birmingham, University of Witwatersrand, Università © of Poitiers, Dale Carnegie, BCS, ACCA, CIMA. Additionally, Mauritian employees are commended for their loyalty by Indian, French and British firms. This, according to them, improves the quality of the Mauritian workforce. Infrastructure Telecommunications The SAT-3/WASC/SAFE submarine optical fibre cable links Europe to the Far East through Mauritius and provides connectivity to worldwide destinations through ADSL, ISDN and high bandwidth international leased lines (IPLCs). Government has equally accelerated the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector by an early termination of the exclusivity of the incumbent operator, Mauritius Telecom (MT) as mentioned earlier. As such, new operators have entered the local telecommunications industry offering value added services in the field of International Telephony, Internet Service Provider and Voice over IP. The market has become highly competitive and new entrants compete mainly on prices to gain new clients. A further asset is possessed by Mauritius Telecom, the national operator, with a Point of Presence (PoP) in Telehouse, Paris where major international bandwidth providers and key telecom operators are present for interconnection, thereby providing end-to-end service at very competitive rates (BOI, 2008). Another underwater cable of East Africa, EASSy (Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System), will soon add to the bandwidth provided by the SAFE cable. The cable of a length of more than 8000 km will link Mauritius to around 20 countries of the Eastern coast of Africa including Kenya and Madagascar. As such, telecommunications and internet costs, which have already been reduced substantially over the past few years, are deemed to further decrease. The Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunications, has signed the protocol for linking Mauritius to the EASSy project on the 20th November 2006. This will give Mauritius a competitive edge in telecommunications costs. Physical The Ebene Cybercity is the first IT Park in the African region. It is spread over an area of 172 acres and with consist of various facilities such as video conferencing, conference halls, 24/7 restaurants and banks. The first Ebene Cyber Tower has already been constructed with many international ITES-BPO players are already operating within the most intelligent building in Mauritius. A second cyber tower is also now operational and has already been booked up to 70%. Among the operators are the French company, Phone Sales Experts, which has already started its activities with 50 employees and an American BPO which has booked five floors and is expected to employ around 600 employees. Political Willingness The dedication of the Mauritian government to achieve its goal of making Mauritius a cyber-island has also been reflected over the past few years by its e-government initiatives (e-government, 2004). E-government is the use of ICT to deliver public services which provides greater convenience for citizens (G2C) and to businesses (G2B), as well as between different ministries (G2G). Such initiatives include: The setting up of a Government Online Centre (GOC) as a point of interaction with citizens and businesses. The setting up of a Government Intranet System (GINS) as a medium for collaboration between civil service departments. The designation of Chief Information Officers to champion IT developments and for the provision of learning materials. The approval of international standards to benchmark the internal level of security. Indeed, the government took the initiative to invest in an e-government scheme gearing towards e-management, e-services and e-democracy. E-management consists of computerising all governmental departments while E-services are a platform for the exchange of information between the population and the state. E-democracy on its part is a concept that allows citizens to participate in government decision-making through the posting of queries. Citizens are also provided with e-services such as Application for Lump Sum, Drivers License, Scholarships and Passports are offered online (Govt. Mtius, 2010). The enactment of various legislations for regulating the ICT sector equally reflects such willingness at top level. Attractive Fiscal Incentives Fiscal incentives are being used as a means to increase FDI and investment potential in the island. Such differing tax

communications :: essays research papers

With communication continuing to change forms every day, we have seen many different theories and explanations to try and explain communication. Communication is an interaction between two objects in any way, as long as there is a connection between the two objects. With the ever changing theories of communication, Marshall McLuhan’s theory of the medium is the message and his Playboy interview create a very interesting question. Why does Marshall McLuhan see the development of communication as a downfall to our society as seen in the Playboy article where Adler, Johnson and Lakeoff show many ways communication can have long lasting positive effects on society? The three points that McLuhan brings up are the phonetic alphabet, extension and the electric age. This paper will critique the different points McLuhan has made by using material from Adler and Lakeoff and Johnson. The Phonetic Alphabet: Marshall McLuhan has a negative view towards the invention of the phonetic alphabet while Adler and Lakeoff and Johnson used the alphabet as a tool to get their theories of communication to work. An example of McLuhan’s words is from his interview with Playboy where he said â€Å"Before the invention of the phonetic alphabet, man lived in a world where all the senses were balanced and simultaneous.†(McLuhan, 1995) In this quote Marshall expresses his view that before the phonetic alphabet was created man lived in a world where each sense that humans had were used evenly. Now that the alphabet had been invented different senses were being used for different reasons and now man was not in a balance of senses. He seen this as a negative outcome, and it will effect the culture in a negative way. On the other hand, to use this point in Adler’s words â€Å"different groups deal with conflicts in different ways†(Adler, 2000) So the way that a culture can adapt to the living style will tell if they will be effected as McLuhan said the culture will be effected, and that is there senses will not be in a balance anymore. Also, in the playboy interview McLuhan states â€Å"The modes of life of nonliterate people were implicit, simultaneous and discontinuous, and also far richer than those of literate man.†(McLuhan, 1995) In this quote Marshall suggests that it was easier to live life by being nonliterate and just stay the way man used to be with the senses being balanced.

North and South :: essays papers

North and South The first two reading selections for Economics 344 make some notable observations about the growth and development of budding economies. In Engerman and Sokoloff’s chapter entitled â€Å"Factor Endowments, Institutions, and Differential Paths of Growth Among New World Economies,† the authors compare the economic growth levels of the North American colonies to those of Latin American colonies. Then, in â€Å"Tracking the Economic Divergence of the North and the South,† Peter Coclanis notes the different economic paths taken by these two distinct regions of the United States. Overall, these two essays are similar in nature – they make similar comparisons across two regions using similar criteria. The readings, however, differ drastically in their subject matter and in the scope of the comparisons. In the first reading, Stanley Engerman and Kenneth Sokoloff attempt to explain what factors contributed to the different levels of economic development between the North American colonies and the Latin American colonies. They hypothesize that the United States and Canada were able to sustain economic growth due to factor endowments that were superior to those of Central and South America. Endowments such as climate, soil, and density of the native population, they say, predisposed certain colonies to accomplishing economic growth. Institutions and government policies such as land policies and trade regulations were also significant determining factors, but less so than factor endowments. After comparing the prosperous colonies to the less prosperous, the authors then briefly state differences within the United States colonies as far as economic growth is concerned. Numerous differences in the economic patterns of the North and the South are pointed out – indeed, in many ways the South resembled those colonies that became less successful. Despite these distinctions, in the end, the authors conclude that overall, â€Å"the South’s economy was a unique case and ultimately realized a record of growth more like those of the northern United States or Canada.† The second piece compares the patterns of economic growth experienced by the North and the South. Coclanis points out numerous variations in the economies of the two regions from the seventeenth century and forward two hundred years. The factor endowments are noted here as well, while political factors play less of a role. Overall, the author concludes that the economic divergence of the North and South was quite large, and the differences most definitely outweigh the similarities. The two readings share both remarkable similarities as well as sharp differences.

Early Childhood Education: Raising Children the Right Way Essay

In early Childhood Education; teaching a child to read and write at early ages can have positive results when showing them educational videos and programs. Early Childhood Education is a field that will never lose significance. It sheds light on the best parenting styles and other significant issues related to raising children. It also gives us a glimpse of how young children perceive the world and how we can put this new knowledge to use for the benefits of children, parents and society. Young children slowly develop a concept of gender through interaction with their environment. Children perception of gender and how they define differences between male and female gender roles would offer an excellent research topic in early childhood education. Particularly during the first three years are critical and influence the child for life. Learning is not confined to children of a certain age or to a formal school environment. Encouraging children to play and explore with other children helps them learn and develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Play is central to children’s learning, regardless of the actual content. The process play helps children get involved with exploration, language experimentation, cognition, and also the development of social skills. Being interactive with other children teaches them about who they are and about the people around them. Early Childhood education affects a child’s learning somewhat in a good way in somewhat not. When a child goes to a pre-school with teachers that will teach them what they will need to know for the upcoming year those students will have a better chance when they get to kindergarten, but if a child goes to a pre-school with little learning material or teaching style those students might have a hard time keeping up with the students that had a better learning experience. Recent study | Published in the Journal of Early Childhood Research | this study found the quality of a pre-school significantly predicts a child’s educational success. Not all early childhood education is created equal. Not only is it important for parents to do their research when choosing a pre-school for their child, but it’s also important for our child care professionals and teachers to be well trained. A teacher’s educational experience greatly affects the overall delivery of a child’s learning in many ways. According to the | National Association for the Education of Young Children’s | (NAEYC) Position statement on standards for programs to prepare early childhood professionals, the level of a teacher’s education directly affects any benefits the child may receive from the program. This includes early learning and development in cognitive, social, emotional and physical domains. High quality college courses will give the teacher specialized knowledge that will help to inform his decisions, teaching methods and curriculum creation. For example a teacher with extensive knowledge in child development will be able to assess each child’s abilities and identify potential developmental delays and/ or adapt curriculum to fit the child’s needs. It is important to understand child development and to recognize each child’s individual characteristics and cultural background when planning learning activities that enable children to â€Å"make sense of their world†. Children develop the skills necessary to solve real life problems and become better prepared to think for themselves when they are exposed to experiences that: 1) spark interest and curiosity, 2) integrate learning experiences, and 3) structure their thinking. These are some skills that are used in the process of childhood education: Symbolization- Students use symbols to represent an idea, Observation- students use senses to learn about something in detail, description- students verbally portray attributes of an object, person, scene, or event and it’s so many more skills that help a child in their childhood development. (www. uen. org) Benefits of early childhood education provide children with the skills that will help increase their vocabulary development and cognitive abilities. Children start learning from birth, early childhood education, whether it is in a local head-start program, a pre-school or at home, can help a child increase vocabulary development by familiarizing them with words and their meanings. According to | Rand Corporation Research | early education has lasting benefits, showing increases in IQ levels and cognitive abilities such as the ability to understand both concepts and abstract thoughts. Children exposed to early childhood education can be more prepared for social environments. A child becomes competent in learning to socially interact with adults and other children. With parental support, the child can learn not only what is socially appropriate in the classroom, but also in public places and in their home. Social competency is a key skill for a child to learn, as it will benefit them throughout their life time. Like clay, children are highly moldable in their preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary years. Between the ages of five and eight, children are actively engaged in making sense of the large, confusing world around them. In this stage, it is important that children receive the educational guidance that urges them to explore and enthusiastically interact with their setting as they develop socially, physically, intellectually, creatively and emotionally. In this early stage of development, much learning is cultivated by play or playful learning. With the world advancing technologically by the day, new and innovative methods to engage young children and accelerate their development are emerging. It is up to the early childhood educator to seize on these developments as they work to cultivate a life-long sense of curiosity and exploration in the future leaders of tomorrow. (Early Childhood Education. com) Conducting learning activities by applying the concepts of contemplative education is what to emphasize the personal transformation of first year students majoring in Early Childhood Education to meet the national standard on the required characteristics of citizens. The objectives of this research were to compare students’ mean score in each aspect of E. Q. with the norm of the Department of Mental Health; to compare students’ mean score of E. Q. before and after conducting the activities; and to study students’ opinions on the learning activities. (University Library) Although the number of children enrolled in early childhood education and care has risen dramatically over past decades, low-income children are less likely than their more affluent counterparts to participate. Public funding for early education can play an important role in increasing enrollment levels among low-income children. This study utilizes National Household Education Survey data for a 14-year period to examine the effects of public funding on the enrollment of low-income children in early childhood education and care. It also considers the effects of funding on the type of care they use. Results suggest that public funding, particularly child-care subsidies and prekindergarten funding, increases the likelihood that low-income children, even those under 3 years of age, will attend non-parental care, including center-based care. These findings indicate that public funding can help close the gap in enrollment between low- and higher-income children. (University Library) Early education can increase cognitive skills in children, according to |Katherine A. Magnuson and her colleagues who report in the February 2007 issue of â€Å"Economics of Education Review†| that children from under-served communities who attended preschool showed more cognitive improvement than their peers. Columbia University researchers confirm this connection through their study published in the July 2003 issue of â€Å"Developmental Psychology. † They found that prematurely born 8 year olds who attended 400 or more days of preschool at ages 2 and 3 years old scored higher on IQ tests than prematurely born 8 year olds of similar backgrounds who attended preschool less often. Children going through early education has great out comes like, improved cognitive skills can lead to improved academic results. Magnuson’s study indicated that children enrolled in prekindergarten performed better in reading and mathematics when they entered grade school. Children enrolled in early childhood education programs are less likely to be held back a grade in school, according to the Public Policy Forum. These children also have a decreased likelihood of being enrolled in special education remedial programs. The future of early childhood education school programs is bright. As more children are born in the United States and other developing countries, educational programs for children will always be needed to prepare them for careers that will help sustain our global society. There will always be a need for an early childhood education program in fields such as bilingual education, literacy, mathematics and science. According to the statistics provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, employment demand for careers in secondary, middle and elementary schools are expected to show a significant increase. These positions will be available because of the increase in the population, but the demand will also increase due the retirement of teachers within urban areas of the United States. Therefore, there will be more than 244,000 additional jobs available by 2018 for those that have acquired an ECE degree. Additionally, teaching assistant positions are expected to have an increased demand by as much as 10 percent, while administrative positions in early childhood education school setting will have a demand growth by as much as 8 percent. Educational providers of ECE degree programs will need to prepare for these significant increases by training new educators now. Reference Page Table of Contents Early childhood Education- Authors: Ogletree Quinita, Larke, Patrica J Plarked National forum of Multicultural Issues Journal; Dec 2011, vol. 9 Issue, P1-9, 9P University of phoenix library1 Education and families: Authors: Greenberg, Joy Pastan Sep 2010, volume 84 issue 3, P490, 30 P,6 charts, 1 Graph University of phoenix libraby2 Author: M. Lavora Perry June 16, 2010 www.. livestrong. com Google lookup3 www. unicef. org Google lookup4