Education, Globalization, And Social Change Essay - 1

Education, Globalization, And Social Change - Essay Example Equity and excellence are coincident and should be part of one educational agenda rather than being considered to be of different pursuits (Assessment Reform Group, 2006). Another factor that shapes educational assessment is increased public demand for accountability, which should be observed every day in multiple forms especially, in the media, public and political discussions about the need to improve the educational system (Assessment Reform Group, 2006). The focus on the value-added approaches to the evaluation of programs, schools, and quality of teachers is inclusive in the assessment on the community as an obvious manifestation of demand for accountability. In essence, the use of value-added approach as a way to access how systems are doing and holding entities accountable has become subject to discussion among people, politicians and education professionals (Atkinson and Claxton 2000). This ensures that almost all states have compulsory achievement tests, which are placed at multiple grade levels in the post of the subjects and are required to have such tests under current legislation with regard to the state in, which the education system is b eing practiced (Barnes 2010). In the United Kingdom, for instance, the incidence of children with autism has significantly increased over the past decade and recent prevalence has estimated that approximately one percent of the population is affected, with various reports indicating the estimation of an increase of the autism in different parts of the United Kingdom(Atkinson and Claxton 2000). However, autism is no longer viewed as a rare disorder but has made bigger the needs of education to the children and young people in reference to their areas.

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial Management - Essay Example The general principles are not followed to the letter rather they are applied in spirit. The following is a brief summary of some of the most important Rules: Favorable deals are banned and will not be provided to selected shareholders. Same information must be given to all shareholders. The issuer is responsible for the contents of takeover circulars by attaching a statement taking responsibility for the contents. All forecasts relating to profit and valuations of assets must be reported on by professional level advisers and be made as per specified standards. If any unproven or incorrect statements have been made then they need to be immediately rectified by way of public announcement. If an offer has been made then it must be brought to the attention of both the staff of offeror and the offeree. All those actions which might frustrate the offer during the offer making process by the target company are generally prohibited unless shareholders approve these plans. The disclosures of dealings in relevant securities during an offer have established stringent requirements. B. Identify and examine the economic reasons for acquisitions and mergers and discuss why the expected economic benefits may not be reached. The economic reason for acquisitions and mergers is based on the idea that there are two separate companies alone they have limited potential and can offer limited profit on share holder investment hence the primary motivating force for acquiring a company is to generate greater shareholder value for the shareholders. The proponents of acquisitions and mergers are of the view that one separate company on its own has less value but when two companies are merged together they become more valuable. It can also create greater cost efficiency via economies of scale, can augment the company’s profits through gaining a greater market share and tax gains can also be generated. This logic is very appealing to companies during trying times say an economic rec ession. Those companies with a strong financial base will move to acquire rival companies to ensure a more competitive, cost-efficient company. By acquiring or merging with other companies they will hope to attain a larger market share or to attain greater efficiency say by acquiring a particular technology or production process (Sloman & Sutcliffe 2004, pp. 325-330). Due to these potential benefits, companies targeted for acquisition will often agree to be acquired when they know their going concern status is in jeopardy. The expected benefits of acquisitions and mergers may not bear fruit because if we were to look at historical trends they confirm that roughly 66.6% of big merger’s value will decline on the stock market due to its bullish trend or that both the companies who have merged have different corporate cultures. One of the reasons that an acquisition or merger fails is because of the flawed intentions of the parties involved. They might be instituting merger or ac quisition because one of their competitors has undergone a merger, which pushes top executives of other companies to imitate this move and when this happens chances are the merger may often have more to do with seeking glory instead of pursuing business strategy (Maps of

Influences on Providers Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Influences on Providers - Assignment Example Healthcare expenditure is covered by several sources of funding including out-of-pocket payments where individuals pay for services through deductibles and copayments (Musgrave, 2006). Another source is the private health insurance coverage like the point-of-service plans (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations plans (HMOs). The US government expenditure on healthcare is incurred through government health plans like Medicare, Medicaid, Military Health system and Children’s health insurance program (CHIP) (Kronenfeld, 2002). Unemployment rate in the US has increased over the recent past. Unemployed individuals increase the financial costs of the health care providers since they may not be able to pay the deductibles and copayments. The high unemployment rate will increase the federal spending on Medicaid health care program (Sultz & Young, 2011). Increase in employment will lead to more employer financed healthcare insurance thus reducing the costs of government sponsored programs. Employees are more willing to purchase healthcare insurance once they are offered benefits like income tax allowances by the employee (Sultz & Young, 2011). About 46.3 million citizens representing 15.4 percent of total population have no insurance coverage. The number of uninsured citizens has been increasing due to lack of employment and ineligibility in government sponsored health care schemes (Sultz & Young, 2011). When the uninsured are unable to pay for the full medical costs, such costs are added to the provider’s costs. The increase in healthcare insurance will lead to early detection of the medical conditions thus a reduction in the overall medical costs incurred by the healthcare providers will be possible (Musgrave, 2006). The US economic downturn has increased the overall unemployment rate in the economy. The recent economic meltdown and financial crisis have led to

Patent and Trademarks in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Patent and Trademarks in the UK - Essay Example The first test is whether modifying the invention has a significant effect on the performance of the patented invention. The second test is whether an expert in that particular field of the invention would consider the language describing the patent as the strict essential for distinguishing the invention. Finally, there is a consideration whether it would not have have been obvious to an expert in a related field that the modification made on the invention would not have any effect on the patented invention. Later, these principles were affirmed in the case of Kirin-Amgen Inc and Others v. Hoechst Marion Roussel Limited and Others. 7 Crown, The Patents Rules and fees 2007 (as amended) Patents Legal Section, (2014). accessed 16th April 2015. 14 Thompson Reuters Legal Solution, Patents, trademarks, copyright and designs in the UK (England and Wales): overview Accessed 16th April 2015. 14 Ainurul R & Birgitte A, Are There "Institutional Failures" in Intellectual Property Marketplaces? Evidence from Information and Communication Technology Firms, (International Journal of Management, 2013) 723. 15 Mercer J, A mark of distinction: Branding and trademark law in the UK from the 1860s Business History 2010 52(1) 17. Accessed 16th April 2015. 16 The effects of globalization, technological advancement, and the ensuing business competition necessitate the need for individuals and businesses to protect their intellectual property against infringement.1 The legislation provides qualifications and procedure for registering patents and trademarks, as well as remedies for the proprietor in case of violation of right. This document focuses on the patent and trademark registration process. This study focuses on the situation in which the registrar may decline the registration of patents and trademarks if previous similar inventions or signs are available at the filing date.

Buddhist philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhist philosophy - Essay Example Another Buddhist element related to achieving the highest good is the belief that since suffering is a result of material longing and desire by eliminating material longing and desire, one can eliminate suffering and move towards achieving this highest good. While this is a simple formulation, the actual challenge of eliminating desire is extremely difficult. Craving can also be extended to include the gratification of the passions or the longing we have for an abstract sense of accomplishment of success in our earthly lives. The Second Noble Truth states that if we persist in allowing our lives to be dominated by desire and ignorance we will always be haunted by an unachievable longing and pervasive suffering. Therefore, the Buddha states that to achieve the highest good one must be guided by what is, not what is desired. One must fight against their preconditioned ways of longing and desire and accept the world and their place as it currently exists, as this is the only path to the highest good. In following these Noble Truths the individual is able to achieve the highest good or Nirvana. This is a spiritual state that transcends all traditional concerns with material existence. I recognize that I generally disagree with this ideal. To begin with, I disagree with the idea that all of life is suffering, as one might argue that such a characterization of the human condition is overly pessimistic. When Buddha developed the Four Noble Truths the Indian people faced considerable difficulties in life. Their subsistence was harder earned than we experience today, and I believe that this element of Buddhist philosophy can be seen to be a response to this challenge of existence, rather than an accurate reflection of the human condition. While all humans experience suffering, to claim that this is one

English Literature Theme Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English Literature Theme - Essay Example Moreover, his personal circumstances did not afford him university terms. Consequently, most of what he had learned he had had to teach himself. However, it was through his education, both formal and informal, that he was able to rise in life. From being taken out of school because his father could not pay for it, to being courted to take trips across the pond to conduct lectures, speeches and readings, his was a case of remarkable social elevation through letters. Possibly for this reason, education is often found in Dickens’s writings, as he was a firm believer in the ability of proper education to improve lives and â€Å"as a way to avoid social catastrophe† (Schlicke, 1999: 442). In his novel Our Mutual Friend, one can clearly see this association between Dickens and education through the characters of Charley and Lizzie Hexam as they each are profoundly affected by their experience or inexperience with ‘proper’ education. In his portrayal of education in Our Mutual Friend, Dickens describes a prevalent example of a school of his times, to which the poorer classes of society were obliged to send their children. This can be seen in the scathing words he utilises in Chapter 1 â€Å"Of an Educational Character† in Book the Second : The school at which young Charley Hexam had first learned from a book – the streets being, for pupils of his degree, the great Preparatory Establishment in which very much that is never unlearned is learned without and before book – was a miserable loft in an unsavoury yard. Its atmosphere was oppressive and disagreeable; it was crowded, noisy, and confusing; half the pupils dropped asleep, or fell into a state of waking stupefaction; the other half kept them in either condition by maintaining a monotonous droning noise, as if they were performing, out of time and tune, on a ruder sort of bagpipe. The teachers, animated solely by good intentions, had no

Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Essay Example for Free

Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship Essay The songs or lieders made by Hugo Wolf and Franz Schubert, although of the same origin, are totally different when analyzed side by side. For a brief history, the song is from the poem â€Å"Do you know the land where the lemon trees bloom? † and is written as a part of the novel Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. This was the script for the actor of Mignon, a lady whom Wilhelm encounters on his travels. The two composers perfectly created a melody each distinct from each other, showing their vast differences in terms of style, knowledge, and even understanding of the poem itself. In listening and discerning these pieces, one must understand the two composers had different theories and practices pertaining to composition. This would help in understanding the songs even better. A very noticeable fact, even for first time listeners would be the difference in the overall structure of the songs. Franz Schubert’s song seems to be composed of two main parts, a verse followed by a chorus, then repeated again for a number of times. But it can’t be helped to notice that the chorus is of a different mood, and totally contrasting to the preceding verse. The verses have hints of sorrow, and mystery to it while the chorus is almost like a jolly tune in terms of melody and rhythm. Hugo Wolf’s piece on the other hand was slow, mellow and dark all throughout. The whole song also seemed to flow continually, with different melodies happening every time. There was still a chorus type of part, which was repeated for about three times during the song. But unlike Schubert’s contrasting themes, Wolf’s chorus only intensified the dark and minor theme of the song. In Wolf’s composition, the use of a very thick texture is dominant in the chorus. The piano plays the bass part heavily, while his use of the hamper pedal occasionally brings up a very striking minor melody. It is also more chromatic compared to Schubert’s, which is predominantly diatonic. On Schubert’s side, there is a lesser change of texture during the parts of the song, but more on rhythm change. There are some instances however, like when the chorus ends, where a very appropriate change in volume occurs that signifies the end of that part. Although the sudden return of the verse gives away the sense of texture that could have occurred. In a whole, Schubert’s song seemed to be played straightforward, but his change of mood gives the listener a type of excitement. The two songs also differ greatly in the vocal parts sung by the singer. In Schubert’s arrangement, the voice seems to be very attached to the piano’s melody. Almost as if the piano was playing the exact melody the singer is singing. There is also less change in power, but more of, as said earlier rhythm change. The singer shifts from legato lines to staccato-like phrases beautifully but keeps her volume and projection at an almost constant level, except for the ends of the choruses where she follows the rising tone of the accompaniment. The singer also had a wider range of notes to work with. In contrast with Wolf’s piano lines, the melody only seems to support the singer, to provide a cushion on which the singers sing on. This is very evident during the chorus parts where the melody played a stream of sad notes completely off with the singers rhythm. The singer stayed at a constant feel, increasing the projection and power as the accompaniment does. I can say that in Wolf’s song, the singer would have worked harder in hitting those notes with the right amount of power. The range of notes are very much wider than that of Schubert’s. These and many more differences on the two compositions show a much deeper idea in composing other than just scales and notes. By thoroughly understanding the poem and the two song arrangements, we can make a conclusion regarding the view of the composers in regard with the said poem. In summary, the poem seems to be questions by the singer to a certain someone. The singers hopes of finding a place, somewhere where the lemon trees blossom and the roof rests on the pillar of the house. Franz Schubert may have viewed this as a two mood poem – the solemn, sad part where the singer asks the questions and a happy one where the singer got a kind of excitement in knowing that the place was found. This is very much portrayed in his composition. By using two totally different rhythm and modes, he is able to allow the listener to perceive a change in the singer’s mood. It is as if the singer found hope in her questions. The continuously sad atmosphere of Wolf’s piece on the other hand may suggest that Wolf sees Mignon as a woman of a dark and mysterious background. Something where happiness may be drawn out of her, and the questions asked were in hope of desperation. Finally, the songs differ in terms of their effect to the listener. Schubert’s song kept on resolving every time the chorus was sung. It is evident that there are only two major parts, and a very well made fake ending covered the real one. It is as if the song had been repeating after the first set was done. This leaves a distinction of hominess, where the listeners tend to feel relieved, safe, at home. The diatonic nature of the song and the frequent tonic tone heard helps in providing this certain feeling. But for Wolf, the chromatism and dissonance created a lot of tension during the songs. Wolf is known for avoiding resolving at the home key when not needed. This song shows much of this character, as there is a sense of floating when one hears it. Wolf also tries to avoid the common strophic type of songs. He likes building his melody as he goes along, making verses differ from each other. These two songs are great manifestations of their composers’ ideas. Each has different structures and quality, none of which is inferior to the other. By analyzing these, we can conclude that composers not only compose the melody, but they also create a certain atmosphere on which the listeners can submerge to, by using different styles. And Franz Schubert and Hugo Wolf’s songs are great examples of these.