Smiling Might Not Be Such a Safe Way to Treat Safeway Customers Essay

Smiling Might Not Be Such a Safe Way to Treat Safeway Customers - Essay Example Management realizes this predicament. More precisely, the management of Safeway Supermarkets understands the importance of this issue. This is why management introduced the â€Å"Superior Service† policy. The intentions of this policy were very clear, but in reality, there are some challenges that prevent the policy from staying in place over the long term. Now that some workers are complaining against the policy, Safeway Supermarkets will have to revisit this policy and try to change it in a way that suits the privacy needs of its employees but also makes sure that the customer is being looked after. Main Issues The main issue here is that these are unionized workers and they are being forced to do something that they are uncomfortable with. The Union Food and Commercial Workers Union should focus on the point that the policy introduced by Safeway Supermarkets encroaches on the privacy of some of its privacy. Put more specifically, it is not the actual policy that causes this , but rather the actions of those customers who misinterpret friendliness for something else. As a Safeway Supermarkets produce clerk, Richelle Roberts, testifies: â€Å"†¦hit on every day by men who think she is coming on to them† (Associated Press, 2012). This confirms that it is the actions of the employees that are being misinterpreted rather than the actual policy encouraging this kind of behavior. Analysis This is a strange case because both the employees and management do not share sole responsibility for this situation. From the management’s point of view, they have every right to expect that their employees are courteous and polite to customers. No one would expect anything less. Also, using undercover shoppers to try and catch employees out is legal because it can be considered as a type of performance review. The employees working in the customer sales department need to be tested on their ability to interact with customers, since this takes up a large part of their job. On the other hand, employees should have the power to selectively choose when to smile at a customer and when not to. If a timid female employee noticed a large, overpowering man, then she might feel uncomfortable by smiling towards him. Employees should not be punished if they choose not a smile at a certain customer. If an employee feels intimidated or scared in any way, then they should not have to make friendly gestures towards that particular person. Of course, if it was discovered that an employee was not being friendly to any customers, then management would have the right to pull them up on it. Methods There needs to be a discussion between the management of Safeway Supermarkets and The Union Food and Commercial Workers Union about how a compromise can be reached. As discussed above, employees should not be forced to smile at every customer, and there should be no punishment for not doing so. On the part of the employees, they should have to be polite to a t least 75 percent of the customers who walk into a store on any given day. Of course, it would be up to the individual employee to choose who to smile at and who not to. This way, employees do not have to feel threatened by customers and also a friendly image is being displayed by the company for the most part. Conclusion Issues

Full Day Kindergarten Essay Example for Free

Full Day Kindergarten Essay Full day kindergarten should be mandatory and of no extra cost for all of the elementary schools. This will boost the children’s academic achievement. The children that are exposed to full day kindergarten will learn more in literacy and mathematics than those in half-day kindergarten. The students that are in a full day program get to spend more time on their math, writing, and reading activities. The full day students also get the advantage of being able to participate in gym, art, and music classes. The half-day students do not get to experience gym, art, or music class. I have seen results first hand because I chose to put my son in a full day kindergarten versus the half-day. I chose to bring my son to a school that is located in Fridley so that he could receive the benefits of the full day kindergarten. The half-day program that Blaine offers has a very undesirable schedule for parents who work. The half-day schedule for Blaine elementary school is full days Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. I think that the earlier the educational intervention begins the higher the impact and the more likely the effects will be retained. Other than the health of a child, I think that nothing should be more important than their education. Giving children the opportunity to be in a full day kindergarten program gives them opportunities that the half-day students do not receive. One of the opportunities is being able to spend more time on reading, writing, and math. The teachers also have more time to sit one on one with each student one or in small groups and work on these skills. They also have a different theme for each month that they focus on. Some examples of the themes are the solar system, U. S. residents, maps, and the celebrations around the world. Children also absorb things more easily when they are younger. Being a mother of a full day kindergarten student, I see the results of the extra reading, writing, and math that the teacher does with him. My son is one of the youngest in his class and he is reading at a first grade level. As for his writing, he attempt to write big words using phonics. For example, I came home one day a few months ago and he had written on his dry erase board â€Å"I see a red ladebug†. He also brought home a worksheet that he had written about his favorite fruits. On this worksheet, he had written â€Å"watrmlon†. As far as his math goes, he is always measuring things in the house with a kid’s yard ruler. The themes that they work on each month give the students the ability to know what is going on in the world around them. My son came home from school one day and told me that there was a planet that was not considered a planet anymore. I did not know this and I was in complete awe. According to Debra Ackerman, â€Å"Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. Full-day kindergarten advocates suggest that a longer school day provides educational support that ensures a productive beginning school experience and increases the chances of future school success. In both full-day and half-day programs, kindergartners spend most of their class time working on reading, language arts, and math activities, but the total number of minutes teachers devote to specific subjects differs. For example, 80 percent of full day but only about 50 percent of half-day programs devote more than 30 minutes each day to mathematics instruction. Sixty-eight percent of full day but only 37 percent of half-day classrooms dedicate at least 60 minutes to reading instruction each day. Perhaps most striking, 79 percent of full-day teachers read aloud to their students every day, compared to 62 percent of half-day teachers. Reading aloud is a critical activity in helping to develop children’s reading skills. Additional research shows children’s literacy learning is enhanced in full-day programs, as the full-day schedule provides a more intensive, ongoing, enriched language and literacy experience for the young child. (Ackerman) Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. I asked my son’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Janssen, what the average for reading was for her class. Ms. Janssen stated that the majority of her students are already in the first grade reading level as of the end of the second trimester. As said by the Indiana Association of Public School Super Intendants, â€Å"Full day kindergarten programs are associated with greater reading achievement gains during the kindergarten year than half day programs†. Plucker, 6) The students are graded on their writing and math abilities as well. According to the Kalamazoo Public Schools reports, â€Å"The group of kindergartners advanced in 2010 to first grade at Kalamazoo Public School, where 60 percent tested at or above the 50th percentile in reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills last April. That’s a 7-point increase compared to Kalamazoo Public School first-graders tested in April 2009, Rice said. On the Iowa Test Basic Skills math test, 52 percent of first-graders tested a t or above the 50th percentile last spring, a 12-point jump over spring 2009. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills are administered in schools nationwide and is a norm-referenced test, which means scores are based on how students perform compared to other test-takers. The Kalamazoo Public School results show that 60 percent of Kalamazoo students are in the top half of first-graders nationwide in reading and 52 percent are in the top half in math. † (Mack) Children who are in full day kindergarten have better social and behavioral effects than those who are in half-day kindergarten. When children are in school for the full day they have more time to get to know the other students. They get more time to interact together socially and they are learning while they are interacting. The students also get to go to specialists and they go with their classmates. Some of the specialists that Hayes Elementary offers are music, art, Spanish, and gym. Going to the specialist is something that the full day kindergarteners get to do and the half-day kindergarteners do not get to do. These students also get to spend more time with the teacher. This means that they will be less hesitant to approach their teacher. According to Clark, â€Å"Some researchers have examined social and behavioral effects. According to researchers, a clear relationship emerged between the kindergarten schedule and childrens behavior. Teachers rated children in all-day kindergarten programs higher on 9 of the 14 dimensions; there were no significant differences on the other 5 dimensions. Other researchers who have studied social and behavioral outcomes found that children in all-day kindergarten programs were engaged in more child-to-child interactions and they made significantly greater progress in learning social skills†. Clark) In the kindergarten classrooms of Hayes Elementary, the students get into groups called centers. During this center time, the teacher takes a group of five students to a table to do independent reading and the rest of the students go to a center. The centers are groups of three or four students and the students get to interact socially while doing something educational. Some examples of the centers are writing center, listening center, leapster center, and art center. The writing center is where the students can write freely. The listening center is where the students put on headphones, listen to directions, and write down what they hear. The leapster center is where the students get to play a handheld learning game that integrates math, reading, and spelling in the games. Finally, the art center is where the students get to draw and color what they want. When the time is up the students clean up as groups. A full day of learning offers many social and emotional benefits to kindergarteners. As stated by NEA, â€Å"They have more time to focus and reflect on activities, and they have more time to transition between activities. When children are taught by qualified teachers, using age-appropriate curricula in small classes they can take full advantage of the additional learning time—social, emotional, and intellectual— that a full day allows. Further, research finds that children adjust well to the full-day format. † (NEA) The full day kindergarten teachers plan and use the extra time in class well. The time in class is spent differently in both the full day kindergarten and the half-day kindergarten. According to the research that the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å"The research provides evidence that time in full day kindergarten programs is different both quantitatively and qualitatively from how time is used in half day programs† (Plucker, ii). Full day kindergarten offers benefits to teachers. Teachers prefer the full day program to the half-day program. If there is a child that is struggling with something, the teacher has the ability to find time to help that student. There is also more time to finish activities. According to Ms. Janssen, â€Å"With the full day program I am able to get through four reading groups versus two reading groups in one day. With the full day program we are able to go more in depth on our unit that we focus on in class. † (Janssen) According to the NEA, â€Å"Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers more time to plan the curriculum, incorporate a greater number of thematic units into the school year, and offer more in-depth coverage of each unit. (NEA) In the half-day programs there is less time for multiple activities. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Many kindergarten teachers favor full day kindergarten because they find it difficult to balance cognitive activities and affective social activities in the short kindergarten day. † (Martinez, 2) Teachers also prefer full day kindergarten because there is more instructional time than that of a half-day kindergarten program. As stated by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å" Across all of the schools in the Indiana sample, the proportion of instructional time is similar across program types, resulting in much greater instructional time in full day programs, representing approximately 40-50% more instruction in full day programs than half-day programs†. (Plucker, ii) Teachers also have the benefit of getting to know the students and their parents better. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers state that they have a chance to know children and parents better, to do more individualization of instruction, and to expand the curriculum horizontally. (Dr. Martinez) There are so many benefits for the children. A very important benefit is that the full day kindergarteners have the opportunity to an easier transition into the first grade because they are already used to the full day schedule. The time that the students get to spend with the teacher is a great benefit as well. The extra time that is spent with the teacher is as much beneficial for the teacher as it is for the students. According to the research from Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers thought children developed closer relationships and were more relaxed in the full-day program and felt more a part of the school. Teachers indicated they were able to give more individual attention to students and that children had more time to develop both academic and socialization skills. Teachers noted they could work more on the continuing development of each child and felt children showed more advancement. Teachers indicated they felt closer to the children and that they got to know both child and family better. Some indicated in the full day they felt more flexible, were more relaxed and spontaneous, and felt better prepared to meet with parents. † (Dr. Martinez, 6) The time that the students get to spend on activities is another great benefit. According to NEA, â€Å"in a study evaluating teachers’ views on full-day kindergarten, teachers reported a number of benefits for themselves as well as children and parents. Participating in full day eased the transition to first grade, helping children adapt to the demand of a six-hour day. Having more time available in the school day offered more flexibility and more time to do activities during free choice times. Having more time actually made the kindergarten program less stressful and frustrating for children because they had time to fully develop an interest in activities. Participating in he full-day schedule allows more appropriate academic challenges for children at all developmental levels. Children with developmental delays or those at risk for school problems benefited from having more time to complete projects and more time for needed socialization with peers and teachers. † (NEA) Full day kindergarten offers more benefits to the students that are at risk and children that come from educational and economical disadvantaged homes. If the full day kindergarten programs cost money, as most do, they cost around 3000 dollars per child for the year. The 3000 dollars is charged to the parents of the child. The children that come from the educationally and economically disadvantaged homes would not be able to attend because of the cost. These children are the ones that benefit from the program the most. According to the Indiana Superintendents, â€Å"Students at or below the poverty level enrolled in full day kindergarten scored statistically significantly higher in math and reading than their half day counterparts. Poor children enrolled in full day kindergarten programs tested statistically significantly above half day pupils on reading, spatial, and verbal skills, naming colors and letters, and identifying numerals. (Plucker, 6) Parents prefer full day kindergarten as well. I as a mother prefer the full day kindergarten program to the half-day program. One of the advantages is that I do not have to figure out childcare and who would bring my son to the childcare. Trying to figure out childcare and school between my job schedule would be undesirable. As said by Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Full-day kindergarten saves parents day-care problems, while providing children a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate program. Parents said that children often feel more stress when they have to go from a school situation to a day-care environment, where different rules and philosophies apply. Therefore, parents favor a full-day program, which reduces the number of transitions kindergartners experience in a typical day. † (Dr. Martinez) Full day kindergarten also takes a huge cost out of many parents’ monthly budget including mine. Even though some people would be against this and say, â€Å"Why would I have to pay for your childcare? † I would say that many parents including myself pay taxes too. Their parents wanted them to have the best education that they could have gotten. Most importantly, I know that my son and many other children are getting the best out of their day while they are in school. They are having fun while they are learning. My son enjoys being in school. If he had a choice, he would go on Saturdays and Sundays. Children attending full day kindergarten spend the day learning instead of watching television or playing video games. Full-day kindergarten provides parents with better support for their children. According to NEA, â€Å"For parents who work outside the home, full-day kindergarten means that children do not have to be shuffled between home, school, and childcare. For all parents, there is more continuity and less disruption in the child’s day and more time for focused and independent learning. One study of parent attitudes found that after the second year of a full-day kindergarten program, 100 percent of full-day parents, and 72 percent of half-day parents noted that, if given the opportunity again, they would have chosen full-day kindergarten for their child†. (NEA) In conclusion, having full day kindergarten should be mandatory. There are many benefits of the full day kindergarten program. The benefits are not limited to the students. Teachers and parents also get great benefits out of the full day program. According to MaryBeth, â€Å"Research has shown that it is important to begin learning early in life. School systems that have implemented the academically based full day kindergarten are finding it to be successful. If I had to choose again if a child of mine was going to go to full day or half-day kindergarten, I would not even have to think twice. A child’s education should be one of the most important things to think about. These children will be the future and they need a great education to get there.

One Country Two Systems Problems

One Country Two Systems Problems Bingyan Xu â€Å"One Country, Two Systems†: Promises and Problems Ever since September 26, 1984, when Communist China and Britain reached an agreement to allow mainland China to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, one country, two systems has been promoted by Deng Xiaoping as a solution to the reunification problem. He suggested that within the unified Peoples Republic of China, the mainland practices socialism, while the current capitalist system of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau will remain unchanged. Through an in-depth analysis of the one country, two systems, I am going to explore these questions in this paper: what is the origin and procedure of the policy of? What are the essential features that the policy has promised? In practice, what problems have surfaced so far? How did the policy impact and change Hong Kong society? Origin: Formulation of the Policy Historically, China’s major concern regarding national reunification had not been Hong Kong but Taiwan. In fact, since Hong Kong provided an opportunity for unofficial contacts with the government of the Republic of China (ROC), the People’s Republic of China (PRC)’s policy had been to keep Hong Kong as it was until the Taiwan issue was resolved. The concept of one country, two systems emerged in the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committees on December 15, 1978. While speaking about the work related to Taiwan, Deng Xiaoping proposed a third round of Kuomintang-CPC cooperation to bring about reunification of the country (Qing). According to him, Taiwans socio-economic system, lifestyle and foreign investment will remain unchanged and its army will become local armed forces. After that, in an interview with a Xinhua correspondent on September 30, 1981, Ye Jianying, the chairman of National Peoples Congress, elaborated on the policy more specifically. He proposed nine guarantees, including the idea that Taiwan could be a special administrative zone after reunification, maintaining its own army and enjoying a high degree of autonomy, with three no-changes guaranteed for Taiwan (Wei). Pressed by Britain to make a decision on Hong Kong, China reversed its priorities. The PRC government decided to reunite with Hong Kong first and used it as an experiment for the policy; if it was successful, Taiwan would be attracted. In a meeting with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in September 1982, Deng publicly presented the one country, two systems concept and considered it to be applicable to Hong Kong (Ching 7). As such, the full elaboration of the concept took place during the Sino-British negotiations on the constitutional status of the British colony of Hong Kong after 1997. 2. Procedure: Promises of the Communist Party of China (CPC) The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed by the PRC and the United Kingdom on December 19, 1984 in Beijing. In the Joint Declaration, the Chinese government stated that it had decided to resume the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong with effect from 1 July 1997 and the United Kingdom government declared that it would restore Hong Kong to the PRC with effect from 1 July 1997 (Wei). A new special administrative region (SAR) government based on the Basic Law is established, and the scheme of â€Å"one country, two systems† became a reality. When the sovereignty over Hong Kong is formally is transferred to China, the CPC has made several promises to Hong Kong people in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. First and foremost, the CPC has promised a highly autonomous SAR in which Hong Kong people will rule over Hong Kong. Secondly, a universal suffrage with democratic procedures is promised in the Basic Law. The implication of the one country, two systems is that the PRC will run its affair without Hong Kong’s interference, and that Hong Kong will not run its affairs without Beijing’s interference. Due to the three promises above, Hong Kong people thought that they could have a democratic system of government independent from that of PRC. 3. Outcome: Problems of the Policy Understandably, to the extent that their envisioned futures differ, the CPC’s leaders’ view may not be shared by the people of Hong Kong: what the CPC wants is a stable and prosperous Hong Kong under its rule, but the people of Hong Kong require to rule over Hong Kong on their own. The CPC emphasizes one country, while the Hong Kong people stress two systems. Therefore, the main problem surfaces: â€Å"one country† increasingly overweighs â€Å"two systems†. By looking at the three branches of the government of Hong Kong, we can see that the CPC has successfully contained Hong Kong. In the executive branch, the Chief Executive and principal officials of HKSAR government are indirectly appointed by CPC, though nominally the chief executive is elected by a selection committee of 1200 people. In the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, only a half seats were popularly elected, with the other half directly appointed by CPC. In the judicial branch, CPC has tamed the Court of Final Appeal with the reinterpretation of the National People’s Congress (NPC). According to Yuen’s discussion of NPC’s interpretative power over the Basic Law, there is no residual power on the part of Hong Kong to define or interpret any points not clearly stipulated by the Basic Law. The reason why these problems surfaced when the policy was put into use is the controversial and uneven nature of the â€Å"one country, two systems†. First, it proposes to have a capitalist local system operating under the administration of a communist central government. According to Chien-Min Chao, â€Å"Peking has stated that the dialectical principle of the unity of contradictions is the basic and most important objective theoretical source of ‘one country, two systems’† (110); however, the CPC neglected, or chose to neglect the predictable outcome of the policy at this point. Second, the policy is uneven because the two systems are unequal in size and status. Thus, it is predestined for Hong Kong to be overwhelmed by China in the normal course of development. 4. Impact: Hong Kongs Identity Now after seventeen years, people may ask whether the implementation of one country, two systems has been successful. Proved by the outcomes, the â€Å"one country, two systems† has certainly brought a number of changes to Hong Kong society, which might seem prosperous to the CPC but disastrous to Hong Kong people. Applying the â€Å"three-layer model† to analyze the social changes, we can clearly see another inefficient part of the policy. It is suggested by the model that the society can be divided into three layers from outside to inside: instrument, institution and cultural core. In the case of the one country, two systems, the policy apparently brought instrumental and institutional changes to Hong Kong society but the core value has never been changed. Afraid of being assimilated, Hong Kong society felt a need to maintain its distinctiveness from the rest of China. For example, when the HKSAR government decided to change the teaching language of all public seconda ry schools from English to Chinese after two months of reunification, Hong Kong society reacted strongly against the this decision. Chan illustrates their reason as the English language is a habitus of Hong Kong people, and distinguishes them from their mainland counterparts. To maintain this distinction, Hongkongers fought to retain their right to learn in English (282). Furthermore, Hong Kong people’s strong self-identity is reflected from the survey data and their attitude to mainland Chinese. Figure 1 shows that more than 50% people identified themselves as â€Å"only Hong Konger† from 1990 to 2012. Notably, the lines of â€Å"only Chinese† and â€Å"only Hong Konger† are getting closer to each other. It is not sufficient to prove the growing identity of â€Å"only Chinese† in Hong Kong society, but it shows the immigration wave from mainland to Hong Kong due to the relaxed policy. Hong Kong people always show an angry regionalism toward this kind of issue. When they see any unciviled behavior of Chinese, they will insult them with remarks as â€Å"Chinese dog go back to your kennel†. Sadly, because Hong Kong is now legally an undeniable part of China, no matter how strong their self identity is, Hong Kong people are unable to speak out their own voice on the world stage. Fig. 1, â€Å"à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã…’à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¥Ã…“†¹Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ §Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ºÃ‚ «Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ªÃ‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã…’à ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’1990-2012 (%),† Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013 5. Conclusion In short, the policy of â€Å"one country, two systems† has been adopted by the CPC to resolve the reunification problem of Hong Kong. The policy has worked for the purpose of recovering Hong Kong from the British. Yet, since the CPC fails to realize most of their promises, a number of practical problems originated from the policy are still needed to be solved. As a city that prides itself on freedom, the rule of law and low corruption, Hong Kong now faces a difficult road ahead. The feeble state of democracy in Hong Kong is only one part of a grim picture. As Hong Kong increasingly begins to resemble just another mainland city, it seems a destiny for Hong Kong to become a global backwater. Works Cited Chan, Elaine. Beyond Pedagogy: Language and Identity in Post-colonial Hong Kong. British Journal of Sociology of Education 23.2 (2002): 271-85. Print. Chao, Chien-Min. One Country, Two Systems: A Theoretical Analysis. Asian Affairs 14.2 (1987): 107-24. Web. Ching, Frank. Hong Kong and China: ‘One Country, Two Systems? New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1996. Print. Qing, Wen. One Country, Two Systems: The Best Way to Peaceful Reunification. Beijing Review 1990: n. pag. Print. Wei, Da-yeh. The Formulation and Development of ‘One Country, Two Systems’. Wen Wei Po [Hong Kong] 20 Dec. 1984: n. pag. Print. Yuen, Samson, and Kitty Ho. Hong Kong: Two Systems, One Country? The Diplomat. N.p., 08 Mar. 2014. Web.

vote for me :: essays research papers

It has been a year since the networks called the election for Al Gore, then for George W. Bush, which caused Gore to concede to Bush, after which the news of the closeness of the Florida vote caused Gore to retract his concession. Armies of lawyers then descended upon Florida and the nation was buried in a flurry of dimpled ballots and falling chads. Almost immediately, a number of influential academics, pundits, and political leaders seized the opportunity of confusion in Florida to blame the Electoral College and urge us to throw it out in favor of a simple national vote. Their cry for a more direct democracy makes a nice bumper sticker for their Volvos, but would it make good law? A new study released this week by the McConnell Center for Political Leadership at the University of Louisville casts doubt on the wisdom of those who would abolish our constitutional system of presidential elections and shows that much of what we think we know about the Electoral College is wrong. " Electing the President in the 21st Century" is based on survey responses of leading academic observers from across the nation. It provides sober warnings for those who would urge the abandonment of the system of presidential elections that has served the nation well for more than two centuries. Among the misunderstandings corrected by this study are several myths that have grown up around the Electoral College. Myth 1: An Election based on a national popular vote would have spared us the Florida debacle of hanging chads and dimpled ballots. Actually, the Electoral College saved us from a much worse national nightmare. The existence of the Electoral College that made the outcome of the election hinge on the winner of Florida's 25 electors served to focus the attention of the parties and the media in one state (and, in fact a few counties in that state). Imagine the trauma that would have befallen the nation in such a close election if a simple plurality of the national vote determined the outcome of the election? With just a few hundred thousand votes separating the candidates, every vote in every precinct, in every state would have been worthy of a recount and every recount in every county subject to suit and countersuit. When would it ever have ended? Myth 2: A direct national election would be more representative of the diversity of the nation.

Maquiladora Industry in United States

In this paper I will discuss the history and practices of the Maquiladora industry. I will discuss its background, its problems, the benefits it offers to United States companies, and the impact the NAFTA has and will have on the industry. In addition, I will make a suggestion on a possible strategy the Maquiladoras can adopt in order to address the challenges brought on by the NAFTA, to ensure it remains a strong force in the future. Mexican agricultural workers had been granted temporary work visas allowing them to work in the United States† agricultural industries through a program called the Bracero Program until 1965 when this program was terminated. As a result of this termination, the unemployment rate had exceeded 70% in certain border cities. In May of 1965 the Border Industrialization Program was established as a replacement for the Bracero program. It was later renamed the Maquiladora Program. The program was established by the Mexican government to provide employment for Mexico†s rapidly growing population along its border with the United States. This program was utilized to keep Mexicans from entering the United States. The idea was that Mexican workers would be kept on the Mexican side of the border if they were given factory jobs on the Mexican side. The Maquiladora program also wanted to attract foreign manufacturing facilities, technology, and know-how by giving a permanent tax holiday to manufacturing companies that would set up â€Å"twin plants† on the Mexican side of the border. In the beginning of the program, all foreign-owned operations had to be located within a 20-kilometer strip along the US-Mexican border. Since 1972 they can be located anywhere in Mexico. In 1996 there were around 2,500 Maquiladoras – 35% of them were located in the interior states of Mexico. Last year there were over 3,000 and more and more of these operations are being located outside of the border regions. Each of Mexico†s 31 states has at least one Maquiladora. Maquiladoras, also referred to as â€Å"in bond† or â€Å"twin† plants, are allowed to temporarily import into Mexico (free of tax) machinery, equipment, replacement parts, raw materials, and just about anything that was used in the assembly or manufacture of semi-finished or finished products. Once assembled or manufactured, the Maquila products must be exported unless special permission is obtained to sell a limited amount of output in the Mexican market. When these products are imported back to the United States, import duties are levied on the foreign value-added only. If Maquila products stay in Mexico, the are subject to applicable Mexican duties. The largest issue surrounding the Maquiladora industry is the exploitation of cheap labor. The working conditions are often unsafe, workers are not compensated adequately for their labor, attempts to unionize are discouraged; and sexual discrimination and harassment are too common. The conditions in and outside the Maquiladoras are terrible. Workers perform tasks such as welding without protective masks, leather gloves, or goggles (in many instances) and industrial accidents and toxic exposures are common. This, along with malnutrition caused by low salaries, produce skin illnesses, cancer, irregularities in menstruation, abortions, tumors, intoxication and birth of undernourished or disabled babies. Of the employees, many are young girls and women ranging from the ages of 14 to 20. They work 6 days a week in 10-hour shifts. The average weekly salary for a Maquiladora worker is US$35 – $45 even though the average monthly rent for a house with public services such as running water and electricity is around $200 a month. For the most part, Maquiladoras are unorganized. In those that are organized, state-controlled unions represent the workers. Although some companies are unionized on paper, the unions, for the most part, function to reinforce management policies rather than for the benefit of workers. Then there are what are called â€Å"phantom† unions. These unions do not fight for the worker†s rights. The workers do not even know them and have never seen their union leaders. When a conflict arises in a factory, management informs the worker that their unions have accept these or those conditions. Not only are they not protected by existing unions, those that attempt to unionize and are often threatened or bribed by plant managers and the government. In many companies, discrimination against and harassment of the female employees is very common. Female job applicants are required to produce urine samples to be used for pregnancy test, while some have company doctors and nurses examine the applicants or ask confidential information concerning their contraceptive practices. This is done because pregnant women are refused employment. Sexual harassment is often the rule rather than the exception. Rapes occur frequently and few are reported because women fear being fired or blacklisted. Shame and humiliation also keep them quiet. In Mexico, men and women are equal before the law, but the law does not recognize discrimination as a problem to be solved. The Pollution Brought on by the Maquiladoras The increased pollution, accompanied by the dumping of tons of hazardous wastes, poses a serious health threat to the residents of Mexico as well as the resident of the bordering US states. There are several canals that are â€Å"black† with chemical wastes that have been measured at levels that greatly exceed permissible standards. One factory was caught dumping drums of paint, solvents, and shellac into a drain. In other areas there are abandoned lead smelters and air full of soot and dust from brick-making ovens and smoldering tire dumps. Main Advantages for the United States† Companies For the United States companies this was a great advantage since Maquiladoras operates at very low costs in places where the currency is weaker than the dollar–such as Mexico. The less a currency is worth, the more relative value the dollar has. Since Mexico†s peso is relatively week, companies can trade their dollars for pesos with which they pay workers and expenses. The products they manufacture, however, are sold for dollars, increasing their profits by huge margins whenever the local currency falls. They could enhance competitiveness, reduce their costs, and maintain quality by placing their labor-intensive operations in the less developed Mexico, benefiting from the lower wage rates there. For many US companies, manufacturing in Mexico has become necessary to battle overseas competition. Since many manufacturers are moving to â€Å"just-in-time† inventory systems, the quick delivery possible from Mexico†s border towns offers a substantial advantage over Asian alternatives. The NAFTA†s Impact on the Maquiladora Industry Traditionally, Maquiladoras offered foreign businesses several advantages over other forms of direct foreign investment. Since the signing of NAFTA, however, many of these advantages are either being phased-out or granted to all Mexican companies. The most significant advantages of operating as a Maquiladoras include: 100% foreign investment, operation without ownership of assets, tax sheltering of cost centers, and 100% duty-drawback or waivers for temporary imports. Furthermore, the NAFTA attempted to address the labor exploitation and environmental problems associated with the Maquiladora industry. One of the benefits of the Maquiladora program is 100% foreign investment of Mexican operations, which formerly was not allowed. However, Mexico†s Foreign Investment Law has changed through the years (most significantly in 1989 and 1994)-full investment is now allowed in most business ventures. Operation Without Ownership of Assets Another advantage that Maquiladoras have is that they can receive production materials and capital goods as loans from their parent and client companies. As a result, most Maquiladoras have little of no inventory of fixed assets, eliminating the need to pay the Mexican asset tax of 2% of all assets. In January 1995, the Mexican IRS reported that Maquiladoras would now have to factor the depreciation of â€Å"loaned† assets in price-transfer calculations, which is the first step toward phasing-out this advantage by 2001. When Maquiladoras are structured as cost center (providing manufacturing services for a foreign parent) the foreign corporation has traditionally paid the Mexican company for operating costs plus negligible profit. By doing this they avoid Mexico†s 34% corporate income tax, 10% mandatory profit sharing, and asset taxes. Now the Mexican IRS is changing the way Maquiladoras must declare assets. Over the next few years, Maquiladoras will be forced to raise their declared profit percentage to a rate that is comparable to that of two unrelated companies performing the same transaction at â€Å"arm†s length†. This is the type of transfer pricing procedure that is implemented by most trading blocks, like the EC. It will soon be effect throughout North America. 100% Duty-Drawback or Waivers for Temporary Imports Maquiladoras have always allowed Mexican companies 100% duty drawback or waivers in imported components that are exported as final goods. Since 1994, this has provided many Maquiladora programs a way to use non-NAFTA materials within products without the need to pay the corresponding duties over those materials when importing or exporting goods to other NAFTA nations. On January 1, 2001, Maquiladoras that manufacture goods for export to NAFTA partner countries will no longer be allowed to take the waiver. The waiver will still be available for goods that are going to non-NAFTA countries. In 1995 the NAFTA†s of Labor created the National Administrative Office (NAO) as well as the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC). Both were intended to stop labor abuses. The NOA was established to monitor labor complaints that NAFTA critic†s voice regarding unfair labor practices. The NAO can recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations† as well as imposed heavy sanctions against Mexico. Unfortunately, the side agreements proved useless. The NOA cannot force Maquiladoras to allow unions-the most they can do is recommend â€Å"ministerial consultations.† Sexual harassment and discrimination continues as well. The NAFTA has also created side agreements covering the environment. One of them is the North American Development Bank (NAD Bank). Its purpose was to finance wastewater treatment projects along the border in the poorer communities. However, the most important criteria that needed to be met in order to receive funds were meeting certain market considerations. With this program NAFTA â€Å"encouraged† growth without regard for the environment through its practice of placing market consideration above environmental protection. Another is the Commission for Economic Cooperation (CEC). The CEC was established to investigate governmental non-enforcement of environmental laws. Unfortunately it has no power to enforce ,they can only investigate-and they can†t even do that until Mexico collects the data on the pollution for them. Possible Strategy for the Maquiladora Industry As long as the Mexican currency is weaker than the US dollar I don†t think that the changes are going to dramatically effect the flow of US companies to the south. However, the Maquiladora industry cannot count on this for continued growth. By the year 2001 the Maquiladora industry as we know it now will have significantly changed when the phasing out is complete. Maquiladoras will no longer be â€Å"tax break† establishments; they will be just like other foreign investments. In order for them to fully compete in the near future they must become more efficient and leaner. The impact of globalization is forcing manufacturers to produce more rapidly and cheaply than ever before and to continuously improve. Because there will be no differentiation between the non-Maquiladora and Maquiladora industries I feel the inefficient producers will be wiped out. Therefor, Maquiladora employees will need better training, education, incentives as well improved working conditions and higher wages. Operations will also have to be streamlined in order to reap the benefits of economies of scale and scope. In addition, Mexicans as well as US citizens will start to demand more accountability from the Mexican government and the Maquiladora industry. They need to be more responsible for their actions. What will the U.S. corporations do when human rights activists and environmentalists start lobbying and protesting on their US sites? Do they want to risk losing their shareholders to this type of negative attention?

Free Essays on War On Our Economy

â€Å"War On Our Economy† The flag that stands for freedom still stands! But what does not stand any longer is the Twin Towers in New York. On September 11, 2001, terrorism hit the United States not with missiles, but our own airplanes. Terrorists took control of aircrafts on this sad day and flew them into the Pentagon and Twin Towers leaving many dead and the rest of us crippled. Three major indicators of economic conditions are 1) the gross domestic product (GDP), 2) the unemployment rate, and 3) the price indexes. Unemployment jumped a half-point to 5.4 percent in October and will reach to 6 percent in coming months. Even the most common job openings like McDonald’s took down the signs â€Å"Now Hiring.† Airlines took the hardest fall. Indianapolis alone had 300 layoffs. September alone carried over 150,000 layoffs for this country. Fortunately, layoffs have slowed to a trickle, but Bruce Steinberg, chief economist at Merrill Lynch in New York, say profits are likely to plumb post-World War Two lows in the fourth quarter, and the job cuts are far from over. That being said, there’s no question were being hurt by the terrorist attacks. Production is centered on the ability to anticipate consumer demand. When a shock like September 11 occurs, consumer behavior changes radically. For example, the demand for travel and related services falls, while the demand for security rises. It takes time for both the government and the private sector to adapt to these changes, although an impressive array of government monetary and fiscal ammunition has been brought into play. But after the readjustment is made, there is little reason why corporate profits should be any lower than they were before the terrorist attacks. Few sectors dodged fallout from the attack. Dow headed for the worst week since the Depression. Panic struck the market. Since resuming on Monday, a week after the attacks, after four post-attack down days, the Dow industria... Free Essays on War On Our Economy Free Essays on War On Our Economy â€Å"War On Our Economy† The flag that stands for freedom still stands! But what does not stand any longer is the Twin Towers in New York. On September 11, 2001, terrorism hit the United States not with missiles, but our own airplanes. Terrorists took control of aircrafts on this sad day and flew them into the Pentagon and Twin Towers leaving many dead and the rest of us crippled. Three major indicators of economic conditions are 1) the gross domestic product (GDP), 2) the unemployment rate, and 3) the price indexes. Unemployment jumped a half-point to 5.4 percent in October and will reach to 6 percent in coming months. Even the most common job openings like McDonald’s took down the signs â€Å"Now Hiring.† Airlines took the hardest fall. Indianapolis alone had 300 layoffs. September alone carried over 150,000 layoffs for this country. Fortunately, layoffs have slowed to a trickle, but Bruce Steinberg, chief economist at Merrill Lynch in New York, say profits are likely to plumb post-World War Two lows in the fourth quarter, and the job cuts are far from over. That being said, there’s no question were being hurt by the terrorist attacks. Production is centered on the ability to anticipate consumer demand. When a shock like September 11 occurs, consumer behavior changes radically. For example, the demand for travel and related services falls, while the demand for security rises. It takes time for both the government and the private sector to adapt to these changes, although an impressive array of government monetary and fiscal ammunition has been brought into play. But after the readjustment is made, there is little reason why corporate profits should be any lower than they were before the terrorist attacks. Few sectors dodged fallout from the attack. Dow headed for the worst week since the Depression. Panic struck the market. Since resuming on Monday, a week after the attacks, after four post-attack down days, the Dow industria...

Research Paper on Children

Research Paper on Children In the course of writing this research paper, I have read several articles on research about emotional and behavioural difficulties – many of them say the same thing, which is that it is difficult to give a clear, concise definition for this term. However I feel it is important to further explore children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties in order to gain an understanding of these issues, before applying the concept of resilience in meeting their needs. The DFE Circular 9/94 states that â€Å"emotional and behavioural difficulties lie on the continuum between behaviour which challenges teachers but is within normal, albeit unacceptable, bounds and that which is indicative of serious mental illness†. Fox (2001, p 5) said emotional and behavioural difficulties was a ‘blanket term’, which covered a wide range of conditions. She defined children who had emotional and behavioural difficulties as ‘both troubled and troubling to those who come into contact with them. Ayers Prytys (2002) refer to the SEN Code of Practice in their definition and also talk about emotional and behavioural difficulties as ‘existing along a continuum, at one end, so called ‘normal’ naughty behaviour, and at the other, psychiatric disorders†. For the term emotional and behavioural difficulties to apply there needs to be persistent, frequent and severe emotional or behavioural problems occurring within or across particular settings. Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties are classed as having special educational needs, this was recognised by the 1981 Education Act, as ‘no child can learn optimally if they are unsettled or unhappy in school for whatever reason’ (Fox, 2001, p 10) Behaviour can be evident in a number of different ways; on a personal level, the child can exhibit a low self-image, anxiety, depression, resentment or defiance. On a verbal level they can either be silent or threatening and argumentative. In the non-verbal sense they can be clingy, or truant, be disruptive and aggressive. Last, but not least, on a skills level, they can show an inability or unwillingness to work, a lack of concentration or incompletion of tasks. All of the above examples of behaviour shown by children with emotional and behavioural difficulties can be described as their barriers to learning. O’Brien (1998) talks of how this constitutes as a learning difficulty for the child, which then affects their own achievement and sometimes that of others. In some cases, it can be that a child’s learning difficulties has actually caused or aggravated their emotional and behavioural difficulties – this is often accompanied by a loss in self-esteem. On the other hand, other children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties may have caused their learning difficulties, by reducing their access to the national curriculum, because of their behaviour. Causes of emotional and behavioural difficulties Actually causes of emotional and behavioural difficulties can be single or multiple. Evidence from research conducted has found that causes can be found in the home, school and in the child’s immediate environment. Another factor that can cause emotional and behavioural difficulties is the child’s internal state itself. A well-known fact is that children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties are more than likely to come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds and families. Cooper (1993) summarized some of the evidence and produced a list of things that children may have experienced, among which were a lack of parental interest in schooling, inconsistent and ineffectual parental discipline, violent displays of temper from parents and overall feelings of hostility or rejection from parents. Physical and/or sexual abuse also increases the likelihood of emotional and behavioural difficulties occurring. It can be thought that parents are solely to blame for the problems their children experience, however it is important to remember that these parents may have also had problems themselves when they were younger, which were unresolved. In this way, we can see a very real consequence of children who suffer from emotional and behavioural difficulties – having a poor relationship with their own children. There are several things in a child’s school, which can contribute to, if not cause, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Behaviour problems have been associated with overcrowding, a high student/teacher ratio, an insufficient or an inappropriate curriculum. Weak adult leadership, generally low school attainment levels and low staff morale have also been seen as contributors. Understandably if a child arrives at a school with a negative attitude, then a teacher’s job can be more difficult, and without a good support network, they themselves are at risk of being demoralized. Community factors that can cause emotional and behavioural difficulties range from a high level of neighbourhood disorganization, drug and gang activity and few adults around to monitor behaviour. Although the school, home and community all play a significant part in the development of a child’s emotional and behavioural difficulties, there are those children that we’ve met who have come from a supportive family network, go to a ‘good’ school and still suffer emotional and behavioural difficulties. In this case, the cause can be internal or ‘within the child’. It could be because of a genetic factor which makes the child more vulnerable to emotional and behavioural difficulties, a communication difficulty, concentration problems or low self esteem. However even if the cause is within the child, there is more than likely to be an external factor in the child’s environment which will exacerbate the problem. The causes, along with the definition, of emotional and behavioural difficulties are not simple and clear. We must remember that each child is unique and therefore their problems and the source of which are also unique. This, in turn, will lead to many different answers or strategies for supporting the child to be deployed in meeting their needs and in many cases will be ‘individual’. What are the needs of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties? According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, children need love, a sense of belonging and high self-esteem. In order for this to occur they need reliable and caring friends, affection, and a successful caring relationship with their parents and carers. To build a healthy level of self-esteem they need a strong inner sense of self, but also approval from others, praise and opportunities to succeed. Children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, as said earlier, have special educational needs. Laslett (1995) reminded us that pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties don’t just need the national curriculum; he said they ‘need to learn about themselves, about other people, about their feelings and behaviour’. Fox (2001) said through the different forms of behaviour shown, we can see the various different needs that the child has. Pupils described as being stubborn, can be classed as having low self-esteem and a fear of failure. Their need is to belong and to be seen as successful by the group. Aggressive behaviour is where the child does not have the adequate verbal skills and so gets frustrated, causing him/her to lash out. The need here can be one for social acceptance; the child needs to be in control. Disruptive behaviour and an inability to complete tasks can be seen simply as a need for positive attention. If a child is unpleasant to others in the class, this could be from feelings of rejection from when they were younger; they might not feel as if they are part of the group yet they have a need to belong and to feel included. Inattentive behaviour and poor concentration skills can be indicative of the need for a quiet environment and last, but not least, stealing can be a form of s urvival. For example, if a child steals food, there is a need for it because they are hungry. The needs of children with EBDs are similar to the needs of children without. The only difference is that their needs are not met and fulfilled. The differences between these children are quite obvious. Children without EBDs talk quite openly and confidently about accomplishments and personal achievements, children with EBDs rarely do. This is because the feelings of ‘self-worth’ are low in children with EBDs. They need to feel competent and achieve a sense of mastery in the things that they do. Children without EBDs already have this need fulfilled and have high feelings of self-worth. Another difference is that children with EBDs don’t often express a sense of ‘connectedness’ to individuals or a feeling of belonging to groups and institutions. All children have a social need – learning how to make and keep friends, and to be connected to their peers. The difference between children with EBDs and those without is that this need is not met for them. Schools play a major part in meeting this need, by means of school based clubs and events. Not only do they provide sufficient opportunities for children to ‘connect’ with peers and adults, they also allow a chance to learn and practise social skills. Last, but not least, children with EBDs are not so enthusiastic about their future and what it has in store for them, whereas children without EBDs have definite plans and are positive about their future. This has been evident in several group sessions I have run as a learning mentor. Children with a history of problems, family and/or socially orientated, tend to be quite negative about aspirations and hopes, whereas children, who seemingly come from a supportive background, are not. Again, this is linked to low feelings of self-worth and adults in school, especially career advisers, need to ensure that children with EBDs do not create ‘self-fulfilling prophecies’ for themselves, where they think theyâ⠂¬â„¢re not worth thinking highly for themselves and therefore allow their behaviour to influence their judgements about future choices. As we know children can face the most stressful of situations, which can mean that they are at risk of failing in school and experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. However we do know, perhaps from our own experiences, or our professional experiences, that there are children who survive against all odds and maintain a fighting spirit. They emerge as competent, confident and caring individuals. What is this quality that enables this to be so? It has been termed as resilience. What is resilience? There are quite a few definitions that have been given on resilience. Benard (1995, p 5) described resilience as ‘a set of qualities that foster a process of successful adaptation and transformation despite risk and adversity’ – it is an individual’s ability to cope or ‘bounce back’. As with emotional and behavioural difficulties, there are factors in the child’s home, school and immediate environment that can promote resiliency. Buchanan Ten Brinke (1998) also said that there are internal factors that can be protective for the child: a good health and development and an internal belief in control, these can all mean that a child can be resilient. The resilient child is able to be proactive, make decisions, know their limitations, have a positive outlook and have successfully developed coping strategies. Of course, these are further aided by positive influences from home, school and community. At home, it can be as simple as an attachment to one family member who engages with the child, gives them a sense of belonging and values his/her abilities, telling them that he/she will be successful. The community can help by providing after school programs/youth clubs and volunteer activities can also promote resilience. Resilience is basically the capacity to survive, whether it is viewed as a biological impulse to thrive and grow, or as the skills and processes that allow some children to overcome adverse beginnings and go on to have successful lives. Resilience is about having the power to overcome adversity – psychologically, physically and emotionally. Every child has the potential to be good and bad, whichever path they choose depends largely on the fulfilment of their needs and the resources that they can draw on – be they internal, external, emotional, physical or personal. In my role as learning mentor, I have met several children who can be classed as resilient. In particular a young girl, aged 15, who comes from a strict Muslim background, which at many times, stifles her and prevents her from ‘living’ as a normal teenage girl. However this child recognises that to have a successful life outside of these circumstances, she must pull on all resources available to her in school. This is a clear example of how supportive relationships, if not available at home, are important in school, to build resilience in children. How can schools promote resilience? Werner Smith (1989) found that among the most frequently encountered positive role models in the life of a resilient child, outside of the family, was a favourite teacher. This was an adult who didn’t just deliver an education but was a confidante, enabling the child to form a close relationship with them. Teachers who are trustworthy, have a genuine interest in teaching, and give individual attention are most often the determining factor for whether a child decides to learn or not. A study conducted by Richards (1994) found that when students were asked to identify factors that were characteristic of an ‘inclusive’ school, the most significant factor reported is that ‘adult behaviour was supportive, non judgemental and non threatening’. Teachers who praise and give effective feedback to their pupils also enhance resilience. Wang Haertel (1995) conducted a study on factors associated with resilience and produced a summary of risk factors, protective factors and resilience enhancing factors. Their research showed that resilience was promoted by the quality and quantity of student interactions, the use of goal setting, techniques to build self esteem, use of co-operative learning techniques. Strong leadership by senior management and the head teacher was also important. A school ethos emphasizing achievements, school clubs and extracurricular activities and the involvements of parents and the community were also considered vital. Research has shown that many ‘resilient’ children were involved in clubs and associations outside of school. Schools should support such clubs in and after school time, as they enable young people to develop skills and competencies that are beyond the range of school subjects. Schools can also promote resilience by providing a safe learning environment; the school should be somewhere the child WANTS to be. In order to successfully meet the needs of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, it is important for the school to be seen as a support network – consisting of all staff at the school and external agencies. Another way of promoting resilience is for schools to actively involve all parents, in every aspect of school life. Parental involvement has been shown to have a direct influence on their children’s achievement. Also schools need to develop their links between themselves and the community, by using health services and volunteers mentoring organizations, this can also work in reverse by getting the children to go out and work in the community. What is a supportive context and how is it created? For a child to be resilient, a supportive context is essential. A supportive network of adults is required in the child’s school, home and community. The child needs to have a strong healthy relationship with at least one adult in each and every section of their lives. Making the school into a successful support network involves teachers, senior management, a pastoral team, effective teaching strategies, a suitable curriculum and external agencies. Teachers/Teaching Under a good leadership, there needs to a sufficient amount of skilled and committed teachers. An OFSTED report in 1999 observed that teachers who taught pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties had a good grasp of subject matter, lessons were planned well, thorough preparations had been done, explanations, instructions and questions were clear and expectations were high but realistic. These high expectations can provide a structure of the behaviour that is desired. Teachers must also challenge pupils, to show them what they are capable of. Children who have been ‘labelled’ can be helped by teachers who can show them how to ‘grow’ –not to take adversity in their lives personally, ‘to see a positive in every negative situation’, in this way building up resilience in the children. Most importantly as the Mental Health Foundation (1999, p 19) stated, teachers ‘must understand, empathise and respond to individual needs, having a close knowledge and relationship with the child with emotional and behavioural difficulties’. The OFSTED (1999) report found that good teaching is of central importance for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties, it set a climate in which they must learn self control, social relationships and behave well by letting the children make their own choices, solve problems and work with others. Teachers are in a unique place in that they can ‘tip the balance’ between risk and resilience. They can meet a child’s basic needs for safety, love, belonging and respect. By listening to a child, showing kindness and compassion, they can provide a sense of loving support. They should be non-judgemental, and most importantly, should not take the child’s behaviour personally. It’s important to know that the child is doing the best that they can, based on the experiences they have had. As Benard (1997) said when teachers care, believe in and embrace the children, they are not only enabling their healthy development and successful learning, ‘but creating an inside-out social change, they are building a creative and compassionate citizenry’. Farrell (1995) developed a set of guidelines for teachers, he felt that at all times it was important for pupils to remain ‘engaged’ in activities of interest to them. Teachers should like and respect the pupils and they should seek support from fellow colleagues if faced with a difficult situation. They should follow school and LEA policies; negotiate class rules with the pupils and stick to them. Teachers must be calm and consistent. Rewards should be used as Sattin (1999) found in his study of a residential school. He said there was a great emphasis on the celebration of achievements. Small rewards were used to help a pupil become interested in achieving – they also had Success display boards, good work files and ‘Starboards’ – all used to celebrate success. A school needs to have a broad and balanced curriculum in order to meet the needs of all pupils in the school. In many cases children with emotional and behavioural difficulties have weak literacy and numeracy skills. Improvements in these areas should be seen as a priority. These weaknesses are confounded by the child’s sense of failure and feelings of frustration – therefore there is a need to balance both the academic and pastoral requirements. For these pupils it is important to master these skills for their own sense of self-worth and in order to complete school successfully. The Mental Health Foundation (1999) found that approaches were used in schools to build self-esteem and emotional resilience particularly in less academic pupils, this was done via mentors (both adult and peer), circle time and anger management sessions. A school curriculum that promotes resilience respects the ways in which children learn. Such a curriculum is experiential, challenging, compr ehensive and inclusive of all the different perspectives encountered in a school. Lund (1992) concluded from his observations of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties that it was essential: To organise learning tasks so that children’s success was more probable than failure To provide a variety of stimulating visual material in lesson presentation To organise a variety of learning experiences in cross curricular activities and study To ensure that practical’ hands-on’ learning experiences predominated To understand and accept individual differences in children’s way of working To accept different levels of attainment in children contributing to a learning task Non-teaching adults Learning Support Assistants (LSA) are valued members of staff who also help especially when a child experiences an emotional outburst or an incident occurs. As the teacher is responsible for the whole group, the LSA can provide more than adequate support for the child. Learning Mentors are also extremely useful in schools. Mentoring has been targeted at groups of children experiencing learning difficulties because of problems they are dealing with. Mentors aim to give these individuals support and understanding. When mentoring is successful, both mentor and the mentee find it a positive experience. All schools have access to an educational psychologist and education welfare officers. There are also many support services for pupils with learning difficulties such as the Special Educational Needs (SEN) department and departments that support children with behavioural difficulties. Schools should also have regular support from Social Services and institutions such as CAMHS. However the Mental Health Foundation (1999) found that the percentage of schools that had successful working relationships with Social Services was quite low. Similarly, with CAMHS, it was found that direct support with psychiatrist was very little. For an inherent supportive environment to exist in a school it is important for the school to have a positive ethos of teamwork. All staff must work well together. Thacker (2000) said there was a necessary need for a whole school behaviour policy, which ‘promotes consistency and a team approach to working with challenging children’. He went on to suggest that the production of such a document be a joint effort between school staff, parents and community members. This is also important when planning on a smaller scale, for example when designing an individual programme for a child, it is important for all who knows the child best to be involved. This means the teacher, the parent, any external agencies involved and of course, the child themselves. This ensures that everyone has a sense of ownership and clear-cut responsibilities. Conclusion Research throughout this assignment has shown that the concept of resilience is important to all in order for them to meet and overcome the challenges they face in life. For the child with emotional and behavioural difficulties, resilience is often poorly developed (and understood) and therefore not applied to the difficult situations they encounter. As schools are increasingly expected to work with pupils who face emotional and behavioural difficulties they need to develop strategies that foster resilience within these children, so that their needs are met and so that they are able to flourish both socially and academically. Addressing the concept of resilience with these children, I believe, is paramount to successful work undertaken in the school situation. Children need to be able to ‘bounce back’ and be able to accept criticism in order to develop educationally. However, as discussed earlier, resilience can only be fostered in a supportive context, and once the child has confidence in their teacher/mentor, their self-esteem is not lowered. This supportive context has to, in my opinion, be built upon positives and rewards that recognise success however small they may be. For a child with emotional and behavioural difficulties, it may be as simple as rewarding them for sitting down once they have entered the room. It is also important that all teachers/mentors that work with identified children adopt the same approach as consistency overcomes confusion for these children and reinforcement ingrains new thinking and behaviour. It is however important to remember that the concept of resilience must be kept in context in terms of strategies to help children with emotional and behavioural difficulties rise above adversity and learn rather than to use resilience as a tool to accept that they will have setbacks. Or in extreme cases to avoid these children from developing an ‘I don’t care’ attitude to problems they face. So a child CAN be naturally resilient and manage to overcome life’s adversities and stressful situations – but only up to a certain time. I believe that internal resilience is not enough and a child needs a strong support network from both home and school in order to successfully develop into a confident and competent adult. Initially it is the home environment, which builds as a cocoon around the child- loving parents and siblings, a safe home, praise and encouragement. Then in school, the child requires the same but from teachers and peers. Good quality relationships are needed which develop a sense of security and calmness in the child. A constant positive regard should be displayed for the pupil and a willingness to allow pupils to express their own beliefs and opinions. Farrell (1995) supports this, he says that the adults that children with EBDs encounter need to be sensitive to their issues and to recognize that they themselves and the way that they interact with the pupil may also be part of the problem. Resilience is promoted by all the factors mentioned above – the child is then ever more equipped to deal with problems they may encounter in their lives. They realise and understand not to take the negative things they encounter personally. Resilience is be created within an individual by exposing them to challenging situations under the support and guidance of a trusted adult in school, whether it is a teacher, LSA or mentor, and for the child to see through experience that they can overcome the problem. Success in overcoming the difficulty will build self-confidence within the child and a realisation that if they meet the same problem again, that they will deal with it and hence are resilient.