Quality Control of Car Seat

To All Valued Customers: Tchou Tchou is fully committed to serving the product needs of infants and children.   As such, we want to address a recent market development of our infant car seat model number: 0907-888-TTICS. As you may know, Tchou Tchou has issued a voluntary product recall of all infant car seat purchased in the last three months. In the wake of this development, we are offering to replace your newly purchased infant car seat with one of our earlier model at no extra cost on your part. To ensure the safety of your children, we would like to request you to either return the infant car seat at the store where you purchase the product or email us at [email  protected] and we would be glad to arrange for a pickup. We recognize the inconvenience this causes you.   However, this action reflects Tchou Tchou’s commitment to high quality standards and ensuring that our products fully meet your expectations. Please know we are working hard to provide you with the high-quality products and customer service you have come to expect from Tchou Tchou.   If you have any questions, please contact our toll free 24/7 customer service hotline at 1-800-82468. Sincerely, (Your Name) Manager, Sales and Marketing Analyst Date:   January 4, 2008 To :   Fred Lucas, Manager, Manufacturing Department From:   (Your Name), Manager, Sales and Marketing Analyst Subject:   Quality Control of Car Seat Model Number: 0907-888-TTICS English Language Training Due to the recent complaint that we have received from our client with regards to the tiny fragment of glass in the upholstery of the infant car seat, we have voluntarily recalled the products that were purchased within the past three months.   This step was undertaken to give us the opportunity to thoroughly check the quality of our recalled product. Although our overhead cost would be greatly affected we would like your department to replace the upholsteries of all the recalled infant car seats.   In addition to the quality control inspection that we have been doing prior to the release of all our products, our engineering department will also perform a thorough check on all the machineries and equipments that are being used in the production of all our products. We appreciate the suggestion made by some employees to improve the workplace in your department.   The management officers have considered their suggestion and have recently made an arrangement with a language instructor who could provide a program that would facilitate ease of communication and learning of a second language among employees in the department.   The in-house language instructor will visit your department tomorrow and will present the program to you and your staff. Please keep me posted on any development.   Thank you very much. Hi Ms. Kathy, I have recently written a letter addressed to all our customers who have purchased the infant car seat model number: 0907-888-TTICS.   I have informed them about the company’s decision to recall the product and our willingness to replace the infant car seat with one of our earlier model at no extra cost on their part.   This is in line with our commitment to provide them with the best quality products which our company has been noted for. I have also written the manufacturing department and asked them to replace all the upholsteries of the recalled infant car seat.   The engineering department will likewise conduct a thorough inspection on all the machineries and equipment in the production area to ensure that none of the fragment of glasses came from our production area.   Furthermore, the language instructor will be coordinating with Fred Lucas in line with the in-house language program that will be provided to the employees. Although the complaint of one customer is an isolated case, the company’s overhead expense will be greatly affected as a result of the product recall.   However, the reputation of Tchou Tchou and our customers’ satisfaction is our foremost concern.   This may be the first time that we have recalled a product in our six years of existence but given the time, the public will be fully aware that we have been at par with our product standard. Please be assured that I will use my skills and expertise in projecting the good image of the company and to make the public aware that this problem did not arise from our company. I will keep you posted on any development. Sincerely, (Your First Name)   

Graphic Organizers Essay

Graphic organizers are wonderful tools for learners of all abilities in all grades. They help students to visually and clearly organize their opinions and ideas. Students are enabled to see connections and relationships between information, facts and terms. For ELL students and struggling readers, this is particularly useful because it aids with language issues and challenges in comprehension these students struggle with. It visually provides them with a broad picture of this corpus of information they are trying to learn as opposed to words and language. Introducing and organizing instructional content can be done in a fun and simple way. I would begin with a simple fun math lesson that is on a more personal level. To introduce the lesson; the first step should describe to the students the lesson’s purpose (how to budget within your means), then explain its components (reason, solve problems, communicate, computation) and finally model its use (3 column chart) together with the class. This will ensure students comprehend the material they are learning. The 5th grade class would be instructed to divide into 3 groups of 6. Each group will be assigned a budget of $60.00. I would then hand out menus to each group from a popular fast food restaurant (Wendy’s). Students in each group will order any item off the menu for lunch but within their group budget. They will itemize their choices on their worksheet and include quantity and total amounts. Students will be aware that all deluxe meals come with french fries and a drink. Any state tax will not be configured for this lesson. Together we will input the information collected from each group onto the organizer. We will analyze, compare and discuss the decisions each group made with their selections and how well they managed their budget. The graphic organizer will also help them reflect individually as they see the information unfold from this valuable tool. It is important for students to learn the concept of managing money and to learn to live within their means.

Hercules in the Classical and Post Classical Depiction

In the classical depiction of Hercules, key themes of Redemption and suffering go hand in hand and are present throughout. When Hera (Zeus’s wife) drives Hercules to madness she sends him to brutally murder his own wife and sons. Hercules is overwhelmed with a sense of ‘blood guilt’ and suffering and condemns himself to exile. He then seeks the Delphic Oracle’s help, she tells him that he is to complete 10 labours for King Eurystheus in order to redeem and rid himself of the blood guilt and suffering and become an immortal (APOLLODORUS, LIBRARY 22. . 12. ) The idea of suffering makes heroes like Hercules relatable to the mortal audience and whilst Hercules is a demi god making him faster, stronger and more agile than any other hero- he remains human in character. No task of Hercules is an easy one but he is willing to go through these taxing adventures in order to redeem himself and set things right. In the post classical depiction- Disney’s 1997 mov ie Hercules- those themes of redemption and suffering are not so present instead themes of selflessness and true heroism are strong.Hercules is presented as Zeus AND Hera’s son and is a full god- until Hades poisons him, taking all but his strength. He is deemed mortal and lives with his adopted family in Thebes. Hercules begins the 10 labours in order to regain his immortality and live on Mt Olympus with the other gods. As Hercules begins attempting and completing the labours he becomes somewhat of a celebrity with the mortals and they begin to worship him.But the labours alone are not enough to make him immortal, he needs to show true selflessness and be willing to sacrifice himself in order to save another. When Hercules dives into the pool of spirits in Hades’ underworld to bring Megara back to life he risks dying to do so and only this is enough to be a true hero and regain him his immortality. Aspects of Hercules’ story have been modified to suit the viewe rs and be age appropriate but the theme of heroism has been dominant in both depictions and that is because Hercules himself was a true hero.

Customer Service Techniques Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Customer Service Techniques - Essay Example Cancellations are also common whenever Mother Nature decides to strike. If you were not aware the airline has a strict policy that prohibits its employees from giving a customer a refund for any event or lodging expenses that the customers incurs in even if a delay or cancellation of flight occurs due to whether conditions. This policy was created to protect the company from claims such as yours which are out of the control of the organization. The mission of the company is to satisfy our customers in every possible way. Our denial of your claim does not mean we do not value your business as a customer. The damage you incurred in has nothing to do with the activities of the airline. We are very strict in our policy because the only responsibility of the airline is activity associated with the flight of its airplanes. The resources of our airline are used in an efficient manner to provide the best customer service in the industry. Since the company was not able to provide you with the flight services you needed we most certainly will provide you with either a refund of your money spend on the flight or give you a credit to be spend on a different flight for the future. The firm’s policy on refunds is more flexible than some our competition due to the fact we provide customers with cash refunds, while other companies only provide a flight credit. We hope that this resolution meets your expectation. It is unfortunate that you miss your event. Our company is truly sorry about the inconvenience you incurred in due to the cancellation of flight associated with the weather. Your secondary claim that the mechanical misfit made the cancellation of weather occurrence obsolete is not valid. The mechanical problem did cause a delay, but the cancellation occurred due to weather conditions. The flight had a one hour delay due to a mechanical problem. Airplanes are machines that sometimes break down mechanically just like automobiles due. The safety of the customers is the number one priority of the airline. The airline under no circumstance was going to endanger the lives of customers by putting an airplane in the air that had any type of mechanical failure. We are truly sorry that you had to wait while our mechanics fixed the plane. Having a flight on time is not as important to the firm as ensuring an airplane is free of mechanical errors whenever a problem occurs. The safety record of our company is flawless. We understand that waiting for a mechanical error to be fixed is a hassle for the customer, but sometimes it occurs and we must deal with the problem accordingly. The mechanical error was not the reason that the flight was cancelled. The flight was cancelled after the one hour delay due to bad weather. There is no association between the mechanical error and the bad weather. The worries and concerns of the firm’s customers are a top priority for the airline. In the future we hope we can provide you with superb services if you deci de to choose our company as your preferred airline. The mission of this airline is to ensure our customers have a great flight and reach their destination on time. Most of the time our flights leave on time and our customers get to their destination at the precise time their flight ticket specifies, but sometimes whenever the weather prohibits it flights are delayed and cancelled. The airline industry is highly regulated by the government. The Federal government has strict rules regarding flight leaving

History Of Aromatherapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

History Of Aromatherapy - Essay Example For this ancient culture, perfumes and aromatherapy were a part of daily life, with perfumed substances used in both religious rituals and in medicine. Fragrances were so important to the ancient Egyptians that one of their deities was dedicated to them. Nefertem, the God of perfume, was an important figure in the Egyptian pantheon3, and is linked to Egyptian creation myths as well as being the official patron of plant-based cosmetic and healing arts. Nefertem was most closely linked to the lotus flower, which is still an integral component of Chinese medicine in the present day. The ancient Egyptians used plant oils in religious ceremonies and rituals of all types including embalming, purifying, healing, beautifying, and bathing4. They are known to have used a number of aromatic compounds, including myrrh, frankincense, cedarwood, juniper, and coriander5. Records which date back to 4500 BC mention aromatic oils, barks, resins, and spices used in medicine, religious ritual, and embalming. Many different uses for various plant extracts are documented. For example; hayfever was treated with antimony, aloe, myrrh, and honey6. Queen Nefertiti is said to have used cleansing beauty masks made of honey, milk, and flower pollens7, and to have bathed in oils from 80 different fruits and herbs to keep her skin soft. The Egyptians are thought to have used the processes of distillation and enfleurage to extract plant oils8. The enfleurage technique involves drying flowers over a rack of lard or tallow so that the fat absorbs their scent. This technique was used to extract scent from the Nile lotus, an important ingredient in Egyptian perfumery which features prominently in temple art. Scented substances were included in many of the rituals involved in preparation for the afterlife. They included containers of scented oils at burial sites of the deceased for them to use in the afterlife, and tucked branches of antiseptic herbs such as rosemary within the folds of the cloth wrappings to help preserve the mummy. Cedarwood, clove and myrrh oils were used to embalm the dead. Traces of such herbs have been discovered with intact portions of mummified bodies, with the herb's scent faint but still apparent9. Aromatherapy through the Ages Both the ancient Greeks and Romans gained much of their knowledge of aromatherapy from Egyptian culture10. As trade routes began to open up between Egypt and Europe, the Greeks followed the Egyptians' lead in using plant oils both medicinally and cosmetically. Greek soldiers carried essential oils such as myrrh into battle for the treatment of wounds11, while the famous 'father of medicine', Hippocrates, believed that daily aromatic baths and scented massages were essential to good health12. Knowing that certain plants had antibacterial properties, he urged people to burn these as protection when plague broke out in Athens. Later, the Romans also imported aromatic products from the Far East13. The Romans mastered the art of aromatics, and discovered that while some fragrances were stimulating and uplifting, others had relaxing sedative effects. During the European plague of the 14th century, over eighty million people across

Tax Law in Qatar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Tax Law in Qatar - Research Paper Example The new Tax Law provided new views of the income. While the old system was more concerned with profits, the new law focused more on types and definition of income. According to the new law, gross income covers total income as well as profits from other sources. Additionally, the law indicates that the taxable income is arrived at by subtracting losses made from the past years from the net income. Other sources of income that the new law includes in the gross income includes income attained from the sale of shares, income from the sale of shares in Qatar companies, interest on the loan provided by Qatar banks, and income obtained from exploration services. The new tax law provided some notable exemptions. Qatari citizens who were not residing in Qatar were now eligible to pay tax on the income derived in Qatar. Residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC States, as well as companies fully owned by GCC residents, are treated in the same way as Qatari companies and citizens as far as tax matters are concerned (Avi-Yonah and Slemrod, 2002). One of the key aspects of the new tax is that it still allowed the GCC companies and nationals to enjoy the same exemptions as Qatar citizens. The exemptions will have the impact on the GCC companies (Jeffs, 2008). For instance, a GCC firm that trades in Qatar but does not have a permanent location will be subjected to a specified withholding tax. One of the most notable changes in Qatar tax system was the tax rates. With the elimination of the marginal system that employed rates of 0 to 35%, the taxpayers now pay a flat rate of 10%. While large companies may welcome this strategy, it is may negatively affect the smaller taxpayers (Mohamed, 2014). For instance, in the old tax system, an individual with a taxable income of 400,000 QR would pay 10% on income ranging between 100,000 and 400,000 QR.

Capstone project Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Capstone project - Research Proposal Example It is the mandate of all nurses who deals with such patients to ensure that their safety if prioritized. This proposal seeks to address this issue by making sure that it is mandatory for all practicing nurses who deal with such patients of stroke, to administer dysphagia tests immediately a patient is admitted in the hospital before giving them any food substances. For this project, I will use an evidence based model. For effective results, in this research, I have used the conduct and utilization of research in nursing model (CURN) since the model seeks to carry out a research which gives findings to s particular behavior which improves the patients’ health outcome. (Scmidt, 2014)Similarly, conducted over a period of two weeks, this research seeks to prove that Dysphagia screening saves lives of persons who suffer from stroke on admission to hospitals. Many stroke patients need critical attention. Ensuring their safety while they have been admitted is one of the nurses’ most important things. The manner in which stroke patients are handled on arriving at the hospitals needs to be addressed. Most of the nurses do not carry out dysphagia screening as recommended for all stroke patients in the AHA/ASA guidelines (Stephenie, 2013). Some nurses go to the point of giving these patient foods without having the swallowing tests done on them prior to this. According to the data collected from my experience, only 3 out of 4 patients go through the swallowing tests. This means that the safety of the remaining patients is not prioritized. For the reason that nurses fail to carry out this necessary test, an estimated 50,000 die every year due to aspiration pneumonia after stroke. Evidently, most of these deaths can therefore be avoided by carrying out this test. The problems with swallowing in these patients are associated with a higher mortality rate (Jeff, 2013). Moreover, technologies have evolved which enable the patients to be screened for dysphagia

Primate evolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Primate evolution - Assignment Example The shortening of arms also occurs and its significance is to make running smooth because balance is maintained (Gebo and Severson 11). Cranial development is a notable anatomical occurrence. The size and capacity of the brain vary across the various evolutionary groups. Primates developed a larger cranial capacity as compared to their immediate predecessors. For instance, Homo habilis had an approximate cranial capacity of 600 cubic centimeters while Homo erectus had a brain capacity that ranged between 800 and 1100 cubic centimeters. The increase in the brain capacity was a continuous process throughout the evolution stages. The toes and fingers of the early primates were sensitive. The earliest forms had nails with a claw-like modification making hunting achievable. The nails also served as protective gear against external aggression. The forelimbs and the hind limbs had an opposable finger and an opposable toe respectively. The opposable finger makes it easy to grasp objects and food. Since some primates navigated trees, the opposable fingers and toes made the grasping of tree branches easy thus enabling movement along trees. The early forms of man had an optically based anatomy characterized by forward facing eyes. Among human beings, the eyes face the sides of the skull. The forward facing eyes gave the primates a three-dimensional view of their environment. The vision is stereoscopic. Therefore, the primates had a larger field of vision overlapping before their

New Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

New - Article Example The main objective of this paper is to provide vivid explanations about the reason behind leaking pentagonal papers by Snowden. With the increasing advent of technology in an individual’s life, it is considered that crime rate is also increasing at a great extent. Additionally, it has also been viewed that the government of different countries are adapting new policies and implementing new policies to safeguard the civilians from the increasing crime around the globe. However, it has been ascertained that though the federal body are implementing new policies to safe guards the people from foreign enemies but the new polices are violating the basic freedom of the people. For instance recently it has been witnessed that Snowden a former employee of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and an technical contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA) has leaked pentagonal papers that helped the United nations (U.S) intelligence organizations to track the outgoing calls, monitors e-mail and usage of internet of almost all Americans directly violating the freedom of an individual to provide security. Further more, it has been revealed that Snowden also leaked the pentagonal papers relating the Vietnam War (Starr and Yan, â€Å"Man behind NSA leaks says he did it to safeguard privacy, liberty†). The major player that can be witnessed in the case is Edward Snowden and the United Nation’s government that developed programme that tracked phone calls, and monitors e-mail of the civilians violating the freedom of the civilians with the prime motive of providing them security. Freedom and security are considered to be two vital aspects in every individual’s life. It is also the duty of the government to safe guard its people by implementing police and laws that would not result in taking away the freedom and would also provide security to the civilians. However, in this case it has been observed that the U.S government was collecting and tracing phone calls

Retailer Companies Essay Example for Free

Retailer Companies Essay Amazon Amazon is an online retailer however there have been talks and news articles of the company planning to open a warehouse store in New York City. However being an online only retailer means the company can meet any customer target and offer shopping to anyone. This removes travel time, travel costs and parking costs which appeal to more customers. This can also appeal to younger shoppers aged 16+ who are unable to drive and must pay out a large charge in travel fare. There is also a larger reach in the consumer area and they now have the ability to reach a worldwide target. Also being an online only business they can give specific and limited discounting to their products. New Look New look is a multiple store that usually located in an in town area. Being located in town has many advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages to being an in town store is the easy access by both public and personal transport. However a disadvantage to this is the large travel costs both paying for tickets on trains or busses but also petrol and parking costs. A second advantage in the allotted sale space can be increased and the store can have a larger floor space. However due to this the store costs more to rent and run meaning there are only a small amount of discounts the store is able to give. Pandora Pandora is a multinational company using a multiple store which is usually located in out of town areas. Because of the area where they are placed they have a long travel time making the easiest travel option the car however you can travel to them on public transport but many involve changes and larger fares. However due to the travel costs the areas slightly reduce store costs and also allow free parking. This means that although travel time and cost is high it holds more appeal due to the lower prices and free parking. Best One Newsagents Best One Newsagents is a franchised business that is based in local  locations. The areas that these stores are in are specifically placed in accordance to the surrounding area. They will be in an area where there are many houses surrounding them so that customers have east when going to the store. Due to the fact of them being a local store they are smaller than others and are able to sell items at cheaper prices. This appeals to the customers so that they can get bits they need without going to supermarkets and paying a higher price. eBay eBay is an online only auction site where people are able to sell unwanted items securely. This means they can sell items that people are looking for E.G a new iPad Air would usually be sold at retail price for  £399 but on eBay a new but used one could be sold at up to a 90% discount and that could be a set price or they could use the auction and consumers could bid to see who will be the one to purchase the item. As this is a selling site you will need to receive the money and many use PayPal as it is a secure way to pay the money however you can just pay cash if you are collecting the item.

Overview Of Chicago Blues Music Essay

Overview Of Chicago Blues Music Essay Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois. It is also referred to as urban blues or electric blues What Is the Blues, n.d.. Chicago blues replaced acoustic instruments with amplified versions and the basic guitar/harmonica duo of Delta blues turned into a full band with amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums, piano, and sometimes saxophone and trumpet (Gordon, n.d.). What we consider to be the classic Chicago blues sound today developed during the 1940s and 50s (Gordon, n.d.). The twelve-bar form, variations on the blues chord progression, and emotive lyrical content remain relatively unchanged today (What Is the Blues, n.d.). Chicago blues was strongly influenced by soul, rhythm and blues, and rock music (Gordon, n.d.). A lot influenced Chicago blues. The earliest geographic origins of the blues are uncertain, given the multiple versions appearing across the African American South near the turn of the century. In Chicago, the emergence of blues culture in the 1920s coincided with increased musical performance and recording nationwide and paralleled the dramatic growth of black urban enclaves during the Great Migration (Green, Keil, and Palmer, n.d.). The Great Migration that lasted from 1910 to 1970, where African-American workers moved from the South to the industrial cities of the North (Hahn et. al., 2009). During World War II, more and more African-Americans migrated to northern states like St. Louis, Detroit, and Chicago to find jobs and better opportunities for their families (Gordon, n.d.). After World War II, musicians starting using electrified instruments, Chicago was the first to use these (What Is the Blues, n.d.). In the 1940s, some blues musicians started using the saxophone, but the p reference was for amplified harmonicas, especially in Chicago (What Is the Blues, Blues 3 n.d.). The Chicago blues sounded more full-bodied than its country cousin, the music pulling from broader musical possibilities, reaching beyond the standard six-note blues scale to incorporate major scale notes (Gordon, n.d.). The west side Chicago blues sound was characterized by a more fluid, jazz-influenced style of guitar playing and a full-blown horn section, while the south side blues sound was often more raw and raucous (Gordon, n.d.). In the 1950s Chicago was a prime center of blues recording (What Is the Blues, n.d.). There were a certain number of record labels that specialized in Chicago blues. The most famous being Chess Records, which produced Checker Records, a subsidiary (Gordon, n.d.). Chess Records was founded in 1950 by the brothers Phil and Leonard Chess (Gordon, n.d.). The oldest independent record label in the United States is Delmark Records, which was formed by Bob Koester in 1953 as Delmar and specializes in jazz and blues music (Gordon, n.d.). The top blues music label today is considered Alligator Records, launched by Bruce Iglauer in 1971, and still discovers and supports new talent in the blues and blues-rock genres (Gordon, n.d.). After the war, a big part of blues popularization were black-appeal disc jockeys, such as Al Benson and Big Bill Hill, who made sure that records released by Chess and other labels received public exposure (Green, n.d.). A number of blues musicians were among the people who migrated to Chicago. The most famous, and the first virtuoso, of the bottleneck/slide guitarists was Houston Tampa Red Woodbridge, who arrived in Chicago, from Florida, in 1925 and was one of the first black instrumentalists to make a recording. Unlike other southern bluesmen, whose playing was modal and in minor keys, Tampa Reds shimmering, clean style was influenced by ragtime and jug bands (Scaruffi, 2007). Big Bill Broonzy, also known as the star of Blues 4 Chicago, arrived in 1928, was known also among white audiences as far as New York (Scaruffi, 2007). Lizzie Memphis Minnie Douglas, a female guitarist, arrived in Chicago in 1933 (Scaruffi, 2007). Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, and Memphis Minnie were among the first generation of Chicago blues artists, and they paved the way for newcomers like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and B.B. King (Gordon, n.d.). The distinctive sound of these artists restructured popular music, providing fundamental elements for subsequent genres like soul and rock and roll (Green, n.d.). During the 1970s, new blues musicians were coming out and there were many styles of Chicago Urban Blues (Chicago Blues Foundation, 1996). During the 1940s, famous clubs such as Silvios, Gatewoods Tavern, the Flame Club, and the 708 opened up on the South Side and the West Side, serving as community centers for arriving migrants (Green, n.d.). In the late 1970s and early 1980s, control of the clubs began to pass from the original neighborhood owners or management to other interests and some of the Chicago Urban Blues legends began to pass away, and a rich part of blues history passed too (Chicago Blues Foundation, 1996). Old clubs have been joined by new businesses serving the tourist industry and predominantly white fans of blues (Green, n.d.). In 1975, Chess went out of business, by which time most older clubs were closing down (Green, n.d.). In 1984 Chicago inaugurated an annual blues festival (Green, n.d.). Blues is an African-American music that transverses a wide range of emotions and musical styles. Feeling blue is expressed in songs whose verses lament injustice or express longing for a better life, and lost loves, jobs, and money. But blues is also a raucous dance Blues 5 music that celebrates pleasure and success. Central to the idea of blues performance is the concept that, by performing or listening to the blues, one is able to overcome sadness and lose the blues (What Is the Blues, n.d.). For the performance part of my project, I went to Warmdaddys in Philadelphia on April 8th, 2011 to see Brass Heaven featuring Jeff Bradshaw. They definitely were not playing dinner time music. The instruments they used included an amplified bass, an electric guitar, trombones, the flugelhorn, a trumpet, a saxophone, drums, bongos, a cow bell, and chimes. They used all the instruments used in Chicago blues, except for the piano and they had a few extra instruments. I felt like it had a little Afro-Cuban mixed in with the congos, cow bell, and chimes. Parts had a little bit of a Latin feel. They had a marching band feel to them and even came off stage and went marching around all the tables. The loud trombone made it sound like a high school marching band. The white guy playing the saxophone was really good. I had never heard anyone play the trombone like that. They did a lot of solos. They had fast tempos that made you want to get up and dance. The atmosphere was a very welcoming and relaxed. The food was amazing. They had real southern cuisine. It was a new experience for me. It truly was a real southern rhythm and blues experience. I had a lot of fun and would definitely go back.

Islamic Concept Of Charity And Social Security Religion Essay

Islamic Concept Of Charity And Social Security Religion Essay This paper deals with the Islamic concept of charity and the formation of moral economy. Charity in Islam has different forms (zakat, sadqah and donation). It forms the social security system for the vulnerable class. It purifies the legally earned money and determines the close connection of the worship of the God. The crux of the charity is to form a moral economy which regulates the behaviour of Muslims in economic and social affairs. The moral economy is based on the fairness, sense of responsibility and purity in worship welfare and social security of the people. 1. Introduction The contemporary debate of the charity has been long in the literature (Melvin 2009, Ferrari and Khan 2010, Shirazi 1996, Scott 1987 and Waldron 1986). Specifically, the religious zeal and zest revolves around the notion of charity (Iwobi 2009). Islamic concept of charity is not exception for that debate of social welfare and the security (Scott 1987). It emphasizes on the moral values and the contribution to the neglected segment o f the society. However, Islamic concept of charity and social security has never been debated in the light of the moral economy. This paper is intended to give a comparative view about the different notions of the Islamic charity (zakat, sadqah and donation). The concept of charity, in general, is not new because every religion of the world preached that charity. However, the focus of this paper is to highlight the forms of charity in Islam, their differences and their impact on the multiculturalism and the formation of the moral economy. The definition of charity in Islamic tradition differs and it is context specific. However, its aim and goals remain the same. The Quran states: And be steadfast in your prayer and pay charity; whatever good you send forth for your future, you shall find it with Allah, for Allah is well aware of what you do (Al-Quran: Al-Baqara 2:110). Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: No wealth (of a servant of Allah) is decreased because of charity (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2247). Charity is the fifth pillar of Islam and its reward will be given in the after world. The charity is not reciprocity for this world, but the world after. The Quran declare the five basic concept of the zakat. These concepts included: infaq (spending benevolently), ihsan (kindness), zakah (purification), sadqah (charitable deed) and khayrat (good deeds). However, Islam does not force anyone to give charity. It is obligatory in the form of zakat and voluntary in the shape of sadqah (charity) and donation. 2. Basic concepts of charity in Islam Islamic charity has three basic concepts: zakat, sadaqah and donation. 2.1 Zakat (alms giving) The zakat (Ø ²Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™ÃƒËœÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is extracted from the word zaka to be pure that denotes purification. The Quran highlights to the purification of wealth and states: Of their wealth take alms to purify and sanctify them (Al-Quran, Al-Tawbah 9:103). The zakat is obligation on a Muslim. It is moral duty of a Muslim to pay zakat at the rate of 2.5% per year. A Muslim cannot deny the zakat. The Quran lists recipients of Zakat: Zakat is for the poor and the needy and those who are employed to administer and collect it, and for those whose hearts are to be won over, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage, and for those who are overburdened with debts and for every struggle in Gods cause, and for the wayfarers: this is a duty ordained by God, and God is the All-Knowing, the Wise. (Al-Quran 9:60). The zakat is given individually to the relatives, neighbors and vulnerable communities. It is also administered collectively: Muslim charity organization, some of the Muslim states regulates the departments which are responsible of the charity (for instance Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zakat and Ushr in Pakistan) and Muslim associations. Nevertheless, zakat is mandatory to every Muslim (who can pay), but it is willful to pay individually or collectively. 2.2 Sadaqah (charity) The word sadaqah (Ø µÃƒËœÃ‚ ¯Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ÃƒËœÃ‚ ©Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½) is derived from the Arabic root sadaqah which means to be truthful and hence sadaqah implies engaging in any virtuous and moral act in order to earn happiness of God. The sadaqah has certain principals which a Muslim must follow. One, sadaqah is given in the name of God. Second, the money or the donation should be from the legal sources. Islam discourages the illegitimate (stolen or unethically gained) money or resources. Third, surplus money (beyond the need of a person) is the money of God and Muslims are custodian of it. Therefore, they should spend and return the money to the needy, poor and spend on the ways of God. The Quran outlines the charity: Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and by day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Al-Quran, Al-Baqarah 2:274). The Quran further highlights: And spend something (in charity) out of the substance which We have bestowed on you, before Death should come to any of you and he should say, O my Lord! Why didst Thou not give me respite for a little while? I should then have given (largely) in charity, and I should have been one of the doers of good. But to no soul will Allah grant respite when the time appointed (for it) has come; and Allah is well acquainted with (all) that ye do. (Al-Quran, Al-Munafiqun 63: 10-11). Further, the Quran states: And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks. (Al-Quran, Al Insà ¢n 76:8-9). In another statement, the Quran states: For those who give in Charity, men and women, and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan, it shall be increased manifold (to their credit), and they shall have (besides) a liberal reward (Al-Quran, Al Hadà ®d 57:18). Sadaqah is important for a number of purposes. It reduces the sins and increases the virtue of a Muslim. It compensates for shortcoming in any negligence in the payment of zakat. For instance, if a person forgets to pay zakat in the past or was guilty to pay the zakat, the sadaqah reduces the burden of the past. Sadaqah give a sense of protection not only the giver but also to the receiver of falling victim of disaster. God pleasure is received through the sadaqah. It is pleasure of the giver of the charity. The person feels happiness and fulfills his/ her obligation to the betterment of the humanity. Model of Islamic Charity Sadqah and donation: Volunteer charity No specification of rate or time Depends upon the capacity of an individual capacity Zakat: Obligatory charity Wealth: (income, earnings and savings) at the rate of 2.5% per anum Agriculture product: Crops (around 10%). Islamic Tresury (Fund): Bait-ul-Mal Spending: Needy, poor (orphans, widows), employees to administer and collect zakat, for those whose hearts are to be won over, captive (prisoners), in debts and scholars, and for the wayfarers. Social Security: Marginalized persons, communities Fig 1.1 Fig 1.1 indicates that Islamic notion of charity is mainly based on the zakat, sadaqah and donation. These donations are collected at the Islamic funds. The fund is used to look after the marginalized community. This welfare is a form of social security. Everything related to the Islamic charity is based on the moral economy. The notion of moral economy is main crux of the charity. 2.3 Donation Third term which is often used is the donation. The donation refers to give money, gift or compensate the person, organization who is in need. A donation is typical a charity and it serves the purpose of humanity. Different words are used for the donation: khairat (Ø ®Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’Ø ± Ø Ø ª) or attya (Ø ¹ÃƒËœÃ‚ ·Ãƒâ€ºÃ…’Û ). These words denote the charity collectively and individually. Islam appreciates the donation to the cause of the humanity. It is normally given at the time of disaster, emergency, people in need, to save a human being, construct an educational institution and to feed the hungry people. 3. Difference between zakat, sadaqah and donation Zakat, sadaqah and donations are different kinds of charities in Islamic ideology. Zakat is the obligatory annual alms-giving which is determined on the basis of the value of ones own wealth. It is calculated 2.5% as per Islamic traditions in an year. The zakat is calculated at the beginning of the Islamic month Ramadan. According to the Islamic scholars, the zakat must be collected from the Muslims. This principal does not apply to the non- Muslims living in a Muslim state. It is mandatory and has strict verdict to pay the zakat, however, without any penalty for it. Zakat is responsibility of the only person who owns wealth. It is liable on the individual and the family. However, the sadaqah is a charity that is given beside the zakat contribution over the surplus wealth. It is volunteer act and without any percentage. Sadaqah is not specified as only monetary terms (feeding the poor and the needy), but also given support to the orphans, widows in the form of advising or counseling. It also includes the volunteer activities for the befit of the community at larger: teaching to the poor, giving sense of good faith and advising them to excel on the right path, the path of God. Similarly, some of the Islamic scholars believe that to form charity organization, construct educational institutions (mosque, school, college, universities) and construction of well (to clean water supply to the community) are the different forms of sadaqah. It can be given on the name of any relative (parents or children), if a person wishes to do so. Nevertheless, the sadaqah is volunteer act of the person and depend upon the capacity and surplus wealth of the person. On the other hand, the donation is neither time specific nor it is mandatory or obligatory. It is volunteer activity of a person. It significantly differs from the zakat, but close to the sadaqah. Nevertheless, these three types of the charity contribute to the welfare of the humanity altogether. 4. Comparative view of charity: Development of moral economy Islamic notion of charity (in its different forms) generates a moral economy. This is the economy which is based on the good faith and welfare of the humanity. In line with Bollig (1998) and Thompsons (1971, 1993) notion of moral economy. Islamic charity gives the following notion of charity. 4.1 Islamic charity: Moral injection Benthall (1999) highlights the Quranic injection of charity. According to Benthall the Islamic system of almsgiving (zakat) is more organized than other societies. For him, the zakat is closely associated with the prayers and the worship of God, therefore, the Muslim are morally obliged to pay the zakat to the poor, to the needy as per Islamic conception. He argued that Zakat can be distributed in poor, needy, orphans, widows, divorcees, prisoners and their families, unemployed and homeless people, students, those who cannot afford to marry. It is also for the disasters victims and those in need of free medicine or dignified funerals of a person who need it (Benthall 1999:31). Therefore, the Islamic charity is a moral injection to work for the betterment of the humanity. 4.2 Zakat: Powerful instrument to poverty eradication Zakat denotes growth, extension and purification and it is a donation on wealth and agriculture product. The zakat is collected as per nature of the wealth. It is collected to fulfill the tire needs of the marginalized segment of the society. The zakat is fundamental creed of Islam: It obligatory act of worship (Mohammad 1991). According to Mohammad (1996), the zakat is a system that has potential to eradicate poverty and inequalities (1991:1119). The zakat system is well organized system for the development of a country but it can be more organized for poverty eradication and for the maintenance of a society like Pakistan (Mohammad 1991). Similarly, a survey was conducted in 1990/91 of the household Integrated Economic Survey in Pakistan and findings revealed that the zakat and usher were the significant to contribute the lives of the people (Shirazi 1996). According to the survey, 39000 zakat committees were working with 250 thousand volunteers (Shirazi 1996:166). The zakat contribution on 1981/1982 from 845.85 million Pakistani rupees to 4655.9 million in 1993/94 (Shirazi 1996:170). The money was spending to substance allowance for poor (708.622 million), rehabilitation (245.669 million Pakistani rupees) and 1738234 people benefited from the zakat contribution (Shirazi 1996:185). However, the latest figures on the issue are not available. The development of the Islamic charity and its faire distribution could lead to alleviate and then eradicate poverty in the Muslim countries. However, the institution either do not exist or unable to deliver the services effectively. At some places, this institution was suppressed due to the fear of the dominance and power politics. Nevertheless, the Islamic charity has potential to contribute to the welfare of the humanity. 4.3 Charity: Road towards the social justice According to Bremer (2004:1) the development of any society local resources are necessary. Islamic societies developed over a range of charity organizations to in order to address the needs of the needy and poor. These organizations are zakat boards, wakf (endowment) and diverse local structures reflecting the richness of Islamic culture from Dakar to Davao (Ibid). For her, a strong civil society is now widely recognized as an important pillar supporting democratic institutions in the West (Bremer 2004:2). The strength of the civil society leads towards the development of the democratic institutions. According to her, foreign aid and a government is not enough for development in Muslim societies. Bremer outlines that in recent years USAID has funded the creation of an NGO service center that provides technical assistance and training to civil society organizations, and has granted financial support directly to NGOs ranging from business associations to community development groups (B remer 2004:3). For her, this development contribution can be significantly increased with the assistance of Islamic charity in Muslim societies. Ultimately, this charity leads towards the establishment of the social justice system (Bremer 2004). The whole notion of charity revolves around the notion of social justice in the Muslim world. The charity is the strong instrument to bring in the social justice. It helps the marginalized population within the society and tries to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. 4.4 Charity: Funding for free education According to Blanchard (2007) religious school work as a charity organization in Muslim countries. They are source of providing education to the vulnerable groups, especially to the madrasas (religious schools). Madrasas offer a free education, room, and board to their students, and thus they appeal to impoverished families and individuals. On the whole these religious schools are supported by private donations from Muslim believers through a process of alms-giving known in Arabic as zakat. The practice of zakatone of the five pillars of the Islamic faithprescribed that a fixed proportion of ones income be given to specified charitable causes, and traditionally a portion of zakat has endowed religious education (2007:4). Blanchard (2007) provides information that in Pakistan Madrasas are being observed by the government regarding their finance sources after 9/11 attack in the United States. He reveals that the madrasas are contributing to provide the education to the poorest. He found that madrasas are registered in Pakistan and their financial assistance is observed by the Government of Pakistan since August 2006 (Blanchard 2007:5). Nonetheless, the charity could fill the gap of the education. 4.5 Charity: Belief and health seeking behaviour A study highlights the importance of the sadaqah in health seeking behaviour in Pakistan (see Midway, Tabasco, Hani, and Khan 2010). This study revealed those patients who strongly belief and practice sadaqah (charity) feel better and believe that they can recover their health after giving charity to the poor. According to this research, almost 85% of the respondent thought and gave charity. The study reveals that the sadaqah is usually giving in the form of money (85.2%) clothes (49.2%) and sacrificing an animal (65.5%). Almost 92% of the respondents relate the belief and practice of sadaqah giving in the hope of recovery from illness. Nevertheless, charity gives internal strength to the patients and they believe that they can have better health recovery after giving the charity. 4.6 Islamic charity is universal or specific notion of welfare: There are two views about the Islamic charity. One, it is localized notion of welfare and limited to the only Muslims and the Muslim societies. The Muslims are contributors as well as consumer of the charity. This perspective is under criticism among a large segment of the Muslim scholars (see Benthall 1999). However, the second point of view is that Islamic charity is universal and every human being without border, creed and dogma can benefit from the charity. However, the charity contribution is applied only on Muslims. The Muslim contributes to the charity and gives equal importance to the whole human being in order to disburse the charity (Benthall 1999). However, they do not impose on the non- Muslims. Nevertheless, only Muslims are contributor of the Islamic charity. However, it is equally important to give the charity to the non-Muslims. There is no specification of creed or dogma in the Islamic charity (except zakat). The zakat is limited to the Muslim societies. The donation are without any religious affiliation or association. 5. Discussion There is wide spread opportunity to get resources in order to feed the marginalized segment of the society, as per the notion of Islamic charity, then why the Muslim countries are dependent upon foreign aid is a question which is often raised. In fact, there are two major reasons of the dependency of the Muslim societies on the foreign aid and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.1 Collapse of the charity institution: Change in the charity institutions Muslim countries depend upon the foreign aid because they were unable to maintain their institutions. Such institutions were collapsed during the colonization or soon after (Bremer 2004). In the eyes of the colonial masters, the Muslim charity institutions were the symbol of Muslim legacy and they were a source of the rise of the Muslim power. Therefore, it was necessary to abolish such institution from the Muslims societies (Bremer 2004). Especially, the zakat institution was under strong scrutiny during the colonial era because it was believed that this institution supports the freedom struggle. The colonial powers developed the institution of welfare instead of the zakat institution. However, this welfare institution, developed by the colonial powers, was perceived as not ones own. It was considered as a symbol to get money, but without any legacy (Bremer 2004). It was just perceived as the symbol of the colony and soon after become the source to collect the money by hook or by crook. People wanted to get benefited from the social welfare but not were ready to pay it back. Therefore, it was not much institutionalized as the zakat was spread during the Muslim era in the Middle East and in the Muslim countries before the 19th century. However, the Islamic charity institutions are believed as part of the worship of the God. Therefore, there were rare cases of the unfairness or corruption. They have strong check and balance to maintain the charity among the Muslim charity organizations. Nonetheless, the change in the charity institution brought mistrust and unfairness in the charity. Many of the Muslims societies became the prey of it and remain in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development. 5.2 Collapse of morality: Change to develop a new morality based on materialism Islam appreciates the giving hands (charity giver) and discourages the charity recipient. According to Islam, giving hand is better than the receiving hand. However, current scenario does not reflect the basic ideology of the charity of Islam. Despite of the fact that the zakat remain as an institution among the Muslim societies at individual level. However, it was not developed at the state level after the colonial era. It was perceived that state is in the hands of someone else (colonial masters or their local representatives) and there was not any institutionalized method of the zakat collection and its distribution. This mistrust or non-confidence led to collapse the real notion of the moral economy among the Muslims. In Islamic morality, there are two sets of rights and obligation for a Muslim: the rights to worship God and the right to serve the humanity. In Islam, the right of God may be put aside by the God, if He wants to do so. However, the right to serve the humanity cannot be neglected until unless the fellow human beings do not forgive it. It is exclusive related with the people and their rights. They (people, especially poor and the needy) have to forgive their rights to the fellow Muslims. So the Islamic moral values exclusive emphasize on the welfare and social security of the humanity and the marginalized group of the society. However, the collapse of the Islamic morality of charity is dominated phenomenon in the current era. It does contradict on the basic philosophy of the Islam that spends everything to the humanity which is surplus. However, the materialism and greed for wealth is dominant in the current culture of the Muslim societies. It is depicted in the life style and in the emerging value system. Consequently, it is affecting the basic notion of the Islamic charity and changing the moral economy of the Muslim in the contemporary era. 7. Conclusion Islamic concept of charity is much associated with the Muslim societies. It forms a moral economy and moral value systems (give charity and worship to the God). It also strengthens the notion of close social networking of the Muslims. However, it does not neglect the humanity at large. It gives a due share to provide the help to the people of the world. The charity is given to the needy, poor, scholars, charity organizations and welfare of the society at large. However, criticism to retain the Muslim charity among Muslim is not exclusive from the discussion of the charity. Dominant point of view, however, is in favour of the humanity rather than the welfare of the any specific community. Islamic charity begins from the individual level. It creates the space for the state. However, it does not exclusive involve the state to regulate the charity. The charity in Islam is equally important to the worship of God. Islam emphasize the worship of God (right to obey the God) and the service for the humanity (the rights of the poor and the needy). The charity is the right of the fellow human beings who are in need and it cannot be neglected as per Islamic moral economy. The Islamic charity is grounded in the concept of the moral economy.

Statistics Project :: Papers

My task during this statistics coursework is to gather relevant information regarding the memories of people with regard to many different factors. I shall need to create numerous hypotheses that are sensible and are practical to carry out, get information relevant to the hypotheses and present the data in different methods which are relevant to the experiment. Hypothesis My primary hypothesis is that pictures are easier to memorise than words, and words are easier to memorise rather than numbers. I have come to this prediction as I personally find pictures easier to remember because you can relate it to something and it is visual, visual objects are said to be easier to memorise. Secondly words are easier to memorise than numbers because words can be easily related to ones thinking and therefore people can remember them easily while numbers are harder to relate. However all this is based on what technique an individual uses to memorise things. My secondary hypothesis is that females have better memories than men, I have decided to test this as this is what most women stereotype, especially after they are married the husband I always the one forgetting everyone while the wife remembers every single detail even the tiniest thing such as their anniversary. My third Hypothesis is that memory declines as a person becomes older, I have based this theory on that the younger members of the family remember my birthday but the older ones as they get older begin to forget, and because they forget when you remind them you get double the present. So I am testing this theory to see if my free wealth is going to increase as I get older or decrease. How will I test my hypothesis? I will test my hypothesis in this question firstly by using the secondary evidence which will be provided to me via my mediocre school. This is a survey testing both males and females in years 7, 10, and 12. They will be tested on their memory of pictures, words and

Management Techniques For The Red-cockaded Woodpecker On Federal Lands :: essays research papers

Management Techniques For The Red-Cockaded Woodpecker On Federal Lands ABSTRACT The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) has been listed as an endangered species since October, 1970. This species inhabits pine forests in the southeastern United States where the majority of prime timberland is privately owned. Private ownership of preferred habitat and historically destructive silvicultural practices create unique problems for federal wildlife managers. This report analyzes three management techniques being used to assess and augment red-cockaded woodpecker populations on federal lands in the region, primarily military installations. Seeking cooperation between diverse government agencies, wildlife managers attempt to accurately assess species abundance, alter woodpecker nesting cavities, and construct nest sites in an effort to enhance red-cockaded woodpecker habitat on limited federal holdings in the American southeast. Key words: Picoides borealis, Global Positioning System, Geographic Information System, cavity trees, cavity restrictors The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is an endangered species that inhabits pine forests in an historical range from Texas to the Atlantic coast (Jackson, 1986; Reed et al., 1988). Picoides borealis nest in clans or family groups that usually consist of one breeding pair and 2 non-breeding male helpers (Jackson, 1986 ). This group establishes and defends a territory that includes foraging habitat and nesting "cavity trees" (Copeyon et al., 1991; Jackson et al., 1986; Rossell and Gorsira, 1996). Red-cockaded woodpecker clans excavate cavities in living pines, and have established a living and foraging routine in conjunction with the southeastern pine forests and the historical occurrence of fire, which reduces hardwood understory while sparing fire-resistant pines (Jackson, 1986). Much of the prime nesting and foraging habitat for this species has been systematically eliminated due to development, timber harvest and intensive fire suppression (Jackson, 1986). The emergence of dense hardwood understory and midstory as a result of fire suppression in red-cockaded woodpecker habitat has resulted in the abandonment of many otherwise undisturbed areas (Jackson, 1986; Kelly et al., 1993). The red-cockaded woodpecker has been listed as endangered since 1970 (Federal Register, 1970 as cited by Ertep and Lee, 1994). Four requirements for sustained red-cockaded woodpecker populations that are lacking in the species historical range are identified as critical to species stabilization and recovery: 1.) Open pine forests with shade tolerant understory controlled by cyclical fire seasons; 2.) Old growth Pinus palustrus aged > 95 years and Pinus taeda aged > 75 years; 3.) Approximately 200 acres for nesting group or clan; 4.) Multiple clans per area to maintain genetic stability and variability (Jackson, 1986). The opportunity to establish or preserve these habitat qualities on private timberland is largely lost due to historical harvest practices and development, and research on expanding populations on federal

Analysis of the Investment Opportunities in Amp and Qbe Essay

This study investigates the opportunities to make an investment decision between AMP limited and QBE Insurance Group Limited. In order to find that, this study has done ratio analysis, risk and return assessment, SWOT analysis and analysis regarding the influence of the external environment. Both AMP limited and QBE Insurance Group Limited are in the insurance industry whereas QBE provides general insurance service and AMP has two business units which includes AMP Financial Services and AMP Capital Investors. Considering profitability analysis, systematic risk and cost control policy, investing in AMP Limited is found out to be a better choice than investing in QBE Insurance Group Limited, even though EPS and P/E ratio contrary the choice. This study has also done SWOT analysis on the insurance industry and external environment analysis which may affect the investment decision. Therefore, after considering all these analysis, this study concludes that investing in AMP limited decision would be worthwhile than investing in QBE Insurance Group Limited. 1. Introduction The purpose of the report is to make a conclusive investment decision between AMP and QBE companies based on educated analysis which includes ratio analysis, risk and return assessment, SWOT analysis and impact of external environment on the AMP and QBE. Therefore, company’s financial performance, future profitability opportunity associated with risk can be speculated prior to the investment decision. 2. Company profile As one of the largest companies in Australia, QBE Insurance Group Limited provides general insurance services not only in Australia, but also in all over the world. And for AMP limited, it is an Australian financial corporation which focuses on insurance services to the customers in Australia and New Zealand. 3. Risk Assessment 3.1 Current ratio For the financial year ended 31st Dec 2010, AMP has a current ratio of 9.99 which is larger than the QBE figure 1.30. Since current ratio is a measure of short-term solvency of companies, the ratio indicates that AMP is more liquid than QBE in 2010 financial year. In a historical view from Table 1 in appendix, the current ratios of AMP were constantly larger than QBE figures in the past 10 year. 3.2 Debt/equity ratio From the balance sheets provided by Annual Report Online Database (n.d.), the D/E ratios can be calculated as 29.36 for AMP and 3.08 for QBE in 2010 financial year. The enormous difference between D/E ratios of the chosen firms indicates that AMP has bigger debt components in its capital structure than QBE does. The D/E ratios of AMP and QBE for years between 2006 and 2010 shows AMP shareholders are bearing more risks than QBE shareholders because of the heavy portion of debts the company has to generate value for each dollar in equity. 3.3 Return on equity In 2010 financial year, AMP gives us a ROE of 24.45%, compared with the ROE of QBE which is 12.30%. The ROE figures indicate that each dollar in AMP’s equity could generate more profit than that in QBE’s. From information provided in Fin Analysis Database (n.d.) and illustrated in Table 2 in appendix, we can analyze the historical trends of the two companies. From 2005 the ROE ratio of AMP had a continuously growth above QBE and reach the peak of 52.43% in 2007. After that period, both AMP and QBE had slight contraction in ROE, however the ROE of AMP maintained larger than QBE till now. From the ratio analysis above, we can briefly conclude that the AMP has more risks in long-term solvency than QBE; however, it is much more profitable than QBE for each dollar invested in its equity. Considering analysis above, investing in AMP is better over QBE from the profitability point of view. 3.4 Systematic risk analysis 3.4.1 AMP Provided by Fin Analysis Database (n.d.), the beta coefficient of AMP is 1.73. The beta figure suggests that the systematic risk of AMP is greater than the average risk in the market. Based on coupon rate of 5-year and 10-year government bonds as well as the market risk premium for 2010 provided by Pablo Femandez (n.d.), the expected return of investing in AMP is 14.78% for 5 years and 15.78% for 10 years. 3.4.2 QBE From Fin Analysis Database (n.d.), the beta coefficient of QBE is 0.50, which is smaller than an average risky asset and the beta of insurance industry. The expected return of investing in QBE is calculated as 7.65% for 5 years and 8.65% for 10 years. As illustrated above, the systematic risk of AMP is larger than QBE, this result in a greater expected return on investment in AMP for a five to ten years period. 4. Return analysis 4.1 Earnings Per Share As we can see from the historical data from Fin Analysis (n.d.), as at 30/12/2010, the EPS of QBE was $121.73, obviously higher than that of AMP which was $36.90. For the last ten years, the EPS of QBE was generally indicated a trend of stable growth from 2001 to 2007 and peaked at 2007 of nearly $225.67, however, from 2008 to 2010, the EPS started to decrease, especially decreased from $196.41 in 2009 to $121.73 in 2010. As for AMP, on the other hand, there was a significant change of EPS in 2003, during which time the EPS decreased from -$78.73 to -$399.86, afterwards it also had ups and downs, but the trend was quite smooth with an EPS around $40.00. Therefore, considering the trend in the last ten years, OBE has a higher EPS with reasonable fluctuation. 4.2 Net Profit Margin Net profit margin is commonly used to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s ability of converting revenue into actual profit. During the last ten years, both AMP and QBE experienced a generally increasing trend in the Net Profit Margin except for the year 2008. The average net profit margin of QBE and AMP was around 5% and 10% respectively, which indicates that AMP might have a more effective cost control policy compared to QBE. 4.3 P/E ratio (PER) As we can see from the database of Financial analysis (n.d.) which showed in Table 3, from 2003, the PER trend of both QBE and AMP were quite smooth without much fluctuations. Also QBE generated a slightly higher PER than AMP, which indicates that QBE yields higher returns and is more price sensitive than AMP. 5. SWOT analysis 5.1 Strengths: The life and the non-life insurance section in Australia are certainly considered as an attractive place where to do business, because both segments are expecting to grow over the future period more at a rate of 7% per annum compared to the growth rate for the industry as a whole. 5.2 Weaknesses: Non-life insurance premiums are barely developing because this segment is fully grown in mature market, so it is difficult to invest and benefit to investors. There is also a lack of reinsurance capacity in the local market and the local market of investments is exposed to the requirements of the global market. 5.3 Opportunities: There is a strong linkage between life insurance products and superannuation funds which mean the growth of the superannuation funds will benefit to life insurance in Australia. Voluntary motor insurance and non-life insurance are growing quite dramatically in Australia, so there is still a possibility of investments to these products. 5.4 Threats: The investment risks in connection with the popular insurance products are placed with the clients, not with the insurers. That is, fluctuation in global financial markets may easily have a negative impact on life premiums. 6. Impact of external environment of insurance industry The world economy is not stable in recent several months. That means the growth of world economy cannot be reasonably guaranteed. It is due to the fact that two of the most important and largest economic bodies in the world cannot seek appropriate solutions to their own economic problems. As the largest economy in the world, American economy has been in difficult situation and struggling since the world financial crisis. The US economic statistic data have revealed that the recovery of the America’s economy will probably be a long process. For example the unemployment level of the last six months in America is between 9 to 10 percent. It should be mentioned that the US average unemployment rate is 5.7 percent. Even though the data indicates that the US manufacturing industry rebounded last month, the probability of recession is still high. The economy of European Union (EU) is also experiencing difficulties. The European debt crisis has been spreading from Greece to Spain and Italy. It is an unambiguous fact that Greece is insolvent. Even though Spain and Italy is not insolvent, they have liquidity problems. The suddenly deteriorated finance in Europe has resulted in the loss of confidence of investors. The insurance industry has been growing steadily since global financial crisis. But the natural disasters such as the flood and hurricane in Queensland have important influence on insurance industry .More specifically, QBE suffered from these catastrophes such as storms in Queensland and Victoria. Besides, the 12 tornadoes that happened in America and Christchurch’s fourth major earthquake in New Zealand also affected QBE’s profit. But these natural disasters failed to decrease QBE’s profit. Instead, it was the contraction in insurance margins led to the shares of QBE to decrease. 7. Conclusion In conclusion, AMP limited is better choice than QBE Insurance Group Limited to invest due to high profitability opportunity, considering systematic risk and cost control policy although EPS and P/E ratio indicates in favor of QBE. According to returns, AMP is slightly better than QBE in terms of investment decision. Therefore, it would be highly recommended to invest 1 million dollar in AMP limited rather than QBE Insurance Group Limited.

Nostradamus and his Quatrains

Michel Nostradamus was a 16th century French physician and astrologer who had the figure of a prophet as perceived by his disciples. However, Nostradamus’ predictions were usually muddled and obscure before so-called predicted event but crystal-clear after the event had occurred. He wrote four-line verses that were particularly meaningless until an event had occurred; hence, the verse of prediction was considered as â€Å"shoehorned† into a prophecy, which can be sometimes classified as retroprophecy of his quatrains or four verses predictions. Hence, within this study, the discussion aims to link the concepts of quatrains with Nostradamus’ predictions. Michel de Nostredame, born in December 14, 1503 and died in July 2, 1566, had been considered as one of the mythical seers of prophetic fields. Nostradamus had been his popular name throughout ages, and with this, the subject of prophecies links with his name. The French so-called â€Å"prophet† by his disciples was significantly known for his poetic quatrains that depict some sort of indirect and unclear predictions. However, the magic of his statement only occurs right after its occurrence. Most of his prophecies revolved in world state issues but try to conceal their meanings with the literary way in Nostradamus writings. Discussion Overview on the Concept of Quatrains From the historical perspective, Nostradamus’ quatrains had been published in 1555, which he entitled Centuries. His book contained his visions and all his predictions about the future of the world. Nostradamus was able to conceptualize 10 chapters of the book with 100 quatrains present each except for chapter 7, which only contained 42 quatrains. In addition, the quatrains of Nostradamus did not indicate any signs of time or date; hence, the actual interpretations of these predictions became vague and somehow literary severed. The quatrains in his book had this jumbled characters and the arrangements of its meaning took a long time before being organized. Most evidently, Nostradamus used the literary poetic style of four-lines in a verse or known as Quatrains. The most evident characteristic of his statements was the absolute use of figure of speech that made it hard for the reader to interpret the predictions initially; however, these statements somehow magically revealed their meaning right after the event had passed. The quatrains of Nostradamus, according to the book of Cannon (1992), contained obscure and foreign words wherein beneath possessed severely unexplainable interpretations (4). Although some can be interpreted, most of Nostradamus quatrains had used the vague identities of the statements in order to conceal their true meaning for a while. Cannon (1992) added that most of Nostradamus’ statements had not been interpreted in satisfactory manner so far (4). Nostradamus’ quatrains were so vague that they could have applied to many possible events, or symbolisms that could be convoluted with many possible interpretations. Nostradamus was able to cleverly disguise the meaning behind his quatrains in order to confuse those attempting to interpret the prophecies before their fulfillment. As supported by Oliver (2004), Nostradamus’ quatrains were hand-written in Old French, which could be very difficult to translate (11). Through these clever literary disguises, Nostradamus was able to veil the predictions prior to its occurrence; hence, saving the world from preparing prior to tragic events or future world disasters. Out of more than 900 prophecies of Nostradamus, none of them comprised of date, which further complicated the interpretations of these quatrains. However, despite of the vague identities and thoughts of Nostradamus’ quatrains, he had used some patterns that could be used as guides in understanding his quatrains. Although, most of the modern observers and readers did not considered the applications of Nostradamus’ predictions towards the globally occurring events.   As for the explorers of Nostradamus’ predictions, they had considered the quatrains of Nostradamus’ as predictions of the future; however, from the term itself, a prediction should fist be relayed and interpreted prior to the occurrence of the events. With the proposed argument of Diamond (2004), after the President Kennedy was shot, everyone jumped on the Nostradamus quatrain bandwagon and said that through his quatrain, he had clearly predicted the Kennedy shooting. However, this is not predicting since predicting means successfully calling a circumstance prior to its occurrence rather than using post-hoc reasoning to explain something (161). From his supporting statement, the predictions of Nostradamus and the vagueness of his quatrains had somehow initiated the concept of retroprophecy or the revealing of truth to his prophecy only after its occurrence. Despite of diverse critics on Nostradamus’ quatrains and predictions it conceived, some of these were extraordinarily and undeniably accurate. According to Goldberg (1999), the style of predictions made by Nostradamus may or may not be intentionally being veiled for future assumptions of interpreters (218). The retrograde characteristics of Nostradamus’ prophecy cannot be entirely considered as due to his intention of hiding it to the readers, since he had conceptualized this during his time and possibly without the knowledge of the changing French language. However, arguments would rise from this reason, since Nostradamus did not only use Old French language to veil his prophecy but also his figurative way of expressing his predictions. Arguments on whether or not to consider the validity of Nostradamus’ predictions aroused because of the retrograde characteristics of his predictions. On the other hand, the mystery of these quatrains was more understood in relation with American society and, as against to the early translations, the European society. As the twentieth century entered in, some of the predictions of Nostradamus regained its clarity and application not with the European society, but most often to the United States (e.g. September 11, 2001 bombing, etc.). As supported by McClaine (2000), Nostradamus had mentioned the birth of different personages who were born after his death and the rise of nations that were unknown or unthinkably despicably in his day (20). Nostradamus’ predictions may even faced this character of revealing itself right after the scenario occurred; however, his quatrains had somehow considerably predicted most of the events occurring within the global context, most especially with the American society; hence, the quatrains of Nostradamus did provide significant means of hiding its meaning and further exposing it right after fulfillment. Nostradamus and his Predictions Many of Nostradamus’ readers had long attempted to translate the prophecies in his statements. Unfortunately, even the original translations were not as accurate as it seems, and so far, no significant changes in the translations had been made. Adding into the complexities of Nostradamus’ quatrains, the Old French meanings had been modified by time for the last 400 years; hence, most of the words can no longer be applied to the translations of modern French.   Two points were common to his predictions, which were the presence of allegory and deep literary disguise. According to Ned (1999), the predictions of Nostradamus utilized codes, patterns and oracles that had been camouflaged in references to the past and molded in to rhyme of verses (8). Nostradamus simply wrote down the prophesies that arrived to his thinking; however, he was able to document it properly without further giving patterns via place, time, or events. From the complex meaning and diverse possible interpretations from Nostradamus’ predictions, it should have been easier if Nostradamus’ indicated the dates of his predictions; however, as supported by Halley (1999), Nostradamus himself did not consider placing it for good reasons (8). Overall, the vocabularies that Nostradamus used within his predictions were approximately 8,000 words; however, some of these, despite of similar means, were used in differently in a poetical form. As supported by Thurston (2004), some of the predictions in his quatrains seem unarguable accurate, and particularly fulfilled in his own society and time (39). However, only few of Nostradamus quatrains would possess significant linkage to historical events. The sense of ambiguity and enigma still governed the multiplicity of meanings in his predicting quatrains. Some of the skeptics would consider the predictions of Nostradamus by either problematic or significantly true. In the sense of being problematic, Thurston (2004) argued that some of the articles in Nostradamus’ predictions were impossible to have been conceptualized or even grasped (e.g. aircraft vessels, guns, sky-scrape buildings, etc.) four hundred years before its actual occurrence (39). On the other hand, the same reason could be applied to justify Nostradamus’ realistic predictions since there were no possible means to grasp these ideas except for truthfully seeing them through predictions (Desrosiers 46). For the sake of interpretations, some critiques in this study would defend the presence of pattern in Nostradamus’ predictions; however, Welch (2000), argued that Nostradamus’ punctuations were wildly erratic, apparently following no particular rule or pattern (7). There were no patterns employed in any of Nostradamus predictions in order to facilitate the revealing of his quatrains message only after the occurrence of the incident. In some perspective, Popkin (1992) provided the statement that even Nostradamus claimed that his capacity to predict came as a divine providence from God, which allowed him to predict the coming future (182). According to his argument, Nostradamus had to ensure that the revelations of his quatrains will only occur after the events had already pass in order to avoid the change of predictions and the future. If human civilization can to obtain control over these predictions, the chances of its failed occurrence will be likely since humans will eventually prepare prior to the event’s occurrence (Frank 204). Somehow, Nostradamus had to ensure the retrograde character of his quatrains in order to protect predictions stored with it, and further prevent warnings from ever arriving to human thinking. An Analysis to Nostradamus Four-Line Verses The disguises of Nostradamus’ quatrains involved various confusing parts because of some sort of punch lines that he had incorporated, which, if interpreted correctly, could provide a new picture of interpretation. In one example, Nostradamus’ Quatrain 87 from Chapter 1 says (cited in Oliver 12): Great symbols on fire in the center of the mainland Will cause trembling in the towers of New York City Two great skyscrapers will be continuously attacked, This is when Arethuse turn-around to a new course. This has been one of the famous quatrains from Nostradamus’ prediction, which gained its popularity during the bombing of 1993. Civilians and believers of Nostradamus’ predictions had thought that this was the fulfillment of his statements; however, things went clearer during the September 11, 2001 attack in the World Trade Center twin towers. According to Oliver (2004), quatrain 87 refers to the World Trade Center as the French Old English suggest, â€Å"Enno-sigee†, which connoted enno as great one and sigee as standing silent; hence, depicting the great ensigns of the New York skyline (12). After the event had occurred, the statements from media repeatedly reported the downfall or incident of the symbols of American capitalism or in translation, the great ensigns or symbolisms (Ward 117). Lastly, the Arethuse in the last statements of Nostradamus’ prophecy did not actually appeared in the modern context of French language, but rather considered to be the Old French language. From etymological analysis, Arethus could be translated to Aerthuse and if interpreted right, â€Å"Are† should mean air, while â€Å"thuse† should mean tubes. If these words were translated, it could somehow mean â€Å"air-tubes† or â€Å"air-vessels†, which if interpreted with the statements, â€Å"this is when Arethuse turn-around to a new course†, could mean the aircraft that changed its course to hit the twin towers during the September 11, 2001 disaster  Ã‚   (Oliver 12-13). Hence, as for the thesis of this study and with this statement analysis, the predictions of Nostradamus could be composed of vague and unclear statements; however, upon the fulfillment of events, these prophecies revealed their meaning to the readers with correct interpretations. This was only one of the many prophecies of Nostradamus that provided a significant character of being â€Å"retroprophecy† or revealing of predictions after its fulfillment. Ironically, Nostradamus distributed his Centuries of 1955 in order for men to possess basis that these significant global events were destined and already plotted, but clearly not to warn or save humanity from the impending disasters and conflicts that future had in store for human civilization. Conclusion In response to the thesis of the study, Nostradamus had indeed utilized a retrograde feature for his quatrains or four-line verses in order to hide the predictions from humans preventing them to possess warnings and prepare for the upcoming future. Evidently, Nostradamus purposively disguised and used Old French in order to conceal the meanings, provide multiple interpretations, and hide the actual predictions of his quatrains. However, after the fulfillment of the given statement had been fulfilled, the events were being revealed to human minds. Scholars had suggested possible patterns in his quatrains that may hold access to deciphering his predictions; however, so far, little portions of success had been made due to the complexities his quatrains. Works Cited Cannon, Dolores. Conversations with Nostradamus: His Prophecies Explained. Ozark Mountain Publishing, 1992. Desrosiers, Gilbert. An Introduction to Revelation: A Pathway to Interpretation. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000. Diamond, Leonard. Alien Conscious: Sixty Years of Abduction Experiences. Gate Way Publishers, 2004. Frank, Joseph. The Atlantis Encyclopedia. Career Press, 2005. Goldberg, Bruce. Astral Voyages: Mastering the Art of Soul Travel. Llewellyn Worldwide, 1999. Halley, Ned. Complete Prophecies of Nostradamus. Wordsworth Editions, 1999. McClaine, Lee. Across Centuries: Nostradamus, Apocalypse, Destiny and the Great Millennium. Universal Publishers, 2000. Oliver, Edward. Trail Of Prophecy. Virtualbookworm Publisher, 2004. Popkin, Richard. The Third Force in Seventeenth-century Thought. BRILL, 1992. Thurston, Mark. Edgar Cayce's Predictions for the 21st Century. Star Enterprises International Inc., 2004. Ward, Charles A. Oracles of Nostradamus. NuVision Publications, 2007. Welch, R W. Comet of Nostradamus: August 2004-Impact!. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2000.   

Decreasing Population of Bachelor of Secondary Education Essay

INTRODUCTION Anyone who chooses a teaching career in the Philippines must hold a degree in teacher education. Teachers in public and private elementary schools must have at least a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. High school teachers are expected to have a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with specialization (a major and a minor) in high school subjects. Both degrees are awarded upon successful completion of approved teacher education courses in recognized institutions. Teaching in colleges or professional degree programmes at the tertiary level requires at least a master’s degree in a particular area of specialization. But obviously, population of Bachelor of Secondary Education students were decreasing ultimately. Because of these, quality of education in the Philippines will likely face a crisis if the current trends in decreasing college enrolment and increasing dropouts especially Bachelor of Secondary Education and Bachelor of Elementary Education will continue. There are several factors to consider why the population of Education students diminished. Due to continuing tuition hikes, many college students decided to take vocational courses. Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines reported that approximately 22 percent overall student survivals from first to fourth Year College. And undeniably, teacher is a very stressful profession. Teacher engaged in actual classroom teaching that render not more than eight hours of actual classroom teaching a day, preparation and correction of exercises and other work incidental to his/her normal teaching duties. Secondary teachers shall be assigned to no more than six daily forty-minute periods of instruction. For college, the normal teaching load of a full-time instructor shall be eighteen hours a week. The teaching load of part-time instructors who are full-time employees outside of teaching shall not exceed twelve hours per week. However, the average teachers’ salary at present is inadequate as source of livelihood. Teaching is a noble profession companied by the fact that they have a lot of pressure responsibilities to mould people in the society they belong. RELATED LITERATURE Teaching is a profession whose rewards have the potential to be great, yet its challenges have the potential to be frustrating at the same time. Teachers have the opportunity to positively impact their students’ lives. Helping young people reach their potential is extremely rewarding. However, some students are difficult to connect with, or have problems that interfere with their behavior and performance in the classroom. Aside from that, they also encounter difficulties in their work schedule, most teachers arrive at school early, stay late or bring work home. Planning, grading, meetings, conferences and professional development must be accomplished in addition to the daily teaching of lessons. They are also a typical 10-month employee and are off when school is closed for holidays and vacations. However, teachers may have to get summer jobs to supplement their salaries (Sally Miller, 2005). All higher education institutions in all countries have experienced tension between the demand to be specifically applicable to local needs and the desire to maintain ideas and values of universal reference (Hargreaves, 1973). Basically in Bachelor of Secondary Education or in any other teaching/education courses. The management structure of primary teaching education is inadequately organized to guide teacher education institute in accordance with the national development strategy. Rigidity and inefficiency in the schooling process result from the absence of effective, central and complete planning(Dunkley, 1981). Because of this, teacher’s wanna be decreasing extremely. According to Dr. Rupert Maclean(1988), there are some important implications for the development of the system of teacher education in the region such as: (1) need to recognize that the pursuit of learning is a lifelong process, (2)an examination of the extent to which educational institutions should be autonomous, and the consideration of the social and economic cost and benefits involved when greater autonomy occurs, (3)the reform and expansion of teacher education as a vital step towards the rejuvenation of public education. On the other hand, A Unesco Publication, The Changing Role of the Teacher, states â€Å"There was a time when the teacher’s roles was to pass down to the younger generation the knowledge, experiences and mythology of a slow evolving society The pace of change in contemporary society has made his role redundant. The role of teacher must be, among other things, a change agent. It does not matter whether one is addressing the situation in a developing country or an industrialized nation, the problem remains the same. What are the new dimensions of his/her role, and how is the teacher to be trained to fulfil that role. In examining the changing role of the teacher we need to see the changes as being a response to, and an attempt to confront the pressure of a society undergoing constant transition† (Goble and Porter, 1977). For this statement, we can say that teachers play an important role in changing the education in the society. For example, in Malaysia, education is envisioned to serve two important functions: (1)a means to achieve national unity and (2) a vehicle for national development. Since 1964, English was slowly replace by Bahasa Malaysia, the argument being that a nation system of education using a common medium of instruction, in addition to a common syllabus , will provide a strong base for promoting national unity. Unfortunately, the policy has created inter-ethnic tension, in view of the fact that in Malaysia about 53% are Chinese and about 11% are Indian origin(S. Husin Ali, Chang Yii Tan, Tan Boon Kean, 1987). Teacher is responsible in almost every job in the society especially when we are talking about the future of every student they handle in primary, secondary and tertiary level. Focusing in higher education, according to Trow(1938:132) higher education itself ‘a stratified system of institution, graded formally or informally in status and prestige, in wealth, power and influence of various kind. Moreover, teacher in the Philippines had its beginning as early as Spanish period. Teacher education programs have always been dictated by the urgent needs of the time, Before 1950, there were only a few state colleges offering a teacher education program. However, when the Department of Education reported the gravity of the problem of undersupply of professionally qualified teachers, enrolment in teacher education registered slowly upward. To encourage more schools to offer teacher education courses, requirements for opening normal schools and college were relaxed(Carson, 1978). Furthermore, most countries in the region of Asia recognize the crucial importance of pre-service education for teachers. For instance, the 1986 National Policy on Education states that â€Å"no people can rise above the level of its teachers† (de la Cruz, Leandro, 1988). Lastly, most important evidence of quality in an education system is to be found in the quality of the pupils/students produced. The problem, however, is to arrive at satisfactory indicators which will show that better quality education has been achieve (Adams, 1988). Accordingly, much discussion in quality and standards will show in this research. And also this study will attempt to show what was really the factors we can consider in the change in population of education students. For future studies, it will be necessary to analyze different data that related in the given topic. This research will have the great contribution in people awareness especially students on what are the trends in higher education. METHODOLOGY In order to gain information, the researcher conducted an interview with the highschool teacher including Mrs. Carol Isidro (Filipino II), Mrs. Crisamie Mendieta(Physics), Mrs. Laudato (Filipino II), Mrs. Musa (English I) and university instructors namely Ms. Michelle Zuniga (ITEC), Ms. Rona Feranil (Math), Ms. Jeneth Menil (P.E. and English), Mrs. Cherry Rose S. Uminga (Biology), Mrs. Grace Balingit ( Campus Asst. Librarian). It was made on March 3-5, 2010 at the Carmona National Highschool and Cavite State University- Carmona Campus. The researchers were able to perform an interview through the use of interview sheet/form/guide which the data currently record. They also used a pen to write every single information that the interviewee provide. During the pre-interview stage, the researchers put all the possible questions in a sheet of paper and improve it through the use of Microsoft word 2003. They also used Xerox machine to multiply the number of interview form/ guide. At the interview proper, the researchers used English language as the mode of communication. They apply formal way of gathering the point of views of the target population. And at the post interview stage, the researcher combined all ideas that the sample population had provide. Some of the information they were able to gather play an important role in interpreting the different ideas in understanding the cause of the issue of decreasing population of Bachelor of Secondary Education. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In pre-Spanish times, education was informal, unstructured, and devoid of methods. Children were provided more vocational training and less academics by their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors. Major changes in education system happened during the Spanish colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries. Education was religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in the early years of Spanish colonization. But education during that period was inadequate, suppressed, and controlled. According to a new report of Commission on Higher Education (CHED), that the number of tertiary population in schoolyear 2002-2003 was 1.87 million compared to 2.4 million in 1994-1995. It cites however that general population of college students in the universities without classifying the program they belong was decrease incredibly. Even though there have not been any formal studies and analysis about this subject, there are several people and organization that will contribute in the explanation of the issue. According to Raymond Palatino, vice president of Anak ng Bayan (nation’s youth), college students who can no longer afford to study a four year course are planning to shift in other program usually vocational just to achieve their dream of earning a college diploma. In the lowering economic status of the Philippines, teachers play an important role in molding a future to a better one. Bachelor of Secondary Education program and many other teaching-related program students will likely face a doubt in pursuing their profession. They are more responsible in all aspects of an economy rather than any other job. Thus, they have great mission in everyone’s life. The purpose of this research is to provide consciousness towards the current issue of diminishing number of college students specifically Bachelor of Secondary Education students. Knowledge about this topic would make people aware in possibilities and reasons behind education status of a country. Concerning the standard of education in the Philippines, in June 2009 the president of the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines (FAAP) cited the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) notice a continuing decline in the quality of education in this country. He said this was due to four main factors: ‘a) mismanagement of the educational system, b) not investing wisely in education, c) lack of management competencies, d) systemic corruption. Another reason why the Philippines is not a major supplier of tertiary education for overseas students in the region is because some instructors and professors in SUC’s (state universities and colleges) be deficient in several abilities in professional teaching. These mandated subjects include the life and works of Filipino national hero Dr Jose Rizal, three subjects of Filipino language, and basic mathematics, science, and Filipino cultural subjects more appropriate for senior high school than for tertiary level. Also in order for the researcher to have primary information about the certain matter, they conducted an interview and look some documents that will testify the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education students in Cavite State University and Carmona National Highschool located at the community of Carmona, Cavite. The basic purpose of the interview was to gather different opinions and personal point of views of the people which generally related to the issue and the aim of the documents was to show relation of different information. The mode of communication during the interview proper is in English language in order to show formality and may give highly appropriate information. The prepared question in the interview guide/form was commonly as regards to the behavior, characteristics and ability of the sample population. From the school documents of Cavite State University, the researcher was able to identify the number of Bachelor of Secondary Education during first and second semester since 2002 at given university. As a follow up to this information, the Graph 1 shows the overall population of the enrollees of BSE program. Figure 1 Graph of enrolled students in BSE program at CvSU Carmona Campus, (Mrs. Mojica, Campus Registrar) As can be seen by the graph, the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education was inconsistent. At school year 2002-2003, during first semester of given year, the recorded population was 22 enrollees. At the latter part or in second semester, the population increased by 26. The population through that year (2002-2003) was said to be slightly increased. At first semester of 2003-2004, the enrollees were 84, and at the second semester in decreased by 76. At the first semester of 2004-2005, the documented enrollees increased by 119, and at the second semester, the enrollees extremely increased by 124. The inconsistency of the population appears at the middle of the year between 2002 to 2007. During the first semester, the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education at year 2005-2006 was 132 and at the second semester it declines to 121. At reach of 2006, the population on that particular campus noticeably decreases. The year 2006-2007, first semester, the enrollees was 110, it decrease to 104. And at the following year (2007-2008), the BSE students was consisted of 86 (first semester) and 93(second semester). At 2008-2009, the BSE program students got their smallest population at only 71 during first semester and 66 at second semester. Fortunately, it survives and reaches 84 enrollees at first semester of the year 2009-2010 and at second semester it decreased to 71. The population in that particular campus was the number of Bachelor of Secondary Education students in all year levels. The researchers also gather information from the teachers of Carmona National Highschool and instructors of Cavite State University-Carmona Campus through interview. From 5 sample population that the researchers were able to interview, such results only shows that people are aware in the tertiary level issue especially in teaching program. The first question at the interview guide was the reasons why did they choose Education program as their profession. From 5 interviewees 2 of them answered that that’s their parent’s choice. Also 2 of them proclaimed as their passion at the remaining one said that it’s their childhood dream. The result of first question shows that variation in reasons on choosing their program occurs. There are several aspects in choosing a program. It may be the behavior of a students or the behavior of the people around them. Another question although too broad to discuss â€Å"what are the factors to consider in choosing a program?† According to the observation of teachers/instructors there are too many factors they consider in entering the field of teaching. It can be the (1)parents choice, (2)job demand, (3)stability or security of the future job, (4) location of the school, (5)availability of the school, (6)scholarship offered, (7) line of interest, passion, personal choice or childhood dream (8) affordability or in financial matters, (9)relatives or friends influence. Another question answered by the interviewee, â€Å"What did you notice in the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education nowadays?† tested the attentiveness of the respondents. The result was interesting because majority showed that they see population of BSE students was said to be decreased. Only 1 of them, out of 5 answered that it increased. In order for the researcher to identify point of views of the sample population about the factors that affect the decreasing population of BSE students, they include it in their interview guide. The results of the question give ideas about the aspects which is much related in a given topic. The main factors given by the teacher/instructors were: (1) financial, (2) job demand, (3) unable to reach the standard, (4) majorship offered in the universities, (5) stressful, (6) issues or bad images of the teachers nowadays, (7) salary, and (8) chance to go abroad. The result of this question provides an appropriate answer about the certain topic. Although no longer the main component of this research, most of the target population that researchers able to interview has smaller number of colleagues whom they really want to be a teacher. According to Ms. Jeneth Menil (Engl and P.E. teacher in CvSU), and Ms. Tita Salamatin (English instructor in CvSU) approximately 10 % of her overall classmates in highschool really wants to be a teacher. And base on the observation Ms. Michelle Zuniga (ITEC teacher in CvSU) there are only 5 % wishes to be a teacher. Mrs Crisamie Mendieta (Physics teacher in CNHS) proclaimed that 2 out of 40 of her secondary classmates has a passion of teaching. While Mrs. Musa (English teacher in CNHS) notified that there are about 20 % of her highschool colleagues would like to be an educator. Fortunately, according to them, most of their highschool classmates including the teachers/instructors they interviewed whom wants to be a teacher pursued what they really want to be. Luckily, after several years of studying in teahing profession most of them succeed to be a teacher. But during their stage of studying in college, their college colleagues their population inside the campus as the Bachelor of Secondary Education students, their population said to be diminished as they reach their senior year. They give possible reason on why this condition occurs. The target interviewee told so that money is one of the greatest possible reasons for that. Some of their classmates choose the more convenient, time-saving courses such as vocational courses. Another reason was some of their colleagues realized that it is not their line of interest or their passion. According to Mrs. Mendieta others would like to take medicine/nursing for they think that it is in demand abroad. Lastly, the researcher confirmed that the population of Bachelor of Secondary Education decline after several years of establishing a teaching related field. They also give an idea about several factors on why this circumstance triggers. CONCLUSION The researchers prove that the population of students taking up of Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) is decreasing due to the different reasons. The researchers also conclude that there are several factors that really affect on students in order for them not to choose teaching programs. Those factors include: (1) financial, (2) job demand, (3) unable to reach the standard, (4) majorship offered in the universities, (5) stressful, (6) issues or bad images of the teachers nowadays, (7) salary, and (8) chance to go abroad. Each factor was perceived by the target population which consists of highschool teachers and university instructors. This research show that aside from giving readers an idea about the condition in terms of population of the tertiary level students specifically Bachelor of Secondary Education (BSE) program, it also provide awareness about the factors that affect in this phenomenon. Although not really a main part of the research, the researchers still provide information about the vast majority of teachers interviewed indicate that they are satisfied with their jobs, but there are problems. While teachers’ salaries have improved, many teachers believe that their pay is still inadequate. Local conditions have a major impact on teacher satisfaction. On the teacher’s wish list for job improvement are lighter workloads, more parental support, fewer discipline problems, and greater administration support. Students at tertiary level have a freedom to choose what program they were able take, but researchers tries to identify the major causes, effects, and explanation in the current trends in the society. They also supply needed information and data in order to understand what really the topic is. Recommendations, suggestions, clarifications and point of views by different kind of people combined in only one research paper and organize it according to purpose. This research aims to promote the Bachelor of Secondary Education program and it also intends to increase the number of enrollees to certain program.