Consumer Preference About Different Branded Sports Shoes Essay Example for Free

Consumer Preference About Different Branded Sports Shoes Essay Statement about the problem This project takes a look in various kinds of Merchandising activities, Market Share of different sports shoes and various Sales Promotion schemes, which are followed in the Sports shoes industry. The three major global players i. e. Reebok, Nike, and Adidas dominate the sports shoes industry in India. India is one of few battlegrounds in the world where there is neck-to-neck competition between the three. The companies claim to be in number one sport coating the data produced by two different marketing research companies. In the 1980s, Adidas sneakers became popular amongst teenagers and young men. The Adidas sneaker was popularized by the Run DMC song My Adidas and became a huge fashion trend. The Tapie affair the history of the company as presented by its official web site is incomplete, perhaps because it is indirectly linked to financial scandals. After a period of serious trouble. The death of Adolf Dasslers son Horst Dassler in 1987, the company was bought in 1990 by Bernard Tapie, for 1. 6 billion French francs ($320 million), which Tapie borrowed. Tapie was at the time a famous specialist of rescuing bankrupt companies, a business on which he built his fortune. Nike is the worlds #1 manufacturer and marketer of athletic footwear and apparel. Almost out of the blue, the company established itself as one of the worlds most familiar brands during the 1980s and 1990s. As familiar as a Coke bottle or Big Mac, the Nike swoosh logo came to symbolize not just sports culture, but street culture, as the appeal of the star players who endorsed the brand was carried onto city streets. The approach of the new century set Nike new problems. Trainers went (briefly) out of fashion, economic slowdown and labor problems hit Asian performance. But the group has bounced back, retaining its iron grip on the sporting apparel sector and still undisputed leader in sports-oriented street wear. Reebok is the worlds third-largest maker of sneakers, athletic shoes and sports apparel. Goods are sold under the brands Reebok, Rockport and Greg Norman Collection.

Education policy Essay Example for Free

Education policy Essay Security, quality education, access to healthcare, prospects of a reasonable job on merit and sound economy are the ingredients to be provided by the state to its citizens to run the state and the society smoothly. Growth of successful nations is denoted particularly to the education. There was a time when people believed that higher education should be available to people of all social classes and, obviously, it was freely available to all who wanted it. The fact that it is not, that public education was once available and now it is very hard to access is indicative of deep problems in Pakistan. Encouraging colleges and universities to raise their own resources by charging higher fees has clearly excluded a significant section of students belonging to poor sections of the society. Education in Pakistan is now so expensive that poor can’t even imagine of their children becoming doctors and engineers. Our education system is passing through a very bad phase now and it is regarded as perhaps amongst the poorest in the world. Cream of the Pakistani brain is either becoming idle due to non-availability of ever rising cost of education or going to other countries. UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS Article 1 provides; every child has the right to have equal access to an education, irrespective of their color, creed, nationality, ethnicity, or social and financial status, so they may obtain gainful employment and contribute to the growth of their society, being born free and equal in dignity and rights. Life for a common man in Pakistan in this so called â€Å"democratic† regime has already become difficult owing to the all-round price rise across the country. Inflation, combined with policies of privatization, has caused a complete deterioration in living standards of the people. Frankly speaking, there is no such thing as democracy in Pakistan. This type of â€Å"democracy† has often left the common man in constant struggle for survival. Majority of Pakistanis are living in poverty and unsustainable economic conditions; when they are struggling for their livelihood education loses its utility in their eyes and it becomes far from their desire. But for the riches and powerful corrupt politicians, things are very rosy. Pakistan is suffering terribly for that, with socio-political and economic crises strewn all over the society like a straw hut in a typhoon. Lack of good education and unemployment in Pakistan would contribute many social ills, including crime, prostitution, and the break down in law and order. In Pakistan, providing education to the masses had always been state responsibility. Now there has been a major push for the private provision of educational services. Moreover, corrupt politicians, feudalism, injustice are such problems which have further pressed the most pressed people of the country. Education is a tremendous tool for social change as well as an opportunity out of poverty traps. People trapped in the lower classes have trouble climbing out of it because they lack the tools to do so, because they live in a feudal society that actively works to keep them there, and education can be a form of escape hatch. But Education System in Pakistan In Human development Report Pakistan is placed at 136th position for having just 49. 9% educated population. In addition to that, Pakistan is ranked at 113th out of 120 registered UN members according to the research conducted by UNESCO et. all. Some of the very basic flaws of the education system in Pakistan contribute to the economic, ethnic and sociopolitical crisis within the country. Flaws of Education System in Pakistan Firstly, the education system of Pakistan is based on unequal lines. Medium of education is different in both, public and private sector. This create a sort of disparity among people, dividing them into two segments. Such a distraught infrastructure is a basic cause of high illiteracy rate in Pakistan and high drop out rates in rural areas and public school. Secondly, regional disparity is also a major cause. The schools in Balochistan (the largest province of Pakistan by Area) are not that much groomed as that of Punjab (the largest province Of Pakistan by Population). In FATA, the literacy rate is deplorable constituting 29. 5% in males and 3% in females. The third major cause of flawed education system in Pakistan is gender discrimination. The current primary school ratio of boys and girls is 10:4, which is a cause of huge concern. For the last few years there has been an increase in the growth of private schools. It is believed that Pakistan is among the most prominent states affected by gender discrimination. That not only harms the quality of education in Pakistan but create a gap among haves and have nots. Fourthly, the lack of technical education is a biggest flaw in the education policy that has never been focused before. Therefore, less technical people means low standard of education. Fifthly, the allocation of funds for education are very low. It is only 1. 5 to 2. 0 percent of the total GDP. It should be around 7% of the total GDP. At that budget allocation, the illiteracy rate in Pakistan would not decrease but rather increase. The federal and provincial governments need to cut down their expenditures in other areas and spend a bigger proportion of income on education. Moreover, the quality of education in most of the public schools and colleges is well below par; the teachers in government schools are not well trained. People who do not get job in any other sector, they try their luck in educational system. They are not professionally trained teachers so they are unable to train a nation. Quality of teaching needs special attention in rural areas where the teachers lack in all departments. In America, Europe and most of the developed countries, the emphasis of the states is on developing virtual education systems i. e. provision of education through online networks. The idea of online education is gathering momentum and many online institutions have been set up which offer online courses and online degrees. The Higher Education Commission and Education ministry need to focus on developing a strong online education network so that students through out the country can benefit. Universities such as Harvard, Berkley and MIT are offering online courses and degrees. It reflects the importance of online education in todays modern high tech world. Finally, Poverty is also another factor that restrict the parents to send their children to public or private schools. So, they prefer to send their children to Madrassas where education is totally free. The government has to make changes to financial infrastructure to improve the situation. Bank loans for education purposes should not be interest based as it discourages the people of Pakistan to acquire loans. Education loans are offered at low rates through out the world and it enable people to acquire quality education. Social awareness regarding all these issues need to be spread and we, the people of Pakistan have to work hand in hand with the government authorities to improve the current system. Our children should not be deprived of their basic right to acquire knowledge. All these issues contribute to high illiteracy rate, which in turn result in economic crisis in shape of high unemployment rate and below-par quality of labor. Moreover, the country suffers on social, political and technological front! There are hundred other problems which need attention but the core-issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. You can read my article Pakistans Educational System which is an overview of the education infra-structure within the country. In todays world, the benchmark for excellence is education. Moreover, if a country has a distraught academic infrastructure, the chances to survive in current competitive world are petite. The illiteracy rate in Pakistan is alarmingly high which calls for critical attention. The federal and provincial governments need to work together towards elimination of flaws of education system in Pakistan. The first time I thought about education and its significance to this society was when I went on a field trip to a school set up by an NGO in the late 1990s. It is now a rightly famous NGO but back then during my sixth grade field trip it just seemed like a project of a group of cranky Karachi businessmen who had decided to spit against the wind of the government’s non-interest in providing education to its people. These rich grouches had  gotten together in the chaos of 1995 Karachi and seeing the government more interested in massacring hard-boiled militants than provide social services, they decided to simply pool their own money and build their own schools. How benevolent of them. I would love to see these rich men’s tax receipts. The citizens of a country shouldn’t be dependent on the benevolent charity of rich men. Through their own democratic political process, citizens must enforce upon their richest members the income taxes necessary to fund an education system that reaches every child in the state. The fact that Pakistanis have not done so points towards the weakness of their political system in dealing with its population’s educational needs. There is no real shortcut from the state actually enforcing a tax system that extracts the adequate revenue needed to fund the creation of a school near every human settlement in Pakistan. The goal I have described of having a school near every human settlement in Pakistan, is what Pakistan is obligated to do under its current international treaties and the simplest and most straightforward way it can be done. It is certainly not impossible. Pakistan has managed to make sure that no human settlement lacks a mosque. The same needs to be done for schools. Where we went wrong Nationalisation of schools, as was done by the Z. A. Bhutto administration, was a shortcut that cannot be used, and was actually instrumental in ruining government schools. The provincial governments that ran education departments became overstretched then to the point of breaking. The schools that were nationalised saw the prospect of future capital and human investment in them pointless, as the former owners were now dispossessed of their old stake in the schools. Good teachers left, rather than become government employees to be posted in far flung places, and the lack of good teacher training colleges, a necessity unacknowledged up until recently, saw little competent replacement. By nationalising the missionary (Christian), faith-based (Muslim) and private schools, an unwieldy, unplanned expansion of Pakistan’s school system reduced the status of government school teachers to the corrupted, incompetent, ineffective place it finds itself in today. Teachers do not come to classes, and if they do, they are ill-prepared to teach. It becomes difficult to weed out and penalise underperforming teachers because their status as government employees prevents them from being penalised as they would be in the private sector. As much as this rhetoric may sound similar to the United States, Pakistan’s teachers’ unions continue to shelter wildly incompetent teachers, who beyond being simply bad at teaching, many times do not even show up. Anti-participatory environment We are not helped either by large class sizes, low teacher to student ratios, non-production of teachers in a sufficient quantity and quality by the low number of Pakistani teacher-training colleges. Central to this remains the criminally low expenditure on education by Pakistan, and the failure to collect or divert enough revenue to the education sector. Taking the education emergency of Pakistan seriously would mean finding means to increase the amounts spent on education in Pakistan, on a war footing. Students cannot themselves push for an effective learning environment. Despite the fact that some students actually do want to learn, the environment that exists in classrooms, does not brook dissent. This discourages students from bringing up flaws in their educational setting. This anti-participatory environment in classrooms is facilitated by excessively large class sizes, which discourages teachers from having more individualised interactions with students. This anti-participatory trend in classrooms is complemented by an anti-democratic trend in schools, where no voting is done to elect new prefects or monitors, rather the relevant students are appointed by the school administration. Giving students an opportunity to actually vote for their school leaders might inculcate democratic and participatory values in them at an earlier age, and teach them the responsibility of making their own decisions. If and when these students reach Pakistani universities, they can adequately recognise the entrenched authoritarianism accumulated in many of Pakistan’s universities over the last three decades. Student politics This persistent anti-democratic trend within Pakistan’s educational establishments has reinforced the low academic quality of these institutions. There is little legitimate input from the student bodies on how their education is conducted. Since the 1980s student union elections have been either banned or delayed, witnessing unrest in a violent country like Pakistan ripple into campuses as violence, as opposed to measured  debate. The situation turned chaotic in the 1990s when the general mayhem of the city of Karachi coincided with violence on the Karachi University campus. The presence of such violence made the students of that decade disinterested in participatory politics. This suited the authoritarian and bureaucratic administrations of varsities, as well as the sclerotic, unelected leadership of Pakistan’s political parties. They did not mind that the students of Pakistan slid into political apathy. However, the importance of student politics was re-kindled in the 2007 lawyer-led movement against the dictatorship of General Musharraf. The importance of student politics was even acknowledged by the government that won against Musharraf in 2008, when it lifted the ban on student and trade union elections. However, the twist in the tale has been the glaring domestic democratic deficit of this government. The anti-participatory atmosphere on campuses has not lifted as no memorable student elections have been held. Neither have any well-publicised trade union elections been held. And most significantly, no internal party elections have been held in any party that maintains a decisive number of seats in parliament. What the lack of student democracy has to do with Pakistan’s state of education is that there is no feedback from students, who are the objects of education. There is no diminishment in the cruel authoritarian atmosphere of Pakistani government classrooms, where teachers, in negligent enough environments can still use sticks to punish students. I never really thought about education in society as a child. That would have been expected of any 11 year old. But when I visited a third grade NGO school classroom in the late ’90s and saw another 11 year old struggling with phrases I would read just for fun, it hit me how serious the problem of illiteracy was for Pakistani society. In a misbegotten decade as that one, beyond the Gordian knot we had witnessed of Karachi’s bloody politics, the reality of children’s mis-education struck me as a crueler fate, a dire issue that had to be resolved immediately. That’s because these ill-educated children would not remain children much longer. They would soon be badly-educated adults. And if this cruel act of omission by Pakistani society was not amended quick enough, then one more generation would see their adulthoods wasting away under the 21st century curse of illiteracy. Tax the rich, teach the kids. We have an education emergency on our hands. The Education System of Pakistan is divided into five levels 1. Primary level (Class 1 to 5) 2. Middle level (Class 5 to 8th) 3. Secondary level (S. S. C) 4. Intermediate level (H. S. C) 5. University level (Graduation, Masters and Research) Another division of Education System in Pakistan according to the School System 1. 1.  Public Schools or Government Schools These schools are managed and financed by the government. Unfortunately, the majority of the schools are in poor condition.  » There is no any merit system; teachers and other staff are appointed by the ministers on their own wishes.  » There is no any accountability; a large number of GHOST SCHOOLS AND GHOST TEACHERS are listed in the documents. They are receiving funds and pays, but, in reality they did not exists.  » In Rural areas, the buildings of public schools are mostly held by Waderas and Feudal. They use them as marriage halls, otaks, bethaks etc. â€Å"Public schools are the nurseries of all vice and immorality. † (Henry Fielding) 1. 2. Elite Class Schools (private schools) Due to badly failure of government in providing the Education, the Elite Class Education System in Pakistan got successes very quickly. Today, even poor prefer to send their child in these private schools but because of high fee structure many aspirants are unable to part this Education System. It is generally accepted that, the standard of Elite Class Education System is more reliable and first-rate than Public Schools and Madarsas. There is accountability, transparency and checking system. Generally, the students of private schools are more competent than those of public schools and Madarsas. The government should take lessons from this Education System. These are successive models for the government i. e. CITY SCHOOL, BEACON SCHOOLS, PAK-TURK SCHOOLS etc. 1. 3. Madarsas Madarsas are the largest NGOs of the world. Today in Pakistan about 8000 Madarsas are working. They provide not only Education but also accommodation and food. They provide Islamic as well as worldlyEducation. Mostly, poor parents who are unable to educate their child prefer this Education System. The government should introduce the reforms for the Madarsas and improve their standard. This will be helpful in two ways. Firstly, it will provide free of cost education to poor child. Secondly, it will lessen the burden the government. Before the 18th Amendment, the EducationSystem in Pakistan was the responsibility of Federal Government. The Ministry of Education at Federal level was responsible for formulating Policies, Planning and Promotion of Educational facilities across the country. But, after the passing of 18th Amendment, the responsibilities of Education System are divided among the Federation and the Provinces. The responsibilities of the Provinces 1. To set the Curriculum 2. To set the Syllabus 3. Standards of Education up to Grade 12 (F. Sc, H. S. C, I. Com, etc). 4. Islamic Education The responsibilities of Federation are following 1. Planning and Policy 2. External Affairs; Signing, implementation and monitoring of Bilateral and Multi-lateral Educational Agreements, Pacts, Protocols, MoUs 3. Controlling of Libraries, museums, and similar institutions 4. Federal agencies i. e. FATA 5. Special Studies 6. Inter-provincial matters and co-ordination. † 7. Legal, medical and other professions. 8. National planning and national economic coordination including planning and coordination of scientific and technological research. 9. National Education Policy and clear cut Domain over the following acts. 1. 1. Centres of Excellence Act 1974 2. Area Study Centres Act 1975 3. Pakistan Study Centres Act 1976 4. National Book Foundation Act 1972 5. Fed. Board of Intermediate Sec Education Act 1975 6. Federal Directorate of Education Isb. [Article 142 (d)] 7. Federal Supervision of Curricula, Textbooks and Standards of Education Act 1976 8. National Education Foundation Ordinance 2002. Source: http://www. defence. pk/forums/national-political-issues/125588-education-system-pakistan-good-bad. html#ixzz2PKkMjbtM Flaws hovering over Pakistan’s education system Filed under ISSUES 0 According to the reports of Human development our country is placed at 136th with just 49. 9 percent educated population. There is lack of uniform education system. Private and Govt. educational institutions has different syllabus. The flaws in education system lead to sociopolitical, economic and ethical issues in our society. Our education system is based on uneven lines. Even the medium of education is different in private and public educational institutions. This inequality has divided people among two segments. Such a distressed educational infrastructure is a crucial cause of increasing rate of illiteracy in Pakistan. The regional discrepancy is also main reason illiteracy in Pakistan. The schools in largest province of Pakistan Baluchistan are not establish and sparked as schools in Punjab. There is lack of awareness among people about the significance of education. In FATA the literacy rate is very poor constituting 29. 5% in men and 3% in women. The gender discrimination is also one of the major causes of educational flaws in country which is projecting the boys and girls primary schools ratio 10:4 correspondingly. In the last few years many new primacy schools for girls and boys are established but still there is need to establish more and more primary schools to meet the educational needs of increasing population. In the last decade the growth of private sector schools is tremendously increased. The private schools trend not just harms the quality of education but also created a huge gap between rich and poor. The people of lower class couldn’t afford the fees of private educational schools and colleges. In public schools there is lack of quality education. There is also shortage of required facilities like qualified, train staff, furniture and school buildings etc. Our educational policy doesn’t focus on technical education. There are very few technical institutions and less technical trained people in country. The funds allocated for the education are not sufficient the funds are just about 1. 5 % to 2. 0% of total GDP. Although to promote the education the funds must be about 7 percent of total country GDP. With increased education budget the literacy rate in country will surely increased. The provincial and federal Government both need spend a larger portion of their income on promoting education. Author: Rizwan Ghani Posted On: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 Source/Reference: www. pakobserver. net Total Views :1320| After 18th Amendment, improvement of education in Pakistan to international standards can be done with help of international frameworks including Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and boards like National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Federal and provincial governments have to address the issue of teaching language (English, Urdu or regional languages), standardization of curriculum, and dealing with two-track education system- Urdu and English medium to take local and international exams. These tested frameworks can bring the progress of decades in Pakistan while saving billions of dollars. Thus, Pakistan needs to adopt appropriate policies to raise education standards, sustain economy and earn foreign exchange. The political, social and education complexities of teaching language can be controlled with help of international frameworks. PISA does not require the member states to change curriculums, teaching languages and teaching methodologies. It allows governments to periodically monitor outcomes of national education systems within internationally agreed framework. It provides a basis for international collaboration in defining and implementing educational goals and skills that are relevant to adult life (professional and social). PISA reading, mathematics and general science frameworks help bring national education at par with international standards. Around half a million 15-year-olds from 75 countries representing 28 million students, participated in PISA 2009 assessments and surveys. Pakistan can use PISA to improving national education standards in all provincial languages (www. pisa. oecd. org). Teaching in local languages can improve Pakistan’s education standards internationally. According to the 2011 Writing Framework for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of America, good writing instruction empowers students to acquire new knowledge and to develop critical thinking skills. This is true of writing in all subject areas, not just English language http //www. state. nj. us/education/assessment/naep/results/writing/2011naep. PISA and NAEP framework rubrics allow student evaluations irrespective of language. Learning and teaching in mother tongue is a universal human right recognized by UN. China, was a top scorers in 2009 PISA testing http //www. nytimes. com/2010/12/07/education/07education. html. It shows education in mother tongue does not affect nation’s international competitiveness and national education standards. Since education is a provincial subject, therefore provinces should be free to impart education in local languages, make English and Urdu as optional languages. Provinces can issue degrees with pass/fail with English/Urdu or both to free the country from politics of language. It will allow students to continue higher education without passing compulsory languages, which is a major contributor to school and college dropouts. It will allow the students to join job market who do not wish to continue with further education. The employer can omit or consider language(s) pass/fail status of candidate at the time of employment. On the other hand, the higher education institutions can keep compulsory languages as part of admission criteria. In line with many American universities, a six months period can be given to first year university students to clear compulsory languages. In terms of syllabus, international frameworks and boards can help Pakistan’s policy makers develop required syllabuses, fulfill demands of local market, and meet national education objectives to bring national and international education at par. They allow improving exam testing and incorporating modern technology in reading and writing. In addition, they facilitate linking of national boards to international boards like NBME (www. nbme. org). NBME model allows state medical qualified doctors to take national level exams, upgrade national education and examination standards and link them to rest of the world. It allows tens of thousands of international medical graduates to take United States Medical Licensing Exam without actually studying in American medical colleges. It is equally true for British, Australian and New Zealand medical boards. This model can help cut cost of professional education and fight poverty in Pakistan. Based on these frameworks and models, federal and provincial governments of Pakistan should collaborate to standardize local education and bring it equal to international standards. Islamabad should hold annual summits with China and western countries in line with reports of annual Indo-US higher education summits planning collaboration of universities in both countries. In addition, Pakistan needs to allow private publishers to print books according to the contents of given courses. It will improve concepts of students, standard of books and education. The existing control of federal government on higher education needs to be changed by allowing provinces complete control of universities, scholarships, hiring, training etc. Federal government needs to become a regulatory body instead of controlling authority and facilitates provinces to standardize higher education, provincial education and bring it equal to international levels. Federal education setup should work with ministry of labor and manpower to identify and develop human resource for interprovincial and overseas market, work with foreign missions to issue annual forecast of overseas jobs and train foreign workers and students. Pakistan needs to organize education to cater to local and international needs, attract foreign investors and earn foreign revenue. Reportedly, America and Britain earned $31bn and ? 8 bn in 2010 from foreign students respectively. China is charging $5333 boarding lodging fee annually for a five-year MBBS and one-year internship. It is also offering seven-year specialization degree programs (5 years MBBS and 2 years specialization) in most medical fields. Beijing has gained international recognition through standardized tuition fees, transparency, qualified staff and allowing foreign students and teachers in local universities (http //www.4icu. org/cn/). The Chinese model can help Pakistan cut prices of professional education by 50 percent and train surplus number of local and foreign students to sustain domestic and international needs. In line with China, Pakistan should also take necessary steps to attract flocks of foreign students, interns and investors. Finally, a debate is going on in China on two-track system- one for national college entrance exam (the gaokao) and other for international exams. Imran Khan’s PTI is deliberating about single education system. Pakistan can overcome challenge of teaching language, two-track system (English and Urdu medium) and bringing local education at par with international with help of international frameworks, NBME and more freedom to provinces. | Pakistans Education System and Links to Extremism Author: Jayshree Bajoria October 7, 2009 * Introduction * A Dysfunctional System * Government Reform Plans * The Madrassa Myth? * Reforming Madrassas * U. S. Policy Implications. Pakistans poor education system has increasingly become a matter of international concern. Lack of access to quality education, which in turn limits economic opportunity, makes young Pakistanis targets for extremist groups, some experts say. The World Bank says nearly half the adult population of Pakistan cant read, and net primary enrollment rates remain thelowest in South Asia. Experts say the system suffers from inadequate government investment, corruption, lack of institutional capacity, and a poor curriculum that often incites intolerance. In August 2009, chief counterterrorism adviser to the White House John Brennan, summing up a concern held by many U. S. terrorism experts, said extremist groups in Pakistan have exploited this weakness. It is why they offer free education to impoverished Pakistani children, where they can recruit and indoctrinate the next generation, he said. There have been some efforts by the Pakistani government, Western governments, and the World Bank to reform the system, but serious challenges remain. A Dysfunctional System According to the Pakistani governments National Education Policy 2009 (PDF), three parallel streams in educationpublic schools, private schools, and Islamic religious schools, or madrassashave created unequal opportunities for students. Of the total number of students going to primary school (grades 1 to 5), 73 percent go to public or government schools, 26 percent to private schools, and less than 1 percent to madrassas, according to the Karachi-based policy research institute Social Policy and Development Center. Within the public and the private sector, there are elite schools catering to a small minority of students. The majority of students attend low-quality private and public schools with poor curriculum, limited teaching materials, and inadequate number of properly trained teachers, or in many cases absent teachers. [N]o Pakistani leader has had the courage to implement serious [education] reforms- Pervez Hoodbhoy The government-mandated curriculum is a major concern for Western observers who say it encourages intolerance and a narrow worldview. Except in some elite private schools, which do not follow the government-prescribed curriculum, all public schools and registered private schools have been required to teach Islamiyat, or Islamic studies, for nearly thirty years. In addition to Islamiyat, many scholars have noted that the government curriculum uses Islam for a wide array of controversial ideological objectives, writes C. Christine Fair in the 2008 book The Madrassah Challenge. A 2003 report on the state of curriculum and textbooks by the Islamabad-based independent Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) said that for over two decades.

Effectiveness of Ivy Gourd Leaves Powder on Blood Glucose

Effectiveness of Ivy Gourd Leaves Powder on Blood Glucose CHAPTER-V DISCUSSION, SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, IMPLICATIONS, LIMITATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This chapter deals with discussion, summary, and conclusion drawn. It also clarifies the limitation of the study, the implications and recommendations given for different areas of nursing practice, nursing education, nursing administration and nursing research. DISCUSSION Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both (WHO). Diabetes has emerged as a major healthcare problem in India. It is estimated that 40 million persons with diabetes in India in 2007 and this number is predicted to rise to almost 70 million people by 2025. It is estimated that every fifth person with diabetes will be an Indian. The real burden of the disease is however due to its associated complications which lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have produced advancement on the social and economic front in developing countries such as India which have resulted in dramatic lifestyle changes leading to lifestyle related diseases. This transition from a traditional to modern lifestyle, consumption of diets rich in fat and calories combined with a high level of mental stress has compounded the problem further.( International Diabetes Federation (IDF) 2007) The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Ivy gourd leaves powder administration in reduction of blood glucose level among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The data collected for the study were analysed statistically and discussed below based on the objectives. The sample size was 80. 1. Demographic variables of subjects on blood glucose level among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients The distribution of demographic variables of 80 subjects are as follows, majority 43(53.75per cent) are in the age group between 46 to 55 years, regarding sex majority 47 (58.75per cent) were to male, regarding religion 68(85per cent) believing in Hinduism, regarding educational status 53(66.25per cent) most of them are secondary and above qualified ,regarding occupation 47(58.75per cent) most of them are employed, and regarding family monthly income 41(51.25per cent) of them has an income between Rs.6501 and 7500 ,and related to marital status 75(93.75per cent)are married, related to type of family 53(66.25per cent) are living in nuclear family, regarding dietary pattern 76(95per cent) of them are non-vegetarian, related to un healthy practices of client 21(26.25per cent) of them has the bad habits of smoking, related to healthy life style practices 74(92.5per cent) had not following any healthy life style practices, regarding BMI 35(43.75per cent) of them are having BMI more than 2 7 related to family history 70(87.5per cent)of them had no significant family history and related to number of hospitalization due to illness 73(91.25per cent) has no history of hospitalization 2. The first objective of the study was to assess the pretest and post test blood glucose level among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients The findings of the present study revealed that most of the 80 subjects pretest fasting blood glucose level was above 151 mg/dl for 34(42.5 per cent). The pretest post prandial blood glucose level for 34(42.5 per cent) was upto170 mg/dl. On the 14th day post test fasting blood glucose value analysis shows that 42(52.5per cent) subjects has a blood glucose level upto 130. The post prandial blood glucose level for 69(83.75per cent) are in the range upto 170 mg/dl. On the 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level analysis shows that 67(83.75per cent) has a blood glucose level upto 130 mg/dl. The post prandial blood glucose level for 77(96.25 per cent) subjects was upto 170mg/dl. 3. The second objective of the study was to determine the effectiveness of Ivy gourd leaves powder administration on blood glucose level Dr. Julian Whitaker (2011) conducted a study on effectiveness of Ivy gourd in reduction of blood glucose at Rajasthan the results showed that in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 60 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic subjects (not taking any medications for glucose control) received either 1,000 mg of Ivy gourd extract, or a placebo. Those taking Ivy gourd extract experienced better blood sugar control, with a 15.6 per cent decrease in fasting blood glucose level. Mean score of pretest fasting blood glucose level is 145.5 and mean score of pretest post prandial blood glucose level was 177.5. Mean score of 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level was 131.13 and mean 14th day post test post prandial blood glucose level was 157.88. Mean score of 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level was 119.4 and post prandial blood glucose level was 144.11. The comparison of pretest fasting and 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 16.282 is significant at The comparison of pretest fasting and 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 20.794 is significant at The comparison of pretest post prandial and 14th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 21.912 is significant at The comparison of pretest post prandial and 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 28.183 is significant at The comparison of 14th day fasting and 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 11.961 is significant at The comparison of 14th day post prandial and 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 11.961 is significant at The data shows that there is a significant reduction of blood glucose level after the administration of Ivy gourd leaves powder. The longer the period of administration of Ivy gourd shows more significant effectiveness in reduction of blood glucose level. Thus it reveals that the 28th day of administration of Ivy gourd is more significantly effective than the 14th day of administration of Ivy gourd leaves powder. 3.The third objective of the study was to associate the demographic variables with post test blood glucose level . Cruickshank (2007) stated that the global prevalence of diabetes for all age group is estimated to be 2.8%. Type-2 diabetes accounts for at least 90% of all diabetes worldwide. Diabetes incidence, prevalence and progression various by ethnic group. This review highlights unique aspects of risk of developing diabetes its overwhelming vascular complications and their management mainly using data among south-Asians and African-Caribbean’ in the United Kingdom data. It also concluded that although the origin of the ethnic difference in incidence need further clarification, many factors should be amenable to prevention and treatment in all ethnic groups worldwide. The chi-square was used to associate the level of post test blood glucose level with age, occupation, income, dietary pattern, family history of diabetes mellitus, life style practice, and BMI. There is no association between 28th day post test fasting and post prandial blood glucose level with selected demographic variables. Summary The study is conducted to determine the effectiveness of Ivy gourd (coccinia indicia) leaves powder administration on blood glucose level among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in selected areas of coimbatore. The objectives of the study were To assess the pretest and post test blood glucose level among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. To determine the effectiveness of Ivy gourd leaves powder administration in reduction of blood glucose level. To associate the selected demographic variables with post test blood glucose level. The study tested the following hypothesis There is a significant reduction in the blood glucose level of the type 2 diabetes mellitus after the administration of Ivy gourd leaves powder. The conceptual frame work adopted was Mr.Ludwig Von Bertalanff ‘General system theory (1968). The research design using for the study was quasi experimental, one group pretest post test only design. A house to house survey was done for selecting the sample. The sample size consisting of 80. The tool used for data collection consists of demographic variables test for clinical variables, test for clinical variables. The data collected for a period of 6 weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used in statistical analysis Paired ‘t’ test used to determine the effectiveness of Ivy gourd leaves powder administration in blood glucose level .The study tested and accepted the hypothesis that there is a significant reduction in the blood glucose level. Major findings of the study In this study among 80 subjects, majority 43(53.75per cent) are in the age group between 46to 55 years, regarding sex majority 47 (58.75per cent) belongs to male, regarding religion 68(85per cent) believing in Hinduism, regarding educational status 53(66.25per cent) most of them are secondary and above qualified ,regarding occupation 47(58.75per cent) most of them are employed, and regarding family monthly income 41(51.25per cent) of them has an income between Rs.6501 and 7500 ,and related to marital status 75(93.75per cent)are married, related to type of family 53(66.25per cent) are living in nuclear family, regarding dietary pattern 76(95per cent) of them are non-vegetarian, related to un healthy practices of client 21(26.25per cent) of them has the bad habits of smoking, related to healthy life style practices 74(92.5per cent) had not following any healthy life style practices, regarding BMI 35(43.75per cent) of them are having BMI more than 27 related to family history 70(87.5per cent)of them had no significant family history and related to number of hospitalization due to illness 73(91.25per cent) has no history of hospitalization In this study fasting blood glucose level upto130mg/dl for 14 (17.5per cent) subjects, 131-150mg/dl for 32(40per cent) and remaining 34(42.5per cent) are in the range of Above 151 mg/dl. The pretest post prandial blood glucose level Upto170mg/dl for 34 (42.5 per cent) subjects, 171-185mg/dl for 21(26.25per cent) subjects and remaining 25(31.25per cent) are in the range Above 186. In this study the 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level upto130 mg/dl for 42 (52.5 per cent) subjects, 131-150 mg/dl for 31 (38.75per cent) and remaining 7 (8.75 per cent) are in the range of Above 151 mg/dl. The 14th day post test post prandial blood glucose level upto170 mg/dl for 69 (86.25 per cent) subjects, 171-185 mg/dl for 21 (26.25 per cent) subjects. The 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level upto130 mg/dl for 67 (83.75 per cent) subjects and 131-150 mg/dl for 13 (16.25 per cent) and the 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level upto170 mg/dl for 77 (96.25 per cent) subjects and 171-185mg/dl for 3 (3.75 per cent) subjects. In this study there was a significant difference between the pretest and post test blood glucose level. Mean score of pretest fasting blood glucose level is 145.5and 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level is 131.13. Mean score of pretest post prandial blood glucose level was 177.5 and 14thday post test post prandial blood glucose level is 157.8, and compared with paired ‘t’ test it shows that it was statistically significant. Mean score of pretest fasting blood glucose level is 145.5 and mean score of pretest post prandial blood glucose level was 177.5. Mean score of 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level was 131.13 and mean 14th day post test post prandial blood glucose level was 157.88. Mean score of 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level was 119.4 and post prandial blood glucose level was 144.11. The comparison of pretest fasting and 14th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 16.282 is significant at The comparison of pretest fasting and 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 20.794 is significant at The comparison of pretest post prandial and 14th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 21.912 is significant at The comparison of pretest post prandial and 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 28.183 is significant at The comparison of 14th day fasting and 28th day post test fasting blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 11.961 is significant at The comparison of 14th day post prandial and 28th day post test post prandial blood glucose level, the computed value of ‘t’ is 11.961 is significant at There is no association between 28th day post test fasting and post prandial blood glucose level with selected demographic variables Conclusion Consuming Ivy gourd leaves powder is an effective, feasible, low cost method to decrease the blood glucose level. It can be used as a home remedy for the treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. The findings of the study are consistent with the literature and have support from the studies conducted in India and in the world. Based on the method of sample selection and support from many studies conducted throughout the world, the findings may be generalized to individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study findings provides the statistical evidence which clearly indicates that Ivy gourd is one of the best therapy to lower blood glucose level. Implications Nursing is a dynamic process, which involves quality based practice, scientific body of knowledge and dissemination of research knowledge into practice. Nurses can incorporate the Ivy gourd as one of the excellent herbal therapy for effective management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. The present study findings have several implications in Nursing practice, Nursing Education, Nursing Research and Nursing Administration. Nursing practice : The nurses working in the community setting should practice the use of low cost, effective, acceptant therapy as an integral part of their profession. The present study showed that most of the patient with type 2 diabetes had high high blood glucose level. Nurses should initiative in introducing the practice of low cost preparation of Ivy gourd powder in the community setting. The proper dissemination of low cost, effective, acceptant therapy is essential. The nurses should place the health in hands of people especially the adults. Nursing education The nursing education can provide education to the nursing personnel to update their knowledge on the alternative methods of treatment like Ivy gourd leaves powder and its valuable benefits to the patients. The nurse educator can create awareness about the therapeutic benefit of Ivy gourd leaves powder. The nurse educator may include Ivy gourd leaves powder as a means of herbal therapy in the curriculum, its effect in health and wellness which can be adopted by the students and the nursing personnel too. Nursing administration Leaders in nursing practice should take active part in recommending the low cost herbal remedies and illuminate the effectiveness of it to the policy makers to introduce in the community at large scale. The nurse administrators have to undertake the health needs of the most vulnerable by effective organization and management. Nursing research Study will serve as a valuable reference and pathway for further researchers. The findings of the study would help to expand the scientific body of professional knowledge from which further researcher can be conducted. Administration of Ivy gourd leaves powder may be studied more significantly and used as specific nursing intervention. Limitations The intervention was given only for 28 days. In present study control group was not included. Persons who had diabetes for more than 6 months were excluded. Higher blood glucose levels were not included. Recommendations A similar study can be replicated with control group and experimental group A similar study can be conducted with different dose and different way of supplement to reduce the blood glucose level A study can be conducted with large number of samples. Long term effect of Ivy gourd leaves powder can be done by administering for a long period and compare with Hba1c levels A comparative study can be done with peoples of different blood glucose level.

L.L. Bean Essay -- essays research papers

L.L.Bean started from making a hundred pair of boots, to becoming one of America largest mail order retailer of high quality outdoor goods and apparel for men, women and children. Leon Leonwood Bean founded L.L. Bean in 1912; the company headquarters is in Freeport, Maine. Leon Leonwood Bean founded his business on a belief in honesty, commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and a passion for the outdoors. Leon Leonwood Bean was an avid outdoorsman that decided that he could improve on the typical hunting boots. He had a local shoemaker stitch a pair of waterproof shoe rubber to leather tops. Then he field-tested them himself to see first hand if they was any good. In 1912 he sold 100 pairs of the boots and â€Å"attached a tag guaranteeing 100% satisfaction. Within a matter of weeks, the shoes began coming back. Ninety pairs were returned, the rubber bottoms separated from the tops† (L.L.Bean.com). Leon Leonwood Bean make good on his promise of 100% satisfaction guaranteed by replacing all boots that was returned and established a business with his customers that is still going strong today. That value lives on today at L.L.Bean. They still measure success by the customer’s satisfaction and the guarantee upon which the company was founded that says â€Å"Our products are guaranteed to give 100% satisfaction in every way. Return anything purchased from us at any time if it proves otherwise. We will replace it, refund your purchase price or credit your credit card. We do not want you to have anything from L.L. Bean that is not completely satisfactory† (L.L.Bean.com). L.L.Bean 3 L.L.Bean doesn’t just say this, but really lives by it. My dad had a pair of the Maine hunting boots for years. He told me one day that the boots started leaking at the seams and I told him to send them back to L.L.Bean with a note telling them what was wrong and that you would like a new pair. In about three weeks from sending them back he got a new pair of the Maine hunting boots in the mail with no questions asked. So L.L.Bean really does live by the 100% satisfaction guarantee even if you have the stuff for years before you become dissatisfied with it. How many retail store will give its customers 100% satisfaction guarantee no questions asked? I can’t think of one other company in the outdoors goods and clothing business that will do that. L.L. Bean started with one store in Freepo... ...r. Customer service is the heart of L.L.Bean mail order, retail stores and web site. During the peak holidays season L.L.Bean has over 3 thousands customer service representatives working for them, to handle over 100 thousands calls on busiest days and more then 15 million calls a year. About 2 thousands of L.L.Bean customer service representatives come back to work the holiday season year after year. â€Å"L.L.Bean also does not evaluate customer service representatives based on the average length of their calls, unlike many other companies, or on the revenue they generate† (Tedeschi, 2000, p4). Customer service representatives can spend as much time as needed with a customer, which has translated to a loyal customer base for L.L.Bean. Customer service is why L.L.Bean has L.L.’s Golden Rule â€Å"Sell good merchandise at a reasonable profit, treat your customers like human beings, and they will always come back for more† (L.L.Bean.com). With L.L.Bean 100% satisfaction guarantee and L.L.’s Golden Rule value lives on at L.L.Bean today and will for a long time. They want to build a relationship that will last a lifetime. That is why L.L.Bean is one of the best-managed companies in America.

Huckleberry Finn: A Trip :: essays research papers

A Trip Within’ The Heart Of A Colorless Boy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main characters take a trip within the heart, not just a trip down the Mississippi River. Throughout the trip down the Mississippi River, Huckleberry Finn’s, a homeless waif, thoughts about racism change from a racist unwanted boy to a true human being with a sense of his own destiny. Throughout the novel, Huck narrates his adventure and thoughts upon racism and inequality between “niggers'; and whites. Huck and “nigger'; Jim, runaway slave, float down the Mississippi River as unequal individuals, but towards the end of the novel Huck distinguishes that even African-Americans are as equal as white human beings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huck never respects the “niggers,'; especially Jim since Huck and Tom Sawyer, a romanticized friend, continuously play tricks on Jim so they can feel superior to the “black'; race. Even though Huck escapes society and his abusive father, Pap Finn, he continues to play tricks on Jim, since Jim ran away from slavery. For example, when Jim explains that he ran off Huck disapproves but promises not to turn him in even though “people would call [him] a low-down Abolitionist'; (50). This demonstrates that Huck is a kind trustworthy racist boy; however, Huck’s superstitious character “curled [a rattlesnake] up on the foot of Jim’s blanket'; as a joke, although in the night the rattlesnake’s mate bit Jim (59). In addition, Huck “warn’t going to let Jim find out it was [his] fault'; nor apologize because he did not want to feel low to a “nigger'; (59). This incident demonstrates that Huck still views himself as su perior to Jim because of his skin color. At this point of the novel, Huck is helping Jim escape which makes him feel low down to civilization; however, he continues to trick Jim so he can be better quality. Huck maintains to treat Jim with little respect and even though he suffers for the trick, he never apologizes to Jim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As they progress down the river, Huck begins to realize the true character of Jim as an equal man with greatness and kindness in his heart. During their ride down the river Huck decides to play another trick on the so-called unintelligent Jim. The final trick Huck plays on Jim while they are in the fog is making Jim believe that everything that has happened in the storm after they broke-off from each other only occurred in Jim’s mind.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who’s the Fairest of Them All? Essay

As in the Disney movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the evil queen is obsessed with being the fairest, or most beautiful, woman in all the land. The word beauty, by definition, is the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether from sensory manifestation, a meaningful design, or something else such as personality. But what is beautiful to me may not evoke the same response or feeling from you. How is the queen to know she is the fairest in everyone’s eye if not everyone holds the same definition of beautiful? Why is it that we are attracted to some people and not attracted to others? The well-known phrase, â€Å"beauty is in the eye of the beholder† may hold some truth. Perception dictates how we view everything. People’s views are gained through experience and the environment in which they live. With that being said, our ideal depiction of beauty may slightly differ because no two people experience the same things in life, but aspects as to what people find attractive overlap. These overlapping qualities can be grouped into categories, which include the influence of personality, facial beauty, and body beauty and how it’s changing with society. Both males and females, at some level or another, are concerned with how they look to others. Typically, females are more preoccupied with the idea of looking beautiful. Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying; males care about what they look like as well, but generally not to the extent of that of females. This paper will focus on the perceptions people have on beauty as it pertains to women. Influence of Personality on the Perception of Beauty A study was conducted in which a group of researchers wanted to examine if the infl... ...International Journal Of Cosmetic Science, 27(6), 317-325. doi:10.1111/j.1467-2494.2005.00286.x Haughton, N. (2004). Perceptions of beauty in Renaissance art. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 3(4), 229-233. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00142.x Leist, A. (2003). What Makes Bodies Beautiful. Journal Of Medicine & Philosophy, 28(2), 187-219. Swami, V., Furnham, A., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Akbar, K., Gordon, N., Harris, T., & ... Tovee, M. J. (2010). More Than Just Skin Deep? Personality Information Influences Men's Ratings of the Attractiveness of Women's Body Sizes. Journal Of Social Psychology, 150(6), 628-647. doi:10.1080/00224540903365497 Weller, J. E., & Dziegielewski, S. F. (2004). The Relationship Between Romantic Partner Support Styles and Body Image Disturbance. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 10(2), 71-92. doi:10.1300/J137v10n02_04

Changes and Continuities of Islam Essay

The period from 600 C.E to 1450 is often referred to as the Post Classical period. There were many developments and reforms that occurred during this period however one of the most important events that happened was the establishment and the spread of Islam. Islam is a very prominent religion in the world for its profound values and principles. During the Post Classical Era, Islam from the Middle East was considered a persistent religion but it also went through many altercations as the society changed over time. The first major change is that Islam was born and developed over time. Before 600 C.E, Middle East was not such an organized society because its people worshipped several thousand gods as idols and used them for corrupted purposes. However, this man called Mohammad sought to change the society, considering it being so fraudulent. He soon then developed the religion of Islam, missioned by the angel from God, and the first pilgrimage to Kaaba occurred in 632 C.E. From there the religion of Islam grew popular and spread to many different regions of the world such as North Africa to Spain. By that, it can be known that many people began to worship the religion. The second change is that as different people start to adopt the religion, powers changed. Even from when Mohammad died, people even split for whom they wanted to give the power to. There were various conflicts in choosing the power. The third major change was in the gender relationships. Even though the Islamic society was highly patriarchal, women enjoyed a more active and stronger voice in society and were allowed to take highly valued roles in government, business, and education as the time passed. The continuities of Islam in the Middle East were in the aspects of trade, gender relationship, education and tradition. Muslim merchants, pilgrims, and missionaries continued to trade over the Silk Road even though time passed. Trade improved agricultural productions, which eventually resulted in the development of commercial centers. Maritime trade in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean also continued but the  number of trades increased gradually. Even though the above paragraph illustrate how the women were able to gradually gain power the dominant power of males continued. Though the Quran recognized women as honorable and equal to men, the practice of veiling women created a symbol of male authority in the Islamic community. Education was always one of the most essential aspects of the Muslim society. Missionaries, mosques, and Islamic educational institutions were established throughout the dar al-Islam. Baghdad continued to flourish as a center of learning and culture. Also, Arabic remained as the language of religion, theology, philosophy and law, while the Persian language dominated literature, poetry, history and political reflection. Talking about language, most of the rituals and tradition carried on. As Muslims made the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) constantly, mosques and inns were continuously established. Over the centuries these pilgrims helped to spread Islamic beliefs and values. The global aspect of Islam is emphasized since Islam is one of the cultures that spread very widely throughout the world and became one of the most prominent religions in the world. It influenced the cultures of the countries of North Africa such as the famous Mali and Spain. Mali ruler Mansa Musa observed Islamic tradition by making his pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) in 1324-1325. He gave out gold all along his journey. Upon his return to Mali, he built mosques, particularly in the trading cities frequented by Muslim merchants. He also sent students to study with distinguished Islamic scholars in North Africa. He had 500 slaves on his trip to Mecca. Like this, Islam basically supplemented traditional religions of Africa and other regions of the world that got affected by the religion. Therefore, the Islam from the Middle East in the Post Classical Era made effort to be a persistent religion but never was afraid of altercations to become a better religion for the people to worship.