History of Educational Planning

History of Educational Planning Everyone plans. Ranging from individual to the government, each produces its own form of plans. The only difference however is the mode of planning, which could be different from government to government and individual to individual. The centralized form of government plans and executes most of its activities through top-down approach while the decentralized form of government does it the opposite way. Similarly, an individual plans its activities either mentally or writing manually on a piece of paper. All these statements state that plan exists everywhere. Educational planning, and I shall concentrate on this form of planning alone, is all about planning various forms of quantitative and qualitative educational reforms. It is into this context; Philip H. Coombs (1970) in his report What is Educational Planning? states that educational planning is concerned not only with where to go but with how to get there and by what best routes. In doing so, educational planning should be able to help see more clearly the specific objectives in question, the various options that are available for pursuing these objectives, and the likely implications of each (Ibid). Further adding to this statement, the Working Party Report of the UNESCO (1963) mentions that education planning should not be an isolated activity; in fact it must be undertaken in the framework of comprehensive development planning and must be viewed in the target context of all the steps required for effective educational development (UNESCO, 1963 as cited in Prakash, 2008 p.2). This statement from UNESCO also underpins the importance of educational planning in the overall development of a nation. The history of educational planning is not new; in fact it was more than 2,500 years ago the Spartans planned their education to fit their well-defined military, social and economic objectives (Coombs, 1970). Not only until 1923 AD, some 87 years ago, that the former Soviet Union structured a five-year education plan, which aimed at eradicating two-thirds illiterates during the plan period. However, in those periods the educational plans were used to be non-integrative; in the sense that educational activities were planned autonomously and that there was little or no linkages between education and other sectors. Since then, the pattern of integrative educational plans have been designed and developed in various nations. The comprehensive investment planning for education that incorporated nationwide capital planning for education is an effective example of the integrative plan that France developed in 1946 AD. However, it was not until the 1960s when educational planning became very popular in most of the countries, especially in the developing countries (UNESCO, 2003). These convictions strengthen the notion that planning in education has been seen as an extra step in eradicating various forms of deficiencies of a country, notwithstanding rich or the poor, democrats or the socialists. It is into this context I would look at the educational planning process from Communist countries like China and Democratic country like the United Kingdom and Republic of Korea and would reflect educational planning process of our nation, and in the end would suggest our position in regards to our educational planning. While talking about the United Kingdom I would only be exploring on England, not Scotland, Ireland and Wales. In England, it is the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Business, Innovation and skills that look at the education sector from the central level. At a local level, the local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for public education and state schools. The local authorities meanwhile, comprise of three layers: each layer having its own sets of responsibilities. The first one is the parish level, the second one is the district level and the third one is the county level. Besides some governmental rules and regulations, these local authorities can plan various forms of educational activities in its jurisdictions. However, in the past it was not as easy as the education planning and financing in England were done on the basis of equity. Every school, wherever it is located, got the equal educational conditions in terms of facilities, qualifications of teachers, student activities and so on. The central level used to calculate Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) using the complex formula that determined the needs of the schools in terms of numbers. They then used to determine the amount of Revenue Support Grants for each local authority by taking account of the difference between SSA and the sum of non-domestic rates and Council Tax of a given local authority. It is only after mid-1990s that the Government of England reformed the structure of educational planning in the country. In doing so, the central level authorities set many norms and standards to the schools, and at the same time provided numerous devolutionary opportunities for the local authorities to improve its educational status. In England, there are certain areas where the central level plays a vital role in the educational planning of the country. The compulsory age of schooling is one of those areas. At present, the full-time education is compulsory for all children aged 5 to 16, which is decided by the central level in coordination with other departments. Free schooling up to certain years is another segments where the central decision matters the most but at the same time the central level provides autonomy to the local authorities to levy certain charges if it provides extra facilities like swimming, theatre visits and school trips to the students. In this regard, the local authorities have the option of planning various forms of activities in the schools without having to depend on the state for all finances. During time if schools develop it into specialist schools they get various forms of funds from the central level, which has extra motivated the schools. The number of students that schools enroll has now been directly linked to the amount of money schools receive. To counter balance the situation where schools would fraud the enrollment number, the central level authorities have given a unique ID to each student, which would be different for each student. Thus, it could be said that educational planning in England comprises of boundaries and beyond boundary is within the boundaries of central level norms and standards and sometimes even beyond the boundary that the local authorities can plan various level of educational activities. The development of schools into specialist schools is something that I have kept under the category of beyond boundary. The National Curriculum System is another area where the central level has set a standard for schools to reach and maintain. Under this system, there are 12 compulsory subjects that schools must teach; for others schools can decide on its own. Another area is the compulsion of attendance records of teachers and students in schools. The teacher recruitment process whereby each teacher needs to agree on nationally set School Teachers Pay and Condition Document is another area where central level authorities play a major role. Within this boundary, it is up to the local authorities to decide on its own. The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) publishes reports of the quality of education at each school. Failing to maintain standard results to schools being placed in special measures, which may include replacing the governing body and senior staff. All these state that planning in education in England, a mixture of both devolutionary and centralized approach, after mid 1990s was t he result of those reforms in education. The reforms in educational planning in the Republic of Korea happened recently. It is into the March of 2001 AD only that the Republic of Korea allowed schools to decide how to use the money allocated by provincial authorities. Earlier, schools had little or no voice in matter related to educational financing. Schools were seen and viewed as the places where students learn and teachers teach. The responsibility for financing was borne by the provinces of education under the belief that schools dont have adequate manpower and skills to do on its own. Those provinces also set up the school budget and administered the complete process of those budgets. They never trusted the morality of school administrators too. In this regard, those old plans could not reflect the specific requirements of each school. The reforms in education after 2001 AD has seen the Republic of Korea getting into the act of decentralization in every sector including education. Parents and teachers are getting more involved in the overall management of schools. The formation of School Council, a decision-making body of a school comprising of parents, teachers, and community leaders and a head teacher, is an example of those involvements. Similarly, the government of Republic of Korea introduced the new school-based financing system in order to increase the efficiency of school financing and guarantee the autonomy of each school in the process of planning and managing the school budget. The end result has seen provincial office of education allocate a kind of block grant except teacher salary to each school, considering the number of students, the location of school, and specific requirement of school. It has provided each school certain level of freedom in planning and managing school curriculum and budget, whic h could then be deliberated and monitored by School Council. All these efforts were made in order to better equip schools through decentralization and participatory planning approach. In China, education is a state-run system. It was in 1985 AD that the national government parted its responsibilities for basic education to the local governments. In doing so, it also created a nine-year compulsory schooling for all. However, in 2001 AD the Chinese government convened a working meeting on basic education, on which various forms of decision were made on the reform and development of Basic Education. The decision pointed out clearly that a management system under the leadership of the State Council, implemented by the local governments, managed at different levels and with stress on counties would be conducted for compulsory education in the rural areas. The meeting also felt the need for making governments at the county level responsible for planning the local education, and the allocation and use of the funds and the overall management of teachers. All these activities were realized to make county dominated management as accountable as possible for the development o f education. It also suggests that the Chinese Government, despite having state-run education system is trying to maximize the participation of local level actors in the development of education. Apart from the above-mentioned reforms, the Chinese government also reformed the management system of basic education. It was done to ensure that the most needy schools get the most priority. In doing so, the Chinese government divided schools into various categories; like rich and the poor, rural and urban based schools and so on. Both the central and the local governments increased the financial transfer payment towards the poor and most needy areas, and respective local governments also paid attention to strengthen their functions in increasing investment in rural education. This type of planning was intended to deepen the internal reform of schools and at the same time enhance the capability of schools in actively adapting to the changing needs of the society. Asides, the Chinese government took an extra step in educational planning when it introduced the non-standard education system in the country. By non-standard, it referred to network education, night school, university for workers, correspondence college, broadcasting and television school, self-study examination and training schools. This type of educational planning helped build a lifelong learning system in the country. Nepal started the structured planning process in 1956 AD. In doing so, Nepal already formulated numerous medium-term national plans ranging a period of 3 to 5 years. The currently running Ten-Year Implementation Plan (TYIP) is an example of those medium term national plans. In addition to those medium term plans, Nepal also started to develop periodic plans that were intended to incorporate education component for the development of national level education plan. As a result, the educational issues were looked into two forms: one in the macro level and the next into the micro level. In the macro level national plan like TYIP or the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), the respective ministries develop drafts of the sectoral plans and submit it to the Nepal Planning Commission (NPC), which then incorporate it into the national plan as specific chapters. In the case of education, it is the Ministry of Education that follows this procedure. As for micro level plan, the District Deve lopment Committee (DDC) under the guidance of NPC is responsible for preparing periodic plans for their respective districts. In doing so, DDCs are required to prepare district periodic plans on a participatory basis by covering all the development sectors including education. The District Education Offices (DEOs) meanwhile provide information and technical services to the DDCs while preparing the plan. These exercises show that, on one hand we are following the time-bound planning designs and at the same time, we are also trying to embed every development sector into each other to prepare a comprehensive macro and micro level plan. In reality, the preparation of District Education Plan (DEP) is a process through which the DEOs provide education related information and technical services to the DDCs when in time of preparing District Periodic Plans. In doing so, the DEOs follow certain procedural guidelines to identify the education related issues in the district, followed by prioritizing processes, budget allocation and monitoring mechanisms. Here, the DEO also take into account the local needs expressed in Village/Municipal Educational Plans (VEP/MEP) and also the School Improvement Plans (SIPs) and other local demands. Practically, it has been felt that there exist little or no relation at all in regards to the SIP, VEP/MEP and the DEPs. The unpublished report Best Practices of DEP (2007) from Dr. Pramod Bhatta also states this statement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_England#Primary_and_Secondary_education http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China

Montags Influences in Farenheit 451 Essays -- Ray Bradburys Fahrenhe

In the novel, FAHRENHEIT 451 by Ray Bradbury, Guy Montag lives in an inverted society, where firemen make fires instead of put them out, and pedestrians are used as bowling pins for cars that are excessively speeding. The people on this society are hypnotized by giant wall size televisions and seashell radios that are attached to everyone’s ears. People in Montag’s society do not think for themselves or even generate their own opinions; everything is given to them by the television stations they watch. In this society, if someone is in possession of a book, their books are burned by the firemen, but not only their books, but their entire home. Montag begins realizing that the things in this society are not right. Montag is influenced and changes over the course of the novel. The strongest influences in Montag’s life are Clarisse, the burning on 11 Elm Street and Captain Beatty. Firstly, Montag is influenced by Clarisse McClellan because she is the first person he has met that is not like the rest of the society. Clarisse is a young 17 year old girl that Montag quickly becomes very fond of. Clarisse influences Montag by the way she questioned Montag, the way she admires nature, and her death. Clarisse first influenced Montag by the way she began questioning him often. Her questions would make him think for himself unlike the rest of society. â€Å"Then she seemed to remember something and came back to look at him with wonder and curiosity. â€Å"Are you happy?† she said. â€Å"Am I what?† he cried. But she was gone- running in the moonlight† (Bradbury, 10). Clarisse was one of the only people that Montag had ever met that had ever asked him that. This question that she asked him influenced him because he thinks about, and Montag asks himself tha... ...vel FAHRENHEIT 451, the main character is influenced by many different sources. Bradbury writes of a fire fighter that has realized that the society he lives in isn’t right and makes the protagonist want to make a change. Guy Montag is influenced by a teenage girl that makes him realize the beauty’s of the world. Guy is also influenced by a fire that burns a woman alive. Montag steals a book from that fire and that is the beginning of when he begins his mission to find out why his society has become the way it is, and his greater mission of changing society so that everyone in it can think for themselves. Captain Beatty is one of the greatest influences in Guy’s life because of his knowledge, the information of Clarisse’s death and when guy is forced to murder the fire captain. Making Montag’s greatest influences, Clarisse, the fire on Elm Street and Captain Beatty.

Bond Yields for Johnson & Johnson

Solution to Minicase 5 Bond Yields for Johnson & Johnson Objective: The case enables the student to gain insight into the financing activities of large corporations and to practice calculating bond prices and yields. Computations are carried out for annual and semiannual interest periods, and for fractional periods. Case Discussion: Johnson & Johnson is one of the leading pharmaceutical firms in the world. It is large and financially sophisticated. When it needs to borrow money, it sells bonds where it can get the best deal. Sometimes that means selling bonds to U. S. investors. Other times it means issuing Eurodollar bonds to investors outside the United States. (The text discusses the Eurobond market in more depth in Chapters 20 and 27. ) The student is asked in this case to use the techniques developed in Chapter 5 to calculate the yields of domestic bonds and Eurobonds. The main difference between the two is that domestic bonds pay interest semiannually, whereas Eurobonds pay annually. Due to this difference in the frequency of compounding, the student must be careful to compare the APYs of domestic and Eurobonds when trying to find the lower-cost alternative. Exhibit S-5-1 provides information concerning five Johnson & Johnson debt issues. Answers to Questions: 1. Calculate the APY for each of Johnson & Johnson’s bonds and identify which one has the lowest APY, assuming today is January 15, 2009. Answer: Bond 1, calculate the APY of the 7. 375s23 eurobond. There are 15 coupon ayments left, and the last one was made 2 months plus 6 days ago (66 days ago). Use annual payment analysis; CPN=7. 375% x 1000 = $73. 75. Solve the equation using a spreadsheet with N=15, and f=(66/360)=0. 183333 to find the APY = 7. 3001%: |[pic] | | Bond 2, calculate the APY of the 7. 375s22 domestic bond. There are 27 coupon payments left and the last one was made 17 days ago on 12/29/08. Use semiannual payment analysis; CPN/2=7. 75% x 1000 / 2 = $36. 875. Solve the equation using a spreadsheet with N=(2 x 13. 5)=27 semiannual periods, and f=(17/180) = 0. 094444 to find r = 3. 5198%, so the APY = 7. 1635%: |[pic] | | Bond 3, calculate the APY of the 8. 25s31 eurobond. There are 23 coupon payments left, and the last one was made 8 months and 15 days ago (255 days ago). Use annual payment analysis; CPN=8. 25% x 1000 = $82. 50. Solve the equation with N=23 years, and f = (255)/360) = 0. 708333 to find APY = 7. 8288%: |[pic] | | | | | Bond 4, calculate the APY of the 6. 73s20 domestic bond. There are 24 coupon payments left, and the last one was made 4 months ago (120 days ago). Use semiannual payment analysis; CPN/2=6. 3% x 1000 / 2 = $33. 65. Solve the equation using a spreadsheet with N=2 x 12=24 semiannual periods, and f = 120/180 = 0. 666667 to find r = 3. 6269%, so the APY = 7. 3854%: |[pic] | | Bond 5, calculate the APY of the 6. 85s35 domestic bond. There are 52 coupon payments left, and the last one was made 14 days ago. Use semiannual payment analysis; CPN/2=6. 85% x 1000 / 2 = $34. 25. Solve the equation using a spreadsheet with N=2 x 26=52 semiannual periods, and f = 14/180 = 0. 077778 to find r = 3. 5616%, so the APY = 7. 2500%: [pic] | | The 7. 375s22 have the lowest APY, 7. 1635%. 2. The 8. 25s28 can be called in 2021 at par. Calculate the YTC (yield to call) assuming today is January 15, 2009. Does this change your answer to question 1? Answer: There are 13 coupon payments left, and the last one was made 8 months and 15 days ago (255 days ago). Use annual payment analysis; CPN=8. 25% x 1000 = $82. 50. Solve the equation with N=13 years, and f = (255)/360) = 0. 08333 to find APY = 7. 6871%: |[pic] | | | | | The APY of 7. 6871% is less than the APY of 7. 8288% found for Bond 3 in question 1, but is more than the other bonds. So the answer to question 1 does not change, the 7. 375s22 have the lowest APY, 7. 1635%. Exhibit S-5-1 Terms of Johnson & Johnson Debt Issues ISSUE |MARKET |COUPON |FREQUENCY |MATURITY |PRICE1 | | | | | | |(% OF PAR) | |73/8s 20 |Eurobond |73/8% |Annual |11/09/20 |101. 9785 | |73/8s 19 |Domestic |73/8% |Semiannual |06/29/19 |103. 288 | |81/4s 28 |Eurobond |81/4% |Annual |04/30/28 |110. 1563 | |6. 73s 17 |Domestic |6. 73% |Semiannual |09/15/17 | 98. 1535 | |6. 85s 32 |Domestic |6. 85% |Semiannual |01/01/32 | 97. 0501 | 1 Including accrued inter est.

Why I Am A Computer Science - 2459 Words

Although I have changed my mind numerous times throughout growing up on what I wanted to be when I was older, I have recently made the final decision- a software engineer. I am currently attending school for a degree in Computer Science, as well as preparing for an internship at Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine California. Since I will have a considerable amount of less experience than the other interns, I will really have to prove myself and show that I am cut out for the Blizzard team. My long-term goal is to finish my degree, go on to a university, continue to apply and go to the internships at Blizzard, and eventually become part of the Blizzard team. Interpersonal communication is even more of a skill I must conquer, not only because I must prove that I am competent in computer science, despite the short amount of time I have been in school, but also because communication skills, in general, are vital in this field. I have gathered information from several sources, including an interview with an employee at Blizzard. Before I go into depth on specifically what skills are needed and why, I will give a little background on what a software engineer does. Some tasks that a software engineer has that involves competent communication skills are training people to use computer software, coordinate activities related to a project with employees in other departments, assign work to subordinates, work effectively with people who need technical issues resolved, connect withShow MoreRelatedI Want to Pursue My Studies in Computer Science743 Words   |  3 Pagesthe wise. I am not too much of a stickler to norms, but I dont want to make this a dry short letter either. Why Computer Science? Right from the time of my schooling I was taught at home and school that Computer Science was the most progressive emerging subject and that the wonderful contraptions called computers were considered The next best thing to Human Brain if not equaling it together. With this developed a keen interest in this fascinating field and as time passed by I realizedRead MoreGraduation Speech On Computer Science Engineering863 Words   |  4 Pagesprogram, I am delighted to introduce myself to you . Therefore, I put forth my credentials about my education and study intentions for admission to the M.S program in Computer Science at XXXXXX University. I am question less that I will successfully complete the M.S program at your academic community with my well-crafted and commendable knowledge about Computer science engineering. As a student in the undergraduate study for a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer science engineering, I expectRead MoreCareers And Careers : Computer Science1037 Words   |  5 PagesComputing: Computer Scientist Computer science offers many different career options including software engineering, system analyst, and computer scientist. Each one of these career options focuses and specializes in one study of computer science and certain aspects. One major career choice that deals with computer science is a computer scientist. A computer scientist has acquired knowledge of computer science itself and various principles and applications that involve computer science. This coversRead MoreApplication Of A Software Designer1178 Words   |  5 Pagesname is Harold Sullivan I attend Columbus state University I am currently a computer science major I am in this field of study because I want to become a software Designer Since the age of eleven I have always been intrigued as to how and why computers work the way they do. When I entered college I finally made my decision that I wanted to be a software developer. A software developer is a person who creates the applications that allow people to do sp ecific tasks on a computer or other devices. ToRead MoreMy Preferred Major Is Computer Science878 Words   |  4 PagesMy preferred major is computer science. Computer science is the act of coding and other operations dealing with computer software. Computer science also deals with knowing all or most languages of code such as Java, Python, or Linux. Along my path to deciding that I wanted to major in computer science, I faced many obstacles and was a part of many experiences that pushed me towards this field. Some events would be as simple as my family designating me the honorary â€Å"Tech Guy† or my friends comingRead MoreGraduation Speech : My Goals997 Words   |  4 Pagesto challenge myself. I chose to ignore that advice and take the easy route. I did not find any reason to challenge myself in school. My parents never attended college, so why should I? Just the thought of being able to afford a fancy college was out of the question. In hopes of having a laid back time through high school, I took the easiest classes offered. However, I still focused in my classes and completed my work on time with remarkable quality. It was because of this that I stood out amongst myRead MoreWhen I was younger I wanted to be a teacher. I enjoyed school and liked how nice my teachers were600 Words   |  3 Pages When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher. I enjoyed school and liked how nice my teachers were in elementary. Nice teachers made me want to become one myself since they helped children be inspired to learn. Eventually, I was discouraged to become one so I was lost and didnt know what I wanted to do with my life. In high school, as a junior I was really lost. Once I graduated high school I just went to college right away to pursue education in computers since I was really interested in computersRead MoreThe True Meaning of Success Essay671 Words   |  3 Pagescalling. I did not find my calling or direction until I tu rned twenty-one years old. I had attended a community college after high school, but I was not dedicated. A year went by after dropping out of college. I was sitting in my car and thought to myself this is not what I want for myself. I may not have the money to go back to school, but I was not letting an excuse get in my way because I wanted more for myself in the future. I decided I was going to join the NAVY. I never imagined that I wouldRead MoreI Want to Major in Computer Science665 Words   |  3 PagesSTATEMENT OF PURPOSE Now a Day, Computers are to be considered as the eighth wonder of the world. Computers have become essential in every field such as Communication, Database Systems, Banking, Robotics, Medicine, Automobiles etc. I think it’s fair to say that Computers have become most empowering tool we’ve ever created. They’re tools of communication, they’re tools of creativity and they can be shaped by their user (Bill Gates). The development of Software industry has brought the world to anRead MoreThe Field Of Computer Science Essay1517 Words   |  7 PagesIn the field of computer science, there are—which can be surprising to most—multiple occupations that involve more than just sitting in front of a computer and writing intricate codes. A systems analyst, for example, requires an individual to participate in an active team environment. Systems analysts work closely with many professionals such as programmers and hardware specialists to develop systems th at can solve various kinds of problems. Additionally, a systems analyst is essential to numerous