MPM IP3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MPM IP3 - Essay Example This paper tries to explain the roles and importance of WBS to any project tasks in the organization as well as identifying the purpose of the roles, the responsibilities of the roles, the reporting relationship of the roles, skills, qualifications, and experiences required (Haugan, 2002). Project teams are groups of people who are responsible for a proper planning and execution of the project. Project teams consist of the project manager, and a number of members of the project team, they are brought to deliver the tasks assigned for them in considerate to the scheduled project. The project manager is one who is responsible in making sure that the projects or tasks allocated are completed by the project team. He develops a project plan with teams and manages team’s performance of the project tasks. The key responsibility of a project manager is to secure an acceptance plus the approvals of the deliverables from the project sponsor as well as stakeholders. The project manager is also responsible for status reporting, for communication and risk management, and makes sure that projects are delivered at the correct time. There are some larger projects, which require project team members who may act as Team leads. Team leads provides tasks, and other technical leadership they sometimes maintains apportion of a project plan. The other project team member is the executive sponsor who is a manager and demonstrates the interest in out coming of the project; he is also responsible for securing as well as resources for project. Actually, an executive sponsor is the highest-ranking manager in project plan. The executive sponsor has the responsibility of providing support to the project, and has gotten the final approval of the scope changes as well as, signing off the approvals of succeeding the project phase. He may also elect delegates, which are above the responsibility to project Director. Other project

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Discussion - Essay Example Although US had the highest GDP per person but its infant mortality rate was higher than France’s infant mortality rate which and similar was in the case of life expectancy rate. Countries that are poorer can establish better infant mortality rate as well as higher life expectancy rate as established in the comparison of France and US. This is because higher amount of GDP does not mean that the government is spending more on wellbeing and healthcare of their citizens. A country may be experiencing lower amount of GDP, but the amount of money it directs towards its populations healthcare determines how well a country stands in the measures of infant mortality rate. Secondly, the cost of healthcare even determines the countries standing in these measures. If cost of healthcare is kept low, then citizens can obtain better healthcare at lower prices. GDP per person statistics can only provide insight regarding how much per person is able to spend on goods and services, but does no t determines the amount of goods and services that can be purchased and the quality of goods and services that can be purchased by individuals, thus relying on GDP per person statistics does not provide a clear picture of a nation’s standard of

World war I Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

World war I - Assignment Example Women have played their role equally in the war as compared to men. In the poetic thought Jessie Pope has shown the woman as brave and gallant and she has dealt with the delicacies of war in a more professional way and she has proved as a star in filling the minds of young men with loyalty and patriotism. She has expressed in her poem â€Å"The Call† that trenches are very horrible place and she is actually provoking the men that it is the duty of men and it’s not the duty of women that they have to face the horrible situations. So there is a concept that women are not too much powerful like men so it’s the duty of men that they must have to face the difficulties of war. Actually in the very poem she is longing that the men must lift their level of bravery and they have to face the war in a braver manner because the military uniform is not for the women rather it more suits to men. It is the duty of men that they look sober in shouting and shooting while women ar e not born for such deeds. So from the very idea of the poem â€Å"The Call† by Jessie Pope it is evident that war is a more suitable topic for poetry because it has a number of aspects which can be expressed in a poem in a more powerful

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 56

Discussion - Essay Example Although US had the highest GDP per person but its infant mortality rate was higher than France’s infant mortality rate which and similar was in the case of life expectancy rate. Countries that are poorer can establish better infant mortality rate as well as higher life expectancy rate as established in the comparison of France and US. This is because higher amount of GDP does not mean that the government is spending more on wellbeing and healthcare of their citizens. A country may be experiencing lower amount of GDP, but the amount of money it directs towards its populations healthcare determines how well a country stands in the measures of infant mortality rate. Secondly, the cost of healthcare even determines the countries standing in these measures. If cost of healthcare is kept low, then citizens can obtain better healthcare at lower prices. GDP per person statistics can only provide insight regarding how much per person is able to spend on goods and services, but does no t determines the amount of goods and services that can be purchased and the quality of goods and services that can be purchased by individuals, thus relying on GDP per person statistics does not provide a clear picture of a nation’s standard of

Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency Essay Example for Free

Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency Essay Richard Nixon is one of the most controversial figures in American history. His presidency is remembered most for the Watergate scandal and his subsequent resignation but some of his foreign policies forever altered American foreign diplomacy. One of the major policies that President Nixon was responsible for was changing the nature of the United States relationship with China. He did this by setting into motion covert diplomatic actions and cultural exchanges between the two countries. Nixon’s reasons for improving relationships with the Communist regime was to force the Soviet Union to be more accommodating to American demands and to also help end the war in Vietnam. Another reason for improving relations was very personal for Richard Nixon. He wanted to show his power as an international statesman to the world and American public. American/Chinese relations for many years were friendly and involved the trade of goods and ideas. American missionaries had gone to China to build churches and hospitals. The two countries were allies against the Japanese during World War II. After the war ended the United States was not an ally of China as a whole but one political group, the Kuomintang. The Kuomintang, led by Chang Kai Shek, were in battled in a civil war with the Chinese communists who would eventually win out. Chang Kai Shek would take his government to the island of Taiwan. After the civil war, the United States only recognized Chang’s Republic of China and kept the People’s Republic of China, led by Mao Ze-Dong, out of the United Nations and other international bodies. This led to an isolation of China by a majority of the international community. The only diplomatic relations the United States had with China were through intermediary countries. While relations with the United States were sour, the Chinese relationship with the Soviet Union had quickly deteriorated. Both China and the Soviet Union were communist countries but their ideologies were very different. Their relationship slowly became strained and both countries started to build up troops along their common border through the 1960s. After the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia and released the Brezhnev Doctrine, which stated that the Kremlin â€Å"had the right to correct deviationism in other communist countries by military intervention,† the Chinese no longer considered the Soviet Union as an ally. This led to violent border clashes between the two countries in March 1969. By the end of 1969 the Soviet Union had over a million troops stationed along the Soviet/Chinese border and missiles aimed at major Chinese cities. The year before, a former republican vice-president from California, Richard Nixon, was elected president. He had made a name for him self in Congress as a leading anti-communist and he went on to serve as vice-president under Dwight D Eisenhower. Even before he was elected president, Nixon had expressed interest in opening up relations with China despite his previous negative views of communism. In 1967 he wrote an article for Foreign Affairs magazine where he stated â€Å"We simply cannot afford to leave China forever outside the family of nations, there to nurture its fantasies, cherish its hates and threaten its neighbors. There is no place on this small planet for a billion of its potentially most able people to live in angry isolation.† After his election as President Richard Nixon decided to make China one of the primary focuses of his foreign policy. One of his primary reasons for doing this was to gain an upper hand in the now 20-year-old Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Soviets had taken over several Eastern European countries and turned them into communist states in an attempt to show the world the successes of Communism. Also by the late 1960s the United States was no longer confident that it could win a war with the Soviet Union since they had had the two decades since the Second World War to regain it military strength. This required the United States to have to change strategies in dealing with the Soviet Union. They now had to shift their focus to gaining China as an ally. The State Department in the summer of 1969 began to announce various unilateral gestures of reconciliation. Many restrictions on travel and trade were lifted. This would become know as â€Å"Ping Pong† diplomacy. It was so named after the United States ping-pong team was invited to the Chinese capital in April of 1971. During their visit the group was treated as though they were dignitaries or royalty. They played matches against the Chinese team but also visited important landmarks through out China. The American delegation was accompanied by members of the press and was closely watched by the American public. At a banquet for the visiting Americans, Chou En-Lai, the Chinese Premier told the group, â€Å"Exchanges between our two countries have been cut off for a long time but now, with your acceptance of our invitation, you have opened a new page in the relations of the Chinese and American people.† While the American ping-pong players were the talk of the media, behi nd the scenes Nixon was putting into action his plan to improve relations with China. He did this by employing his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger, to make covert communications with the Chinese government. Before the Ping-Pong players had ever set foot in China and at the beginning of his presidency Nixon had Kissinger prepare a study on the feasibility of improving American/Chinese relations. Originally Kissinger was hesitant about the idea of talks with China even being quoted as saying â€Å"this crazy guy really does want to normalize relations with China.† But even Kissinger knew that an alliance between the United States and China could shift the global political powers more in favor of the United States and away from communism and the Soviet Union. One of the biggest roadblocks to improving relations with China was the issue of Taiwan. Since the Chinese civil war ended the United States had only recognized the government of the Republic of China on the island of Taiwan. So even as Nixon is trying to improve relations with communist China there is still the issue that the United States does not officially recognize the People’s Republic of China as a legitimate government. To ease some of China’s concerns, Nixon instructs his administration to terminate navel patrols in the Straight of Taiwan. Also in a radio address that Nixon gave on February 25, 1971 regarding his congressional foreign policy report he reiterated both his intention to protect Taiwan but open up talks with China. â€Å"We will search for consecutive discussions with Communist China while maintaining our defense commitment to Taiwan. When the Government of the Peoples Republic of China is ready to engage in talks, it will find us receptive to agreements that further the legitimate national interests of China and its neighbors.† A visit to China was next on Nixon’s foreign policy agenda. He announced his intentions in 1970, taking much of the world by surprise especially the Soviet Union. He negotiated this visit first by secretly sending Henry Kissinger to Beijing in July of 1971. Kissinger made this covert trip by faking illness on a diplomatic visit to Pakistan and flying to China to convey Nixon’s intention to Premier Zhou En-Lai. It was decided that President Nixon would visit the following year. On February 21, 1972, Richard Nixon became the first United States President to visit China. The following week would become known as the â€Å"week that changed the world. † President Nixon would only meet with an ailing Mao Ze-dong one time during his visit but it would set in motion events that would lead to United States recognition of Mao’s government and an end to the Cold War. The visit ended with both countries issuing the Shanghai Communiquà ©. In this document both countries pledged to work towards normalization of relations. The United States also agreed to remove military forces from Taiwan. Shortly after the delegations return from their visit to China, Richard Nixon tasked Henry Kissinger with negotiating arms treaties with the Soviet Union. With the well-publicized visit closely watched by the Soviets the United States now had more bargaining power. In 1972, Kissinger negotiated the Strategic Arms Limitations Talks. The two Cold-War super powers agreed that they would begin limiting missiles, nuclear arms, and delivery systems. With his relative success in negotiating deals with both China and the Soviet Union, Richard Nixon was hopeful that he would have the same success in negotiating a deal with North Vietnam to end the Vietnam War. Going into his re-election campaign in 1972 the United States had been at war in Vietnam for 12 years, over 50,000 had been killed, and billions of dollars had been spent. His first major policy regarding Vietnam that Nixon put into place was the Nixon Doctrine. The Doctrine had three major tenants. First, the United States would honor all of its treaty agreements. Secondly, the United States would provide a shield if a nuclear power threatened an ally or a country the United States deemed to be vital to its national security. And, lastly, the United States would provide military and economic aid to countries under treaty agreements, but the requesting nation would be expected to bear primary responsibility to provide the manpower for its own defense. The Nixon Doctrine led to the withdrawal of ground troops from Vietnam and training the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) in defense of their own country. Nixon had also hoped that his new treaties with China would help to isolate the North Vietnamese and convince them to sign a peace treaty. In 1973, a cease-fire was negotiated at the Paris Peace Accords and ended United States involvement in Vietnam. However this did not stop the spread of communism to south Vietnam. Nixon’s improved relations with China were largely unsuccessful in there being a positive resolution of the Vietnam War. While the entire episode of the Vietnam War was seen as a blemish on Richard Nixon’s Presidency he was still very concerned about his image not only among the American public but on the world stage as well. He wanted to use his visit to China to draw attention to his expertise as a global statesman. Among the people that accompanied Nixon on his trip to China was White House Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman. While Nixon was meeting mostly with Chinese Premier Zhou and negotiating agreements, Haldeman and Nixon’s wife Pat toured factories and schools throughout China. Mrs. Nixon was followed by a large group of press. Bob Haldeman was in charge of making their visit look very positive to the American public. Margaret MacMillan writes in her book Nixon in China, â€Å"The images flowed back to the United States, targeted for prime-time evening television. It was a presidential election year at home and Haldeman wanted to make sure that Nixon shone out as the great leader and statesman.† From the very beginning of his Presidency Richard Nixon always wanted to be seen in a positive light especially his portrayal in the media. He tasked members of his staff with combating any negative comments said about him and manage any news about him. He bordered on obsessive when it came to public image. His first week in office he formed a task called the â€Å"Five O’clock† group that was responsible for monitoring television programs for any negative comments about the President or his administration and defending them. With the Vietnam War and the protests to the end the war at the top of most news stories, Nixon needed to do something to get his name back in the limelight. Many believe that this a major factor for his motivation to reach out to China and his subsequent visit. During his time in China he made sure the entire trip was highly publicized. He did numerous photo opportunities at such places like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. The reception his visit received by the American public was very positive. This was their first view into the isolated nation in over 20 years. This view, however, was a carefully scripted play put on by the Chinese government. This was their attempt to show a â€Å"New† China, not one that was still suffering from th e isolationist policies of the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese officials responsible for showing China in a positive way had people picnicking outside of factories in the bitter cold listening to revolutionary music and then collected the radios they were listening to after the delegation left. These inconsistencies were noticed by a Canadian member of the press to which Premier Zhou had to quietly admit that this was wrong of them to do. But the idea of a â€Å"New† China would only help President Nixon portray to the world that America and China, even with such opposite political views, could come to an understanding. His visit took the entire worlds view off of Vietnam and on to him personally while he visited China. Kissinger had pled with President Nixon to not make his trip to China a media circus because of the impact it would have internationally with America’s allies and enemies. International reaction to the visit was mixed. The United States allies were mostly disappointed that they had been kept in the dark about the new relations. The British felt particularly offended that they were not informed before hand about the dealings going on between the Americans and the Chinese. Even with the somewhat cool reception in the international community about Richard Nixon’s visit to China it was still one of the most significant moments in United States foreign policy during the Cold War. Henry Kissinger wrote in his memoir On China, â€Å" The reward for Sino-American rapprochement would not be a state of perpetual friendship or a harmony of values, but a rebalancing of the global equilibrium.† Richard Nixon helped to accomplish this by improving relations with China in an effort to change the American relationship with the Soviet Union and end the Vietnam War. While his intentions were for both personal and professional gain, either way his foreign policies remain at the top of his successes as President. Nixon’s presidency is mostly remembered of one wrought with corruption and following the Watergate scandal, he is still the only United States President to resign from office. He became known as politician that would use any means necessary to accomplish his goals but this also led to his downfall. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bundy, William. A Tangled Web: The making of Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency. New York, 1989. Chang, Gordon H.. Friends and enemies: the United States, China, and the Soviet Union, 1948-1972. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 1990. Devoss, David A. Ping-Pong Diplomacy. Smithsonian . 33. no. 1 2002 Keilers, John G. U.S. Army Military History Institute, Nixon Doctrine and Vietnamization. Last modified 2007. Accessed November 14, 2012. http://www.army.mil/article/3867/Nixon_Doctrine_and_Vietnamization/. Kissinger, Henry On China. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print. MacMillan, Margaret. Nixon in China: the week that changed the world. Toronto: Viking Canada, 2006. Nixon, Richard. Miller Center, Radio Address About Second Annual Foreign Policy Report to the Congress . Last modified 1971. Accessed November 14, 2012. http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/detail/3875. Nixon, Richard M. Asia After Viet Nam. Foreign Affairs, October 1967. http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/23927/richard-m-nixon/asia-after-viet-nam (accessed October 18, 2012) Small, Melvin. The presidency of Richard Nixon. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1999. Walker, Anne Collins, John Eastman, and Elizabeth C Eastman. China calls: paving the way for Nixons historic journey to China. Lanham, Md.: Madison Books :, 1992.

The Perceived benefits of a Pupil Referral Unit

The Perceived benefits of a Pupil Referral Unit In todays society it is widely accepted that every child has the right to an education. Therefore, even children who show signs of challenging behaviour in schools should be entitled to the same attention from staff and the same standard of education as other children in the school. However, there are some children who cannot be educated within the confines of a mainstream school for a variety of different reasons. Sodha and Margo (2010) have produced data that suggests ; 7.4% of children may have ADHD; 15% of 15 year olds have conduct problems; around 15% of children who start school at age five have troublesome behaviour that might make it difficult to learn; and research suggests that up to 5% of pupils display challenging behaviour at some stage in their school career. In response to these problems Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) were set up. They provided a service which operates outside of mainstream schools and is designed to support children with challenging behaviour and address their behaviour in a more nurturing environment so as to meet their often very complex needs. Get the Right School, (2000-2011) Challenging Behaviour Challenging behaviour can be thought of as being a conflict between a child and the environment according to Loreman (2005). Loreman explains that these conflicts can occur when a child responds to his or her educational environment in ways that differ significantly from age-appropriate expectations and interfere with his or her own learning. This definition appears to suggest, however, that these conflicts are due to an inherent fault within the child that necessitates the removal of that child from a mainstream school. A more reasonable explanation is that these conflicts occur not only because of the child, but also due to the reaction of the professional or service in response to their behaviour, and it is this reaction, therefore, that determines whether the behaviour is challenging of not. (Clark, and Griffiths 2008). This suggests that there is a fundamental need that the service or member of staff, should possess a particular level of ability to enable them to understand and recognise the needs of the child, and it is this ability, therefore, that would determine whether the behaviour of the child was actually challenging or not. There is a whole range of reasons why young people may be required to attend a PRU. Cohen and Hughes, (1994) for example, suggest that these children fall into two distinct categories. Firstly, children who have recognised learning disabilities and particular emotional and behavioural problems, and secondly, those whose behaviour is so disruptive that the mainstream schools decide they cannot offer the appropriate care and help. However in many cases both categories can apply to a child even though the causative and associative factors may differ. However there are a rising number of children who have none of these specific problems but are required to attend a PRU, children who just find it hard to adjust to mainstream schools and also pregnant girls. (DCSF 2008) It can be seen that there is a widely varying mix of children attending these centres. Importance of a Pupil Referral Unit The latest national statistics on permanent and fixed period exclusions from mainstream schools in England produced by the the Department for Education (2010), suggests that that there was an estimated 6,550 permanent exclusions from primary, mainstream secondary and all special schools in 2008/09. The DfE also stated that there were 12,800 young people attending Pupil Referral Units in 2010. Additionally, permanent exclusion from a school has been linked to wider exclusion from society and in order to overcome this, the education system needs to work towards achieving a school which is inclusive for all young people by adopting a culture, pedagogy and curriculum which will support all learners who attend schools which are in areas that have been characterised by social exclusion. (Hayton, 1999) It has also become apparent that there are increasingly mixed views within education as a whole, and even the professionals working within the Pupil Referral Units themselves, disagree on how to deal with young people that actually have more complex needs. Sonia Sodha (2010) makes the point that PRUs are being seen increasingly as sin bins or dumping grounds that schools use to remove problem children from their responsibility. Additionally, the resultant enforced association with anti-social peers, may be counterproductive and actually increase behavioural problems. However, the benefits of a PRU may be perceived very differently from different peoples perspectives. Management and employed staff working within PRUs have just as high a responsibility as any other teacher in mainstream schools, to enable the young people to achieve their full potential in their education and support them in preparing and furthering their personal understanding of what is expected of them within their working life after school. (Ofsted 2005) The Annual Report of Her Majestys Chief Inspector of Schools (2004) states that the number of PRUs has steadily increased. The report states that 25 out of 38 PRUs inspected in 2004/05, were `good` or `better`, providing effectively for the young people they serve. The report also stated that in almost all units, the pupils behaviour and attitudes to learning were judged to have improved since the pupils joined them after moving from their previous schools. It is therefore apparent that for the majority of its children, PRUs do provide an essential and relevant service that cannot be provided in a mainstream school. But is this service based on a `one size fits all` basis? For as we have seen many children have very different problems and needs and it is the sheer diversity of pupils for whom provision within a PRU must cater, that presents the main obstacle to the perceived success of this type of setting. (DCSF 2008). Indeed, according to Gray, (2002), a number of PRU staff would argue that many young people are wrongly placed within PRUs and in actual fact should be placed in more suitable settings for their particular needs e.g. in day or residential special schools. They also argue that reintegration rates would be higher if these pupils within the provision, had less complex needs, and those with much more complex needs should be placed elsewhere for a more appropriate provision in relation to those needs. However, budgetary limitations may well prevent this type of provision emerging. Gray, (2002), explains that the costs per place for these kind of special school provisions are typically more expensive then PRUs probably being for greater than existing financial provision within the LEA. Barriers to Learning Exclusion and truancy are a fundamental challenge in all areas of education and the numbers of truanting and excluded children every day is in the tens of thousands which will have far reaching and serious implications on their education. Rendall, and Stuart (2005). For this reason Local Authorities are actively working together with schools to enable the process between the transfer of a young person from a mainstream school to PRU to be as quick as possible, as well as ensuring they follow all the correct procedures. However the period between pupils being referred to a PRU and actually beginning their time there can often be quite a lengthy period and result in a significant amount of education time being lost. DCSF (2008) Ofsted,( 2007), identified particular challenges that a large variety of different PRUS were now facing, when providing children and young people with a good education. They cited a number of factors, such as pupils with diverse needs and who are of differing age groups, and many pupils arrive with no planning or preparation for those special needs. Staffing issues were also highlighted regarding the limited number of specialist staff who could broaden the curriculum. They also state the difficulties PRUs faced regarding the reintegrating pupils back into mainstream schools. Poor accommodation is also a major factor which can seriously limit the scope of the curriculum available to be taught due to inadequate space. This is particularly relevant in relation to physical education, ICT design and technology, art and music. Therefore Local Authorities have to take this on board when managing education building assets by surveying buildings regularly and prioritising building work including Pupil Referral Units in their plans. DCSF (2008) Longman, and Agar, (1999), also make reference to similar barriers of learning within PRUs, and suggested that many PRUs were physically very small ,with limited staff and facilities. This they suggested, made the provision of expertise and the wide range of practical apparatus that was essential for the success of the PRU, very problematical. The success of PRUs is essentially down to the way they respond to challenges set and the help and support they receive from their Local Authorities (LAs). The LA`s therefore have a specific responsibility in relation to these problems and are required to intervene and take action particularly regarding resources and building issues. (Ofsted, 2007). The Governments policy which is set out under The Childrens Act 2004 aims to improve the outcomes for all children and young people. However many children and young people who attend PRU`s are vulnerable or disadvantaged, and therefore may face more barriers to learning compared to other young people and are at much higher risk of failure as a result. (Department for Education and Skills, 2007), PRU`s and Reintegration into Mainstream Education Hayward, (2006), also makes the point that in theory temporary or part time placements in pupil referral units are available. However, as they are rapidly filling up this is not actually the case, and many young people are continuing their stay into long term placements, which is a real cause for concern as there is no availability for the young people who need short term placements within them. Therefore, it would appear on this evidence that PRUs are in actual fact, not fulfilling their purpose of supporting young people, specifically within the process of reintegrating children and young people back into mainstream schools. Within the actual process of reintegration, there are a large number of different supporting roles designed to help support the pupils that attend, by enabling them receive a good education and help them to achieve their full potential with regard to their social and emotional development during their time in the setting. Kyriacou, (2003), discusses a number of studies that have taken place over the years which highlight the important role that needs to be played by inter agency cooperation both in supporting pupils and schools when a pupil is at risk of exclusion and in helping to support a pupil returning to school after a fixed period exclusion or moving to a new school after a permanent exclusion. One particular study carried out by Normington and Kyriacou (1999) emphasises the importance of communication between agencies. Within this study a number of professionals, such as education psychologists, education welfare officers and teachers to name but a few, were interviewed and asked to focus on the interdisciplinary work that follows permanent exclusions for a sample of pupils who were based at a pupil referral unit. The overall outcome from all professionals involved, suggested that the interagency cooperation is often hampered by heavy case loads and by difficulties in the different agencies keeping each other fully informed. Normington and Kyriacou (1999) cited in Kyriacou, (2003). The professionals taking part in the study also mentioned how improved resources were key, to becoming more successful in this area of interagency cooperation. Conclusion While the need for a PRU is becoming more essential, the findings of Ofsted (2007), reflect a very disappointing situation, with many Pupil Referral Units described as offering an uninspiring curriculum and with a lack of clear vision. The report stated these points as the reason for the failure to reduce days lost as a result of exclusion and failure to improve pupils attendance. It is therefore apparent that while many Pupil Referral Units are an essential struggling to fulfil their responsibilities, particularly in reintegrating young people back into mainstream education. It should be remembered that this was the purpose they were specifically set up to fulfil. All the PRUs made sure personal and social development was emphasised: it was integrated into all lessons and activities, as well as being taught well at discrete times. The PRUs generally monitored personal development well but academic progress less so. I am currently in the process of researching one particular Pupil Referral Unit, which I attended as part of my placement, and I am particularly interested to listen to the views of both the staff and students of this PRU and focus on what they perceive as the benefits, if any, of attending the PRU A number of the staff at this PRU have expressed their opinion that many of these children would benefit more from being referred to a separate provision such as a special school, which focuses on their particular needs in more depth. New Initiatives The DCSF report (2008) maintains that due to the challenges posed by these particular children it is important that PRU`s are constantly assessing their procedures and instigating new systems and initiatives to support the ever changing demands presented by the young people in their provision. For example the PRU where I have been on placement is currently rolling out the practice of Restorative Justice. Wright (1999 cited in Hopkins, 2004) states that restorative justice is not about stating who is to blame and what the punishment will be as a result of a persons harmful actions, but to explore deeper into what happened and being able to put more time into repairing harm done to relationships. The process involves asking questions such as: Who has been affected by what happened? How can we put right the harm? What have we learnt from what has happened and how to make different choices next time? In basic terms restorative justice is a new approach for dealing with situations in a more effective and positive light, enabling young people to move forward in their relationships and learn from what they have done. Wright, (1999), cited in Hopkins, B, (2004).

My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not :: College Admissions Essays

My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not    Why me? Nothing like this had ever even happened to me before. I was so shocked I could barely shed a tear. My life had been normal and uneventful and happy, and now it was turned upside down and I was lost. I remembered when I was a little kid and he would send me to my room for stealing those little sugar packets that were in a bowl hidden in the cupboard and eating them. I would get so mad and wish for him to disappear or die or leave and never come back. For some reason those thoughts were running through my head. Somehow I was trying to make myself believe that I was at fault and that I should have or could have done something to prevent what had just happened. I didn't know what to do. Was there anything I could do? Was this really true? How are we going to survive on my mom's paychecks alone? How will this affect my life? Then I saw them. They had just heard the news. They were screaming and crying. I wanted to scream and cry and give up and die, but I had to stay strong.    That was June 30, 2001. It is now October 24, 2002 and I still can't believe he's gone. Every morning when I wake up I walk out into the living room and expect to see him sitting in his chair reading a book, and every morning I feel a little twinge of pain when I realize he's not there. I don't think I will ever fully accept that he's gone but since his death I have accepted that it was not my fault. My father was an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver, an irreversible process that is the result of scar tissue replacing liver tissue due to extensive alcoholic consumption. The actual cirrhosis occurs when the liver contains too much scar tissue and suddenly stops functioning and the victim dies from internal bleeding and heart failure. Now that I look back I think I was trying to blame myself in order to protect my mom and my sister. I was trying to make it better for them because I knew they felt just as lifeless inside as I did. I wanted to be their strength, but it was so hard because I felt helpless and empty. My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not :: College Admissions Essays My Father Wasted His Life - I Will Not    Why me? Nothing like this had ever even happened to me before. I was so shocked I could barely shed a tear. My life had been normal and uneventful and happy, and now it was turned upside down and I was lost. I remembered when I was a little kid and he would send me to my room for stealing those little sugar packets that were in a bowl hidden in the cupboard and eating them. I would get so mad and wish for him to disappear or die or leave and never come back. For some reason those thoughts were running through my head. Somehow I was trying to make myself believe that I was at fault and that I should have or could have done something to prevent what had just happened. I didn't know what to do. Was there anything I could do? Was this really true? How are we going to survive on my mom's paychecks alone? How will this affect my life? Then I saw them. They had just heard the news. They were screaming and crying. I wanted to scream and cry and give up and die, but I had to stay strong.    That was June 30, 2001. It is now October 24, 2002 and I still can't believe he's gone. Every morning when I wake up I walk out into the living room and expect to see him sitting in his chair reading a book, and every morning I feel a little twinge of pain when I realize he's not there. I don't think I will ever fully accept that he's gone but since his death I have accepted that it was not my fault. My father was an alcoholic and died of cirrhosis of the liver, an irreversible process that is the result of scar tissue replacing liver tissue due to extensive alcoholic consumption. The actual cirrhosis occurs when the liver contains too much scar tissue and suddenly stops functioning and the victim dies from internal bleeding and heart failure. Now that I look back I think I was trying to blame myself in order to protect my mom and my sister. I was trying to make it better for them because I knew they felt just as lifeless inside as I did. I wanted to be their strength, but it was so hard because I felt helpless and empty.