Comparision of Retirement Plans for employees working in the private Essay

Comparision of Retirement Plans for representatives working in the private segment versus workers working in the open division - Essay Example The similitudes and contrasts in the retirement advantage plans, including tax assessment from annuity just as the benefit sharing plans, between the private and the open division are basically investigated and investigated in detail. As indicated by Gucciardi (2009), the benefits plans of the open segment laborers are steady and offer the laborers sureness during their retirement period. The open area as of late made changes in its arrangement to improve the advantages the staff get. The open part businesses are answerable for practically all the commitments made to the benefits framework for their representatives. By and large, the open segment laborers are liable for short of what one percent of the commitment costs with their bosses answerable for more than 99 % (Gucciardi, 2009). The private division annuity plan is unique in relation to the open one in that it is principally founded on characterized commitments, not at all like the characterized advantage utilized by open segment. Dominant part of private area businesses furnish their work force with the characterized commitment plans. Then again, most of the open segment businesses furnish their laborers with characterized advantage plans (Gucciardi, 2009). The open part gives its workers both the characterized commitment just as the characterized advantage plan. Then again, the current pattern demonstrates that the private division is moving endlessly from the characterized advantage to characterized commitment plan. Further, the open area workers get financed medical coverage benefits upon retirement, though the private part businesses don't offer such advantages to their retirees (Falk, Acs, Carrington, Dahl, and Jimmy, 2012). The quantity of private segment businesses giving health advantages to the retiree has declined extensively in the previous decade. Over this period, the open division managers have expanded their health advantages to the retirees in spite of the test of getting satisfactory assets to meet the

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 33

English - Essay Example Anyway we delighted in the entire outing unendingly and I especially have been yearning to return to this town since the time I have returned. It was a Thursday night that my dad arranged with our family that we ought to go to a close by town. Since we had never observed that town, it ended up being an intriguing encounter no different. My dad instructed us to prepare things and be on opportunity arrived early morning the following day. My mom arranged food while I and my kin organized the important utensils that we would requirement for the excursion. Since we should be away for 3 days, we told our neighbors ahead of time that we would leave the following morning and that they should deal with our place when we are not there. At the point when we showed up at the town, it began to rain. We took cover in the visitor house in which we should remain. At the point when it quit pouring, we saw a rainbow. I and my kin saw a rainbow without precedent for our lives. My dad portrayed the entire technique behind a rainbow and revealed to us how it appeared. We were energized that something like this existed generally. The subsequent day was loaded up with climbing rides over the mountain and we even went for chairlift rides. It was such a pleasant encounter, that I don't have the correct words to clarify. I delighted in the entire excursion monstrously and it caused me to feel generally excellent. My dad went about as a guide during our outing and he essentially guided us through various challenges, clarifying things which were totally new to us. He likewise revealed to us how to do trekking over the mountain and how to return downhill. We took around 3 hours to go to the peak yet returned only 30 minutes. This thi ng astounded me interminably and clarified a considerable amount of the laws of material science which I read in my material science course at school. I took direction from my dad at whatever point I encountered any irregularity in understanding the various subtleties of the trekking trip. The third day saw us gathering our sacks in the

My Courses and Stuff

My Courses and Stuff I think it was Snively who called this the freebie entry: describing the classes youre taking in a given semester. Well, now that Im a first semester senior who just decided to change her major around, this should be a little interesting, maybe. 21M.705: The Actor and the Text Youve probably heard about the required Humanities concentration. If notwell, now you have. I chose to do my concentration in Theater Arts. This will actually be the third acting class Ive taken, and were really getting into some good stuff. Im super excited about this class, basically we work on scenes all of the time. A typical 2 hour class starts with a warmup, some yoga/stretching type exercise to get us loosened up physically, and maybe an improv activity to get us loosened up mentally. Then we get to acting. Every week were responsible for memorizing a monologue or a scene with a partner or two. Then we perform, and get critiqued. We havent really gotten too far into anything yet, but Ive already memorized a super awesome anti-establishment monologue from a play called Another Antigone and Im really looking forward to it. =) 21M.604: Introduction to Playwriting Another Theater Arts class. This one might not make the final cut when (if?) my schedule ever finally calms down. But Id hate to drop it, Ive been wanting to take it ever since I was torn between concentrating in Theater Arts or Creative Writing. Intro to Playwriting was the obvious solution to this dilemma. As much as I love writing, creative writing is really, really hard to stick with. Its incredibly difficult to make yourself sit down and write something from start to finish. My hard drive is littered with scraps of nonsense that will probably never blossom into full-fledged novels or even short stories, so Id be thrilled to have a few one act plays to my name by the end of the semester. Also, the course instructor is supposed to be really, really good. Yay for HASS classes. 2.65J: Sustainable Energy You might be wondering what the J at the end of that course number means. Youve probably heard by now that all of the courses at MIT are numbered, but where do we get off throwing letters into the mix? I remember as a freshman being told that courses with more numbers were harder, while courses with letters were easier. This is a total lie. It all depends what the letter stands for. Well, Im not actually sure what the J stands for, but it means that a course is offered under multiple course numbers. Whats the point of that? Well, it can count towards your degree in any of a number of majors. Courses designated with a J are interdisciplinary, so students from more than one major might be in the class- but they might all also be fulfilling a graduation requirement! Most of these courses represent only two different courses, but 2.65 J is officially called 10.391J/1.818J/2.65J/3.564J/11.371J/22.811J/ESD.166J- thats seven different departments! The numbers are only for administrative pur poses- everyone in the class shows up in the same lecture hall at the same time and turns in the same psets, they just have a different course number listed on their transcripts. The point of the course is to analyze different types of energy and figure out what might represent the right solution for a given application based on technological, economic, and political concerns. The first pset for this class doesnt look so bad- there are some very practical problems about things like estimating how long youd have to own a hybrid car for the extra initial cost to outweigh the money saved in gas mileage, and figuring out the impact of switching all the lighting in Boston to high efficiency lightbulbs. 11.366 Planning, Participation, and Consensus Building for Sustainable Development??? Hopefully Ill be able to add this class as part of my newfound purpose in life. According to the course catalog, the course analyzes the competing interests that come into play in the field of sustainable development by looking at case studies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Ill be sure to keep you updated if I manage to add the class! 2.009: Product Design and Development This is it, the moment youve all been waiting for. Course 2 majors look forward to first semester senior year with equal parts excitement and dread. 2.009 is sort of the be-all and end-all of a Course 2 degree. Every fall, of the seniors hoping to graduate in the coming June eagerly await the announcement of the 2.009 theme, which is the area in which the different teams must design and fully develop a new product. This years theme is the home, so were already busy filling our design notebooks with brainstormed ideas about better mousetraps, energy saving and water recycling systems, and mattress alarm clocks. (Guess what that is.) Within a few weeks well settle on a final product, do some detailed design, analysis, testing, marketingthe whole deal. Definitely check out the website, its insanely detailed, regularly updated, and full of tons of pictures. They take photos every day in class, and there are definitely a few of me in there. See if you can spot them. ;-) So, those are my classes for this semester. They seem pretty awesome so far. Of course, I say that now Also, at this point its necessary to wish both Matt and Mollie a happy anniversary- they married their respective spouses (not each other!) one year ago today. So go spam them with comments. =)

Fiction vs. Non-fiction Boundaries Essay - 1389 Words

Fiction vs. Non-fiction Boundaries Blurring the boundaries between Fiction and Non-Fiction has always been a great way for authors to make their points, yield their arguments, and to keep interest. Some may even be inclined to believe that there is not a definite boundary between the areas of fiction and non-fiction. Fiction is often used throughout non-fiction writings as more of a point of view than a character in itself. This voice is not exactly a character in the text, but it still exercises an attitude toward the material to help control the writing. â€Å"Lola,† by Truman Capote is a great instance where these boundaries are so well mixed, that it becomes hard to tell the difference where one starts and another begins. This†¦show more content†¦There are many different events that lead up to the climax, but in the end, Lola ends up falling of a balcony and becoming lost forever. This is a rarity in most non-fiction stories because they mostly refer to fact and history rather than trying to hold the readers attention through the entirety of the story. However, this story does include non-fiction structure as well. It is based on chronically events like most non-fiction works and does include many intricate descriptions of the characters themselves and the events that are being described. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† is yet another non-fiction account that incorporates fiction into the story. The author includes fictional events to throw the reader off of the original story. It starts out as a classic non-fiction writing where the events are unfolding in succession and there is not much action to the story, mainly description. This is also an example of when the voice is not exactly a character in the text, but it still exercises an attitude toward the material to help control the writing. The reader never really figures out who the author really is and how he knows everything that is taking place throughout the story. The author must be there but he is not exactly aShow MoreRelatedPosition Paper: Censorship1391 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosopher, was the first to record a method of censorship in a democratic society. In his Republic one of the first guidelines Plato designates is that The first thing will be to establish a censorship of the wr iters of fiction, and let the censors receive any tale of fiction which is good, and reject the bad; and we will desire mothers and nurses to tell their children the authorized ones only. (Semtu II) This was a model was meant to maintain the moral chastity of the following generations,Read MoreChris Pawling2932 Words   |  12 PagesIntroduction: Popular Fition: Ideology or Utopia? Christopher Pawling Popular Fiction and Literary criticism * Despite the growth of interest in popular fiction, it has been difficult to introduce courses on them in college and university syllabi because it is still not considered as mainstream literature, just a minor or peripheral genre. * The self-definition of English literature depends heavily on what is absent from its field- its significant other- popular literature or paraliteratureRead MoreBurnt Shadows : The Similarities And Trauma Caused Using The Narrative Form4047 Words   |  17 PagesShanaz Rahim USSY 288K – Hiroshima Mark Pedretti, 30 April 2012 Reality and Fiction: The Similarities and Trauma Caused Using the Narrative Form in Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie Narrative Forms, Reality, and Trauma The narrative forms of the â€Å"hermeneutic and proairetic codes† proposed by Roland Barthes Peter Brooks highlights the two ways a fictional novel creates suspense (qtd. from Brooks 18). The hermeneutic code is caused by unanswered questions in the plot, while the proairetic is the anticipationRead MoreAp Human Geography - Essay1398 Words   |  6 Pagesthe earth. Students will learn the importance of spatial analysis and evaluation, to employ spatial concepts, geographic vocabulary, and landscape interpretation, and develop a geographic perspective from the analysis of several outside works of non-fiction regarding various geographical topics. Themes of the Course: - Importance of spatial analysis and interpretation - Recognizing and drawing conclusions in the study of patterns and processes. - The cause and effect of human beings on the ruralRead MoreSummary : Oedipus Syndrome 1769 Words   |  8 Pagespersonal for the reader. Review the examples at About.com to choose from a number of approaches to setting the stage of your presentation. b. Body of your presentation should address: Did you enjoy the book? Was it well written? What was the genre? (fiction) Which characters play important roles that relate to the overall theme? Did you notice reoccurring symbols? Is this book a part of a series? (nonfiction) Can you identify the writer s thesis? What is the writing style? Did you notice a tone? WasRead More The Role of Women in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagesregardless of Frankensteins categorization being that of science fiction, Mary Shelley reveals her own fears and thoughts, and, as a result, reveals a great deal about the time and place in which she wrote. She mentions specific geographical locations throughout Europe, she raises ethical questions concerning the synthesis of life, and she writes in the context of popular contemporary philosophy and the importance of environment vs. experiences. Most importantly to this essay, however, is theRead MoreElements of Postmodernism in Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo, Don Delillos White Noise, Toni Morrisons Beloved and Thomas Pynchons the Crying of Lot 496348 Words   |  26 Pagesattention to the local cultures and undervalued constituencies that modernisms exaltation of unity and grand narrative often obscured, which can easily be observed by reading and analyzing some of the most important wo rks of American postmodern fiction. Works such as Ishmael Reeds Mumbo Jumbo, Don DeLillos White Noise, Toni Morrisons Beloved and Thomas Pynchons The Crying of Lot 49 are only a few of many which contain all or some of postmodernisms most distinguishable elements. ThroughtRead MoreThe Epistolary Novel2967 Words   |  12 PagesAt the forefront lies the problem of identifying the boundaries of the genre and the volume of the concept under consideration, the fixation of its related events and their delimitation from other adjacent, but not similar in fact, as well as the status of correspondence in the literary text. It is necessary to distinguish the concept of epistolary novel of the more common, such as epistolary literature, epistolography†, epistolary fiction, etc., and motivate the need to consider the novelRead MoreAtheism : Argentina s National Reality Essay2207 Words   |  9 Pagesfully recognizes the religions of Evangelical Christians, Protestant, Jewish, Islamic, Jehovah Witness, along with other religious that can be found on page 342 of his article, as well as recognizing some non- religious creeds, such as Spiritism and Masonry, yet Argentina fails to recognize the non-religious group of Atheism. Literature Review Jesse Smith When attempting to understand what life is like for an Atheist in Argentina, we must have a point of reference to compare and contrast our findingsRead More New Computer-based Communication Technologies Essay2160 Words   |  9 PagesToday’s organization has access to communications technology that only a few short decades ago would have seemed like science fiction. From mobile devices more powerful than the first personal computers to the ability to create a team that never physically meets and resides in different parts of the world, the possibilities are vast. The issue for the modern manager then, is not only to understand these underlying technologies and the possibilities they provide, but also to stay cognizant of the

How to Campaign for a Mock Election

A mock election is a simulated election process which is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the election process. In this popular exercise, students participate in every aspect of a national campaign and then participate in the voting process in order to get a complete understanding of the democratic process. The components of your exercise may include: Discovering and filing the paperwork you need to submit to runSelecting candidatesOrganizing caucusesCreating a campaignWriting speechesDesigning campaign postersCreating polling boothsMaking ballotsVoting What Are the Benefits? When you participate in a practice election, you will learn about the election process, but youll also sharpen many skills as you participate in a simulated version of a national election: You will gain public speaking experience as you participate in speeches and debates.You can sharpen critical thinking skills as you analyze campaign speeches and ads.You can gain event-planning experience by getting involved in organizing the meetings and rallies.You can learn to communicate effectively as you develop campaign materials and events. Choosing a Candidate You may not have a choice about the role you play or even about the candidate you support in a mock election. Teachers will usually divide a class (or an entire student body of a school) and assign candidates. It is important in a mock election to make the process fair and to avoid hurt feelings and feelings of being ostracized. Its not always a good idea to pick the candidate that is supported by your family because students who are greatly outnumbered can feel pressured or ridiculed for supporting an unpopular candidate. Every candidate is unpopular somewhere! Preparing for the Debate A debate is a formalized discussion or argument. You must study the rules or processes that debaters follow in order to prepare. Youll want to learn what will be expected of you! Your school may have special rules to add to the general guidelines youll find online. Its also a good idea to watch your opponents campaign advertisements on YouTube (the real candidate, that is). You can gain clues about your opponents position on controversial topics. These ads will highlight his or her potential strengths and may even shed light on a potential weakness. How Do I Run a Campaign? A campaign is like a long-running TV commercial. You are really designing a sales pitch for your candidate when you run a campaign, so youll use many sales techniques in this process. Youll want to be honest, of course, but you want to pitch your candidate in the most agreeable way, with positive words and attractive materials. You will need to establish a platform, which is a set of beliefs and positions that your candidate holds on specific topics. You will need to research the candidate that you represent and write a mock-up of those positions in language that is suitable for your audience. An example of a statement in your platform is I will promote investments in clean energy in order to provide a healthy environment for future families. (See real platforms from presidential campaigns.) Dont worry--your own platform does not need to be as long as a real one! By writing out your platform, you gain a clear understanding of the candidate you support. This will help you as you design campaign materials. Using the platform as a guideline you can: Write a campaign speech Draw posters to support your issuesWith permission from parents, design a Facebook page for your candidateCreate a poll on Facebook or in Survey Monkey to get feedback from votersCreate a campaign blog with Blogger

Impact of life skills training on HIV and AIDS prevention Free Essays

string(53) " programmes in Zimbabwean schools to HIV prevention\." This was a qualitative research where data about the implementation were gathered through interviews and focus group discussions with chool principals, teachers and students. A sample of 4 principals, 8 teachers and 64 students was used in the study. Students were assessed on knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and behaviour. We will write a custom essay sample on Impact of life skills training on HIV and AIDS prevention or any similar topic only for you Order Now Results showed that students exhibited high levels of knowledge of HIV and AIDS issues but their behaviour remained incongruent with this knowledge. The study also revealed that effectiveness of this prevention strategy is reduced due to teachers’ perception of this part of the curriculum as secondary, since they concentrate on examinable courses. From the research it was evident that imited resources and conflicting goals in the education system had a negative impact on the programme. The research made clear the need to make the teaching of life skills more practical by exposing students to real life situations through linkages with HIV and AIDS organizations working within the community. Key Words: Life skills, Evaluation, Behaviour Change, BACKGROUND AIDS is amongst the leading causes of deaths worldwide and has had insurmountable negative effects on countries, in the socio-cultural, economic and political domains. Different countries have employed different strategies in an effort o combat the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS. Some of these strategies include increased condom availability and use, promotion of abstinence and life skills training amongst the youth in schools and communities. According to The Global Working Group on HIV and AIDS (1998; 8) since HIV infection is invariably the result of human behaviour, change in behaviour has long been understood as essential to curbing the spread of 1 infection. This assertion is corroborated by Gachuhi (1999;iv) who argues that in the absence of a cure, the best way to deal with HIV and AIDS is through prevention by eveloping and/or changing behaviour and values. V prevention nas been approached trom ditterent angles; most countries nave used primarily or at least included HIV awareness and education as a strategy to combat HIV with the aim of changing people†s perceptions and attitudes as these ultimately influence their behaviour. Therefore the ultimate goal is then to catch them young and create an awareness that can help eradicate the spread of HIV and AIDS. Zimbabwe is amongst the countries that undertook a behaviour change based approach to HIV prevention. As cited on the National AIDS Council (NAC) website ?the Behaviour Change Communication programme started in 2006 after a Comprehensive Review of Behaviour Change as a means of preventing sexual HIV transmission in Zimbabwe. A National Behaviour Change Strategy was then developed after this review with the aim of addressing the major ways of HIV transmission in this country. † It is assumed that between 80 and 90% of infections are due to sexual transmission. Hence, promoting the adoption of safe sexual behaviours remains at the heart of HIV prevention in Zimbabwe (SAfAlDS, 2013). Zimbabwe†s focus was on primary prevention of HIV through behaviour change strategies. It has since recorded a decrease in HIV incidence. In 1997, an estimated 29% of adults were living with HIV in Zimbabwe. One decade later in 2007, that number had fallen to 16%. HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe declined from 23. 2% in 2003 and even further to 14. 3% in 2009. (UNFPA, 2008). Different scholars and analysts have attributed this decline to various factors, resulting in a debate. One such analyst from News From Africa propounded that â€Å"The behavioural changes associated with HIV reduction†mainly reductions in extramarital, commercial, and casual sexual relations, and associated reductions in artner concurrency†appear to have been stimulated primarily by increased awareness of AIDS deaths and secondarily by the countrys economic deterioration. Others have suggested increased mortality due to poor health service delivery (Leach-Lemens; 2012). There is consensus however that there is indeed a reduction in HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe and that there are indications of behaviour change. The authors conclude that these â€Å"findings provide 2 the first convincing evidence of an HIV decline accelerated by changes in sexual behaviour in a southern African country. † (Gregson et al; 2010). Gachuhi (1999; 10) asserts that young people offer a window of hope in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS if they have been reached by Life Skills Programmes. Th is assertion brings out the importance that is placed in a country†s youth as it represents the country†s future. Zimbabwe as a nation identifies with this perspective and has found it laudable to invest in the future of its youth by making it a target group tor H V prevention education. However, the youth are taced with several challenges that also make them vulnerable to HIV. Kalanda (2010;169) asserts that young people have demands and challenges due to their physiological, sychological, social and economic situations. Among these demands and challenges are peer pressure into drug and substance abuse, early sexual debut leading to sexually transmitted diseases (ST’s) including HIV. A review by UNICEF (2000) found that life skills education is effective in educating youth on alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse, nutrition, pregnancy prevention and preventing ST’s including HIV. Moya (2002) states that research demonstrates that possessing life skills may be critical to young people’s ability to positively adapt to and deal with the demands and challenges of life. According to Kalanda (2010:172) the objective of Life skills and HIV and AIDS education is to empower pupils and their teachers with life skills for HIV prevention, sex and sexuality issues. This coincides with the research conducted for The Global Monitoring Report ?Youth and Skills: Putting education to work† which shows the importance of investing in life skills education in school to ensure children have the confidence and negotiating skills to say no to sex and negotiate condom use. Objectives of the study The study seeks to evaluate the implementation of the life skills and HIV and AIDS ducation programmes in schools as stipulated by the Ministry of Education? The study also seeks to assess the contribution of these life skills training programmes in Zimbabwean schools to HIV prevention. You read "Impact of life skills training on HIV and AIDS prevention" in category "Life" It aims to assess the levels of knowledge about HIV and AIDS, risk perception, attitudes and behaviour of the students in these schools. Challenges that present drawbacks in the implementation of these programmes will hopefully be unearthed as well. 3 Research Questions 1. How is Life skills and HIV and AIDS education perceived as part of the curriculum by both teachers and students in schools? . Is the programme achieving its desired goals of increasing knowledge and decreasing risky behaviour? 3. Do the teachers assigned for life skills and HIV and AIDS education have the necessary training and material to use in the teaching of this part of the curriculum? 4. What are the challenges faced by the teachers in imparting life skills and HIV and AIDS knowledge? Participants / Sample The sample used in the study consisted of 4 principals, 8 teachers and 64 students. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of principals and teachers for the study from the respective schools. Selection of principals was automatic as the principal of each of the four schools was involved while 2 teachers were selected trom each ot the tour schools. The criterion used to select these teachers was that they were the ones responsible within the school for Life skills and HIV and AIDS education. The students were selected using stratified random sampling; 16 students from each school, 8 from each of the forms four and six as they are about to leave school and enter ?the real world†. There was an equal representation for both male and female student participants in the study. Data collection instruments The study employed interviews and focus group discussions as data collection instruments. Interviews were held with the principals and teachers while data from students was generated through focus group discussions. Data Collection Procedure Interviews were held individually with each of the principals and teachers in a bid to maintain confidentiality and promote openness especially since some of the issues could be considered sensitive. Each principal availed time to the researchers for the focus group discussions to be held. The two researchers alternated in the facilitation f data generation from the interviews with the other researcher recording the proceedings. Focus group discussions were conducted for each of the four schools for the sake of convenience and ease of access to the students. Two focus group discussions were held at each of the four schools; one for the girls facilitated by the female 4 researcher and the other one for the boys facilitated by the male researcher. This allowed for free participation and contribution by students as they identified with a facilitator of their gender. Data analysis Data was analysed thematically according to the main ideas emerging from the nterviews and focus group discussions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Results: Demography of participants The students who participated were in forms four and six and with an age range of 16 – 18 years. The sample in terms of gender was comprised of 32 female students and 32 male students. For the principals 3 were male whilst one was female. They all had a first degree as their minimum level of education. All the teachers had a Diploma in Education as their minimum qualification. In addition to the diploma, 5 of the teachers also had a first degree. Knowledge about HIV and AIDS issues The students exhibited high levels of knowledge about HIV and AIDS issues. Most students were aware ot the possible me tnods ot transmission ot H V They were able to correctly answer questions on methods of preventing HIV transmission even including ideas of their reliability for example highlighting the disadvantages of condom use even going into an interesting debate about the feasibility and challenges of consistent condom use in or out of marriage. The students indicated that they knew that the best method of prevention from the virus was abstinence before marriage. Basic knowledge about the nature of HIV and AIDS, transmission and prevention appeared to be at their fingertips but when broadened to other areas of sexual reproductive health the level of knowledge significantly reduced. Students were not aware of measures that could be taken to protect their reproductive organs. Boys were better aware of male circumcision because of the national campaign advocating for male circumcision. Even girls were aware of the advantages of male circumcision. Very few (17%) of both boys and girls were aware of procedures such as PAP SMEAR for the screening of cervical cancer. Most students were also not well versed with strategies and precautions to be taken during home based care of HIV positive individuals citing that they had never had to deal with an ill person on a personal level. Only a few (36%) had had personal contact and real life experiences of helping to take care of or live in the same household with an HIV positive individual. They agreed though that most did have relatives infected by HIV. Very few students knew what life skills were and what the advantages of learning them were. The few who knew life skills indicated that they had learnt them in other ettings that were not school. They also indicated that their knowledge of life skills was minimal and they were not confident that other could apply these skills to the extent of claiming to possess them. Most of them could only name at most two life skills. Behaviour A significant portion of the students (35%) indicated that they were sexually active whilst 80% indicated that they knew at least one friend who was sexually active amongst their friends of school-going age. The reasons given by some of them for engaging in sexual activity included; â€Å"Some of us will already have been sexually ctive when we first encounter such programmes so it very difficult to stop. Some have tried to do so but still find themselves engaging again. One feels bad during the period that we will be learning these things but once we finish and with time the feeling fades away. And also it is difficult to convince your boyfriend about such things as abstaining that you would have learnt at school. Some of those who said they were not sexually active stated that they did however fondle with their boyfriends but did not engage in intercourse. Despite displaying nowledge about male circumcision only 5% ot the boys admitted to having been circumcised. They acknowledged the importance but cited that they Just had not gotten round to getting it done though they intended to do so. The principals indicated that the number of female students dropping out of school due to teenag e pregnancies had decreased significantly over the past ten years. They indicated that the mean number of drop outs was now 2 per year as compared to the 7-8 of previous years. Students’ perception of the programme The majority of students (90%) viewed the programme as insignificant citing that ven their teachers did not take it seriously. They conceded however that the material they could potentially learn from the programme was important. They stated that given the pressure they sometimes 6 faced with balancing school work and responsibilities or chores at home there was very little time to concentrate on non-examinable courses, especially since they were approaching final examinations (Ordinary Level). They argued that there was no reason for them to focus on such a course when everywhere they went they also heard about HIV and AIDS. One student said â€Å"Why would I risk failing the important ubjects that have to do with my future by concentrating on a subject that I won’t even be examined on and will not help me to get a place at high school, university or even a Job. There is no Job where they will ask you if you did life skills. † Another student said: â€Å"Those who are interested in such things Join the AIDS club, that is why it is there. The study revealed that the programme was indeed viewed as being of slight importance. The students also highlighted that it was boring and a waste of time because most of what they learnt about HIV and AIDS they already knew and was like revision to them. Teachers’ perceptions of the programme The interviews also revealed that teachers thought that the Life skills and HIV and AIDS education programme was minor as com pared to the core subjects they taught. So minor in fact that the implementation of this programme was entirely at the discretion of the teacher assigned to do so. If the teacher chose not to there were no repercussions on their part. One teacher stated that â€Å"With the state the Zimbabwean economy is in and the fact that teachers are grossly underpaid, we only do the work we absolutely have to do which is teaching the core subjects we are paid to teach. Life skills and HIV and AIDS are extra-curricular and not as important because no one will assess whether you have taught it or not whilst our teaching of core subjects will be reflected in the students’ results after examinations. † The study revealed that 7 out of the 8 teachers (87. %) interviewed admitted to never having taught the module seriously as they were not motivated enough to try and change the status quo. The teachers intimated that their perceptions of the programme were also influenced by their administration†s attitude towards the programme. They argued that if the administration was not taking the programme eriously who were they to do so? Challenges fac ed by teachers in the implementation of the programme Teachers highlighted a number of issues that according to them hindered the effective implementation of the Life skills and HIV and AIDS programme in their schools. They cited the shortage of or entire lack of material to use in the teaching of Life skills and HIV and AIDS. They mentioned that the only material available was for example a chapter on reproductive sexual health in a biology textbook where they mention HIV and AIDS in passing. They argued that this was not sufficient to comprise a omprehensive syllabus for the entire programme. Life skills were even more challenging to teach as there was no material available and the teachers themselves were not well versed with them. Teachers highlighted that the HIV and AIDS part of the programme was easier to teach since most people had the knowledge and they had been exposed to the subject matter at their teachers† colleges. However life skills were a different matter and they did not have the adequate knowledge about life skills and how to teach them to their students. This presented a challenge in the effective implementation of he programme as teachers tended to focus on the part they were confident about; HIV and AIDS. They conceded that life skills and HIV and AIDS education were an important part of the curriculum but argued that they did not have enough time to teach these as the core subjects and extra-curricular activities such as sports and clubs took up all the students† time. Life skills and HIV and AIDS education was therefore relegated to the AIDS club, membership of which was optional for students. Teachers cited that even the administration viewed the programme as secondary uch that if one tried to teach it seriously and request the material to teach it they were viewed as embarking on a futile attempt to try and change the status quo. They said the schools† administrations were of the perception that there were better things to spend the schools† resources on than the life skills programme. The principals indicated that the resources available to their schools were inadequate and they had to make difficult decisions in order to uphold the integrity and quality of their schools and these included prioritising the core subjects since they were xaminable and had direct impact on the schools† performance rating. Discussion: This paper evaluated the implementation of the life skills and HIV and AIDS programme in Zimbabwean schools based on a number of factors; the expected outcomes of increased 8 knowledge levels and decreased risky behaviour, indicators of behaviour change and perceptions of the programme which would affect acceptance by students and implementation by teachers. Though knowledge levels on basic H d AIDS knowledge was high they are still not high enough. This concurs with the research conducted for The Global Monitoring Report ?Youth and Skills: Putting education to work† which states that tests in fourteen countries in South and East Africa (including Zimbabwe) showed that only 7% of school children in the regions have the desired level of knowledge on HIV and AIDS; and Just 36% have even the minimum level of knowledge. Students† knowledge of life skills is even lower indicating that life skills and HIV and AIDS issues are not being taught well if at all in these schools. Perhaps even the knowledge of HIV and AIDS issues was not as a result of the programme but other sources external to the school. The fact that teachers consider life skills and HIV and AIDS education as extra- curricular indicates that it is side-lined when it should be considered core. Even the students do not attach much value to it citing that it does not assist them to secure a place for further education or a Job. This is without realizing that some people with very good educational qualifications are failing to secure good Jobs due to ill health as a result of bad decisions resulting from a lack of life skills. A major lack of motivation is evident when teachers indicate that they only do what they are paid for. Perhaps even the core subjects are not being taught well for this reason. Incentives have been introduced in schools to attempt to address this lack of motivation but even then these are viewed as inadequate and are different from school to school. Life skills and HIV and AIDS education is perceived by all; administration, teachers and students, as extra-curricular and therefore not very important requiring only a minimal perfunctory browse. If this is how the programme is viewed by the intended implementers there is no way it will be effectively implemented. Concerning teacher ormation and development in the context of HIVAIDS Chamba (2011 suggests that teachers have to be trained in life skills HIV-AIDS education prevention in order to teach HIV- AIDS and also to protect themselves from HIV infections. Recommendations to improve on implementation of programme The modules on life skills and HIV and AIDS should be made examinable so as to be taken more seriously by both the teachers and the students. 9 The programme should also include the involvement of the students in HIV prevention initiatives through organisations working within the community so as to ive them a more practical bearing of the issues they learn instead of them remaining abstract ideas. Students should be exposed to real life situations where they actually come to a realization of the effects of HIV and AIDS so as to realize the impo rtance ot what they learn. This programme should be planned in such a manner that it runs continuously from primary school into secondary school so that life skills training and HIV and AIDS education are not a once off event but a continuous process providing the necessary reinforcement and revision where necessary. Teachers need to be adequately trained to teach life skills and HIV and AIDS related issues. The programme needs to be supported practically at all levels, that it the provision of resources by the Ministry of Education and each school administration, consistent evaluation of the programme so as to ensure that it is being implemented as best as is possible. Parents should be involved so that the children are provided with consistent, noncontradictory information and are supported in the endeavour to change or develop healthy sexual behaviours. How to cite Impact of life skills training on HIV and AIDS prevention, Essays

Addictive Behaviour free essay sample

Behaviour â€Å"that is repetitive, that occurs at high personal and social cost, and that occurs despite knowledge of these costs is termed addictive† (Spiga, 2002, p. 510). Process addiction is an addiction to a way or process of acquiring the addictive substance. The function of addiction is to keep people out of touch of themselves (Rice, 1998). Powerlessness To be powerless is to be devoid of the strength or capacity to act. Certain feelings of powerlessness happen to a person when he or she deems that he or she cannot do or express what he or she truly wants. An example scenario of powerlessness inside the workplace would be: A maintenance personnel’s work is limited to performing cleaning and sanitation work in accordance with relevant procedures and guidelines; maintaining a clean facility; picking up trash from cans; enforcing sanitary requirements; and performing preventive maintenance on mechanical and electrical equipment. Concisely, the maintenance personnel should only ensure the cleanliness and efficiency of equipment inside the office. We will write a custom essay sample on Addictive Behaviour or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This means that he does not have an access to the electronic data files that office workers have access to. Also, he does not have access to the use of online document or gaming sources. First, the type of job that the maintenance personnel hold is considered to be on the lower level in the organizational structure of the office. This means that the power he or she has over the use of the equipment and materials in the office is very limited; he or she is deemed powerless in terms of office material usage. The limitations presented on the part of the maintenance personnel could be a high motivation for him or her to make use of the office equipment when he or she sees that nobody knows about it. The powerlessness invoked by the type of job could lead into creating a habitual stealthy use of the office equipment, particularly office computers. He or she may then intend to make use of the equipment after office hours and when nobody is present, and this habit may turn to be an addictive behaviour in the end. Powerlessness may invoke two different effects; the one as have just been laid out, and the second effect could be restorative; powerlessness, upon knowledge of this concept, may prevent the personnel’s sneaky usage of the computer by attributing powerlessness as a self-concept. Learned powerlessness becomes self-perpetuating, even if the external forces are no longer there. Because the personnel learned that powerlessness in his case meant being on the odd side of the hierarchy, he rebelled on this powerlessness, turning into an addictive behaviour. If he had knowledge of the powerlessness as a self-concept and not exactly the product of an external force, i.e. the office hierarchy, then he would be able to understand that the addictive behaviour of stealthy computer use may be prevented. There is a necessity for those with addictive behaviour to â€Å"shift their stance from one that asserts domination over the self, others, and the environment to one that accepts the reality of limitation† (Krestan, 2000, p. 15). Transference Transference pertains to a process wherein the emotions learned from earlier associations or relationships are transferred to one’s new relationship experiences. In a workplace setting, transference may happen in a simpler manner: A secretary works for her male boss. From time to time, her boss happens to shout at her because of poor business reports or disorderly meeting schedules. Every time the secretary sees her boss, she gets depressed, fearful, and clumsy that she often produces substandard reports. The depression and fear that she feels in the office is also felt in her home when she goes home. Her father is the bossy-type businessman who had always scolded her even when she was still a child. She then succumbs to the use of amphetamines in order to stir away her everyday feeling of depression. The transference happened to be the cause of depression of the secretary. She felt depressed whenever her father scolded her, and this association of her father’s scolding to her boss’s reproach completed the transference. She sees her boss to be like her father; in effect, she feels the same emotions in both setting. If she knew about the transference that happens with her association of her father with her boss, she may be able to think differently in her office and perform better. She may not surrender to the use of anti-depressants just so she could do her job properly.