Towards A Healthy Economy + Marketing World

A constantly changing employment landscape will always lead to constantly changing career views. Much of this has to do with the influx of evolving technology that requires almost every profession in existence to keep up and change with it. When choosing an educational option, it is important to consider all one’s choices from every angle. While a certain career may sound appealing, it is important to know how much schooling will be required, what degrees are needed for an entry level position and even the average starting pay. Many individuals become frustrated with their choice because they did not consider one or more of these options.

There are a number of resources for investigating the ins and outs of different careers. Getting full facts and statistics about a job and its prospects as a long term profession can make choosing a career much easier. When it comes to career views, an industry can stay at the top of a list of most important jobs while certain vocations in the industry rank as most popular. For example, computer technology is always a popular profession; however, computer programmer and information technology specialist are two vocations that often trade places as most popular computer industry careers.

What is the eternal student? Well quite literally it is one who studies forever. You might say that everyone is in fact an eternal student. But I am referring to that type of person who is a permanent resident in a university. The perks of staying in college are numerous– namely you don’t have to pay for your life. Some of the lucky are able to con parents into paying for their stay at institutes of higher education, but one can occasionally trick the government and other scholarship organizations into paying. There are several types of eternal students ranging from the truly dedicated to the wild partier.

Most often when one refers to an eternal student the automatic assumption is that of the Truly Dedicated Eternal Student. This is often a student who has chosen random and rather bizarre course work. You most often find these students among Classical Studies or History students. The reason is simple. No one cares about those majors except the people in them. Who really needs to major in Sanskrit anymore? It’s a five thousand year old dead language. So students of these types of majors can always find something old to study and claim the need to study that fully before they move into “the real world”.

These students can always find something else to study because the stuff has been around so darn long. Since no one cares about these studies anymore these students are free to hide is the sunlight-deprived coroners of dusty libraries and remain free from responsibility. The major difficulty in being a truly Dedicated Eternal Student is to lie convincingly enough so that the parents, friends, the university, and financial supporters all believe that the student needs to remain ensconced in their studies.

The Multiple Degrees Eternal Student is a nefarious schemer. This student is the only eternal student to ever actually earn a degree. And not only do they earn one degree, but they earn several. The primary goal of this type of student is to have more letters after their name than in their name. They will earn a BA and a BS and an MA, MS, MPH, JD, MBA, MD, PhD, DrPH, and on and on and on. In some ways this Eternal Student is the most talented and most conniving of all Eternal Students.

Not only must they posses the intelligence and talent for earning these many degrees but they must convince others that they actually need these degrees. The danger, however, in being a Multiple Degrees eternal student is that, unlike other eternal students, these individuals have actually completed acceptable levels of education. At some point their financial support will revolt due to the immense financial burden these multiple degrees impose and the student is generally told to go ahead and utilize their degrees. The best counterattack to this type of difficulty is to be educated out of any possible job and so, after a brief interval, return to higher education.

Another study bound eternal student is the Cutting Edge Eternal Student. These students study material on the cutting edge of technology. Often the world assumes these are the students who are first to venture from the confines of college life. In this the world is sorely mistaken. Most major advances in technology are made by doddering old men and women who made the mistake of leaving college and have been trying to keep up ever since. True there are your Walt Disney’s and Bill Gate, the rare examples of young people achieving great technological successes. But those individuals are few and far between. The Cutting Edge Eternal Student insists on learning the latest new technology before entering the workforce, so as to be “well prepared”. Cleverly enough, by the time they finish learning the last skill there will be new material to be studied.

The only problem with study bound eternal students is that they almost always have enough or more than enough credits to complete their degree. Parents or government officials who notice this often require the said student to graduate, putting an end to their free ride. The Multiple Minors Eternal Student manages to dodge these questions of graduation by never achieving enough credits to qualify as a major in any given subject. These students cleverly craft their schedules so as to always be without the correct requirements at the appropriate time to have continuous course study.

Because of these “scheduling mistakes” the students must then take alternate classes where they “discover” new interests and the same scheduling problem arises. The most common excuse from such students is that they are using college to “expand their horizons”. Despite appearing to have a lack of foresight these students are very conscientious of timing in courses. The only difficulty with The Multiple Minor Eternal Student is that after a period of fifteen or so years lines of study become restricted. So these students can most often be found petitioning for new majors and can be thanked for many of the more curious majors found in colleges today.

The Lack of Core Eternal Student is another student who fails to meet the prerequisites of graduation. These students do, however, study all the course work required of their major(s). These students refrain from graduating by failing to meet certain prerequisites of the core curriculum. They are different from The Multiple Minors Eternal Student is that their goal is to receive all credits BUT the core course whereas The Multiple Minor Eternal Student’s goal is to meet ONLY the core course requirements. Obviously The Lack of Core Eternal Student can only be found at schools with a core curriculum, preferably an extensive one. The difficulty with this method of study is that the student must work hard in their major to counter the effects of their “failed” core courses in order to not be kicked out of the school. These students are most easily found supporting the need for a “liberal arts education”; also know as a ridiculously extensive and hardly useful core class requirement.

The Eternal Transfer Student also manages their education so as to avoid gaining any real credit form a given school. Often these students take a “leave of absence” to “explore” other schools. In that way they fool the schools that they attend into not giving them credit while still remaining in the college lifestyle. The Eternal Transfer Student must be very astute like The Multiple Minors Eternal Student and plan the course and schools they attend.

If they are very good they can successfully fail to obtain a degree from dozens of universities. The key to this failure is choosing courses at a given school that do not transfer to another as anything more than elective credit. A subset of the Eternal Transfer Student is the Eternal Study Abroad Student, who is merely a transfer student of foreign universities. This specialized Eternal Transfer Student is slightly more difficult to maintain, due to the immense expense of foreign travel. Another common pitfall of the Study Abroad Student is to unwisely fall in love with a foreign city or person and to permanently move abroad, therefore putting to end their “studies”.

The last and most infamous Eternal Student is simply called The Eternal Party Animal. The name speaks for itself. These students are the students who always manage to miss class because they are sleeping off a hangover. These students require very gullible PARENTS. The government cannot be conned into supporting The Party Animal’s habits for long. The most common fault among The Party Animal Students is carelessness. They are so busy partying they fail to pass enough classes to remain in school. Therefore a smart Party Animal will only attend a school that is easy and abundant with fraternities and sororities. Schools that provide that atmosphere are more likely to be lenient towards The Party Animal and let him or her thrive. The Greek System is also very supportive of the Party Animal in providing instant friends, abundant booze, and term papers. A warning to those considering The Party Animal life: most former Party Animals die of depression, cirrhosis, or venereal diseases.

The privilege of Eternal Studentdom is not to be taken lightly. At no other point in your life is it a) acceptable that you not know what you are doing b) normal for people to give you excessive amounts of money and c) expected that you will do dumb things. If you doubt what I say is true just look at all the adults trying to go back to college- it can’t be done.

Sarah Boutwell received her undergraduate in Biology from the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science of Public Health. Sarah is also employed as a Healthcare Policy Analyst in Alabama where she resides with her family. Sarah is an author on Writing.Com (http://www.Writing.Com/). Her work can be found at GoCartCherub

Yoga, which is more than 5,000 years old Indian tradition, has become immensely popular in the United States of America. Americans have discovered the art of relaxation through yoga.

Since its popularity is soaring by the day, a number of “yoga schools” have mushroomed all over the USA to provide the advantages of yoga to the millions of Americans.

A number of yoga classes are conducted through adult education programs and at various yoga centers located in different states. You can get information about yoga centers on the internet. There are many private yoga teachers who conduct classes to give you personal attention.

Though you may be very keen to do yoga exercises the key is enrolling in a right yoga class which has an expert yoga instructor who will look into your personal needs. It is also important that you must know your limitations and goals.

Though the advantages and disadvantages of yoga are well known, very little is known about the yoga instructors. Therefore, before plunging in to yoga classes you have to find the right yoga instructor for it is his/her handling the yoga exercise(s) that either benefits you or may harm you in the long run.

There are a number of important aspects that you should look for in a yoga instructor. The instructor should at first glance identify whether you are doing the right yoga pose and if not he/she should be able to modify or correct the pose. He/she should warn the students which yoga exercise should be done and not to be done depending upon your physical and mental condition. Yoga exercises which are uncomfortable and causing excruciating pain to you should never be done. An instructor should encourage the students to know their limitations and advise remedial measures for improving them.

It is extremely important that you check the credentials of the instructor over and over again, as a wrong choice may cause you more harm in doing yoga exercises which the instructor himself may not know. Look for a qualified yoga instructor.

You should find out the number of students in your yoga classes that you are going to select. A class with less than 30 students is preferable so that the instructor can give you personalized attention.
You may join a class on experimental basis to gauge the expertise of the yoga instructor before deciding on the choice of yoga exercises.

There are different types of yoga classes and if you are a beginner in yoga you must look for a beginner’s class. Do not ever start with advance yoga classes. You should also look for the type of yoga classes that are being conducted which are suitable for stretching and relaxation.

You need to know where you want to take yoga classes. If you are looking for fitness through yoga then you can join a yoga class held at a fitness facility. If you are looking to be a yoga expert yourself then you should look for a place which is solely dedicated to yoga classes only and possibly teaches the “higher” or mental yogas.

If you are having any physical handicap or respiratory problem it is advisable to get yourself medically examined. Even if you are not having any disability, medical check up is advisable before undertaking any yoga classes.

Cathy writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men as well as other
health-related topics including yoga and fitness. A copy of her book can be
found at
www.howtoconquermenopause.com and her yoga website is
www.yoga-4-everyone.com

Many public universities play the “Low Expectation Game” (see article “College ‘Low Expectations Game’ Cost Students, Parents & Taxpayers Thousands of Dollars”). As a student or a parent, you can avoid this game using the following tips:

Tip #1 - Register for 15 hours.

To graduate in 4 years, not 5 not 6, requires a minimum of 15 hours per semester. If you are having problems securing 15 hours, ask the following question: Since I am earning a 4-year degree, how can I do that only taking 12 hours per semester? If the university’s designated person continues to refuse your request for 15 hours, ask for his or her supervisor. By being proactive at this time, will save you thousands of dollars.

Tip #2 - Secure Your BINGO sheet.

When registering, secure a copy of all the required courses that you will need for your field of study. In some colleges or universities, this is called a BINGO sheet. If you are unsure, look through the college course catalog and see what courses are required for your different interests. Register for those shared required courses.

Tip #3 - Keep all Course Schedules and Offerings.

Universities publish the schedule of the courses for the next semester. Do not discard these publications. With many courses being only offered during the spring or fall, this is the only tool that you have to learn when a specific course is offered or who teaches a course. Keeping these schedules becomes even more critical when you are planning your junior and senior years.

Tip #4 - Plan Your Courses Now.

With the BINGO sheet in hand, begin to plan the courses that you will take during the next 3.5 years. This plan will change due to course changes, degree changes, etc. However, this 4-year plan provides you with the “BIG” picture and then allows you to begin to take small bites.

Tip #5 - Plan Your Weekly Schedule.

Plan your weekly schedule including study time, research time, etc. For each 3-hour course, expect to spend 2 to 4 hours per week. Some courses such as English Literature may require substantial reading. If you are a slower reader allow for more reading time. If you are only going to school for 15 hours per week, there is plenty of time to study before, in between and after your classes. Many baby boomer graduates worked full time jobs while taking 15 to 18 hours.

Tip #6 - Focus on Your Graduation Goal Date.

Every additional semester that you spend in college is costing you a minimum of $20,000 - $5,000 tuition and $15,000 in loss earnings. All of your actions should be directed to achieving your graduate goal date.

Tip #7 - Make Wise Choices.

You, and only you, are responsible for the choices that you make. For parents, set the expectation that you expect your daughter or son to graduate in 4 years. Students accept that expectation and run with it. If you are having trouble with time management, goal planning and achievement, studying skills, course content, decision making or problem solving, make a wise choice and find some solutions.

Remember, by graduating in 4 years, you have an edge over those students who chose to play the “Low Expectation Game” and you can start the life that you dreamed only 4 years earlier.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith, M.S. President of ADVANCED SYSTEMS, is the Process Specialist. With over 25 years of business and education experience, she builds peace and abundance by connecting the 3P’s of Passion, Purpose and Performance through process improvement. She is one of the first national certified facilitators for America’s Rising Stars and coaches young people to create a life long plan for success. Leanne believes we need to stop setting our young people up for failure. As co-author of M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capacities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement (Fall 2005 release), she speaks nationally to a variety of audiences.

Contact Leanne at 219.759.5601, leanne@processspecialist.com or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/youth.htm if you are seeking amazing results.

Copyright 2005 - Leanne Hoagland-Smith, http://www.processspecialist.com

Permission to publish this article, electronically or in print, as long as the bylines are included, with a live link, and the article is not changed in any way (grammatical corrections accepted).

In order to do well on a exam, you must first have a good knowledge of the information that is being examined. But, aside that, you must have a good strategy for taking the exam. This allows you to show what you know. This exam guide gives you some tips that will help you make a good strategy:

Directions

Test direction are very important, so read them carefully. Ask your teacher to explain any test direction that you do not understand. A good score on the exam is achieved only by following directions. If you don’t follow directions, you won’t be able to demonstrate what you know.

Examine

Examine the entire test in order to see how much you have to do, because, only by knowing it all you can break it down into parts more manageable for you.

Time

Once you are done with the test examination, it’s time for you to decide how much time you will spend on each item. If an item has different points, plan to spend the most time on items that count for the most points. A good planning of your time is especially important for essay test where you have to avoid spending too much time on one item and leave little time for other test items.

Easiest First

Remember to answer the items you find easiest first, because if you get stuck on a more difficult item that comes up early in the test, you may not have enough time to answer items you know.

Review

If you plan you time correctly, you will have time to review your answers and make sure they are as complete and accurate as possible. Also make sure you review the test directions to be certain you have answered all items required.

Using this exam guide will definately help you do better on exams, no matter the field they cover, and get better grades.

From networking to database administration to programming, http://www.ExamGuru.net offers a wide variety of IT training guides to help you achieve your certification and career goals.

What does homeschooling mean to me? It has become such an
integral part of who we are as a family, that it would be
difficult to analyze it separately. It truly has become our way
of life.

Homeschooling means I spend more time with my children - all of
them, not just the little ones. My older kids attended a
“regular” school for several years before we started
homeschooling, and I always felt out of touch with what was
going on in their lives. We were growing apart, both
figuratively and literally. Why has society accepted that
parents should want to be with the babies and toddlers, but once
the kids reach school age, we’re supposed to prefer to not have
them around? I didn’t have children in order to send them off to
spend their day with some other adult. I didn’t feel that way
when they were born, and I don’t feel that way today. I deeply
enjoy each and every one of my children, and I love having them
with me every day.

Homeschooling means we are free to discuss our faith openly, and
apply it to all areas of life and study. God is not relegated to
only Sunday school, or even only Religion class. History is full
of faith-filled people whose actions and ideas were directly
related to their faith, including the founding fathers of our
country. I really don’t see how one could teach about how
America began without mentioning God. Science is in reality a
study of God’s creation. How can one look at such an amazing
world and not appreciate the Source of all? Writing and reading
can include faith-related topics. When dealing with discipline
issues, God and His teachings can be included in the
discussions. It would seem unnatural for a person of any faith
to spend their entire day forbidden to mention their God.

Homeschooling means I have an incredibly open and close
relationship with my two teenagers. They will talk to me about
anything, and are not embarassed to be seen with me or our whole
family. We laugh together, and actually enjoy each other’s
company. My sixteen-year-old daughter and fourteen-year-old son
have become great friends to each other. They have not been made
to feel that parents are irrelevant, or the enemy. More time
together means we know each other much better.

Homeschooling means I know, and select, which books my children
read and learn from. I am also aware of, and guide, the topics
of discussion. I don’t have to wonder what “life lessons” they
are picking up at recess, on the school bus, or even in class. I
choose when they learn certain things, when they are ready (and
it has been at a different age for each of them). I plan and
direct their education, a level of involvement which is very
important to me.

Homeschooling means my children can progress through their
studies at their own pace. When they learn something quickly,
they can just move on. When they need more time with something,
we can slow down to make sure they master it. And I know right
away when they need more help. Problems are not hidden until
they become major issues; we can take care of them right away. I
know and love my children better than anyone else, so their
success is paramount.

Homeschooling means my older kids get to see the younger ones
grow and develop. They were just as amazed to hear the youngest
laugh for the first time as I was. Everyone is learning more
about child care, and patience, and putting the needs of others
ahead of their own. These are life skills that are important for
anyone.

Homeschooling means a more relaxed daily schedule - OUR schedule
- which results in less stress. Our day is flexible; we can
schedule appointments at less busy times. We don’t have to get
up before dawn to catch a bus at 6:50 am. I really don’t think
anyone should have to be out of bed while it is still dark out.
Homeschooling means more free time to pursue other activities.
We can finish a day’s work in less time since we don’t have to
continually organize a classroom of 20 or 30 students, or spend
time walking up and down long hallways.

Homeschooling means we can visit DisneyWorld during the off-peak
times, instead of fighting crowds of people stuck to school
vacation schedules.

Homeschooling means, on the other hand, living in a house that
is never quite all clean. Having six children home all day,
every day, creates more mess (especially in the kitchen), and
makes it more difficult to keep up with the cleaning, laundry,
etc. It doesn’t bother me as much as it did at first, because I
had to set priorities. The education and growth of my children
come first. They do help with chores, but not at the expense of
schoolwork. Every couple of days, when I reach my limit,
everyone takes a break and cleans up. But until they all move
out, there will still be some mess.

Homeschooling means I can slow down and live in the present
moment when necessary. I have grown to really appreciate the
time I have with my younger children, taking a few minutes at
any time to watch them take such joy in each new skill they
learn. I definitely feel less rushed since we started
homeschooling, and I am able to be there for each small, yet
monumental moment in the life of a child.

Homeschooling means, in short, more time and opportunity to
fully live out my vocation of motherhood.

[Please don’t misconstrue my words to imply that these things
are not possible for anyone who does not homeschool. This has
been a discussion of what homeschooling means to ME. Every
family is unique; every family has their own path to follow in
finding what is best for them.]

Does one have to posses a special set of skills in order to be
successful in obtaining an online degree or this is something
that everyone can do? By all means, it is quite achievable for
everyone. However, the results will vary drastically. For some,
obtaining an online degree is easier to say than to do. So, what
qualities can be considered as beneficial? These are some of
them:

- Being a self starter - Possessing time management skills

- Being well organized, prioritizing many different tasks

- Able to adjust well to a new reporting system,
programs, and methods of communication.
- Able to measure his/her progress at all the times
- Establishing rapport with instructor and other students
- Submitting work on time, keeping up with schedule

- Being result oriented

Determination, good planning and persistence are the
cornerstones of online education. Let’s add another quality to
make four corners: commitment. Determine your goals, make a
plan, stay committed and never give up. Sounds like a formula
for success. It is also a hard work that requires an exceptional
self-discipline.

In exchange it offers a great flexibility. It is almost as if
you are managing your education every step at the time. All is
possible and sky is your limit. So use it wisely, enjoy, and
don’t forget to have some fun too.

In some respect, being an online student is like being an
entrepreneur. It’s a lot of responsibilities and, you are liable
for everything. The qualities that you acquire during your
online studies are absolutely vital and very unique. It helps
you to build your career, take care of your personal growth, and
successfully take upon yourself different roles that life can
offer.

The bottom line is while it takes a lot of effort and
determination to get an online education, it is also builds you
into much stronger person capable of dealing with many life
challenges. It’s definitely a great bonus that any online course
offers for free.

About the author: Tania Wagner works for an internet
marketing company. Her recent articles are about on-line
education. Please visit http://www.universitydegreesonline.org for
more information.

“A Headteacher’s Safety Management Toolkit Article”

The Health and Safety Executive(HSE) as the body responsible for enforcing safety laws in our schools believes that up to 80% of accidents and incidents can be attributed to what they are calling now “Human Factors”. An indication of how Human Factors integrate with the HSE’s Regulatory function can be seen in the where they emphasise such as contributory factors. The list below shows where HSE have identified Human Factors as problems in priority areas for their action.This list is extracted from the HSC’s Strategic Plan to 2010 and beyond andappears on HSE’s Human Factors website.

* Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and manual handling injuries
* Management of work-related stress
* Preventing falls from height
* Preventing slips and trips
* Preventing workplace transport accidents
* Human factors in design (e.g. alarm handling in control rooms, vehicle cab design etc)
* The design and effectiveness of procedures
* Human reliability – human error and systems failures e.g. maintenance error
* Assessing organisational change and its implications
* Effects of organisational culture
* Communications and their effects on health and safety
* Staffing levels and workload
* Fatigue from working patterns - shiftwork and overtime
* Training and competence

You may wonder why I’ve started off with Human Factors but just look at this list again.

HSE never rush into enforcement and making prosecutions without informing and reinforming the public.

Now add up all the functions where management can make improvements on what HSE say is 80% of
accidents and where their priority areas are.

Got it?

What this tells us is where HSE will be focusing over the next period of time - managing safety.

This is confirmed by work which I have done on Head teacher’s Safety Management Toolkit user’s behalf by revisiting HSE’s Database of Enforcement and this and a subsequent article gives information and analyses the information.

You can see information on this Toolkit and get access to the Analysis at http://www.swaneducation.worksites.com

This article looks at the raw data and makes some comments and observations on Enforcing School Safety.To be able to do this I have gone through HSE databases for the last 5 years and extracted all the Education related Enforcement actions.

These include :

Enforcement Orders

These are orders issued by Inspectors to:

Prohibit an unsafe action or activity either immediately or within a specified time frame,(Prohibition Notice)

Or,

Improve an unsafe activity or condition again within a time frame.(Improvement Notice)

These orders are the major part of HSE’s enforcement activity;for example there were 214 Orders made against schools and employers over the time period of the Database,(approx. 5 years) whilst there were only 34 prosecutions.

Enforcement Notices are Orders and need to be taken very seriously by anyone who gets one as HSE will prosecute if a Notice is ignored.

Ignoring an Enforcement Notice is actually given as a criterion for prosecution in their Enforcement Policy document.

Let us just look at what the situation actually is in schools as regards numbers of prosecutions and notices.

Prosecutions

In 2004/5 there were 712 prosecutions in total made by HSE in which they secured about 95% success of conviction.

The total number of prosecutions over the time frame for the HSE Database is just over 4000, which shows that schools and education with 34 prosecutions account for less than 1% of all prosecutions.

However, some extremely high profile cases from the education sector do not appear on HSE’s database.

This is always the case for any work related death which would be prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution(England and Wales) or the Procurator Fiscal(Scotland).

Thus, a teacher prosecuted for a death occurring on a school trip falls outside HSE’s database. However,they have reported two prosecutions where children have been injured on trips and HSE has followed the incident up with a prosecution. One of these was a prosecution of both the Employer(Council) and the Head teacher.

Looking at the actual figures of breaches involved in prosecutions gives us some indication of where actions are occurring now and later we shall look at the breaches involved in enforcement orders which may give us a clue to future actions.

HSE reports Breaches against each prosecution or notice. A Breach indicates the specific law(s) or regulation(s) which is cited in relation to the offence.

I have indicated the singular and plural above because one offence can breach several laws and regulations and HSE will report all the breaches against the offence.

Prosecutions

Primary Schools - Total 16

Secondary Schools - Total 18

Breaches in Primary Schools

HASAW Act Sect 2 - 3
HASAW Act Sect 3 - 6
Management of H&S Regs 4
Electricity at Work 1
Construction Design & Maint Regs 1
Construction H&S Regs 1
Gas Safety Inst &Use Regs
Workplace (H&S) regs
Control of Asbestos Regs

Breaches in Secondary Schools

HASAW Act Sect 2 - 3
HASAW Act Sect 3 - 10
Management of H&S Regs 4
Electricity at Work
Construction Design & Maint Regs
Construction H&S Regs 1
Gas Safety Inst &Use Regs 1
Workplace (H&S) regs 1
Control of Asbestos Regs 6

If you check the figures above the secondary figures do not add up to 18. This is because, as I explained above, often more than one breach is involved in an offence or a enforcement notice.

All Enforcement Notices in Schools

Primary Schools Total 77
Secondary Schools Total 137

Improvement Notices

Primary School Total 63
Secondary School Total 102

Prohibition Notices

Primary Schools Total 14
Secondary Schools Total 35

Made up of Breaches(Primary Schools)

HASAW Act Sect 2 38
HASAW Act Sect 3 41
Management of H&S Regs 42
Electricity at Work 6
Construction Design & Maint 1
COSHH 4
Prov&Use of Work Equipment 4
Manual Handling 3
Workplace (H&S) regs 26
Control of Asbestos Regs 7

This may not mean a lot to a non- safety professional but we can look at this another way.

What breaches occur in small numbers?

Well it appears to me that emphasis on CDM, COSHH and Manual Handling must have been dealt with fairly well by schools.

Alternatively relatively few accidents may have happened to be reported under the RIDDORs Regulations i.e there may have been accidents or incidents but not frequent or serious enough to appear on the HSE radar.

What isn’t there at all?

There are absolutely no Display Screen Equipment Regulations notices let alone any prosecutions. I think most of us would not be too surprised not to see any references to the Personal Protective Equipment Regulations or those covering Noise. However, since there has been so much emphasis on DSE Regs and schools are now crammed with PCs and ICT it seems that DSE Regs are not high on HSE’s priorities.

NB this does not mean there will never be enforcement and there is a requirement for a Risk Assessment to be carried out against these Regulations even if the RA says minimal or no significant risk and Action: No action!

What is there a lot of notices issued for?

Health and Safety at Work Act Sections 2 & 3 are “catch all” breaches and essentially Section 2 says “not ensuring employees safety” and Section 3 “not ensuring the safety of others(non employeesi.e pupils and visitors/contractors)”.

The largest number of notices arise around the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. This is relatively new and the focus is to make sure that dutyholders manage safety.This is where there is likely to be increasing emphasis for the future.

There are also 26 notices around breaches of the Workplace(H&S) Regulations. This can be partly explained by a HSE initiative started in Kent to ensure regulation of site traffic and that pedestrians were separated from it.

So, quite a few of these Workplace Regs breaches are about site traffic, school buses whilst others are about unsafe structures in the school.

Comments on Enforcement

As I indicated above we can get inside the mind of HSE by looking at their Plans and Policies.

They quite openly tell us that:

a) Enforcement will be used to drive Plans and Policy.
b) Enforcement will be targeted at the most serious risks.
c) Enforcement will be targeted to improve standards.
d) Their evidence shows and confirms that enforcement is an effective motivator and deterrent.
e) They believe that enforcement plays an important role in securing compliance.
f) That enforcement in the form of prosecutions comes about mainly from investigations into reports received on serious incidents.(about 90 -95%)

We’ll look at actual examples of all these in another article and see what specific offences are most and least common and what other lessons we can learned to maintain schools as safe learning environments and to ensure the health and safety of our children and staff.

Paddy Swan is a qualified teacher with senior management experience and also has almost 25 years safety experience in industry. He runs Swan Education which is an Accredited Centre of the College of Teachers. Open Learning materials for the College’s Certificate of Educational Studies in School Safety (COES) at swaneducation.workzsites.com

Choosing a school for children with social difficulties is a
very difficult task. Parents know that the school they chose
will have a big impact on their child’s self-confidence, their
ability to learn and their childhood experiences. Get it right
and you can help them learn and overcome many barriers and many
difficulties they may have. Get it wrong and it can become
practically a daily nightmare.

What are the options?

There are four ways to teach children with social difficulties:

* Home Education or Private Tutoring * Special Schools for
children with learning difficulties * Private Education *
Regular State School that has special needs facilities

Each of these schools will have their own set of benefits and
disadvantages. If you are looking for a specific type of school
that teaches children with social difficulties then you may be
lucky to have one close by or unfortunate to find that the
closest one is 100 miles away. So your options are limited to
what’s available or what you are prepared to extend to.

Which option will be best?

This depends on the child as well as the schools that are
available to you in your local area. To determine which school
is best, parents have to see what their child needs the most and
what is going to the best learning experience. Once the parent
has a good idea about which school will be best then it is worth
giving it time to allow the ups and downs to settle from the
initial change. Even if parents make the best choice there may
still be problems. Certainly moving children from one school to
another to try out the best option is going to cause problems
with the constant change.

So the best thing to do to find out which school is best is to
do your homework into what the schools are offering. Talk to the
headmaster. Get them to be straight with you about what
facilities they have, what experience they have with children
with social difficulties, how they would handle behavioral
problems if they occur. See what the schools are like, if they
have places for children to go to when they are feeling bad or
want to get away from the noise of the playground.

What are you child’s needs?

Each of the school choices can be a valid option and will depend
on the needs of the child. For example children that are
suffering with social difficulties may chose home schooling
where their interaction with others can be more closely
controlled. Children that suffer with more severe learning
difficulties or concentration levels may need more patient and
understanding and so a special needs school may be best. The
following is a good checklist for things to consider when
considering what type of school may be necessary.

* Physical abilities * Concentration level when learning *
Concentration level with others * Ability to interact with
others * Ability to conform to rules * Ability to deal with
ridicule/bullying * Ability to control own behavior and safety *
Ability to be unsupervised * Self confidence and need for
motivation

Some seem a little harsh to think about but these are serious
issues that should be considered. For example, some children
with social difficulties have a tendency to run out of class
when their environment feels threatening, so you would not want
to send them to a school where they can be easily lost or could
spend time unsupervised. Some children are overwhelmed by the
size of the school or number of children so you may want to send
them to a small school with a small number of children.

Whatever your options are the choice is not an easy one. So if
you are deciding between a specialist school that deals only
with children with social difficulties, a private school that
has a special needs program and achieves great results, a state
school that has small class sizes (not likely), or even home
education the choice may not be so easy to make. This is why the
choice has to come down to the type of child because they could
do great things in a low performing school or perform badly in a
high performing school.

The best choice is a school that will make them feel the best,
the most motivated, the safest and that they get the most from.
So whether you chose home schooling, a special school, a private
or even regular state school, if you choose a school that allows
them to enjoy learning the most then you are not likely to go
wrong.

Initially, the Native Americans welcomed the Europeans to America. Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand that the Indians on San Salvador Island responded warmly to the gifts the Europeans gave them, and “became so entirely [their] friends that it was a wonder to see” (Hurtado 45).

Montezuma and the Aztecs welcomed the Spaniards as a God that came in fulfillment of their destiny. This Aztec belief induced them to submit themselves entirely under the Spaniards’ rule. Many Native American tribes, such as those encountered by Jacques Cartier, Cabeza de Vaca, and Hernando de Soto, regarded the Europeans as powerful shamans or Gods. The Native Americans would bring their ill tribal members to them to heal their sickness (Hurtado 56).

The influx of European goods greatly altered the relationship between the Native Americans and the invading Europeans. As the Native Americans began to use European goods, such as hatchets, iron arrowheads, sword blades, knives, and other goods, their dependency upon Europeans became more established. Divisions between tribes began to emerge as some Native American tribes allied themselves with the English, and others allied themselves with the French settlers.

Initially, the Christian missionaries were accepted also, as the polytheistic Native Americans did not resist the worship of the Christian god. But when the conquering Europeans began to rigorously suppress the Native Americans’ religion, they began to resist. As in the case of the Tewa Indians, they resisted passively at first by keeping their religious observances hidden from the Spanish. But as the Spanish invaders became even more ruthless in suppressing their religion, the Tewa Indians openly rebelled, killing many of the Spanish, including non-combatants such as women, children, and priests. The Tewa Indians also ransacked Christian churches and desecrated their holy places.

Another type of resistance used by the Native Americans is exemplified in the case of the peaceful Cherokee Indians. They worked within the confines of the legal system of the United States to resist their forced removal from their homelands in Georgia. They filed a lawsuit with the United States federal government against the state of Georgia to be able to remain in their traditional homelands. Although they ultimately lost the lawsuit and were forced to leave their homelands, the Cherokee tribe did not turn to warfare as a response to their tragic displacement. The majority of the Cherokees quietly submitted to the march known as the Trail of Tears, in which so many of them died along the way due to exposure and starvation from lack of adequate provisions.

The Plains Indians, such as the Lakota, were the most likely Native Americans tribes to respond to their oppression with open warfare. The taking of the Black Hills is a very good example of this. When the settlers first began to swarm into the Black Hills looking for gold, the U.S. government initially tried to keep them out in accordance of the treaty with the Lakota and their allies. But as more and more gold-seekers trekked in, the federal government reversed their position. The government offered to buy the Black Hills, which was rejected.

Then the U.S. government issued a law requiring all the Indians to vacate the Black Hills. This action led to such violent confrontations as the battles of Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee. Not all the Plains Indians fought in this war, as many of them followed Red Cloud and remained out of the fighting. This taking of the Black Hills is still an important issue today, since the Lakota tribe continues to assert their claim over the Black Hills, and refuses to touch the money the United States government holds in trust for the purchase of the Black Hills.

Bibliography

Hurtado, Albert, Peter Iverson, and Thomas Paterson, editors. Major Problems in American Indian History: Documents and Essays. Houghton Mifflin Company Collegiate Division, 2000.

Mary Arnold is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers

Her writing portfolio may be viewed at http://www.Writing.com/authors/ja77521