Educational philosophy Essay

I believe that education is an individual, unique experience for every student who enters a classroom. In order for children to benefit from what schools offer, I think that teachers must fully understand the importance of their job. First, I believe that teachers must consider teaching to be a lifestyle, not a mere forty-hour-a-week job, because a teacher’s goals for his/her students encompass much more than relaying out-of-context facts to passive students. As professionals entrusted with the education of young minds, teachers must facilitate learning and growth academically, personally, and ethically. By providing a quality education to each individual in one’s classroom, a teacher equips children with the tools necessary for success in life. In order to accomplish these lofty goals, I think it is important first to establish a mutually respectful, honest rapport with students — a relationship in which communication is of the highest priority. Through this relationship, a fair, democratic environment based on trust and caring can be established in the classroom, making it possible to interact confidently and safely in an academic setting. Once this foundation is established, the educator has already accomplished a major goal: the ethical characteristics of equality; open, honest communication; and trust have been emphasized and put into practice without having to preach to students. Demonstrating these ethically correct behaviors in the classroom and expecting students to model them prepares them for adult interaction and survival in the future. Academic learning must begin with motivation and inspiration. Students deserve an educator’s passion for both the subject at hand and learning as a whole. Teaching and learning become a simultaneous journey for both the teacher and students when students’ energy is aroused by a teacher’s genuine intensity for learning, because everyone is ready and willing to participate in active learning. To achieve active learning, a teacher must demonstrate enthusiasm and express confidence in the students’ abilities to learn and be successful. Employing constructivist methods of teaching in one’s classroom forces students to take an active role in their education by making choices and assuming responsibility for intelligent inquiry and discovery. For instance, discussions, projects, and experiments ensure student achievement and allow students and the teacher to discover individual student’s preferences and strengths. This approach facilitates differentiated activities for each student’s distinctive ambitions, making the subject more relevant to every student’s life. Personal growth is accomplished when a teacher adopts a mentoring role. Displaying warmth and compassion shows students that teachers love them and are empathic, feeling human beings. One-on-one mentoring involves personal conversations about goals, and taking time to share ideas and experiences. To be a mentor to every student, a teacher must project positivity, exhibit flexibility and confidence, set high expectations for oneself, and demonstrate fairness and consistency. In doing so, students can see appropriate adult behaviors first-hand and begin to emulate them as they mature. I believe that all children have the ability to learn and the right to a quality education. All youths, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, and capabilities should have the opportunity to learn from professional, well-informed teachers who are sophisticated and knowledgeable, both in their area of expertise and life. Certainly, every child has different learning styles and aptitudes; however, by having a personal relationship with every student, a teacher can give each an equal chance of success. By recognizing every student’s potential and having separate, individual goals for each, a teacher can accommodate personal needs and abilities and encourage the pursuit of academic aspirations. I think that teaching and learning are reciprocal processes. When teachers nurture individual talents in each child, educators can build self-esteem and may encourage a lifelong skill. By supporting these special abilities, teachers can, for example, guide students’ research, and students can, in turn, enlighten teachers about subjects in which they may not be as knowledgeable. This mutual respect for individual skills cultivates a professional academic relationship, leading to a give-and-take educational alliance. This liaison allows students to feel that they are on equal intellectual ground with their teachers, thus creating a strong academic atmosphere. In addition to having a reciprocal relationship with one’s students, it is vitally important for teachers to form partnerships with fellow educators. Solid communication among teachers will promote the sharing of ideas and methods and provide a network of support. By working as an educational team, teachers will continue to develop their craft and give the best education possible to their students. In choosing to become a teacher, I have made the commitment to myself and my future students to be the best academic, personal, and ethical role model I can be. It is my goal to have a mutually enriching teaching career by keeping an open mind and continually communicating with my peers and students. I am prepared to rise to the challenges of teaching in the 21st century, and I promise to try to provide an honest, well-rounded education to every student I encounter.

Suicide Methods and Essay. Belonging

Essay. Belonging is a fundamental part for all individuals in which we strive for acceptance and security through others. Understanding is a main part of feeling like you belonging. Individuals belong when they fell connected to others and the world. However to do this they must first have an understanding and acceptance of self which will nourish their sense of belonging. A lack of understanding of the concept of belonging and yourself leads to preventing your identity, relationships, acceptance and ultimately belonging.The concept of the understanding of belonging is shown in the text – Swallow the air by Tara Jane Winch. In Swallow the Air, persona May Gibson shows a lack of understanding in her and therefore feels she does not belong. As soon as her mum commits suicide at the beginning of the novel May has trouble belonging, â€Å"When mum left I stopped being Aboriginal I stopped feeling like I belonged. Anywhere†. May has lost her security in her culture and ident ity. Costa the curry will tell u too link this back to understanding nourishes belongingThe name of the first chapter ‘swallow the air’ demonstrates May’s loss of belonging. The title is a metaphor of her disconnection to others, the community and her sense of belonging. She is not physically drowning in water she is drowning in pain and sorrow. However by the end of the novel, the final chapter called ‘home’ signifies May’s attitude has changed dramatically. â€Å"I know what the word really means, home. † The word home is a universal term of belonging it represents that she has once again found ‘family’ and within that comfort.

Analysis of Pakistan Industry

Ans. Pakistan economy is growing steadily. This growth demands higher energy utilization and accordingly putting high pressure on countries economy. Pakistan mainly depends upon oil and gas resources to fulfill energy necessities. Native resources of Oil are not enough to put out energy thirst of the growing economy. As a result Pakistan has to import large quantity of oil and oil based products from Middle East countries. Gas assets in the country are enough for current gas requirements. So natural gas is playing a key role in power sector. Currently in oil upstream and downstream sector there are some local and international companies involved and government of Pakistan is creating such policies that it can attract more international sponsors in this sector but the quicked rate of knots of change, high degree of inability to make up your mind and unstable political situation of the country present momentous challenges and menace to foreign investment. There are so many Industries in Pakistan, some are gigantic and some are undersized. Each and every industry has its own criteria; Main industries of Pakistan are Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Information Technology, Shipping Logistics and Petroleum industry, which are working on a huge scale of Pakistan. The industry which we selected is Petroleum Industry of Pakistan. Objective of our research is to highlight the present status of petroleum industry in Pakistan and its future projections keeping in view the internal result situation and geopolitical outward appearance of the county. Oil is passes through two processes both are listed below: 1. Extraction of Petroleum: The taking out of petroleum is the process by which usable petroleum is extracted and removed from the earth. Process: Extracting crude oil usually starts with drilling wells into the subversive reservoir. When an oil well has been spigoted, a geologist (known on the rig as the mud logger) will note its presence. Such a mud logger is known to be sitting on the assemble. Historically, in the USA, some oil fields stay alived where the oil rose naturally to the surface, but most of these fields have long since been used up, except in certain places in Alaska. Often many wells (called multilateral wells) are drilled into the same reservoir, to guarantee that the extraction rate will be economically feasible. Also, some wells (secondary wells) may be used to pump water, steam, acids or various gas mixtures into the reservoir to raise or maintain the reservoir pressure, and so maintain an economic extraction rate. 2. OIL REFINARY: An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as naphtha, gasoline, diesel fuel, and asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas. Process: Oil refineries are characteristically large, rambling industrial multifariouses with extensive piping running throughout, carrying streams of fluids between large chemical processing units. In many ways, oil refineries use much of the technology of, and can be thought of, as types of chemical plants. The crude oil feedstock has typically been processed by an oil production plant. There is usually an oil depository (tank farm) at or near an oil refinery for storage of immensity liquid products. An oil refinery is considered an indispensable part of the downstream side of the petroleum industry. Historical Background of Petroleum in Pakistan First well was drilled in 1866 at Kundal in the upper region of Indus valley. Shallow wells were drilled in the following years, and from 1886, small scale production of oil started in Khattan (Balochistan). In 1915, the first series of commercial oil discovery was made in the Potwar basin (Punjab). After independence in 1947, there was a need for an appropriate legislative framework to organize the petroleum sector, therefore the policies for petroleum were introduced in 1949. These rules or policies contained inducement that generated a new beckon of exploration. The Government of Pakistan decided to enter directly into oil exploration in order to sustain the exploration effort with assistance from U. S. S. R they established the Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) in the public sector in 1961, which provided successful track in discovery of oil and gas reserves with in the country. Due to Pakistan’s modest oil production, the country is dependent on oil imports to satisfy domestic oil demand. As of November 2006, Pakistan had consumed approximately 350 thousand barrels of oil and various petroleum products, of which, more than 80 percent was imported. 2. 2 Major Players of this Industry: Q. 2 List five largest companies in your industry holding 51% of share in the market? (Descriptive Analysis) Ans. Major Players in upstream sector: 1. Oil Gas Development Company Limited: OGDC was created in 1961 under an agreement signed by GOP with USSR for financing paraphernalias and services of Soviet experts for exploration of oil and gas in the sector. During 1970s, Western technology was introduced and it also under took an belligerent program in Exploration sector of Pakistan. Seventies spreading outs resulted in discovery of number of oil fields and hence OGDCL financial independence. Pakistan holds 74. 82% venture in the company. 2. Pakistan Petroleum Limited: Incorporated on June 5, 1950 as a Public Limited company, PPL presented at birth all the assets and liabilities of the Burmah Oil Company (Pakistan Concessions) Limited, and on targeted business on 01 July 1952. In 1997, Burmah sold PPL to GoP. In July 2004 the government sold 15% of these holdings to general municipal as part of Privatization Program. PPLs present exploration portfolio consists of 17 exploration blocks out of which nine (9) areas, including one (1) offshore block, are PPL operated and eight (8) areas including one (1) offshore block are partner operated. As of June 30, 2006, the remaining confirmed recoverable assets of PPL consisted of 4. 391 TCf of gas (784 million barrels of oil equivalent) and around 21 millions of barrel oil. The company’s current hydrocarbon construction interms of energy is equivalent to around 184,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The stipulate for the energy is rising due to economic growth. Therefore to meet the demand PPL has embarked on various detections to intensify theenergy supply. GoP hold 70. 66% of the shares. 3. Pakistan State Oil: Pakistan State Oil is the largest oil company and the only national one in Pakistan with 61% market share in overall sales volume. When the overall sales volume had been moribund in the past few years, the company decided to enthusiastically chase retail markets with new, modernized pumps. The company has also introduced a variety of products that will help them in maintaining their market share which include corporate credit cards, fleet cards and prepaid cards. They have built New Vision channels to make available better eminence service to its customers. 4. Shell Pakistan: In 1928, to boost their allocation competencies, the marketing interest of Royal Dutch Shell and the Burmah Oil Company Limited in India were amalgamated and Burmah Shell Oil Storage Distribution Company of India was born. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the name was changed to the Burmah Shell Oil Distribution Company of Pakistan. In 1970, when 51% of the shareholding was transmitted to Pakistani investors, the name of changed to Pakistan Burmah Shell Limited (PBS). The Shell and the Burmah Groups maintained the remaining 49% in equal propositions. In February 1993, as economic liberalization commenced to take starting place and the Burmah dissociated from from PBS, Shell Petroleum stepped into raise its stake to 51%. The years 2001-2 have seen the Shell Petroleum Company sequentially increasing its share, with the Group now having a 76% stake in Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL). 5. National Refinery Limited: National Refinery Limited (NRL) is a petroleum refinery and petrochemical complex affianced in the manufacture and supplies of asphalts, BTX, fuel products and lubes for domestic expenditure and export. NRL stands to be the second largest refinery of Pakistan in term of crude oil handing out capability and the only lube oil refinery of the country. The company controls within fuel and lube business subdivisions. Fuel segment is primarily a miscellaneous supplier of fuel products offering furnace oil, high speed diesel (HSD), jet fuels, liquefied petroleum gas, motor gasoline and it exports naphtha. Lube segment mainly endows with different types of lube base oils, asphalts, some fuel products, waxes and rubber process oil, while it also sell overseas lube base oils. Company holds 55% market shares. Macro Environmental Analysis POLITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: 1. Environmental Issues: Poor natural resource management and extending high population rise in Pakistan has a negative impact on Pakistan’s environment. Pakistan is focusing to achieve self-sufficiency in food yield, coping with energy requirement and bearing its high population growth rather to restrict on population or other environmental issues. Lack of funding efforts is apparent in Pakistan’s environmental protection. 2. Future Legislation Home Markets: There’s not as such future legislation in Pakistan regarding petroleum because the petroleum prices fluctuate every day and it’s set by our Regulatory Agencies of petroleum in Pakistan by seeing the international prices of Oil. 3. Regulatory Bodies Processes: Regulatory bodies mostly work administratively with government but for all practical purposes it work independent. Nevertheless, its independency maybe confined by the rules and regulation which more often than not established by the ministry itself. Sometimes the problems or the issues are multi-sectorial or multi-ministerial and therefore mostly treated by the Prime Minister (PM) himself and his Cabinet Division. It has been observed that OGRA-(Oil Gas Regulatory Authority) can’t perform its work properly; it’s because of the unduly going up prices of CNG LPG therefore, they cannot able to shape out space of itself. Now coming up to the oil pricing it has been observed that OCAC-(Oil Companies Advisory Committee) has executed and could execute better than OGRA. It has been seen mostly that OGRA just give recommendations for oil pricing but it’s depend on government that they give subsidy or not. Now OGRA’s job today is to calculate the price and print it. There are many ifs and buts in it, which OGRA should have made a practice of talking about in broad day light in public audience than determining on these quietly and sliding into the pricing system. 4. Government Policies: The Government of Pakistan is aware of the striking changes that have taken place in the pricing and cost environment of the international oil and gas industry. The forceful increase in the crude oil prices in the international market has changed the nature of the EP- (Exploration and Production) sectors which necessitates forceful changes in the approach towards the sector. In addition, the GoP-(Government of Pakistan) recognizes the operating disputes and circumstances for the Pakistan oil exploration and development industry. Today, more than ever before, the GoP stands committed to providing fiscal and regulatory inducement that would increase and facilitate EP companies in stimulating their exploration and development programs in order to maximize domestic oil and gas production in the coming years. 5. Trading Policies: However, exploration and development industry people fear that the policy, which would provide the much took impulse to the exploration activities, might fall prey to the political exploitation following condemnation of the prime minister. The sources said that the policy was presented before the Council of Common Interest (CCI) and was forwarded to provinces for comments. All the provinces nod was needed for the implementation and the Punjab government’s reservations regarding the PM’s conviction could go adverse for the policy, they said. Industry people said that the Petroleum Policy 2012 would provide the much took impulse to the exploration and production activities in the country and there must not be any delay in its announcement. The new petroleum policy is the oil and gas producing province would acquire 12. 5 % of imperial. The Windfall Levy Oil (WLO) and Windfall Levy Gas (WLG) charges have been reduced from 50 % to 40 %, the sources said, adding that the crude price range for applicability of WLO has also been moved up from $30-100 per barrel range to $40-110 per barrel. The minimal working interest that local companies are demanded to hold has been increased to 20 % from 15 %, they added. 6. Funding, Grants Initiatives: Pakistan State Oil (PSO) has decided to stop the supply of oil to power companies on credit basis as the amount due is fix to cross the Rs. 200 billion mark. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has asked the Ministry of Water and Power to arrange funds and buy oil on cash. A petroleum ministry official said, â€Å"If power companies do not release funds for furnace oil, the water and power ministry should directly import furnace oil or buy from local refineries for running the power plants. † PSO, the largest oil marketing company of the country, imports and supplies furnace oil to power companies on deferred payment. â€Å"Now, PSO will not open letters of credit (LC) for furnace oil import unless power companies pay cash,† the official said. To classify the matter, the Ministry of Finance did a meeting. According to the official, the supply of high-speed diesel and other petroleum products is being hurt because of increasing dues to be paid by power companies. Because of the financial crunch, PSO has also not been able to pay the refineries, which in turn are facing difficulties in importing crude oil and making payments to national oil and gas explorer Oil and Gas Development Company-(OGDC). Oil refineries and gas distribution companies are to pay over Rs. 131 billion to OGDC, which has haltered exploration activity. Qatari investors have been invited to invest in the oil and petroleum sector of Pakistan during the recently held second session of the Pak-Qatar Join Ministerial Commission here. During the session of the committee, the Qatari delegation was appraised on the opportunities in Pakistan’s oil and petroleum sector. It was also altered of the potential in Pakistan’s offshore oil exploration opportunities and government incentives being extended in this regard. The delegation promised to assess these proposals individually. It is apt to note that Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry had recently been in Pakistan to attend the Pak-Qatar Join Ministerial Commission. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: The economic-environmental analysis of petroleum industry in Pakistan basically gives the wide picture of industry operations analyzing the impacts of economy and environment like the policies specified for this particular industry, regulations, market distribution assessment and costs incurred. In short it focuses on economic trends of petroleum industry in Pakistan and its effects. 1. Home Economy Situation: Pakistan’s economy is at developing stage. Due to this, the world believes that it is good place to invest. But the economy never remains steady and it fluctuates. From Pakistan’s perspective, this usually occurs due to political unrest in the country or due to failure of any economic policy. Petroleum industry in Pakistan, as the research says has no such issues related to economic situation of country except pricing. The demand and supply of petroleum goods is seen always balanced and the companies at their position are functioning properly. Petroleum sector in Pakistan is one of the most profitable sectors in the country. However the exchange rate has been a problem due to which the petroleum products in Pakistan are pretty expensive than the other countries of the region and world. This is because the government is not ready to provide subsidy on petroleum goods due to the laid guidelines by IMF to achieve the economic targets. This makes the conditions bounded and the chances of expansion and development of the industry become less. 2. Home Economy Trends: From past two or three years, Pakistan’s economy is facing crisis in the form of lesser export volume and devaluation of currency. These are two major problems. But experts say that when an economy is in crisis, that is the best time to take advantage of new opportunities and change the trends. Pakistan has gone through significant economic changes in the last few decades but the some problems that are now considered the core problems of economy are still unsolved. On the top of these problems is inflation. Inflation in Pakistani economy is caused by unstructured fiscal and monetary policies. Reports of last ten years show that the high inflation in the economy of the country is due to the expansionary policies and the increase in oil prices internationally. High oil prices resulted in high transportation charges and expensive energy. Apart from this issue, Pakistan also faces the problems of â€Å"Balance of payment†. The interference of IMF in the country’s economy does not allow the government to set the policies according the nation’s demand and condition. It’s always directed to compensate the deficit faced. 3. Overseas Economies and trends: The world economic development is on the move and different economies are working together to carry out a research on present issues and develop a new structure or ways to carry out trade with less restrictions and increased benefits. The centers of these researches are: A: Merchandise Trade B: International Capital movements C: International Balance of trade D: Exchange rates E: Trade in services The Oil producing countries (OPCs), according to IMF, have the fiscal oil revenue 25% more than the total fiscal revenue. The economy and policies of OPCs are of major interest because these countries put direct impact on the oil prices worldwide and thus are a cause of inflation in many small countries because oil is basic commodity and used worldwide. The largest oil producer, Saudi Arabia has the total export balance of $350. 7 billion. About 90% of these exports comprises of crude oil and petroleum goods. The trend in international economy is seen ever increasing with small fall downs that occur worldwide named as â€Å"Economic Meltdown†. 4. General Taxation Issues: A government official claimed recently that the government charges Rs 46. 18 per litre tax on fuels. This is a big amount. Petroleum goods mainly come from imports and that’s the main ground for the government to charge taxes on it. Apart from the imports, the oil production inside the country is also not so cheap. The refineries operating in the country are entitled to pay 10% to 40% tax on their paid-up capital. Due to this the profit margin of petroleum dealers has come down because they had to pay various indirect and direct taxes. In Pakistan there are four different kinds of taxes on petroleum goods. This huge taxation is done in many countries. 5. Taxation specific to product/services: Taxes on petroleum products vary. In Pakistan, government charges different amount of tax on petrol, diesel and kerosene oil. The current figures of this sales tax are Rs 24. 58 on each litre of petrol, Rs 18. 99 on each litre of diesel and Rs 18. 85 on each litre of kerosene oil. These amounts keep varying as the â€Å"oil and gas regulatory authority† makes recommendations to the government after every 15 days. Similarly different other petroleum products like engine oils, greases, lubricants and fuels are taxed. 6. Seasonality/weather issues: Pakistan is a country of four seasons and there is no specific extreme weather. So there is no such issue of weather and season on the production and sales of petroleum goods in general. It is considered as stable industry for its increasing demand and supply. However, during last two years, the industry faced minor losses of plants and supply due to wrathful floods in the country. Although losses were there and there was a cut off of supplies in many parts of the country but that ended when water levels came down. 7. Market and trade cycles: The market cycles related to oil industry results in oil prices fluctuation. During last two decades, the world has seen number of price shifts. This is because of some macroeconomic effects of the industry worldwide. In Pakistan, as the major part of oil is imported, the industry has the effect of global market cycles. Oil price shifts are directly transferred to Pakistan’s industry because we are the importer of oil. Every sector gets affected by it. So there is no specific trade cycle of petroleum industry of Pakistan. It is shared internationally as many countries do. The industry is on the mercy of international price controllers. 8. Specific Industry factors: Every industry has some factors that have influence on production, development and crisis of the industry. The main analysis of these factors is called PEST analysis. This analysis includes the Political, economic, social and technological aspects of the industry. These four are the major heads. Apart from these, there are other factors like â€Å"legal† and production factors like land, labor and capital. The political factors in Pakistan petroleum industry is of greater importance because the leading market shares holder i. e. PSO has around 65% alone, and the company is state owned. So there is the state intervention in the company policies and decisions. 9. Market routes and distributions: Out of five major oil refineries in Pakistan, three are situated in Karachi. One is situated in Punjab and one is situated in Baluchistan. From these refineries, the petroleum is mainly transported to filling stations in the whole country. The distribution process is different for different companies. Some companies like chevron and PSO has its own distribution network and they supply the petroleum in all over the country through their own oil tankers. Whereas Shell, which is another market share holder, supplies petroleum through its own distribution network and also through the contract carriers spread all over the country. The condition and setup of distribution is good all over the country. Also, there is no issue related to absence of market routes and remote customers. 10. Customer/end user drivers: The users of petroleum are mainly the automobile owners. There are approximately 8 million vehicles on the roads of Pakistan currently. These 8 million vehicles use petroleum as the basic means of energy to run. Although the demand of CNG shown an abrupt increase in the past decade, but the demand of petrol and diesel didn’t shift much due to that. After these vehicles, the second big user of petroleum is industries. It is the primary fuel to most of industries located all over the country. The demand of petroleum remains high in every season, every part of the year, as per production requirements. Apart from industries and vehicles, there is use of petroleum in electricity generation in the country. Furnace oil is one of the most important petroleum products which are responsible for the power production. 11. Interest and exchange rates: There is an indirect and â€Å"inverse co-relation† between the interest rate and price of petroleum in a country. Increasing or decreasing the interest rate, may result in the demand and finally the price of oil. In Pakistan, the current interest rate is 12%. The state bank of Pakistan takes the decision of setting the interest rate. Exchange rate has the direct impact over the oil prices in Pakistan. From the past two decades, the value of Rupee against the dollar has fallen abruptly. This difference of value results in higher fuel prices. After the international market rates, exchange rate is the second big reason of high petroleum prices in the country. 12. International trade/monetary issues: Internationally, crude oil and all major refined petroleum products are traded. The global oil markets are facing new challenges daily. Time to time, the structure and working of these markets have changed a lot. Prices were stable before, but nowadays they are volatile. Similarly participants in the market were limited and established, but now there are numerous players in the market. Apart from the markets, there is an increase of intermediaries in oil trade. In past, there was only a bank that has to deal between seller and buyer of oil. But now there are many services offered by financial institutions, global funds and industry factors. There are various monetary issues related to Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan applies its monetary policy along with the fiscal policy to achieve the goals. This is due to some policy failures and mis- management of economic activities in the country. Obviously it has direct impact on trade process of the country and the central bank’s allowance of further imports. However the oil sector keeps its demand and supply in level very well. SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: 1. Lifestyle Trends: Pakistan is in the grasp of a serious petroleum crisis that is affecting all sectors of the economy and the various segments of the society. As the today’s situation point of view, there are hardly any immediate solutions to resolve the issue. A change of attitude and a change of life style is needed at the national level which should be sparked by the ruling elite and followed by all segments of the society that have access to electricity. At best there could be some short and long-term solutions to the grasp but they need immediate planning and execution with an enormous investment. Our elite class still prefer Petrol or Diesel for their vehicles use the upper middle, Middle-middle uses CNG as against of Petrol – (Economy of Pakistan) 2. Demographics: With a per capita GDP of over $3000 (PPP, 2006) compared with $2600 (PPP, 2005) in 2005 the World Bank considers Pakistan a medium-income country, it is also recorded as a Medium Development Country on the Human Development Index2007. Pakistan has a large informal economy, which the government is trying to document and assess. Approximately 49% of adults are literate, and life expectancy is about 64 years. The population, about 168 million in 2007, is growing at about 1. 80%. Relatively few resources in the past had been devoted to socio-economic development or infrastructure projects. Inadequate provisions of social services, high birth rates and immigration from nearby countries in the past have contributed to a persistence of poverty. An influential recent study concluded that the fertility rate peaked in the 1980s, and has since fallen sharply. Pakistan has a family-income index of 41, close to the world average of 39 – (Economy of Pakistan) 3. Law Changes Effecting Social Factors: New trends and laws are creating a different type of consumer and, consequently, a need for different products, different services, and different strategies. In upcoming years Pakistan would be a state of Provincial rather than federal, Youth getting more independent. Steady change would be in ethnic balance. More educated buyers would be in market. Pakistan would have higher average lifespan and the numbers of youth will be more – (Key External Factors) 4. Brand, Company Technology Image: Numerous companies are working in petroleum sector of Pakistan but the PSO, PPL and SHELL are the major leaders of petroleum sectors. They are working effectively and efficiently in the petroleum sector, they have made strong bond of trust between their customers. They are using or bringing new technologies in petroleum sector, therefore their brand image is secure and far above the ground. Their mission is substantial supply of oil and gas for economic development and strategic necessity of Pakistan or to coordinate development of natural resources and minerals. 5. Ethical Issues: The policy of Pakistan Oil Exploration is one of hard and fast observance of all laws applicable to its business following the course of highest integrity. Any Oil Gas company need a solid system for legal compliance in place for the following reasons: Preservation of legal position. Good publicity. It’s reputation as a joint venture partner. Transparency for the board of directors/supervisory board/shareholders. For the reason of knowledge transfer and control. PSO stated that: â€Å"We do care how we get results. We expect compliance with our standard of integrity throughout the organization. We will not tolerate an employee who achieves results at the cost of violation of laws or unscrupulous dealings or who thinks it best not to tell higher management all that he is doing, not to record all transactions accurately in his books and records, and to deceive the Companys internal and external auditors. We expect candor from all employees of PSO, and compliance with accounting rules and controls. Our system of management must be based on honest book-keeping, honest budget proposals, and honest economic evaluation of projects. It is PSOs policy that all transactions shall be accurately reflected in its books and records. This, of course, means that falsification of its books and records and any off-the-record bank accounts are strictly prohibited† – (Scribd) TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS: The technological-environmental analysis basically gives a complete picture of research and technology development. In any industry there are some problems at any particular time that needs to be solved by innovating new alternatives or technological change. These also have impact on our eco system and environment. The study and analysis of all these things is called the technological –environmental analysis. Here we will discuss the technological changes, Pakistan’s petroleum industry has gone through and there future issues and their suggested solutions. 1. Competing Technology Development: The petroleum industry, by nature, is technology driven industry. If researched in detail, petroleum industry uses the latest and large scale technological assistance to carry out the operations. The new methods of exploring, extracting and drilling are good examples of that. Petroleum companies spend a lot on their technological development to increase the efficiency and production. In Pakistan, the modern technology is made available by foreign oil services, and consulting companies. No such steps have been taken on government level to upgrade and adapt the new technology for the petroleum industry in the country. The companies on their own cannot purchase the expensive technology and therefore just hire to do the work. Something has to be done on this because the world keeps itself updated and technologically capable to increase its production and get the benefits in the form of profits. 2. Research funding: Pakistan’s petroleum sector is not much developed and equipped with latest machinery and equipment for exploring, and processing of petroleum. However its position is good enough to keep the demand and supply figures equal. The world is finding new alternatives of petroleum because of depletion of resources all around the world and increasing prices. Scientists and biologists have developed many substitutes of petrol and diesel and many of them are being used practically in many countries of the world. This needs research, which is not at it level best in Pakistan. The reason behind this lack of activity is absence of funding. Government seems to have no interest in this and therefore does not support to carry out such a research for future of Pakistan’s petroleum industry. The only company that has done some work in the field of research for new technology and an alternative is PSO, and that is on a smaller scale. There are ideas and resources but no one supports to have new development. 3. Associated/dependent technologies: From the beginning days of petroleum industry in Pakistan till now, there no prominent work done for the technological advancement and up gradation. The oil and gas development corporation (OGDC) is considered the entity which is responsible for the development of this sector in Pakistan. The oil exploring and processing firms are also responsib

Survey for neighborhood housing service (NHS) Essay

Survey for neighborhood housing service (NHS) - Essay Example Surveys were collected randomly from the North Bronx community specifically the 2 Train Stops at Gun Hill Road and White Plains Road, 219th Street and White Plains Road and 225th Street and White Plains Road. The data from the surveys were then entered into the website surveymonkey.com which enabled us to create a web-based survey and provide analysis for the results. Although the majority of the surveys were completed at the Gun hill location, the survey covered the entire North Bronx area according to the zip codes listed. For each observation we compared and contrasted and of course made conclusions and recommendations about their relationship with the help of surveymonkey.com. This method and process described took place after taking surveys at the North Bronx community for neighborhood housing services (NHS). Focus group discussions can often enrich findings obtained from surveys as for example in a study of parents of 2000 high school students (Bers, 2002). However, they are very time consuming and difficult and only necessary in any case if more detailed insight is required of particular findings. Moreover, they also pose a challenge to the rigour of qualitative research (Twinn, 2000). Therefore, it was considered sufficient to conduct a simple qualitative survey to quickly obtain results. Surveys have the advantage of being inexpensive, can be used to generalize about the wider population, can be administered locally as well as remotely, and the standardized questions enable precise data collection amongst other benefits (CSU, 2009). Though weak on validity they are strong in terms of reliability. As for the types of questions, although most were closed-ended to facilitate analysis of standardized responses, a few open-ended questions were also made use of at the end of the questionnaire in order to solicit details of two things i.e. their greatest concern in the community and anything extra they would like to share. So this allowed them the

Foreign Direct Investment in Burkina Faso Essay

Foreign Direct Investment in Burkina Faso - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  the host country for FDI stands to benefit in a number of ways in terms of capital formation, export diversification, technology import, management system improvement, and enhanced market competition, infrastructure development to support economic activity, financial sector growth, and markets development.According to the report  FDI is a powerful engine in helping to achieve country objectives such as those about poverty reduction, development, and international integration and it is perceived to be an international investment route that most developed economies have embraced. Low income countries in Africa, for example, have not taken this advantage and are thus being excluded from the globalization benefits of FDI.  Burkina Faso is a landlocked sub-Saharan country located in West Africa. Its population is estimated at more than sixteen million people. Burkina Faso experiences limited rainfall and their natural resources are minimal and there fore it is referred to as one of the poorest countries in Africa. Poor farming activities and the existing drought have ruined the environment resulting in decrease of food stuff. The main export product for Burkina Faso is cotton accounting for about 60% of the country’s total exports, or 5% of GDP.  The country has limited resources and is highly prone to external vulnerabilities because its economy is heavily reliant on imports rather than exports, despite the country entering into intraregional trade liberalization agreements.

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

SAINT AUGUSTINE'S CONFESSION - Essay Example First, Monica’s outstanding obedience to her husband influenced Augustines conversion. Second, Monica introduced her son to Ambrose, who would later baptize him. Finally, Monica compelled and encouraged Augustine to attend school that shaped his life and would culminate in him becoming a priest. Monica played a significant role in the conversion of Patricius (Augustine’s father) and Augustine. Initially, both Patricius and Augustine were not believing in Christ but finally were saved through the influence of Monica. Monica prayed to God on behalf of her husband’s soul and Augustine. Augustine recounted that Monica, â€Å"With a pure heart and faith in you she even more lovingly travailed in labor for my eternal salvation.†1 This follows that Monica vowed not to stop at nothing but to see a Catholic Christian Augustine. The mother took time praying and laboring while serving the Lord so as to send grace upon his son and get saved. Augustine wonders how his parents lived harmoniously with each other. Monica was a God fearing individual and served her husband as her lord with care to her children. Her virtuous traits bear witness to the Christian life, which make a strong impression on Augustine. She significantly inspires Augustine to grow as a God fearin g individual ultimately leading to his Christian conversion. My physical mother was distraught. With a pure hear and faith in you she even more lovingly travailed in labor for my eternal salvation. She hastily made arrangements for me to be initiated and washed in the sacraments of salvation, confessing you, Lord Jesus, for remission of sins. But suddenly I recovered. My cleansing was deferred on the assumption that, if I lived, I would be sure to soil myself; and after that solemn washing the quilt would be greater and more dangerous if then defiled myself with sins2. From the block quote above, we further realize how Monica was determined to ensure his son did not die a sinner.

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 59

Case study - Essay Example Unfortunately, the urban employment opportunities could only absorb a small section of the unemployed population. At the same time, the mining and demand for labor in the rural agricultural sector increased. The mining industry, involving companies like Shell and Texaco could only take contribute little to employment rates despite the revenue obtained from the sector. The relief to the employment status in the country was witnessed with the rise in industrialization, manufacturing, and politics. Manufacturing and government jobs became a source of employment for the skilled and educated people in the population. This caused a considerable decrease in unemployment rates from 15% to 9.9% in 1973. This was however to increase with economic challenge to a maximum of 20% in 1990. From this time, government efforts served to diversify the economy and reduce the rates. Unemployment rate is the measure of the proportion of employable people in the population who have lost their jobs or are unsuccessful in seeking jobs. The rate is an important indicator of economic productivity of a country (Dwivedi, 2001). A country that has a large number of people willing to work but cannot secure employment cannot realize its economic possibilities. In addition, high unemployment rate indicates poor economic wellbeing of the population. There are three major types of unemployment. First, there is the frictional unemployment. This refers to the proportion of people who are seeking suitable jobs. This means that they can at least secure jobs, but they are unemployed seeking better jobs. Secondly, there is cyclical unemployment. In this case, the unemployment rate increases with recession and decreases with the expansion in the business cycle. People are laid-off from companies and businesses during the recession and become unemployed. The third type of unemployment is structural unemployment. This happens when there is a mismatch

Classical Ideals Represented in Eighteenth Century Paintings Essay

Classical Ideals Represented in Eighteenth Century Paintings - Essay Example The essay "Classical Ideals Represented in Eighteenth Century Paintings" analyzes Eighteenth Century Paintings and Classical Ideals Represented in them. The classical cultures of Greece and Rome with their well evolved political organization were based on traditions of liberty, civic virtue, morality and sacrifice; and were considered worthy of emulation, during the great political upheavals in Britain. The significance of classical ideals in this era, emphasized neoclassicism during the French and American revolutions. Also, spectacular finds from the excavations of the Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, buried in 79 CE by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius, further fuelled public interest in classic art and architecture. Additionally, the scholarly attention of art historians such as Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717-1768) focused on the ancient world and classical antiquity, thus extensively increasing interest in neoclassicism. The reknowned art critic and poet Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) observed that eighteenth century paintings contained â€Å"a form of perfection borrowed from a repertory of classical ideals†. This paper proposes to determine the extent of truth in Charles Baudelaire’s above statement, by studying works of art from the eighteenth century painted by well-known artists of the time: Anton Raphael Mengs, Gavin Hamilton, Angelica Kauffman and Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun. In the intellectual and artistic world of eighteenth century Britain, there was a sense of optimism.

High return stocks, low return stocks, and Essay

High return stocks, low return stocks, and - Essay Example The smaller companies do not have significant level of brand power at their disposal so they have to create confidence in the shareholders by following traditional and ethical practices in business. They know that the investors will leave them at the first sign of trouble so they attempt to under-promise and over-deliver. The larger multinationals have an advantage regarding economies of scale (Fry, 1990), and therefore, their rates of return appear to be significantly attractive than those of smaller companies. The excessive money supply moves into the deep pockets of the multinationals because investors expect to reap higher returns from them without doing market research of their own. The larger companies made wise investment decisions in order to reach their current level of organizational growth, and therefore, it is usually a safe bet to entrust them with one’s money. The companies pay returns in the shape of dividends, and one can analyze the corresponding payout ratios to calculate his or her earnings. The investors must keep their money with those companies that are paying dividends on a frequent basis with lower level of risk

Computer Science Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Science - Lab Report Example The multiplications however are by 4, and we can accomplish this by shifting left twice. This is the simplest approach to solving the resolution problem. It is majorly used for drawing curves with slopes between −1 and 1. Each pixel both below and above are drawn thus resulting in a curve that has a thickness of 2n+1 pixel in the y axis (Drawing Lines and Curves (Introduction to Computer Graphics Using Java 2D and 3D). It works better for thinner lines. In this algorithm the pixels are duplicated in columns for the lines with – 1 Straight lines also have different thickness to the lines at an angle in which the thickness of the line is defined as the distance between the primitives boundaries perpendicular to the tangent. For a thickness parameter t, the horizontal/vertical line has the thickness t, while the one drawn at 450 has the average thickness of The lines are almost similar but this line is thicker at the endpoints. The width of the straight lines are thickest for parts with slopes of  ±1 whereas the thickness of circular objects varies with the point it is in. In moving pen algorithm the bits are masked off outside the circular region which is a complex task. The brute force writes pixels motre than once because the pens footprints extend beyond the adjacent pixels. The best strategy is to make snaps of the footprints to calculate spans of the following footprints at the bordering pixels as the diagram shows. The pixel duplication is a faster algorithm of drawing lines. it is however not the best algorithm for drawing thick lines because it uses a crude mode to draw the lines. It is thus suited to primitives that are not too thick. In java lines are drawn by the drawLine() method. The method has the following arguments void drawLine(int startX, int

Police Ethics Essay Example for Free

Police Ethics Essay All professions operate within a certain broad framework of code of ethics. These are rules that govern the conduct of a particular group of professionals, the conduct amongst themselves and most importantly with the rest of the society. Some of these codes of ethics may be legally enforceable and their violation may lead to criminal proceedings instituted against the violator. Contravening of the code of ethics may also lead to an individual’s name being struck off the professionals’ list like in the case of auditors, engineers and accountants amongst others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The police force has its own distinct code of ethics both implied and express. It is these ethics that regulate the conduct of all law enforcement officers in their day to day running of their duties. These ethics may be unique to one state or universal as they are a product of social and political environment. The United Nations has its own framework of ethics within which the police or law enforcement officers are supposed to operate. These are ethics that have been fine tuned and can be universally applied (United Nations, 1989).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police is a broad term used to denote all officers mandated to enforce the law, officers that can make arrests as well as detain a suspect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is agreeable that police officers are charged with the delicate duty of maintaining law and order. In the course of maintaining such order, they are bound to come across various challenges and impediments that may make them compromise their legal duties. Police exist in an environment filled with suspicion and hostility and with the powers they possess; they are likely to intimidate the rest of the citizens. They also have discretionary powers as it is not possible to spell out and dictate in the law how a certain issue is to be handled. They are expected to make split decision over who is innocent and who needs to be questioned (Hirst, M.J., 1990).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To carry out these duties, they are governed by professional ethics that guide them when carrying out their duties. In the process of carrying out these duties, police officers are expected to uphold and protect the human rights of the civilians and suspects. This is in conformity to both the national and international law. Their duty is to safeguard the interests of the public and assist public officials in the execution of their duties. These duties and responsibilities should be carried out in line with the laid procedures. Objectivity and fairness are two key ideals that should be upheld and personal interests should not conflict the efficiency in carrying out of such responsibilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Key to police ethics is the issue of discrimination. Police officers and other law enforcement officers are expected to carry out their duties indiscriminately. They are guided by the law and it should not be applied selectively. Gender, race, social and political status, creed or ethnic background should not be used as a basis to accord somebody harsh or preferential treatment. Almost all professions are expected to uphold confidentiality in their interactions with the public. Police officers too are not expected to reveal private details not unless it has been established that publicizing such details will help in the line of duty, for example in apprehending a suspect. The procedures and operations of the police officers should remain within the forces precincts as the release of such information can lead to jeopardizing of important missions. Every police officer is hence bound to confidentiality. No data regarding the police should be released to another party without proper authorization (Miller, S. et al, 1997.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Police officers are expected to use reasonable force in carrying out their duties. This however does not extend to malicious damage to property, unwarranted harassment of the pubic and any other measures that are not within the precincts of what is unavoidable in the line of duty. The force applied should not go beyond what is necessary and reasonable in carrying out such kind of an activity. The police ethics are against the subjection of suspected criminals to brutality that is outside the stipulations of the law.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hierarchy in the police force is legally and ethically emphasized. Orders and commands in the force always take downward route. As long as the orders given are lawful and do not contravene the ethics, an officer is under obligation carry them out. The superiors on the other hand are expected to have full responsibility of the actions of their juniors in regard to the instruction that they have issued. Codes of ethics also do not allow police officers to accept gifts that are attached to their work, in case of such an offer; they are expected to notify their superiors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also against police ethics for officers to carry out investigations into issues that they have personal connections with unless such involvement is not likely to have a bearing on the investigations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Objectivity is to be upheld at all times. As far as suspects are concerned, police ethics require the officers to treat suspects humanely in the knowledge that they are innocent until proven guilty. There should also be enough grounds to necessitate the arrests of such suspects (Bracey, D.H, 1992).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Like in any other profession, personal feelings and prejudices are bound to get into the way of efficiency and professionalism. Law enforcement officers sometimes find themselves in ethical dilemmas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are four classifications of dilemmas; among these discretion and loyalty are the most common. Police are allowed discretionary authority in their line of duty. These are powers to choose the most appropriate decision to make in a specific case. This is where personal intuition comes at play and in many cases lead to selective application of the law. A policeman is supposed to chose who to charge with a certain crime and who to leave. In making such a decision, personal preferences and prejudices may impede on the process of making of the right judgment as required by law. This is a very common dilemma (Blalock, J., 1992.).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Blacks and Hispanic community have been complaining of harassment by the police. The crime rates in the United States are that these two communities have a high prevalence rate in crime, with such a notion in the back of a policeman mind; an officer is bound to have a clouded judgment in his view of any person from these communities. With his or her discretionary authority, a police officer is more likely to arrest a black in the midst of whites in case of a fracas more than he would to a white who is amongst blacks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Personal interests are also likely to stand in the way of executing proper judgments. This is complicated by the temptation to take bribes. It is against police ethics and also against the law for police officers to solicit or accept a bribe. References Hirst, M.J., 1990. Setting the Standards for Policing: Meeting Community Expectations, London, Association of Chief Police Officers. United Nations, 1989. United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, New York Miller, Seumas, Blackler, John, Alexandra, Andrew, 1997. Police Ethics, Sydney: Allen Unwin.. Blalock, J., 1992. Mismanagement and Corruption. Police Studies 15(4). Bracey, D.H, 1992. Police Corruption and Community Relations: Community Policing. Police Studies 15(4).

Privacy and HIV Essay Example for Free

Privacy and HIV Essay I. Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted on August 21, 1996.   It was primarily designed to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information.   The Privacy Rule, which took effect in 2003, regulates the use and/or disclosure of protected health information.   The information contained within this paper, regarding HIV patient privacy, will discuss the subjects of the HIPAA and Privacy Rule.   This paper will also discuss patient care and rights. II. Rights of Patients: Right to Life and Right to Privacy Many HIV clinicians, both national and international, adhere to a Patient Bill of Rights that list the general rights that an HIV patient has, in regards to their treatment and privacy.    Included in this section, are the basic 17 most important rights.   Also included, as part of the Patient Bill of Rights, are 10 of the most important responsibilities of an HIV patient (Wilder, 2000). First, an HIV patient has the right to respectful care, free from discrimination of any kind, including sources of payments.   Second, an HIV patient has the right to research anything regarding any diagnosis or treatment they have received or will receive.   Many clinicians often suggest that patients should conduct their own research so that they   may better understand any events taking place (Wilder, 2000). Third, an HIV patient has the right to know exactly who is involved in their medical care, at every level.   This includes students, trainees, and volunteers as well as doctors and nurses.   Fourth, an HIV patient has the right to be involved in the establishment of their care.   An HIV patient has the right to refuse any treatment that may be recommended (Wilder, 2000). Fifth, an HIV patient has the right to privacy.   This is one of the most important rights.   Sixth, under the right to privacy, an HIV patient has the right to assume that all records and any communication, written or verbal, are confidential, except in abuse cases.   Seventh, an HIV patient has the right to examine and receive copies of their medical records (Wilder, 2000). Eighth, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any advance directive they may have will be respected by any medical staff involved in their care.   Ninth, an HIV patient has the right to timely notification of changes regarding billing.   This also applies to changes in service fees (Wilder, 2000). Tenth, an HIV patient has the right to an adequate amount of time allotted during medical visits for discussion and questions.   Eleventh, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any medical staff involved in their care will take all necessary precautions.   This can be used two ways: precaution against infection from HIV and precaution against infecting an HIV patient with other illnesses (Wilder, 2000). Twelfth, an HIV patient has the right to make complaints or ask questions about their care.   They also have the right to expect a quick response to such complaints or questions.   Thirteenth, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any medical staff involved in their care will provide the best health care possible.   If a referral to other medical facilities is necessary, such as a referral to other medical facilities is necessary, such as a referral to an oncologist to treat an opportunistic cancer, the patient has the right to be informed of the disadvantages, as well as other alternatives (Wilder, 2000). Fourteenth, an HIV patient has the right to inquire about any third party relationships the medical facility has that could have an influence treatment.   Fifteenth, an HIV patient has the right to informed alternatives to treatments if a current treatment fails to have an effect.   This also applies to treatments that are still being discussed as a possibility (Wilder, 2000). Sixteenth, an HIV patient has the right to expect assistance to help with any handicaps that cause barriers.   This includes language, culture, physical, and communication.   Finally, an HIV patient has the right to timely visits with medical staff.   If a delay occurs, an HIV patient has the right to an explanation and apology (Wilder, 2000). The HIV patient’s responsibilities are not quite as detailed as the Bill of Rights, but coincide.   According to Wilder (2000), there are 10 main responsibilities an HIV patient has: 1) Provide medical staff with accurate information when possible.   Also, an HIV patient is expected to understand what role they play in their own treatment. 2) An HIV patient must take care of financial obligations as soon as possible. 3) An HIV patient must be considerate of other patients and staff, and also respect facility property. 4) An HIV patient must understand that both medicine and humans have limitations, and are not perfect.   There are always risks to consider and discuss with physicians. 5) An HIV patient must understand that the medical staff also has other patients under their care.   They have to divide their time and services as equally and efficiently as possible. 6) An HIV patient must understand as much as possible about their health insurance plan. 7) An HIV patient has the responsibility to report suspicions of fraud or illegal activity to the proper authorities. 8) An HIV patient must keep all appointment.   Whenever possible, an HIV patient must notify the medical staff if an appointment cannot be kept. 9) An HIV patient has the responsibility to notify medical staff immediately, if health conditions or medical care situations change. III. HIPAA Privacy Rule The HIPAA Privacy Rule, enacted on April 14, 2003, was designed to establish regulations regarding the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).   This includes health status, health care payments, or any provisions for health care.   The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcement of the Privacy Rule, by issuing compliance activities or monetary penalty fees against violations.   In simple terms, the Privacy Rule is meant to protect a patient’s medical history, in its entirety, including payment histories, from being disclosed by covered entities.   According to the OCR (2003), covered entities are defined as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and any health care provider who uses an electronic means to transmit health information related to transactions. Health plans are one group of covered entities.   Health plans include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare supplement issuers, Medicare + Choice, long-term care insurers, and health, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurers.   Health plans also include government, church, and employer sponsored health plans, and multi-employer health plans (OCR, 2003). Although they are few in number, there are exceptions in covered entities.   Insurance companies that only provide automobile insurance, workers’ compensation, and casualty and property insurance are exceptions.   In addition, group health plans with less than 50 members that is employer-administered and maintained is also an exception (OCR, 2003). Health care providers, regardless of their size, are a covered entity if it uses electronic transaction transmission.   These transactions include referral authorizations and claims.   However, an electronic transmission has to be connected to a standard transaction.   The Privacy Rule covers these providers even if they use an outside service to handle electronic transactions.   Health care providers include all providers of services, such as hospitals, and all providers of any medical and health services, such as dentists, physicians, and optometrists (OCR, 2003). Health acre clearinghouses are another group of covered entities.   These groups process â€Å"nonstandard information they receive from another entity into a standard (i.e., standard format or data content), or vice versa† (OCR, 2003).   Health care clearinghouses only receive specific health information that can be used to identify someone, when processing information to a health care provider or health plan as a business associate.   Health care clearinghouses include health management information systems, billing services, and repricing companies (OCR, 2003). The Privacy Rule protects all â€Å"individually identifiable health information,† called Protected Health Information (PHI).   Identifiable information includes any data related to a patient’s physical or mental health, provisions of health care to the patient, and any payments made for health care provided to the patient.   This information usually includes a patient’s social security number, address, name, age, and birthdate.

The Industrialised Building System

The Industrialised Building System This chapter will explain in details and provide the literature review of Industrialised Building System (IBS). Besides that, it will also cover the literature review of building system. Usually, the contents of this chapter are including definitions of IBS, history of IBS in public housing, types of IBS, benefits and barriers of using IBS in public housing, classification of IBS, characteristic of IBS, IBS Roadmap 2003-2010 and IBS scoring system. 2.1 Definitions of IBS Until the present time there has been no single commonly-approved definition of IBS. IBS can be different industry players to define different things. However, there are difference resources to define the several definitions that reflected the concept of IBS which widely accepted by the construction industry. According to CIDB Malaysia (2001) defines IBS as a construction technique in which components are manufactured in a controlled environment (on or off site), transported, positioned and assembled into a structure with minimal additional site works. As such, components that are being prefabricated in a controlled environment on site are also considered as IBS. While there are numerous descriptions of the IBS concept by local researchers, all of the definitions stressed on prefabrication and mass production. In other definition by Warswaski (1999), the IBS can be defined in which all building such as walls, slabs, beams, columns and staircases are mass produced either in factory or at site factory under strict quality control and minimal wet site activities. Industrialisation process is an investment in equipment, facilities and technology with the objective of maximising production output, minimizing labour resource and improving quality while a building system is defined as a set 10 of interconnected element that joint together to enable the designated performance of a building. Based on Lessing et al (2005) explained IBS as an integrated manufacturing and construction process with well planned organization for efficient management, preparation and control over resources used, activities and results supported by the used of highly developed components. Rahman et al (2006) defined IBS as a construction system that is built using pre-fabricated components. The manufacturing of the components is systematically done using machine, formworks and other forms of mechanical equipment. The components are manufactured offsite and once completed will be delivered to construction sites for assembly and erection. 2.2 History of IBS in public housing IBS in Malaysia has began in early 1960s when Ministry of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia visited several European countries, at the same time evaluates their housing development program. (Thanoon et al, 2003). In the year 1964 and after their successful visit, the Government had launched pilot project on using IBS to speed up the delivery time and built affordable and quality houses. The first pilot project was constructed at Jalan Pekeliling in Kuala Lumpur and about 22.7 acres of land was dedicated to the project comprising four blocks of 4-storey flats and seven blocks of 17-storey flats and comprising total about 3,000 units of low cost flats for the low and median income group and 40 units of shop lots. This public housing project was undertaken by Gammon/ Larsen Nielsen and this project are using the Danish System of large panels in a industrialised prefabricated system. The construction for public housing project was complete from 1966 until 1968 (around total 27 months) including the time taken in the construction of the around RM 2.5 million casting yard at Jalan Damansara (Thanoon et al, 2003). In 1965, the Government of Malaysia launched a second project, is a three blocks of 18-storey flats and six blocks of 17-storey flats and comprising total about 3,699 units and 66 units of shop lots along at Jalan Rifle Range in Penang. The public housing project was awarded to Hochtief/ Chee Seng and this project are using French Estoit System (Din, 1984). This public housing project was complete within 27 months. If we are reference to the two pilot projects, a performance comparison between the IBS and the conventional system has been carried in terms of cost, productivity, quality, and time. According to the research, the first pilot project incurred 8.1% higher costs than a similar building and using conventional construction method, while the second pilot project was lower. In term of total construction speed, both of the public housing project required total 27 months to complete the whole project, inclusive of time required to set up the recasting factories. The total quality of building finishes was also found to be better than the using conventional construction method. Another earliest using IBS in public housing project was at Taman Tun Sardon in Penang. These using IBS in public housing project total all about 1,000 units of 5-storey walk up flat and this project are using IBS precast component and system. The IBS precast component and system in the housing project was designed to the low cost housing by British Research Establishment and especially for the low and median income group. According to the research of Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) 2006, almost at the same time at Edmonton in North London, there are using similar system was constructed and total amount about 20,000 BRECAST dwellings were constructed throughout UK from 1964 until 1974. The total all building design was very basic and quite simple and not considering the aspect of serviceability such as the local or user needs to have wet toilet and bathroom (Rahman and Omar, 2006). According to the CIDB (2006), many constructions in the following years using precast wall panel system. Low cost high rise residential building is one of the processes to observe that IBS was engage at first place in the construction to overcome the increasing demand for public housing needs. For all that, in the earlier stage was never sustained for the industrialisation of construction. Failure of early closed fabricated system made the industry afraid of changing their construction method. The information was based on the CIDB (2005), using IBS in construction were also found not be so suitable with Malaysia climate and social practices especially for the foreign systems that were introduced during the late 60s and 70s. Introduced than in the market were constantly being newer and better technologies. Based on CIDB (2005), identified to be more suitable to be used in our tropical climate is the wet joint systems and it was also better to using in the bathroom types which were relatively wetter than those in the Europe. Another about 1200 units of housing using prefabrication technology were is launched by the Penang State Government in 1978. After two years later, the Ministry of Defense to be build around 2800 units of living quarters and adopted large prefabricated panel construction system in Lumut Naval Base (Trikha and Ali, 2004). Increase the using of precast concrete system in high rise residential building during the 90s; this is because total demand for the new township has seen to increase. According to the research, Perbadaan Kemajuan Negari Selangor (PKNS) as a state Government development agency acquired precast concrete technology from Praton Haus International based on Germany to build low cost houses and high cost bungalows between 1981 and 1993 for the new townships in Selangor (Hassim et al, 2009 and National IBS Survey, 2003). It was recorded then; total around 52,000 housing units was constructed and using Praton Haus system. In this booming period of Malaysia construction 1994 to 1997, hybrid IBS application used in many national iconic landmarks such as Petronas Twin Towers (steel beams and steel decking for the floor system). In Malaysian construction industry, the use of IBS as a method of construction is evolving. Nowadays, more local manufacturers have established themselves in the market. Many had acquired enough knowledge through technology transfer to build up own capacity in IBS technologies and this research are base on PKNS Engineering, and Setia Precast and Global Globe. The current stage of IBS used in Malaysia housing projects can be classified into four categories such as large panel systems, steel frame, precast frame and formwork system. It was reported that at least 21 manufactures and suppliers of IBS are actively promoting their systems in Malaysia. IBS move to the next step of the development through the establishment of IBS Centre at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur. Using IBS in the construction is to improve the total performance and quality in construction, as well as to minimize the unskilled foreign labour in the construction market. 2.3 Classification of Building System There are four types of building system currently available in Malaysias building system classification and this are according to Badir Razali (1998). The building system can be namely as a Conventional Column-beam- slab frame system with timber and plywood; Cast in-situ system with steel or aluminium as formwork; the Composite building system and Prefabricated system and this four types of building system is shown as below. Each building system is represented by its respective construction method which is further characterised by its construction technology, functional and geometrical configuration. There from the four systems, are identified as IBS excluding conventional building system. Building System Conventional Column-beam- slab frame system with timber and plywood. Cast in-situ system with steel or aluminium as formwork. Composite building system Prefabricated system Table Form Tunnel Form Panel system Frame system Box system Flow Chart 1: Type of building system in Malaysia. 2.3.1 Conventional Construction Method Conventional construction method is defined as components of the building that are prefabricated on site through the processes of timber or plywood formwork installation, steel reinforcement, and cast in-situ. This construction method is mostly built of reinforced concrete frames for conventional building. Using the wooden formwork mainly is for the traditional construction method and need take some time to construct the formwork before concreting. This construction method is much more costly for construction which is need includes total labour requirement, raw material, transportation and very importance once is low speed of construction. 2.3.2 Cast In-Situ Construction Method This cast in-situ construction method is more suitable for a country where the unskilled labour is limited. There construction method is not a using heavy machinery or high technology involved. The system is technically and applicable to almost all types of building design. The formwork is used as a mould where wet concrete is poured into a temporary system. The temporary system also acts as a temporary support for the structures. The main objective of a cast in-situ construction method is to weed out and reduce the using traditional site-based trades like traditional timber formwork, brickwork, plastering and to reduce foreign workers requirement. A carefully planned in-situ work can maximise the productivity, speed and accuracy of prefabricated construction. Cast in-situ method uses lightweight prefabricated formwork made of steel or fibreglass or aluminium that is easily erected and dismantled. The steel reinforcement is placed within the formwork after finishes construct the formwork. After placing the reinforcement they are being erected and concrete is poured into the mould. When the concrete is set and according to the required strength, the moulds are dismantled. The workers can be easily trained to erect the moulds and set the steel reinforcement. These construction methods are required limited labour and it will reduce the total labour need. Its advantages over the conventional construction method in clude, low skill requirement, speedy construction, low building maintenance, durable structure and less construction cost. 2.3.3 Composite Construction Method The main objectives of composite construction method or call partially prefabricated are to improve quality of components, reduce construction cost, and shorten total all construction time. It is used to describe a manufacturing or production strategy that selectively uses some industrialising aspects, while avoiding or postponing the use of others. The concept of composite construction method is derived from the composite nature of full industrialisation. The prefabricated construction method is combined in such a manner that the features applied could be prominently demonstrated, especially composing various works such as temporary facilities, building frames, building finishes, and equipments. 2.3.4 Prefabricated Construction Method In this prefabricated construction method, all structural elements can be standardised are prefabricated in the factory. Usually, this construction method would involve the assembly of precast elements such as floor slabs, in-filled walls, bathrooms, staircases, and etc. into place for incorporation into the main units, columns and beams. This method of construction will increase the productivity of the industry and it will reduce the amount of site labour involved in building operations. Precast building systems can overall reduce the duration of a project if certain conditions are met. The last three construction methods (from the flow chart 1) are considered as a non conventional construction methods. These types of construction are specifically aimed at increasing performance of construction. Through the use of better construction machinery, equipment, technology and materials and it will increase the productivity and total quality of work. 2.4 Classification of IBS and Apply to Public Housing According to Badir et al. (1998), IBS can be classified according to several aspects:- Classification according to structural system. Classification according to material. Classification according to relative weight of components. 2.4.1 Classification According to Structural System According to Abraham Warszawski (1999), IBS can be classified according structural systematic aspects. IBS can be classifies into three categories as:- Frame System. Panel system. Boxes system. Figure 1, 2, and 3 shows the concept of the system as classified above. Figure 2: Panel System Figure 3: Box System Figure : Frame System 2.4.1.1 Frame System According to Badir (1998), linear and frame system is system that use main structure such as column and beam where columns and beams support all the building weight. The walls need to be light and easy to install and concrete panels are introduces as flooring element. 2.4.1.2 Panel System According to Badir (1998), in panel system, loads are distributed through large floor and wall panels where walls support the building weight. This system is applicable to buildings which functionally require a large number of walls such as apartment house, hotel and hospital. This system is not applicable to buildings with large spans or many stories. 2.4.1.3 Box System According to Badir (1998), the rectangular or three dimensional systems or boxes system include those systems that employ three dimensional modules or boxes for fabrication of habitable units that is capable of withstanding load from various directions due to their internal stability. 2.4.2 Classification According to Material 2.4.2.1 Timber The timber have a two types of prefabrication which is ready-cut plus shop fabrication of joints this mostly for the columns and beams and another is structural panels where there are only for walls and floors without columns and beams. 2.4.2.2 Brick and Block work Laying of brick or block work are carried out in a mass at factory and transported to site or on site construction. Besides the, building are under construction in the form of panel and then erected. 2.4.2.3 Steel Steel construction essentially contains factors of prefabrication which is one of the criteria of IBS. Elements are jointed by welding, riveting or bolting on site. The large proportion of the strength to the weight allows a long-span or high-rise building. 2.4.2.4 Reinforced Concrete There are two basic directions in development of reinforced concrete IBS component which is panelised components such as walls and floors and precast frame members such as columns and beams. The characteristic of reinforced concrete has high degree of availability, low material cost, durability, and fire resistance. Jointing at site is the key issue of this system. 2.4.3 Classification According to Relative Weight of Component The IBS components can be classified according to their relative weight as show in Table 1 below. Relative to weight of component should be used as a basic for building classification due to the factor of weight has significant impact on the transportability of components and has influence on the production method of the components and their erection method on site. No General System System Production Material 1 Frame System Light weight frame Wood, light gage metals Medium light weight frame Metal, reinforced plastics, laminated wood Heavy weight frame Heavy steel, concrete 2 Panel system Light and medium weight panel Wood frame, metal frame and composite material Heavy weight panel (factory produced) Concrete Heavy weight panel (tilt up-produced on site) Concrete 3 Box system (modules) Medium weight box (mobile) Wood frame, light gage metal, composite Medium weight box (sectional) Wood frame, light gage metal, composite Heavy weight box (factory produced) Concrete Heavy box (tunnel produced on site) Concrete Table 1: Building system classification according to relative weight of component. (Majzub, 1977) According to CIDB (2003), the IBS is a construction process that using techniques, products, components, or building system which involve prefabricated components and on-site installation. Base on the structure aspects of the system, IBS can be identified into five major groups:- Precast Concrete Framing, Panel and Box Systems Precast concrete elements are the most common type in this area. There are precast concrete for columns, beams, slabs, walls, lightweight precast concrete, and permanent concrete formwork. This all item are consider using precast method. Besides that, it is also consist of 3D components such as balconies, staircases, toilets, lift chamber, refuse chambers and etc. This precast method is more famous for the construction industry, especially for the public housing when construct using the IBS. Using this method can saving the total construction time if compare to the using conventional method. Figure 4: Precast concrete wall Steel Formwork Systems This is the system formwork which designed by manufacturer to replace a conventional timber formwork. It can be described as a mould which the wet concrete can be poured into the mould and form the required shape. These steel formworks systems are subjected to structural quality control and generally involve site casting. So, this type of IBS method is considered as the low level or least prefabrication in the construction industry. However, this steel formwork systems does offer fast construction and construction time saving and at the same time will provide high quality of finishes with less site labour and material requirement. These steel formwork systems will include table forms, tunnel forms, tilt-up systems, beam and columns moulding forms and permanent steel formworks like metal decks and etc. This steel formwork system also one of the famous system used by the contractor during the construction. Figure 5: Steel formwork system Steel Framing Systems These steel framing systems have always been the popular choice and used extensively in the fast track construction projects and this system commonly used with precast concrete slabs, steel columns and beams. Current stage of development in this type of IBS includes the increased usage of light steel trusses. It is consisting of cost-effective profiled cold-formed channels and steel portal frame systems as alternatives to the heavier traditional hot-rolled sections. Nowadays, this method are more useful for the housing project, especially apply for the steel roof trusses (show as below figure 6). This is because the timber roof trusses need the labour to take some time to construct it and lastly need the anti-termite for the timber roof trusses. Figure 6: Steel roof trusses Prefabricated Timber Framing Systems. These prefabricated timber framing systems is using the timber in the construction industry for construct building. Usually the timber framing system are consists of timber building frames and timber roof trusses (show as below figure 7). While the steel framing systems have been the more popular choice on construction industry, but the timber roof truss system also have its own market where it is offering interesting designs from simple dwelling units to buildings requiring high aesthetical values such as chalets for resorts. This prefabricated timber framing system we can see in the traditional building. Figure 7: Prefabricated timber framing system for double storey house Block Work Systems. By using this effective alternative system, the tedious and time-consuming traditional brick laying tasks are greatly simplified. The construction method of using conventional bricks has been revolutionized by the development and usage of interlocking concrete masonry units (CMU) and lightweight concrete blocks and etc. This is one of the more useful methods to construct the low cost public housing project. Figure 8: Lightweight concrete blocks are used for wall construction Characteristics of IBS for public housing According to Warszawski (1999), the main features of an IBS are as follows:- As many of the building elements are prefabricated off site, at a central facility, where specialized equipment and organization can be established for this purpose. The various building works are incorporated into large prefabricated assemblies with minimum erection, jointing and finishing work onsite. Materials and component handling onsite is extensively mechanized; in concrete work, large standard steel forms, ready-mixed concrete, and concrete pumps are used. Design, production, and erection onsite are strongly interrelated. They must be viewed therefore as parts of an integrated process which has to be planned and coordinated accordingly. According to CIDB (2001), IBS has its own characteristics which are differ itself from conventional method. There characteristics of IBS are as follows:- Industrial production of components though prefabrication; or highly mechanized in situ processes. Reduced labour during prefabrication of components and site works. Modern design and manufacturing methods which has the involvement of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). Systematic Quality Control such as ISO 9000 principles. Open Building concept where it is permitting hybrid applications, adaptable to standardization and Modular Coordination (MC). Advantages of IBS for public housing There are many advantages of implementing IBS. According to CIDB (2003), compares to conventional construction method. Following are brief descriptions on a number of advantages where using IBS for the public housing:- Advantages Description Less total construction time. Using IBS will making the construction process faster. Because casting of precast element at factory and foundation work at site can occur simultaneously and work at site is only the erection of IBS components. So, the project can complete much earlier that using conventional method and handover to the owners. Cost saving. Faster to the turnover of working capital and also save in the lifecycle costs of the finished buildings. The formwork of IBS components are made of steel, aluminums or other materials that allows for repetitive use and this leads to considerable cost savings. Using IBS will reduce the construction wastage and increasing the cost saving. Saving in labour. Because the IBS components are produced in factory and higher degree of using machine so the use of labour will be reduced and lead to saving in labour cost. According to Abraham Warszawski (1999), the labour savings in prefabricated elements may amount to about 80% of their conventional requirement. So, will reduced the total foreign workers need in the construction industry. Less labour at site. Using IBS will reduce the construction process at site and consequently reduce the number of labour required at site. Using the IBS will saving of the labour in the masonry, plastering, formwork, tiling and pipe laying such as electrical and water supply at site. Optimised use of materials. Using machine during the production of IBS components lead to higher degree of precision and accuracy in the production and consequently reduce material wastage. So, the wastage at site will be reduced if using the IBS. High quality and better finishes. Quality control is an ever-increasing requirement in all construction. Due to the careful selection of materials and use advanced technology, so the IBS components will provide higher quality and better finishes. Better quality control since production in factory is under sheltered environment. Better quality will reduce the maintenance expenses because prefabricated components require less repair and preventive maintenance. Construction operation less affected by weather. The effects of weather on construction operation are less due to the fabrication of IBS components is done in factory while at site is only erection of the components. Faster project completion due to rapid all weather construction. Flexibility. Different systems may produce their own unique prefabrication construction methods. IBS will provide more flexibility in the design of precast element. Increase site safety and neatness. This method will lead to the neater site condition and increase safety. Using IBS components leads to less construction process especially for the wet work at site. Disadvantages of IBS for public housing Although there are a lot of advantages of IBS, however there are limitations for this system to be use too. Nothing in this world is perfect, so as using IBS. Disadvantages of IBS are as follows:- Advantages Description High initial capital cost. The initial capital cost of IBS is usually higher that conventional method. The initial cost is including the cost of constructing the factory, casting beds and support machinery. This method only can be achieved when undertaking large demand for public is housing projects. Problem of joints. These method are very sensitive to the errors and sloppy work. This joint problem will be the water leakage and is often the major problem in building constructed where using IBS. This problem is clearer in Malaysia where raining occur rapidly throughout the year. Sophisticated plants and skilled operators. The prefabrication system relies heavily on sophisticated plants, which have to be well coordinated and maintained by skilled operators. Breakdown in any one section would hold-up the entire production line. Site accessibility. Site accessibility is one of the most important factors of the implementation of IBS. IBS requires adequate site accessibility to transport IBS components from factory to the site. According to Abraham Warszawski (1999), the transportations cost of prefabricated elements from plant to their construction site, amount to 3% to 5% of their total cost for distances not exceeding 50km to 100km. Large working area. Building construction using IBS requires a large working area for the factory, trailers, tower-cranes and storage for the IBS components. Most construction sites especially in cities are often congested and unable to provide the area required. Hence, prefabrication is at disadvantage when asked to complete for work at locations far from the fabrication yard. Table 2 shows as the relative advantages and disadvantages of industrialization under various conditions. Table 2: Relative advantages and disadvantage of industrialization under various conditions. IBS Roadmap 2003-2010 Prefabricated construction in Malaysia started way back almost fourth years ago with the completion of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Public Housing Estate or commonly known as the Pekeliling Flats. No proper plan was formulated by the government for the industrialisation of construction and until the inception of the IBS Roadmap 2003-2010. This is a master plan to facilitate the transformation the Malaysian construction sector was formulated with inputs from industry and endorsed by the Cabinet back in October 2003. Known as the Industrialised Building System (IBS) Roadmap 2003-2010, the master plan is based on the 5-M Strategy (Manpower, Materials-Components-Machines, Management-Processes-Methods, Monetary economic and financial and Marketing promotion) with the target of having an industrialised construction industry as well as achieving Open Building by the year 2010. The transformation of the construction sector is crucial in ensuring the successful achievement of Vision 2020. The objectives of IBS Roadmaps 2003-2010 are:- To reduce the percentages of foreign workers from the current stage is 75% to 55% in 2005, 25% for 2007 and 15% for 2009. Increasing the percentages of using IBS for the Government Building Project from the 30% to 50% for 2006 and 70% for 2008. To increasing the quality, productivity, safety and competitiveness in the construction sector. To reduce the total percentages of foreign workers especially involved in wet trades. Using modular co-ordination (MC) based on MS 1064 through Undang-undang Kecil Bangunan Seragam (UKB

Life at an All Boys School Essay -- Personal Narrative, essay about my

I hadn't planned on going to a private school; in fact the idea disgusted me. My sister tried it for an entire four days, then she quit and went to a public school with all of her friends and never looked back. I guess that I thought the same thing would happen to me if I ever went to a private school. Â   In the spring of seventh grade, my parents made me take the acceptance test for McCallie, the all boys private school full of rich snobs, nerds, and especially queers. I didn't know much about the school except that none of my friends went there and all of the gossip(which turned out to be false)from my friends about turnng gay from being around only boys and no girls. Nevertheless I took the test and was excepted much to my dismay. Â   The first question that came to mind was what it would be like to go through the entire school day without seeing a single member of the opposite sex. My entire career as a student involved girls, from when I was real little and hated being chased by them on the playground, until I was the one doing the chasing. Having a girlfriend meant seeing her all day, everyday. You could really tell the boys who had girlfriends because they always came to school looking their best for their girl, the single boys came looking sloppy. Â   Before school started, I went to a McCallie-GPS dance that an old friend invited me to. Here was my chance to meet the new set of girls that I would get to know for the rest of my high school life. What a disappointment. They were nothing in comparison to the pretty Signal Mountain girls that I had grown up with since I was three. Not that they were that much more unattractive, but that their personalities were so much dif... ... of gays at McCallie as there are at these other schools, but they keep it to themselves for their own good. I guess it's more excepted when you go to a co-ed school of thousands. Â   It's hard to imagine McCallie as a co-ed school. I would probably do more staring than studying. Boys would come to school actually caring about their appearance. Perhaps the worst that would happen would be that level of learning would go down. Â   Life at an all boys school is a real learning experience. Classes without girls, boys who are different from the excepted norm are afraid to be themselves because people like me wouldn't want to be around them, and an easier and better way of learning is what a boy will find at an all boys private school. So if your a boy who plans to attend an all boys private school, don't believe everything that people say.