Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice

Critical Evaluation of Change Managed in Practice The Government has clearly outlined the need for nurses to develop leadership skills at all levels within the workforce in order to deliver the NHS modernisation programme (DH  [1]  1998; DH 1999). The leadership role expected of community practitioners is evident in Shifting the Balance of Power (DH 2001a) and Liberating the Talents (DH 2002) with the expectation that health visitors will lead teams which will deliver family-centred public health within the communities they work (DH 2001b). The change I was to lead however was not initiated primarily to support clients, but instead to protect staff working in the community to ensure they were safe and supported in their public health work as a large proportion of the time is spent working alone. The issue of lone worker safety is particularly topical after the recent murder of a mental health support worker during a home visit (BBC News 2006). To support this proposal, Baulcomb (2003) asserts that any change management initiative should not only yield benefits for patients but also for staff and the wider organisation. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE 2005) reports that nurses and other health care workers are 2.8 times more at risk of an injury  [2]  than clerical workers and the vulnerability of health care workers increases significantly if they are working alone  [3]  (Chappell and Di Martino 2000). It was a particularly pertinent time to examine mechanisms for risk reduction as they had still not been reviewed despite a member of staff being off sick  [4]  due to an adverse incident involving lone work. As health visiting frequently requires lone work, it was clear that lone working practices needed reviewing to reduce the likelihood of a similar or more serious incident recurring. Further drivers for change were identified as a result of observations of workers in practice. I noted the following areas of concern: up-to-date whereabouts of staff not always provided (or out of date) and a lack of a reporting-in system which would identify whether staff had finished work safely for the day. I discussed these issues with the community nursing manager who wholly supported any attempts to introduce mechanisms that would improve lone worker safety. A further driver for change was the obligation to implement health and safety legislation. Due to limitations in report length, this information has been provided in Appendix One. If changes are to be implemented which lead to increased worker safety, this will have a positive (although indirect) effect on clients because if staff feel safer and more supported in their roles, they will be less likely to be off sick with stress or injuries (Mahony 2006) which would impact on the teams ability to deliver the public health agenda. As workers who contribute to the implementation of health and safety measures are known to be healthier and safer than those who do not (HSE 2005), it was felt that this would be an appropriate area for the team to examine and implement change. It was after consideration of these anteceding factors that the need for change was established and a vision created: To improve the safety of lone workers within the health visiting team. Implementing the change was a dynamic and multidimensional process with many facets too abundant to detail fully here, however pertinent examples will be selected and analysed. The following study will detail a reflective evaluation of my application of leadership and management theory to effect a change in practice. The successes and difficulties encountered will be given throughout with reference to the literature. Change management requires well-developed leadership and management skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). A combination of these skills is necessary to ensure that the job is done not only efficiently, i.e. new mechanisms are put in place and embedded into the teams practice (the management dimension) (Stewart 1996) but that it is achieved in such a way that motivates and inspires staff to change their practice- the leadership dimension (Stewart 1996). To guide the changes, a change management model was selected. Deegan et al (2004) report that such models provide a theoretical sequence, which will be instrumental in helping the change manager to choose, develop, and order activities which are required during planned change episodes. As the change was planned (as opposed to emergent), a suitable model was Lewins three-stage model of planned change (Lewin 1951)  [5]  . The use of this model in the National Health Service (NHS) is widely documented and has underpinned the successful changes in many of the research papers read  [6]  . It is also a simple model which is not overly prescriptive and so does not restrict individual practitioner creativity (Cameron and Green 2005). The three stages of planned change according to this model are: unfreezing the existing equilibrium (Unfreezing); moving to a new point (Movement) and refreezing the changes into practice so that they become embedded in practice (Refreezing). My change management project is currently part way through the Movement stage as the change has not been fully implemented or evaluated yet I continue to lead this project  [7]  . Lewin (1951) suggests that in the changes preliminary stage, factors which will drive or resist the change should be identified. This process is known as Force Field Analysis (FFA) and will identify the change enthusiasts, the potential objectors and the undecided (Turner, 2001) (see Appendix Three for the FFA carried out at this stage). Lewin (1951) asserted that change occurs as a result of a shift in the equilibrium between the opposing forces (those which resist change) and the driving forces and is thought to be more likely to occur successfully if restraining forces are removed rather than by simply increasing the driving forces. Hussey (1998) exercises a word of caution at this juncture warning that an increase in the driving forces may lead to an increase in the restraining forces, however if the driving forces outweigh the restraining forces, there is a positive climate for change (Cameron and Green 2005). After analysing the force field I could see that the driving forces o utweighed the resisting forces and so confirmed that the change was needed and realistic. Leaders motivate their staff by inspiring vision and encouraging followers to share in that vision (Bennis 1997, Davidhizar 1993) and like in Kassean Jagoos study (2005), the unfreezing stage was initiated by facilitating peoples thoughts on the current situation (Greaves 1999)- stimulating ideas for how to change the current situation  [8]  . As people can only be empowered by a vision that they understand (Sheldon and Parker 1997), it is paramount that strategies are used to foster inclusion and participation so that all team members are fully aware of the impetus for change. For change to be successful and enduring, Kouzes and Posner (1987) say that it is imperative that the leader encourages team ownership of the vision by encouraging their participation in the project. Without participation failure is likely to result due to resistance from team members. It is vital to the success of the change that it is perceived to be needed by those that will be affected by the change ( Marquis and Huston 2000) and so to raise awareness of the issue and create dissatisfaction with the current state (Lewin 1951), I introduced my ideas at a team meeting. On reflection, I can identify aspects of transformational and situational leadership in how I shared my ideas and interacted with the team. Most team members agreed that risks to lone working needed to be reduced and willingly offered their ideas (see Appendix Four). Encouraging team input and facilitating problem solving are key features of the supportive behaviours exhibited by the situational leader (Northouse 2004). Situational leadership was developed by Hersey and Blanchard (1977) and assumes the leader adapts their style according to a given situation  [9]  . This style has two main types of intervention: those which are supportive and those which are directive. The effective situational leader is one that adjusts the directive and supportive dimensions of their leadership according to the needs of their subordinates (Northouse 2004). As most team members were highly motivated in the project, freely offering suggestions and ideas, a directive role was not needed. The supportive behaviours I employed encouraged a participative approach characterised by the use of finely tuned interpersonal skills such as active listening, giving feedback and praising (Marquis and Huston 2000) which can be likened to a Skinnerian approach of positive reinforcement. In retrospect I can identify my correct use of this leadership style by looking at a later development of this model which introduced a further dimension to the leadership style: the developmental level of the participants. This is ascertained by assessing workers competence and commitment to completing the task. The member of staff that appeared to take little interest and was not able to offer ideas displayed a lower developmental level compared to other team members and hence I directed her more using the coaching behaviours advocated by Hersey and Blanchard (1977). This coaching promoted inclusion and participation by: giving encouragement, soliciting input and questioning the participant on what they thought of the proposals and the changes they would like to see. This was done to increase levels of commitment and motivation (Northouse 2004) and thus integrate that team member into the change process. On reflection this can also be identified as an example of reducing the resist ing factors to the change within the force field as by adapting to the needs of that team member, she was encouraged to take part and share ideas rather than hinder progress and potentially thwart the change. A model which places great importance on the needs, values and morals of others is transformational leadership (Northouse 2004; RCN 2005) and elements of this could be identified in my leadership. The needs of staff could be regarded as the need to stay safe, and values may be their desire to get home to their families at the end of the day. I was aware that on face value, looking at improving safety for lone workers would perhaps not appear to be an issue that would provoke much excitement, or according to Kotter (1999) light a fire. However, I articulated my vision in terms of getting people to consider the impact of what the consequences could be if we were to be a victim of an adverse incident. When discussing the impact of this with staff and getting them to consider the impact of not changing practice, of how their lives and their families lives could potentially be affected, I created motivation within the team to examine working practices. This was confirmed to me as many of the staff showed their interest by their offering of ideas to meet this challenge. By tapping into the moral dimension of a proposed change i.e. promoting the need to contribute in order to protect the safety of not just themselves but also the wider team, the transformational leader further inspires staff to change by motivating followers to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the team and organization (Bass 1985). Once the vision had been shared and accepted by the team, several strategies were discussed that could contribute to risk reduction (Appendix Four). At this stage it was realistic to focus on a single change. A reason for this was because McIntosh (2000) highlights that many changes focus on the needs of the organisation (e.g. to provide certain services or to implement Government policy) and often overlook the needs of the employees. Applied to this case, there was an organisational need to manage risk but this had to be balanced with not overwhelming the team with too many changes at once  [10]  . At the meeting it was decided by the team members present  [11]  that the simplest intervention to implement would be to phone into the clinic base administrators when finishing their shift to notify that they had finished work for the day and were safe  [12]  . Although the proposed change would not eliminate the risk of an adverse incident occurring, it would ensure that should an incident occur, it would be identified and acted upon as swiftly as possible and thus the risk would be managed more effectively. Vroom and Yetton (1973) propose five types of considered decision-making ranging from that which may be expected of an autocratic manager i.e. a decision is made by the leader entirely alone, through to a democratic approach whereby the matter is discussed with the whole team and a consensus decision is made. When analysing my own management stance it was clear that my style had been distinctly democratic as I had sought to include everyone and promote consensus decision-making. I demonstrated sensitivity and appreciation of the pressures that others were under by ensuring that those not present at the meeting were included in the decision-making process as open consultation with key stake holders often leads to the successful introduction and adoption of change (Phair and Good 1998, cited in Deegan et al 2004). This contributed to creating a climate of a learning organisation. A learning organisation is one where all members are encouraged to increase their capacity to produce resul ts they care about (Karesh 1994) and one which promotes the exchange of information between members in order to create a knowledgeable workforce. I was determined that those who could not attend the meetings still be part of the decision making process. However there were difficulties with this as due to being in practice just two days a week meant that it was unrealistic to consult each absent worker individually and so I emailed out meeting minutes from the meeting and invited feedback  [13]  . Although the use of email to communicate ideas is one of the least popular ways to receive information, it was one of only a few methods available to me and hence justified its use. Without using this medium, communication with the team would have been compromised and could have led to some team members feeling they had been excluded from the decision-making process. Further analysis of this point reveals my own concern that all the follow up and meetings needed to be done by myself whe n perhaps this could have been delegated to someone else. With regard to situational leadership, if team members are motivated and committed to the change, the leader can assume a more passive role where they let team members take responsibility for doing the job and refrain from giving unnecessary support (Northouse 2004). This perhaps reveals Theory X management style traits (McGregor 1960) whereby the manager feels the need to keep a tight grip on staff perceiving them to need coercion to achieve tasks, deeming them to possess little capacity to explore and solve problems spontaneously without direction. This approach may convey distrust of the team (McGregor 1960) and was therefore not an ideal management style in the actual situation I was in. Rather than viewing this as a weakness however, it must be viewed as an opportunity to explore my assumptions of the team, assessing whether my assumptions had any grounding in reality or whether this style was assumed due to my inexperie nce leading and hence insecurities about the role. Reaching a consensus on the change to implement was an example of how in situational leadership, decision-making can be shared between the leader and motivated followers (Hersey and Blanchard 1977). From a management point of view, this participative approach facilitates the process of completing the task but it is also an example of how leaders empower their teams by transferring some of their power to the follower to enable them to be active participants in the decision-making process. After confirming the change intervention, the safety plan was devised (see Appendix Six). This was a contingency plan detailing the steps to take should a team member fail to report in. The team agreed that I should draw this up due to my previous experience of using one. As the manager is responsible for ensuring a task is completed on time and is done efficiently (Stewart 1996) there was no reason for this task to be delegated elsewhere as this would have taken up time and hence been an inappropria te use of resources. During the movement stage, I positively reinforced the importance of the change by acting as a role model. Role modelling is a key feature of transformational leadership whereby the leader demonstrates specific types of behaviours that they want their followers to adopt (Northouse 2004). Stewart (1996) also reports that the greatest power as a leader is the example that you set (p.25) and so I did this by ensuring that I implemented the proposed changes i.e. I always reported into base on finishing work even before the agreed implementation date. The change is currently in the latter stages of the Movement phase with implementation and evaluation still required to complete the phase  [14]  . Refreezing is the final stage of Lewins model and involves the change agent (myself) supporting staff to integrate the change into practice so that it becomes part of the status quo (Marquis and Huston 2000) ensuring that over a period of time everyones practice changes and there is no chance of reversion to former ways. A strategy for the future development of the change and to conclude the refreezing stage would be to carry out an evaluation to determine the changes effectiveness. A summative (or outcome evaluation) could be conducted to investigate: whether the intervention is effective in reaching planned goals; what happens to the participants as a result of the change and whether it is worth continuing with the change intervention (Robson 2003). The first question could be assessed by carrying out a risk assessment of the hazards faced by lone workers including strategies in place to reduce risk. The HSE (2005) detail a five-step risk assessment guide that can be carried out to assess the extent of risk post-intervention. Ideally a risk assessment should have been carried out in the unfreezing stage and thus provide a baseline to compare against. Another strategy to obtain objective data would be to keep a copy of all reporting-in records which should identify those failing to report in  [15]  . Although this appears to be a policing measure which may imply distrust for staff (typical of a Theory X manager, McGregor 1960), it may be the only way of conclusively being able to tell if people are actually putting the new change into practice. If an audit of these records revealed certain team members were not engaging in the process and were having to be chased by administrators to ascertain whether they had finished work safely, I would use responsive leadership skills incorporating effective interpersonal communication to work with these staff members to identify what the problems and issues were. It is vital that this is done as if ignored these resisting factors could impede the change and failure could result (Hussey 1998). A key goal of refreezing is supporting those involved so that the change remains in place (Marqui s and Huston 2000) and so this audit may reveal those who need further support  [16]  . The change detailed in this case study has first and foremost considered the needs of the employees (i.e. to be safe in their lone work) yet has many benefits for the wider organisation and staff: potentially decreased litigation due to decreased adverse incidences affecting staff, increased recruitment and retention due to the organisations increasing attractiveness as a supportive employer and many more. This highlights effective use of a combination of leadership skills to inspire and motivate staff coupled with the ability to function in a management capacity by directing changes necessary in order to meet the organisations requirements (Marquis and Huston 2000). Change management requires well-developed leadership and managerial skills (Marquis and Huston 2000). However as a student health visitor many of these skills were far from being well developed and rather than use and manipulate models as I went along, elements of models such as transformational and situational were recognised retrospectively. However in doing so my knowledge of the theoretical underpinning has been developed and consolidated arming me with a plethora of skills to draw on in future. Northouse (2004) states that leadership style refers to the behaviours shown by an individual who attempts to influence others. I felt this was a daunting task as in my student role I felt very much the subordinate as opposed to the leader. However, Government papers such as Making a Difference (DH 1999) stress for the need to develop leadership at all levels meaning it is not an activity reserved for the upper echelons of an organisation (Garvin 1996). I found it hard at times to reconcile the requirement to develop leadership skills with the need to embrace evidence-based practice as the two often clashed due to the fact that there is little empirical evidence of the effectiveness of many leadership models (Northouse 2004) including those I used. To further illustrate this point Wright and Doyle (2005) conclude it is impossible to say how effective transformational leadership is with any degree of certainty and it is not possible to say here that another approach would have been more effective without trying it. Northouse (2004) also criticises other models of leadership including situational leadership, and questions their validity commenting that they are under-researched and with few published research findings. I had not viewed myself as a born leader and coupled with my student status, I felt nervous embracing a leadership role. Marriner-Tomey (1996) however asserts that leadership skills can be developed over time, indicating that skills can indeed be learnt, dispelling the myth that leaders are born not made. This provides me with reassurance that with further experience of leading in practice, along with a deeper knowledge of leadership theory, I may become a more effective and inspiring leader. References Bass, B. M. (1985) Leadership and Performance Beyond Expectation. New York, Free Press. Baulcomb, J. (2003) Management of change through force field analysis. Journal of Nursing Management. 11. pp. 275-80. BBC News (2006) Man held as charity worker killed. News item [Internet], BBC. Available from: [Accessed 20th May 2006]. Bennis, W. (1994) On becoming a leader. NY, Perseus Press. Burns, J.M. (1978) Leadership. New York, Harper Row. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2005) Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models, tools and techniques or organisational change. London, Kogan Page. Chappell, D. and Di Martino, V. (2000) Violence at work. 2nd ed. Geneva, ILO. Davidhizar, R. (1993) Leading with charisma. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 18. pp. 675-9. Deegan, C., Watson, A., Nestor, G., Conlon, C. and Connaughton, F. (2004) Managing change initiatives in clinical areas. Nursing Management. 12 (4), pp. 24-29. Department of Health (1999) Making a Difference: strengthening the contribution of nursing, midwifery and health visiting. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001a) Shifting the balance of power: securing delivery. London, HMSO. Department of Health (2001b) Health visitor practice development resource pack. London, DH. Department of Health (2002) Liberating the talents: helping PCTs and nurses deliver the NHS Plan. London, HMSO. Elkan, R., Kendrick, D., Hewitt, M., Robinson, JJA., Tolley, K. and Blair, M. (2000) The effectiveness of domiciliary health visiting: a systematic review of international studies and a selective review of the British literature. Health Technology Assessment. 4(13). Garvin, J. (1996) Leadership and nursing: traditional attitudes and socialisation. Nursing Management. 3 (3). pp. 20-22. Greaves, C. (1999) Patients perceptions of bedside handover. Nursing Standard. 14 (12). pp. 32-5. Health and Safety Executive (1974) The Health and Safety at Work Act. London, HMSO. Health and Safety Executive (2005) Work related violence: lone workers. [Internet], HSE. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Hersey, P. and Blanchard, K. H. (1977) The Management of Organizational Behaviour. 3rd ed. New Jersey, Prentice Hall. Hussey, D. (1998) How to be better at managing change. London, Kogan Page. Karash, R. (1994) Learning-Org Dialog on Learning Organizations. [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 22nd May 2006] Kassean, H. and Jagoo, Z. (2005) Managing change in the nursing handover from traditional to bedside handover- a case study from Mauritius. [Internet], BMC Nursing. Available from: [Accessed on 2nd April 2006]. Kotter, J. (1999) John P. Kotter on what leaders really do. Boston, Harvard Business School. Lewin, K. (1951) Field Theory in Social Science. New York, Harper Row. Mahony, C. (2006) Risk reduction. [Internet], Nursing Times. Available from: [Accessed 14th May 2006]. Marquis, B. and Huston, C. (2000) Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: theory and application. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott. McGregor, D. (1960) The human side of enterprise. New York, McGraw-Hill. McIntosh, N.D. (2000) Implementing clinical education for phlebotomists.Nursing Standard. 15 (1). pp. 43-6 National Audit Office (2003) A safer place to work: Improving the management of health and safety risks to staff in NHS Trusts. [Internet], NAO. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006.] NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (2005) Working with groups: improvement leaders guide. Coventry, NHS. Northouse, P.G. (2004) Leadership theory and practice. 3rd ed. London, Sage. Peters, T and Waterman, R. (1998) Re: planned change. [Internet], Shropshire and Staffordshire Workforce Development Confederation. Available from: [Accessed 15th April 2006.] RCN (2005) Transformational leadership processes. [Internet], RCN Practice Development Institute. Available from: [Accessed 1st May 2006]. Robson, C. (2003) Real world research. 2nd ed. Oxford, Blackwell. Selby York Primary Care Trust. (2004) Lone worker policy. York, SYPCT. Sheldon, L and Parker, P. (1997) Leadership and team building. Nursing Management. 4 (2). pp. 24-5 Stewart, R. (1996) Leading in the NHS: a practical guide. 2nd ed. Wiltshire, Macmillan Business. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust. (2005) Personal safety at work: guidance for all employees in the workplace, working off-site and travelling for work. UK, SLT. Turner, L. (2001) Introducing a medical emergency team. [Internet], Nursing Times 97 (40). Available from: [Accessed 14th May 2006.] Vroom, V. and Yetton, P. (1973) Leadership and decision-making. Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Press. Wright, M and Doyle, M (2005) Classical leadership. [Internet]. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Bibliography: Alexis, O. (2005) Managing change: cultural diversity in the NHS workforce. Nursing Management. 11 (10), pp. 28-30. Handy, C. (1999) Understanding organizations. 4th ed. London, Penguin. Home Office. (2005) Research development statistics: violence at work. [Internet], Home Office. Available from: [Accessed 26th April 2006]. Maslow, A.H. (1954) Motivation and personality. New York, Harper Row. Mayhew, C. (2003) Occupational violence: a neglected occupational safety and health issue? Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 1 (1) pp. 31-58. NMC (2004) Standards of Proficiency for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. London, NMC. Percival, J. (2005) Inspire the team. Nursing Standard. 19 (34), p. 71. Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurences Regulation (RIDDOR) website. [Internet]. Available from: Appendices APPENDIX ONE Health and Safety Legislation in Practice. The Lone Worker Policy (SYPCT 2006) in my practice area is heavily influenced by the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSE 1974) and the Health and Safety at Work Regulations Act (HSE 1999 cited in SYPCT 2006) which stipulate the duties of the employer  [17]  and the employee  [18]  . The more recent legislation requires employers to assess the nature and scale of any workplace risks to health and ensure there are proper control measures to reduce or eliminate risk. Although the policy encompasses the relevant legislation and raises awareness, its aims are particularly broad and apart from indicating particular training, there are few suggestions of good practice to help staff understand exactly how they can take reasonable care. It was also evident that although Lone Worker safety training was mandatory, fewer than half of the members of the team had accessed this within the l

Education For All Essay

Introduction There is so many reasons and so many ways that education can benefit people all around the world. It is stated that schooling for 1 year can increase one person’s income up to 10%, and that is only with 1 year of education!. Education makes people healthier by arming them with knowledge that they can use in their daily lives to protect themselves with, so that they can know how to clean and take care of themselves better. It also saves more children because educated mothers know how to take care of their children better since babies are fragile and very hard to take care of and will  decrease the children mortality rate. Education also teaches people female rights that are often ignored in poorer parts of the world because they have a different view of women. With education women will know their own rights and stand up for themselves instead of doing nothing. Having education for all people around the world is very important because it is the tool to combat poverty. Education will surely decrease poverty all around the world if there was education for everyone, that is not just my opinion, there are so many facts that prove that education will help people in need. Global Perspectives  Governments all around the world has been onto education for all, realizing how important it is to everyone because it can improve the world by a lot, so they decided to set up 6 goals that are related to education for all. These goals will help get the people in poverty basic education that they deserve. These goals will hopefully bring decrease poverty and hunger around the world. Those 6 goals will increase childhood care and also expand on childhood education. They also aim towards providing mandatory primary education for everyone so that everyone has basic education to arm themselves with. The goals will also push for learning life skills for everyone so that more people will be more willing to learn. Increasing adult literacy is also part of the agenda in the education for all goals. Improving the quality of education is one of the aims because there is no use having education for everyone if the quality of education is really low. I think that these goals are all really good goals to follow and if all the government stick to the goals and all the goals get achieved, there will be no more poverty because of education! National/Regional In China, Shanghai tried to give more access to all students and more support for  students that are failing or finding education hard. Shanghai aims to reduce the work that students have to do so that they can do better a school environment, and also create better preschool education to make sure students will do better in primary school. This goal is set to be reached at 2020. Most of the children that aren’t doing well in school are children of people who are migrant workers who didn’t have public education before. It is estimated that around 20% of students are the children of people that are migrant workers. Educational achievement is one thing China really cares about. Contrary to other countries in China, Shanghai realizes that minority students get good education too so Shanghai now has a policy letting migrant student attend public schools with other Shanghai children. There is a system that basically where a special type of school that has more sources than other schools and they accept less students, these schools are called â€Å"key schools†. This system is really outdated and it is less popular now. Shanghai removed this system because it promoted education inequality and made a policy where students had to attend their local school so it will be more equal. Local Perspectives In Hong Kong, they have rules that promote education for all so that everyone will be equal and no races will be left out just because of their race. In Hong Kong, schools can’t discriminate against your race by refusing to take in your child, or admitting your child in worse terms. They cannot deny access of any benefits, facilities or services that they give to other students. It is also against the law for any school, teacher or students to harass other children because of their race. There are 6 kind of schools in Hong Kong. Government schools, Aided schools, DSS Schools (Direct  Subsidy School), Private schools, ESF (English Foundation School), International School. The government, DSS and aided schools use a local curriculum while the other schools use curriculums based on themselves and what they believe in so this can vary a lot depending on the school. The government has a 6 year primary education plan that means you have to attend primary education for 6 years that is a necessity but it can be free if you are attending government schools or aided schools because those schools are funded by the government and not by any private owners. Personal Perspectives. I think that education for all is very important. There are social benefits from having education. There has been stats surveyed that people who have received college education have generally longer lives and will take better care of themselves. The people who receive education will have more self esteem and will be more satisfied with themselves. The people with good education will also be better at solving day to day problems that will make his life much more easier on a daily basis. Educational should be for both genders equally because Education should also be for everyone, it is  also more important for females because the education that the women received has more of an effect on her family and their generations. It doesnt only help herself, she also helps her family. That is why educating women is a good way and a first step to solving poverty on a global scale. There has been research done that married women will have smaller and healthier families. Educated women know the significance of health care and how to get it for her and her family. Education also helps women be more confident about herself and know that she has equal rights and both genders are equal. Education of parents are also linked to the education that their children are gonna receive and mothers is more influential than the fathers so mothers education is important. Educated women are likely to have less mistimed birth and unwanted babies so they will be prepared when they actually decide to have a baby. Education are being received by both genders now because equality of both genders are being recognized as important. Being education gender equal is one of the goals of the millennium development goals that is due in 2015. There are groups like UNFPA that advocate for universal education. They help try to make education more equal in more underdeveloped countries so more countries understand the importance of reducing the gender inequality gap. Future Scenarios and Possible Courses of Action I think that the governments all around the world need to prioritize education for all and bring it higher on their to do lists because it is easily one of the most important things to achieve and it will so many problems on earth. We should also make sure that there will be less sexism in this world because in the poorer areas, women are considered less equal than men. If a family had a daughter and a son, and could only  afford education for one, they will choose the boy because they think the girl is flawed compared to the boy. There should be more policies that empower women and make them more important because right now, people are sexist and still think that men is better than women even though its not true and there are information that suggests women can help solve poverty if more women get educated. I think that the governments in poorer places need to set up more event that promotes education so that everyone knows how important education is so they will emphasize on education for their children. The government should host events to get people to endorse and embrace education so children will want to go to school and work hard. I think there should be cheaper transport in poorer places so that children can get to school much more easily and in a cheaper way so the price of transportation won’t deter them away from going to school. Young people who received formal education should teach people around them so he can spread education to more people. I also think that the more developed countries should use some of their money to fund some organisations that help the less developed countries build schools and  education so more people will have proper education because everyone has the right of education and education is considered a basic human right for a long time. Personal Response I think education is really important because education also plays an important role in reducing world hunger. Child malnutrition is one of the highest death causing problem there is in underdeveloped countries. It is estimated that about 1 billion people do not have access to proper nutrition that is needed to have a healthy life. One of the most important factors of reducing world hunger is educating women, which is  even more effective than directly giving them food. In Bangladesh, if a mother is illiterate, there is a higher chance that her child will be malnourished. Education can help increase food production in countries by giving people the knowledge they need to produce more food and also to increase their knowledge about health. There are studies that show that education directly correlates with food security. In Bangladesh, as women with higher forms of education, there is a much lower chance that they have malnourished children. Research also shows that people with higher forms of education  can produce more foods than ordinary farmers with no knowledge because they might adapt smart strategies that can help produce more food than farmers that use the same strategies over and over again. Only few years of primary education can already boost a farmers output by 9%. In saharan africa, investing in educating women can potentially boost the output of the food by about 25% which is a really higher number. AIDS/HIV is a really huge problem in still developing countries and one of the most important ways of preventing or help reduce the number of AIDS/HIV is education. According to the global campaign for education, â€Å"If all children received a complete primary education, the economic impact of HIV/AIDS could be greatly reduced and around 700,000 cases of HIV in young adults could be prevented each year, seven million in a decade† That just shows that education is key to stopping and preventing AIDS/HIV from spreading even more. Lots of young men and women who don’t have the required education do not even know about AIDS/HIV and is in risk of getting it very easily. References www. educationforallblog. org www. unicef. org www. eoc. org. hk www. ncee. org www. unesco. org www. un. org.

Importance Of The Hero s Journey - 1696 Words

1 LastName Name Professor Class 24 October 2017 The Importance of the Hero’s Journey Think about what makes someone a hero or a heroine. Do they commit acts of bravery? Do they stand up for what is right? Do they put themselves before others? In various works of literature, film, and real life there is evidence of the Hero’s Journey. Typically, a hero is considered someone who goes out and achieves great things, not only for themselves but for the greater good. In the book â€Å"Hero with a Thousand Faces† written by Joseph Campbell, the film â€Å"Whale Rider† directed by Niki Caro, and the life events of Martin Luther King Jr. this is evident. It is important to pay attention to the myths of the Hero’s Journey in readings and films because the†¦show more content†¦In chapter three, â€Å"Supernatural Aid†, it is discussed what happens when the hero does not refuse the call. In this case, they face their first encounter, which includes many challenges. By facing these challenges and overcoming them, it shows how the hero b egins their journey in one place and then once they overcome their challenges they are in another place. While this chapter does not focus on how the hero is found it different forms, it discusses how the mentor can be found in different forms. The role of the mentor is to provide protection to the hero in the beginning of their journey. The mentor is an individual who helps the hero with their training, equipment, and provides them with advice that will serve them throughout their journey. This mentor can take different forms, â€Å"In fairy lore it may be some little fellow of the wood, some wizard, hermit, shepherd, or smith, who appears, to supply the amulets and advice that the hero will require. The higher mythologies develop the role in the great figure of the guide, the teacher, the ferryman, the conductor of souls to the afterworld† (59-60). No matter what their form may be, the mentor’s help is essential to the hero. Without their mentor’s help, they w ould not be able to transform in to the hero that they are supposed to be. The mentor also shows how other characters contribute to the growth of the hero. This is seen through the mentor’sShow MoreRelatedImportance Of Heroism : The Hero s Journey1188 Words   |  5 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Class 9-2    Importance of Heroism A hero is defined as a person who is admired or for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Heroes  are people who make a positive difference in the world. All heroes embark on the same journey, known as the â€Å"hero’s journey†. The hero’s journey contains four vital steps. 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The novel revolves around the protagonist Bilbo Baggins and his journey not only of recovering the treasure from Smaug, but his journey becoming a hero. Through the main character Bilbo Baggins Tolkien changed my perspective on what a mythi c hero is suppose to be. When the term â€Å"mythic hero† is brought up I visualize someone that is a stouthearted a warrior namely Achilles or Odysseus to be exact not a hobbit. A little friendly, good-naturedRead MoreAnalysis Of Bilbo s Hobbit 1712 Words   |  7 Pagesadventure, Bilbo faces one of his most difficult challenges in The Hobbit when Bilbo Baggins faces the Inmost cave stage he fights with Gollum in the cave. Holmes describes the Inmost Cave as â€Å"the abyss. This is the greatest challenge that faces the hero† (Holmes). This stage is literally in a dark cave, one that provides a morally challenging and terrifying experience for Bilbo. In the cave, he deals with the Gollum and finds the Ring, changing his character forever. Only once he suffers through hisRead MoreThe Bean Trees By Barbra Kingsolver1723 Words   |  7 Pagesaunts and uncles. The Bean Trees is written by Barbra Kingsolver and is set in the early 1980 s. It tells the story of a young w oman named Taylor, and the life she builds in Tucson Arizona. Far from home, she meets many great people and finds a place where she belongs. Kingsolver shapes her message of the importance of families both blood and found through her use of character archetypes such as Taylor the hero, who embarks on many adventures that lead to many new relationships, and Mattie the mentorRead More`` Their Eyes Were Watching God `` By Joseph Campbell961 Words   |  4 PagesJanie’s Journey The â€Å"hero’s journey†, coined by Joseph Campbell, is a pattern in the plot structure of literature, myths, and oral tradition in which the hero is consistently faced with similar obstacles and achieves many of the same goals. 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The animal helper also supports the notion of a heroic humanRead MoreThe Bible And The Odyssey1662 Words   |  7 Pagesgreater beings, such as gods, to complete difficult journeys and or tasks that the god has made them destined to complete. Each of these legendary heroes demonstrates a particular culture’s needs. Through these journeys and or tasks they are forced to overcome challenging obstacles and make sacrifices. A hero is something that society has formed an idea about the characteristic it should posses from history. Through the stories told from the past a hero is developed through their qualities and characteristics

Gender Roles Are Becoming Less And Less Accepted - 852 Words

It has long been known that men and women often have differing perspectives. Sure, men and women may disagree, but is gender really the main culprit behind this difference in opinion? In the past, gender roles and biases have been prevalent; however, today, gender roles are becoming less and less accepted. Many people today will agree that opinion actually varies individual to individual, not gender to gender. However, I will not disagree that biases can come to light in certain situations. It is true that gender may account for some disagreements between individuals; despite that, gender does not always explain the full spectrum of opinion. One disagreement that comes to mind happens often between my boyfriend, Ivan, and I. Since we have been dating for over two years, we have had our fair share of disagreements. While we do share a common interest in the adoration of animals, there is a considerable division when it comes to pets. While I do love most animals, I do not thi nk all of them would make suitable pets; nor do I think that they would be too thrilled to be pets. For the most part, I would find solace with a few dogs to cuddle up with. At the same time, Ivan wants to own every animal he has any interest in whatsoever. From his dream of having chickens and cows to piranhas and alligators, it is practically never ending; he even wants a Komodo dragon named Charlie! Although cows and chickens are quite conventional, I have no desire to live on a farm orShow MoreRelatedGender Roles Of Women And Women892 Words   |  4 Pages Gender roles are a set of behaviors that indicate that a person should fit in to a category of either being male or female. This is society’s concept of how men and women are expected to behave. These gender roles were commonly accepted before the twenty-first century. Society viewed males as being the main financial providers for their family whereas women were viewed as the maker of the home, raising and taking c are their children. Men were expected to be strong, athletic,aggressive,and dominantRead MoreGender Roles And Male Roles1496 Words   |  6 PagesMales and Female Roles Males and females have important roles in society. They have different roles to play in modern society. In the past, men and women generally had their own roles to fulfill. These traditional gender roles were the normal back and still observed today. Gender roles are the roles that men and women are expected to occupy based on their sex. In today’s society the norm in gender roles are challenge. The traditional view of the gender role decided that women should behave in waysRead MoreEssay on Women in Law Enforcement843 Words   |  4 Pagesoffenders in the system. Whether it was for domestic violence issues, sexual assault or what have you. 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