Marketing Topical Research Paper

Global Marketing Topical Research Paper Chu Nguyen Binh – DBA Hanoi NorthCentral University (NCU), USA National University of Hanoi (Vietnam) August 2009 Research title: Where would be the market for foreign banks in Vietnam after joining WTO? ABBREVIATION BTABilateral Trade Agreement CARCapital Adequacy Ratio FBBForeign Bank Branch FIBForeign Invested Bank JSCBJoint Stock Commercial Bank JVBJoint Venture Bank MOFMinistry of Finance NPLNon-Performing Loan SBVState Bank of Vietnam SOCBState Owned Commercial Bank SOEState Owned Enterprise SMESmall and Medium-sized Enterprise SSCState Securities Commission WBWorld Bank WTOWorld Trade Organization TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATION ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION1 2. VIETNAM BANKING SECTOR – A SUMMARY1 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VIETNAMESE BANKING INDUSTRY3 3. 1. Very Low Market Penetration3 3. 2. Rate of Growth in Both Loans and Deposits Far Exceeding GDP Growth3 3. 3. A Highly Concentrated but Highly Fragmented Banking Market4 3. 4. Heavy Handed Regulation with Restrictions on Foreign Banks5 3. 5. Lack of Transparency Concerning Quality of Lending6 3. 6. Heavily Undercapitalized7 3. 7. Narrow Revenue Base and Few Product Offerings7 3. 8. Unknown Quantity of Non-performing Loans8 4. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BANKING SECTOR9 4. 1. The Government’s Strategy9 4. 2. State Bank of Vietnam – Freeing the Tiger9 4. 3. Regulatory Environment – Meeting International Standards10 4. 4. Developing the Capital Markets11 5. PROSPECTS FOR BANKING SECTOR GOING FORWARD12 5. 1. Non-Performing Loan Ratios to Rise, But Risks of Bank Failures Looms12 5. 2. Further Development Inhibited by Low Capital and Technology12 6. CONCLUSION14 REFERENCES15 ABSTRACT Vietnam’s banking system is dominated by five state-owned banks, with around 70% of system assets at end-2008. Around 38 private banks comprise roughly another 25%, with the balance substantially accounted for by a host of foreign banks. In recent years, the private banks, being more commercially oriented, have grown rapidly at the expense of the state-owned banks’ market share. The foreign banks have also grown, as opportunities improved for them after Vietnam entered a bilateral trade agreement with the US in 2001 and acceded to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2006. The Research Paper will examine the Vietnam’s banking sector as a whole, including general characteristics of the Vietnamese banking market. It then analyzes the proportion in term of loan and deposit of state-owned, joint stock, joint venture and foreign banks. In the second part, the report lists opportunities for foreign banks to penetrate the Vietnam market under new legal requirement of the Vietnamese Government. They can establish 100% foreign bank entity, purchase stake in local banks or set up joint venture with Vietnamese partners. Finally, it will examine strengths and difficulties in terms of technology, expertise and experience, service quality, risk appetite, etc. f the foreign banks when operating in Vietnam market. 1. INTRODUCTION There are a lot of banks in Vietnam. Too many in fact. Currently there are five state-run commercial banks, 38 joint stock commercial banks, four joint-venture banks, 29 foreign bank branches, 45 foreign bank representative offices, five finance companies and nine finance leasing firms operating in Vietnam. Since 1992, Vietnam has moved to a diversified sys-tem in which state-owne d, joint-stock, joint-venture and foreign banks provide services to a broader customer base. However, the four main state-owned commercial banks – the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV), the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of Vietnam (Incombank) and the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (VBARD) account for around 70% of all lending activity. In a trade agreement with the United States signed five years ago, Vietnam fully committed to allow in foreign banks by 2010 at the latest, and to expose the banking sector to foreign competition. Under WTO entry rules the door may have to be opened even sooner than that. This has prompted foreign banking groups to closely scrutinize the Vietnamese banking sector as a business opportunity in itself. 2. VIETNAM BANKING SECTOR – A SUMMARY Vietnamese banking market is currently dominated by the five major State-Owned Commercial Banks (SOCBs), with 38 semi-private so-called joint stock commercial banks (JSCBs) gradually eating into their market share by better catering to the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and retail clients. Years of lax monetary policy focused on supporting export-led GDP growth has flooded the banking system with money, pushing up redit growth to an annual average of 36. 4% over the past five years (2003-2007), hitting a peak of 54. 9% last year according to World Bank figures. High liquidity and a scramble for market share have resulted in a degree of aggressive lending, in particular to investments in the real estate and stock markets, which both experienced rapid downturns in 2007 and early 2008. State-Own ed Commercial Banks: The five SOCBs – Agribank, Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV), Vietcombank, Vietinbank and Vietnam Development Bank – hold roughly two thirds of banking assets according to IMF sources. The SOCBs are still encumbered by their previous role as instruments for implementing government policy. Indeed, the strong links between senior bank executives and the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, and other state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have impeded much-needed corporate restructuring. Hence, SOEs still receive preferential treatment in loan allocation, resulting in the SOCBs running up high non-performing loan (NPL) ratios. The SOCBs are currently reporting NPL ratios of around 3%, but we are expecting this figure to rise to 5% before the end of 2008. However, we carry doubts about the reliability of official figures and suspect the real ratios could be significantly higher. Joint-Stock Commercial Banks: The 38 JSCBs presently control roughly 20-25% of banking assets in Vietnam, but are quickly eating into the market shares of the larger SOCBs by providing superior services to SMEs and retail savers. The JSCBs are generally better managed and more profitable than the SOCBs, but suffer from low capitalisation, which has made them vulnerable to Vietnam's domestic ‘credit crunch', prompted by the SBV's rapid tightening of its monetary policy. Foreign Banks: HSBC and Standard Chartered and a number of other foreign banks are already present in the Vietnamese market through joint ventures with JSCBs. HSBC increased its stake in Techcombank to 20% in August and Standard Chartered raised its stake in Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) to 15% in May 2008, but foreign banks have been prevented from increasing their stakes by restrictions on foreign ownership of domestic banks. Vietnam currently limits the shareholding a foreign bank can take in a domestic counterpart to 20%, with the total foreign ownership limited to 30%. 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VIETNAMESE BANKING INDUSTRY . 1. Very Low Market Penetration There are only about six million bank accounts in Vietnam, five million of them for individuals which amounts to a penetration rate of about 6%. In reality, the effective potential market size is about 20 million or trebles the current penetration level. That is the size of the AB socioeconomic class in Vietnam. Even so, if we comp are this to the internet and mobile penetration rate of 14% and 12% the number is rather low. The reason is simple: the distribution and infrastructure of banking services is very poor relative to the telecommunications industry, which has virtual national coverage. By contrast, banks are almost unheard of in secondary cities and rural areas. With a low urban population of about 29%, banks simply don’t have easy access to over 70% of the population. There are other reasons, of course. Until recently the government had encouraged a cash economy by paying state employees in cash; there is a traditional distrust of banks; the banks themselves have done a poor job of providing services to the retailing public; and small businesses too are poorly served by banks unwilling to give them large loans unless they have the collateral to back it up. Of course the banking industry is growing rapidly with both deposits and loans expanding at high, double-digit growth rates per annum. And some banks such as Vietcombank, ACB, Sacombank, and Techcombank are making a determined effort to court the retail market. 3. 2. Rate of Growth in Both Loans and Deposits Far Exceeding GDP Growth Credit growth in Vietnam has been expanding at a breakneck speed these last few years. Not surprisingly given heady GDP growth. Nonetheless, the sustained rate of increase over several years has raised eyebrows at international bodies such as the IMF and World Bank. They like their credit growth at room temperature, rather than piping hot. Well piping hot is what they’ve got. In fact, the state-owned banks saw credit grow at an annual average rate of 24% over the past five years. Given the inability of some bankers to distinguish a good credit risk from a bad one (assuming they have a choice) this is not entirely a good thing. Hence the international sigh of disbelief that such stellar credit growth has been accompanied by a falling NPL ratio. According to some economists a 7% GDP growth rate can accommodate an annual credit growth rate of about 14-20%, roughly a factor of two without generating a lending bubble. However, credit growth rates above that level for any extended period of time are unhealthy for an economy. Admittedly credit growth rates have been falling for the last year down to about 15% as the central bank has tried to rein in credit departments. So far this year in fact lending has expanded at only about 16% nationwide. Going forward the speed of credit growth may well start expanding again as WTO becomes a reality. One bank has forecast that credit could grow at 35% per annum over the next five years given sufficient access to capital. While the better banks could probably cope with this, the temptation for others to take on too much risk is high. 3. 3. A Highly Concentrated but Highly Fragmented Banking Market Five state banks have carved up 70% of the loan market while forty-odd joint-stock banks and a host of foreign banks scrap for the remaining 30%. Compare this with the US where the ten biggest commercial banks control only 49% of the country’s banking assets, up from 29% a decade ago. Thus, at the top tier, the market acts like an oligopoly, while beneath the surface there is a holy war going on as mite-sized private sector banks scrap for the rest. Since the market itself is growing so fast this may not seem so bad. The state banks are also slowly bleeding market share. Even so things look very lopsided. Enter the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), concerned about the fragmented nature of the private sector banks. They will introduce new regulations to force another round of consolidation in the near future. One way of doing this is to set high hurdles for any new established bank before it can get a license. All banks will need to have chartered capital of VND 1 trillion ($62. 8 million) which is exceeded by the existing capital of only the very biggest JSCB’s such as ACB and Sacombank. All other existing banks fall far short and will need to scramble for new capital or merge in order to meet the new requirements. And that is just the first round. From next year the SBV has circulated a draft proposal to raise the minimum capital level to about US$300 million. And there you have the consolidation trigger. 50% of the JSCB’s face merger or takeover. They will also have to demonstrate experience in banking governance. Banks will need to commit to Basel 2 standards from 2010. One of the key issues is the regulation of key stakeholders, such as a bar on lending to stakeholders or their affiliates. This is to prevent corporations from using their own banks as private piggy-banks. Currently a corporate of family can own up to 40% of a joint-stock commercial bank. 3. 4. Heavy Handed Regulation with Restrictions on Foreign Banks The government still exerts strong control on the banking sector in two ways. Directly, through various regulations and restrictions which govern how they conduct business and strictly licensing the type of businesses they can enter; and indirectly through the interference of a myriad of agencies and ministries, both local and national, who want to have a say on how scarce credit resources are allocated. The state-owned banking system is trying to shift from directed policy lending to a commercial system. But the transition is proving slow and painful. Given the legacy of state control at both national and local level it’s hardly surprising that the state-owned banks routinely complain about interference in their lending decisions and overall management. It seems that banking is too important to be left to bankers. The culture of social and political lending is still dominant amongst local officials and bureaucrats, as is the idea of consensus building and consultation before decisions are taken. To be fair, the problem has been recognized and things are getting better. With the proposed re-organization of the SBV for example, fewer local branches should reduce the amount of day-to-day noise coming in to credit departments. Local authorities will have less leverage in leaning on banks without the local central bank office to back them up. And the recently announced decree allowing for 100% foreign-owned bank branches will finally set the stage for a level playing field for foreign banks. However, without eliminating limits on branch openings and mobilization of Dong deposits (currently limited to 350% of total capital for foreign banks) some painful shackles will remain. . 5. Lack of Transparency Concerning Quality of Lending Lending decisions in Vietnam are still based more on relationships than cash flow. The assessment of loan customers is usually driven by the relationship with the bank and the size of the collateral being offered. Cash flow driven assessment and qualitative analysis is reserved for large private sector customers only. Amongst t he large banks only ACB bank uses DCF analysis across their entire customer base. The problem is partly due to outside interference in the decision making process and partly due to a lack of professional guidance. The absence of IT infrastructure to support professional credit analysis is another major factor. Another issue is exposure. Most banks lend a lot of money to a fairly narrow base of customers. The top 30 state-owned corporations probably account for over half of the state banks lending books. The private sector joint-stock commercial banks (JSCBs) are no different. 3. 6. Heavily Undercapitalized One of the legacies of state ownership is a severe shortage of capital at the state banks, a quality shared by private sector commercial banks as well. Government restrictions on equity holdings combined with a bond market that hardly functions has made raising chartered capital very difficult for banks. Average capital adequacy ratios (CAR) in amongst Vietnamese banks stood at 4. 5% at the end of 2007. This compares with an average CAR of 13. 1% in Asia Pacific and 12. 3% in South-East Asia. Admittedly with large scale raising of capital this year this number is improving. With most of the state banks well below the minimum 8% capital adequacy ratio for Tier 2 capital, lack of access to the international capital markets has constrained their growth. And this valuation is anyway based on a vary generous reading of their NPL’s. The JSCBs are in only a slightly better state with a handful able to cross the 8% hurdle rate. The rest are pitiful. And given that the domestic capital markets are still in the fledgling stages, raising new capital has been the biggest headache for all banks. The stronger JSCBs have responded partly by selling shares to foreign strategic partners. Further down the line, where profitability is lower and capital particularly skimpy the options are more limited. The SBV is chary of allowing smaller anks to raise capital from foreign investors. Going forward all of the banks have substantial appetites for raising further capital, to shore up their Tier 2 capital base to bring them over the 8% CAR hurdle by 2010. 3. 7. Narrow Revenue Base and Few Product Offerings Most Vietnamese banks make money from loans. And that’s basically it. Compare that to Western banks that make about a quarter of their income from fees – credit card fees, lending fees, arranging fees, etc. – and most have branched into wealth management. Well, not in Vietnam. To be fair this is tied into the lack of availability of credit history: banks don’t like lending to strangers they know nothing about. The state banks are generally geared to the large corporate and state-owned sector, providing syndicated loans for utilities, infrastructure projects, heavy industry and property developers. JSCBs are geared mainly towards lending to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the wealthier retail customers. However given their low penetration and limited branch network they only reach a fraction of their potential customer base. Car loans, mortgages and house improvement loans are retail staples. And small business loans using property as capital is the basic model for the SME market. In general, the Vietnamese banking model is best described as relationship-based rather than product-based as in international banks. 3. 8. Unknown Quantity of Non-performing Loans If you were to believe the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) statistics the non-performing loans problem has been largely dealt with since 2000. Amongst the state-owned banks, non-performing loans (NPLs) have fallen steadily from 12. % in 2000 to 8. 5%, 8. 0% and 4. 47% in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Under a new stricter definition, the official number in 2008 has risen to about 7. 7%. Overall, about half of the NPL’s are on the watch list, which is the second of five lending categories in the new SBV scoring system. The other half fall into the three categories below watch list which are of greater concern. For private sector JSCBs, average NPLs were said to be around the 1% level at the end of 2007. Of course few believe the official numbers. International bodies carried out a similar exercise using Ernst & Young and found that NPL’s in the system using international accounting standard definitions came to about 15-20% of outstanding loans in the state-owned sector. This number is conservative due to limited data; a figure between 20-25% is probably a fairer estimate. In this respect the slow development of the banking industry is a blessing in disguise, things could be a whole lot worse. The worry is that the gap between the official version and the real picture is large and may indeed be growing. Most NPLs are generated by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) refusing to pay their obligations to state-owned banks. Pre-equalization is a favorite time to write off or simply clear out these loans. That way SOEs can start their new life in the private sector unencumbered by debts. So apart from asking the government to honor the SOEs’ commitment and trying to seize collateral there is precious little banks can do. There is not yet an effective secondary market for bad debt, although attempts to kick-start one are ongoing. There are very few NPLs sale and purchase transaction taking place. 4. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FOR THE BANKING SECTOR 4. 1. The Government’s Strategy After a long period of hesitation and hints of action the government has come up with a fast-track roadmap to liberalize the financial sector by 2010. Under the roadmap, the state will retain a controlling stake in the banks but its holdings will be quickly reduced to 51%. Foreign ownership will account for a maximum of 30% of total shares, while each strategic foreign institutional investor currently allowed to hold 10-20% at most. The 20% limit may be eventually erased but the 30% cap will stay for the time being. Basel 1 will be in effect until 2010, when the stricter Basel 2 standards for corporate governance will be introduced. The government will have to introduce further legislation before then to force banks’ compliance, particularly at the ownership level. This may create some buying opportunities amongst the JSCBs as families are forced to reduce their stake. 4. 2. State Bank of Vietnam – Freeing the Tiger In theory the central bank enjoys a wide remit. In practice it can’t do much without a legion of agencies and ministries throwing in their penny’s worth of advice. The central bank, the SBV, currently acts as the sole supervisory and regulatory body for the banking sector. It also owns the state-owned banks and sets interest rates. There is a clear need to separate the various roles of the SBV and give it increased autonomy in those areas such as monetary policy and regulation of the banking sector, which are clearly in its remit. The SBV also needs to be free of its role as custodian of the state’s shareholdings in the banking sector. The SBV sees several key roles for itself in the future: compiling and executing monetary policy, ensuring stability of the credit institutional system, act as a regulator to the banking system. In order to achieve this it needs legislative backing to clearly define its relationship with the National Assembly, government and all government agencies. In simple terms stop the incessant interference from other parties so that the SBV can get on with the job. After all, if the central bank is not allowed to set interest rate policy and regulate the banking sector without being leaned on, what hope is their for individual banks to lend money without getting the same treatment. Another issue is the lack of cooperation with the MOF on key issues such as bad debt and bank equitisation. MOF has often written off state-owned companies’ bad debt without consulting the banks. And the State Securities Commission (SSC), the stock market regulator often stalls on issuing licenses for banks to list. The two don’t play well together. 4. 3. Regulatory Environment – Meeting International Standards There are a myriad of regulations and decrees covering almost every aspect of the financial sector but we would like to look briefly at just three topics: progress removing restrictions from foreign banks, meeting international banking standards and the treatment of NPLs. With regard to meeting international banking standards, the government has appeared to follow WB recommendations to provide the necessary framework for an integrated financial system as required under WTO rules. And so in the last few years some of the necessary legislation has been pushed into place. On the NPL’s, the central bank issued Decision No. 93 to reclassify bad debts and risk reserves closer to international norms. So far, three state-owned banks (SOBs) claim to have successfully reduced their bad debt ratios to less than 5% in accordance with the new rules. Too successfully in fact, but more on this later. Overall the regulatory authorities are making an effort to converge with international stand ards in the financial sector, but with WTO membership and the 2010 deadline looming, time is not a friend. And foreign banks are still allowed to raise Dong deposits only to a ceiling of 350% of their chartered capital. In effect this locks them out of the domestic deposit market and is the most important impediment for their expansion plans. 4. 4. Developing the Capital Markets Banks need more tier 2 capital and bonds will provide the bulk of that. However with the bond market in its infancy there are still major constraints on the banks’ ability to raise sufficient capital quickly to reach the 8% capital adequacy ratio they crave. The infrastructure for developing the bond market is still not in place. HSBC is only now offering to provide a pilot rating scheme to enable potential investors to gauge the creditworthiness of various bond issuers. Fitch and Moody’s have also dipped their toes in the market, rating Sacombank and BIDV respectively. However rating services are horribly expensive and there needs to be a domestic agency to offer these services at prices most banks can afford. Another key hurdle lies with interest rate guidelines in place at all maturities along the yield curve. This prevents risk weightings and effectively bars smaller or weaker banks from coming to the market to issue capital whilst compensating for the higher risk by offering higher coupons. 5. PROSPECTS FOR BANKING SECTOR GOING FORWARD . 1. Non-Performing Loan Ratios to Rise, But Risks of Bank Failures Looms It is likely that there will be an increase in non-performing loan (NPL) ratios from the present 4-5% as an increasing number of companies and households default on their loans on the back of higher interest rates and slowing economic activity. A complicating factor in assessing the risk posed by deteriorating loan portfolios is that Vietnamese banks are currently applying a new system of internal credit rating schemes and debt classification systems in accordance with international standards. Implementation has so far been diverse between banks, making intra-sector comparisons a complicated business. Consultancy Ernst & Young has estimated that the application of the new standards is likely to lead to an increase in disclosed NPL ratios of 2-3 times, i. e. to the IMF estimates of 15-20%. While the new standards will make the NPL figures more internationally comparable, the resulting increase in the ratios is likely to create uncertainty about the proportion which can be attributed to the new standards and how much is down to an actual deterioration of loan portfolios. However, it can be believed that the effects on the overall economy from possible bank failures can be contained by larger JSCBs taking over smaller banks pushed to the brink by loan defaults and low capitalisation. Nonetheless, there might be possibility that the government or central bank will need to intervene to force mergers between banks and possibly also recapitalize those in worst health. 5. 2. Further Development Inhibited by Low Capital and Technology Consolidation should be a positive for the banking sector by decreasing excessive competition and increasing capitalization levels. Nonetheless, capital shortages, low technology and a shortage of skilled staff, especially at higher levels, will continue to inhibit the development of the banking sector. This will leave domestic banks exposed to the might of international banking giants such as HSBC and Standard Chartered, which are initially committing US$183 million and US$61 million respectively to their Vietnamese subsidiaries, placing them well in league with the larger JSCBs. Increased competition from foreign players will thus constitute a potent threat to domestic banks, which will be forced to improve services if they want to maintain their market share. Further expansion will need regulatory approval from the State Bank of Vietnam. The IMF has, in its annual review of the Vietnamese economy, set improvement of financial supervision as a prime task for the government in its reform agenda. The government raising the foreign ownership ratio to 25% for individual banks and 35% in total in 2009-2010 in order to maintain foreign banks' interest in holding stakes in domestic players, thus assisting in technology transfer. With the current system in place, there is a risk of a severe divide between better-capitalised, more technically advanced and better-managed foreign banks and a still relatively undeveloped domestic sector suffering from both a shortage of capital and low efficiency. Vietnamese banks are still primarily focused on taking deposits and lending and thus completely inexperienced in asset management and other financial services tipped to be the main growth areas in the Vietnamese banking market going forward. Domestic players, in particular the larger SOCBs, may have an advantage through their established branch network and client base, but this factor can be rapidly eroded as HSBC and Standard Chartered extend their operations. The threat from foreign banks will be particularly potent for the SOCBs, where reform has been slow in spite of the government's intention to place them foremost in the queue in the so-called ‘equitisation' process of transferring SOEs to private hands. It is unlikely that the government will find takers for its offers of 10-20% stakes in SOCBs for strategic foreign players if it does not radically review its privatisation procedures. With the state-owned banks constrained by politicised decision-making and the private banks suffering from a severe lack of capital, HSBC, Standard Chartered and other regional players will gain the upper hand over time as their extensive experience, superior technology, and readier access to capital work in their favor. It is unlikely that foreign players will dominate the Vietnamese banking sector in 10-15 years time, with the larger JSCBs being majority-owned by foreigners and the role of the once-impressive SOCBs reduced to supporting inefficient state-owned companies and agricultural households. 6. CONCLUSION In Vietnam, there is only less than 10% of Vietnamese currently use banks for financial services, instead largely relying on extended families and neighbourhood associations for lending and saving. However, a rising number of younger Vietnamese are now using banks for financial services, opening up great expansion opportunities in retail banking. The Vietnamese banking sector is a veritably good destination for early entrants as poorly-capitalised and inefficient domestic banks are ill-prepared for the opening of the banking market to foreign entrants as pledged in Vietnam's accession to the WTO in January 2007. With bank penetration at less than 10% and the Vietnamese economy forecast to grow by an average 7. 8% annually over the next ten years, the growth opportunities are great for foreign players. Top of Form REFERENCES Johny K. Johansson (2006). GLOBAL MARKETING Foreign Entry, Local Marketing, & Global Management. McGraw-Hill, Fourth Edition, International Edition. ISBN 007-124454-9. Vinacapital. Vietnam Equity Research. August 15, 2006 Fitch Ratings, Vietnam Special Report – Vietnamese Banks: Focus on Asset Quality – Three Stress Scenarios. February 25, 2009 at: www. fitchratings. com Vietnamese Banks: A Home-Made Liquidity Squeeze? May 2008 Jaccar Equity Research, Vietnam. Banks and Financial Services. The Bubbles did not Burst but Turned Grey. May 18, 2009 at www. jaccar. net Fulbright Research Project, The Banking System of Vietnam: Past, Present and Future. Nam Tran Thi Nguyen, 2001. at: www. iie. org/fulbrightweb/BankingPaper_Final. pdf retrieved on 27 Feb 2009.

Say No to the Death Penalty

Counting the seconds and minutes to your death. Inhaling your last breath. The next thing you know, the prison doctor has just injected a lethal drug into you. How do you not feel pain, empathy or sadness? But, you know that the doctor brushes it off as if it nothing happened. All because of something we call ‘The Death Penalty.† The death penalty affects people who are wrongly convicted, the positive affect because there isn’t a death penalty in our society and human morality. How do you feel about innocent people dying? Innocent people are wrongly convicted on a daily bases, so why put these people in jail. Those who opposed this argument say †the people who commit a crime, deserve to die. ‘Six Canadian prisoners were convicted of a dangerous crime and later released due to their innocent. The six Canadians were condemned for the first degree murder and if there were death penalty then these six innocent people would have died. Another reason is that the prisoners should have the time to prove their innocence. I say this because after the trial. If new evidence is found then it’s very difficult to start another trial. It’s a life of a person in your hands and nothing should be neglected. Such as David Milgaard who was sentenced to life in prison. He was the suspected killer for the murder of Gail Miller. He spent 22 years in prison and was freed by DNA evidence. Once you go to prison, it makes a profound impact on your life. Have you read the human rights from the United Nations? In the third law it states †Any person right to life, liberty and security of person.† If Canada, reinstates the death penalty that's violating the human rights. It would be a very embarrassing moment for Canada for all we stand for and worked for. We are a country that is highly respected and is known for fighting for our rights. We have all the right to life. Do you think the death penalty affects things in our society? First reason is that there are fewer murders because there is not the death penalty. Since, there is no death penalty in Canada; the murder rate has decreased since 1970's. In 2009, the murder rate in Canada was 1.81 homicides per 100.000 populations. If we compare the static between Brazil is a big difference. Canada was 1.81 homicides and Brazil at 25.2homicide rates. Also, Brazil has no death penalty since 1988.

Transmission Control Protocol and Cisco Public Information

Learning Objectives Be able to explain the purpose of a protocol analyzer (Wireshark). Be able to perform basic PDU capture using Wireshark. Be able to perform basic PDU analysis on straightforward network data traffic. Experiment with Wireshark features and options such as PDU capture and display filtering. Background Wireshark is a software protocol analyzer, or â€Å"packet sniffer† application, used for network troubleshooting, analysis, software and protocol development, and education. Before June 2006, Wireshark was known as Ethereal.A packet sniffer (also known as a network analyzer or protocol analyzer) is comput er software that can intercept and log data traffic passing over a data network. As data streams travel back and forth over the network, the sniffer â€Å"captures† each protocol dat a unit (PDU) and can decode and analyze its content according to the appropriate RFC or other specifications. Wireshark is programmed to recognize the structure of differen t network protocols. This enables it to display the encapsulati on and individual fields of a PDU and interpret their meaning.It is a useful tool for anyone working with networks and can be used with most labs in the CCNA courses for data analysis and troubleshooting. For information and to download the program go to -http://www. Wireshark. org Scenario To capture PDUs the computer on which W ireshark is installed must have a working connection to the network and Wireshark must be running before any data can be captured. W hen Wireshark is launched, the screen below is displayed. To start data capture it is first necessary to go to the Capture menu and select the Options choice.The Options dialog provides a range of settings and filters which determines which and how much data traffic is captured. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 2 of 12 First, it is necessary to ensure that Wire shark is set to monitor the correct interface. From the Interface drop down list, select the network adapter in use. Typically, for a computer this will be the connected Ethernet Adapter. Then other Options can be set. Among those available in Capture Options, the two highlighted below are worth examination.Setting Wireshark to capture packets in promiscuous mode If this feature is NOT checked, only PDUs destined for this computer will be captured. If this feature is checked, all PDUs d estined for this computer AND all those detected by the computer NIC on the same network segment (i. e. , those that â€Å"pass by† the NI C but are not destined for the computer) are captured. Note: The capturing of these other PDUs depends on the intermediary device connecting the end device computers on this network. As you use different intermediary devices (hubs, switches, routers) thro ughout these courses, you will experience the different Wireshark results.Setting Wireshark for network name resolution This option allows you to control whether or not Wireshark translates network addresses found in PDUs into names. Although th is is a useful feature, the name resolution process may add extra PDUs to your captured data perhaps distorting the analysis. There are also a number of other capture filtering and process settings available. Clicking on the Start button starts the data capture process and a message box displays the progress of this process. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 3 of 12 As data PDUs are captured, the types and number are indicated in the message box The examples above show the capture of a ping process and then accessing a web page . When the Stop button is clicked, the capture process is terminated and the main screen is displayed . This main display window of Wireshark has three panes. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Sys tems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document i s Cisco Public Information. Page 4 of 12 The PDU (or Packet) List Pane at the top of the diagram displays a summary of each packet captured.By clicking on packets in this pane, you control what is displayed in the other two panes. The PDU (or Packet) Details Pane in the middle of the diagram displays the packet selected in the Packet List Pane in more de tail. The PDU (or Packet) Bytes Pane at the bottom of the diagram displays the actual data (in hexadecimal form representing the actual binary) from the packet selected in the Packet List Pane, and highlights the field selected in the Packet Details Pane . Each line in the Packet List corresponds to one PDU or packet of the captured d ata.If you select a line in this pane, more details will be displayed in the â€Å"Packet Details† and â€Å"Packet Bytes† panes. The example above shows the PDUs captured when the ping utilit y was used and http://www. Wireshark. org was ac cessed. Packet number 1 is selected in this pane. The Packet Details pane shows the current packet (selected in the â€Å"Packet List† pane) in a more detailed form. This pane show s the protocols and protocol fields of the selected packet. The protocols and fields of the packet are disp layed using a tree, which can be expanded and collapsed.The Packet Bytes pane shows the data of the current packet (selec ted in the â€Å"Packet List† pane) in what is known as â€Å"hexdump† style. In this lab, this pane will not be examined in detail. However, when a more in -depth analysis is required this displayed information is useful for examining the binary values and content o f PDUs. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 5 of 12 The information captured for the data PDUs can be saved in a file. This file can then be opened in Wireshark f or analysis some time in the fut ure ithout the need to re-capture the same data traffic again. The information displayed when a capture file is opened is the same as the original capture. When closing a data capture screen or exiting Wireshark you are pr ompted to save the captured PDUs. Clicking on Continue without Saving closes the file or exits Wireshark without saving the displayed captured data. Task 1: Ping PDU Capture Step 1: After ensuring that the standard lab topology and configuration is correct, launch Wireshark on a computer in a lab pod. Set the Capture Options as described above in the overview and start the capture process.From the command line of the computer, ping the IP address of another network connected and powered on end device on in the lab topology. In this case, ping the Eagle Server at using the command ping 192. 168. 254. 254. After receiving the successful replies to the ping in the command line window, stop the packet capture. Step 2: Examine the Packet List pane. The Packet List pane on Wireshark should now look something like this: Look at the packets listed above; we are interested in packet numbers 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 15. Locate the equivalent packets on the packet list on your computer.All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Pa ge 6 of 12 If you performed Step 1A above match the messages displayed in the command line window when th e ping was issued with the six packets captured by Wireshark . From the Wireshark Packet List answer the following: What protocol is used by ping? ________ICMP______________________ What is the full protocol name? ___Internet Control Message Protocol____ What are the names of the two ping messages? _____Echo Request____ _____Echo Reply____________________________________Are the listed source and destination IP addresses what you expected? Yes / N o Why? ___________________________________ Answers may vary-Yes, the source address is my computer and the destination is the Eagle server Step 3: Select (highlight) the first echo request packet on the list with the mouse. The Packet Detail pane will now display something similar to: Click on each of the four â€Å"+† to expand the information. The packet Detail Pane will now be similar to: All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.Page 7 of 12 As you can see, the details for each section and protocol can be expanded further. Spend some time scrolling through this information. At this stage of the course, you may not fully understand the information displayed but make a note of the information you do recognize. Locate the two different types of ‘Source† and â€Å"Destination†. Why are there two types? The Ethernet II shows the MAC addresses and the Internet Protocol shows the IP addresses What protocols are in the Ethernet frame? ___ eth:ip:icmp:data _ __________________________________As you select a line in the Packets Detail pane all or part of the information in the Packet Bytes pane als o becomes highlighted. For example, if the second line (+ Ethernet II) is highlighted in the Details pane the Bytes pane no w highlights the corresponding values. This shows the particular binary values that represent that information in the PDU. At this stage of the course, it is not necessary to understand this information in detail. Step 4: Go to the File menu and select Close. Click on Continue without Saving when this message box appears. Task 2: FTP PDU Capture Step 1: Start packet capture.Assuming Wireshark is still running from the previous steps, start packet capture by clicking on the Start option on the Capture menu of Wireshark. At the command line on your computer running Wireshark, enter ftp 192. 168. 254. 254 When the connection is established, enter anonymous as the user without a password. Userid: anonymous All contents are Co pyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 8 of 12 Password: You may alternatively use login with userid cisco and with password cisco. When successfully logged in enter get /pub/eagle_labs/eagle1/chapter1/gaim-1. . 0. exe and press the enter key . This will start downloading the file from the ftp server. The output wil l look similar to: C:Documents and Settingsccna1>ftp eagle-server. example. com Connected to eagle-server. example. com. 220 Welcome to the eagle-server FTP service. User (eagle-server. example. com:(none)): anonymous 331 Please specify the password. Password: 230 Login successful. ftp> get /pub/eagle_labs/eagle1/chapter1/gaim-1. 5. 0. exe 200 PORT command successful. Consider using PASV. 150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for pub/eagle_labs/eagle1/chapter1/gaim-1. 5. 0. xe (6967072 bytes). 226 File send OK. ftp: 6967072 bytes received in 0. 59Seconds 11729. 08Kbytes/sec. When the file d ownload is complete enter quit ftp> quit 221 Goodbye. C:Documents and Settingsccna1> When the file has successfully downloaded, stop the PDU capture in Wireshark. Step 2: Increase the size of the Wireshark Packet List pane and scroll through the PDUs listed. Locate and note those PDUs associated with the file download. These will be the PDUs from the Layer 4 protocol TCP and the Layer 7 protocol FTP. Identify the three groups of PDUs associated with the file transfer.If you performed the step above, match the packets with the messages and prompts in the FTP command line window. The first group is associated with the â€Å"connection† phase and logging into the server . List examples of messages exchanged in this phase. Answers will vary- 1292 > ftp [SYN], FTP > 1292 [SYN, ACK], Response: 220 Welcome to the eagle -server FTP service, 1292 > ftp [ACK], Request: User anonymous, Response: 331 Please specify the password, Request: Pass Locate and list examples of messages exchange d in the second phase that is the actual download request and the data transfer.Answers will vary- FTP Data: 1448 bytes, 1294 > ftp-data [ACK], All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 9 of 12 The third group of PDUs relate to logging out and â€Å"breaking the connection†. List examples of messages exchanged during this process. Answers will vary- Request:QUIT, Response: 221 Goodbye, 1292 > ftp [FIN, ACK], ftp >1292 [FIN, ACK] Locate recurring TCP exchanges throughout the FTP process. What feature of TCP does this indicate? __Send and receipt of data____________________________________________ Step 3: Examine Packet Details. Select (highlight) a packet on the list associated with the first phase of the FTP process. View the packet details in the Details pane. What are the protocols encapsulated in the frame? ____ Eth:ip:tcp:ftp-data ______________________________________ Highligh t the packets containing the user name and password. Examine the highlighted portion in the Packet Byte pane. What does this say about the security of this FTP login process ? _____ Security isn’t very high because the name and password are visible. ___________ Highlight a packet associated with the second phase. From any pane, locate the packet containing the f ile name. The filename is: ___gaim-1. 5. 0. exe__________ Highlight a packet containing the actual file content -note the plain text visible in the Byte pane. Highlight and examine, in the Details and Byte panes, some packets exchanged in the third phase o f the file download. What features distinguish the content of these packets ? ____ A [FIN, ACK] is issued to close the connection. __________________ When finished, close the Wireshark file and continue without savingTask 3: HTTP PDU Capture Step 1: Start packet capture. Assuming Wireshark is still running from the previous steps, start packet capture by clicking on the Start option on the Capture menu of Wireshark. Note: Capture Options do not have to be set if continuing from previous steps of thi s lab. Launch a web browser on the computer that is running Wireshark. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 10 of 12 Enter the URL of the Eagle Server of example. com or enter the IP address-192. 168. 54. 254. When the webpage has fully downloaded, stop the Wireshark packet capture. Step 2: Increase the size of the Wireshark Packet List pane and scroll through the PDUs listed. Locate and identify the TCP and HTTP packets associated with the webpage download. Note the similarity between this message exchange and the FTP exchange. Step 3: In the Packet List pane, highlight an HTTP packet that has the notation â€Å"(text/html)† in the Info column. In the Packet Detail pane click on the â€Å"+† next to â€Å"Line-based text data: htmlâ €  When this information expands what is displayed? ____HTML code for the web page__________________________ Examine the highlighted portion of the Byte Panel. This shows the HTML data carried by the packet. When finished close the Wireshark file and continue without saving Task 4: Reflection Consider the encapsulation information pertaining to captured network data Wireshark can provide. Relate this to th e OSI and TCP/IP layer models. It is important that you can recognize and link both the protocols represented and the protocol layer a nd encapsulation types of the models with the information provided by Wireshark.Task 5: Challenge Discuss how you could use a protocol analyzer such as Wireshark to: (1) Troubleshoot the failure of a webpage to download successfully to a browser on a computer. and (2) Identify data traffic on a network that is requested by users. Answers could vary-Wireshark could show when request for a web page failed due to incorrect URL. User traffic could b e monitored to identify errors in source or destination. All contents are Copyright  © 1992–2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. Page 11 of 12

Dell Inspiron 700m Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dell Inspiron 700m - Essay Example Dell Inspiron 700m is one of the most popular laptops in the market today which is used by students. When its features are compared with the needs of students, it can be deduced that Dell Inspiron 700m's popularity among this circle is justified. The Dell Inspiron 700m is released in the market during 2004. Recognizing the fast obsolescence of computer equipments in the information technology industry, it is notable how this model retains its popularity amidst the proliferation of more advanced varieties in the market. It is reported that students and other low end markets keep the demand high for Dell Inspiron 700m. Compared with other notebooks, this model is sold at an affordable price of $489 and is available in stylish black, silver, and white designs. The competitive pricing makes it very attractive to students who are often with a limited budget. The model is also dependable in terms of functionality. Being bundled with a Pentium 4 processor, it makes computing really convenient. Dell Inspiron 700, also features a 512mb of RAM and 60 gig hard drive which is huge enough for a typical student for saving programs and other files. The notebook also has wireless capability that enable sthe user to connect to the internet.

Assassination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Assassination - Essay Example Other incidents include unauthorized airplanes passing over the White House and in given situation, an aircraft crashing into the house. Plans to utilize planes seem most application for the assassins since the ground is somehow well guarded and the only place they can reach the presidents is using the planes to strike the White House. Other characteristics of assassinsare the use of threats, comprising armed assaults and bombings, dreaded kidnaping and captive-taking, assassination plots, alongside direct, strikes on the presidents (Jost & Sidanius 78). On the other hand, some assassins sometimes form organized groups that take part of some regions in opposition to the president’s leadership or just greed for power. Such incidences occur regular accompanied by kidnapping of children while on vacation like the incident of President Cleveland. Another example is the September 11, 2001 where the attackers used different planes to strike different buildings (Jost & Sidanius 123). The three categories of motivations for Non-Presidential assassinations depend on some objectives but not all of them possess the past US model. The categories are based on assassinations as a way through which politicalelite replaces the existing government without influencing systemic or usualchange. The second category is those with reasons to harm the legality of controlling the elite and influencing the system or ideological amendments and lastly categorized based on propaganda of encouraging ideology (Jost & Sidanius

Current issues in second language learning Essay

Current issues in second language learning - Essay Example e constructivist approach, wherein the learner needs to be actively engaged in the learning process through his/her interactions with the environment. The role of a teacher within a constructivist framework would be largely a facilitative one – aiding a student to learn by encouraging him/her to construct, rather than the traditional role of supplier of information. The policy of Constructivism takes into account the nature and development of knowledge and according to Van Glasersfeld, constructivism is a "theory of knowledge with roots in philosophy, psychology and cybernetics."1 Therefore, when learning is examined from a constructivist perspective, there is an underlying implication that the manner in which knowledge is constructed within an individual’s mind is fashioned by the environment that he is subjected to. Therefore teaching methods must be modified accordingly in order to accommodate learning practices. For instance, if students are perceived as mere learning receptacles, then teaching would constitute only the transmission of knowledge however, when applying constructivism, the knowledge that is being transmitted will be additionally processed by a student, then the teaching approach must incorporate attempts to transmit meaning and understanding to the students to help them make sense of their world2. The Constructivist approach transforms the learning process into a one on one process between an individual and his environment. Knowledge becomes intimately associated with and unique to every individual learner, since it is not an absolute entity existing as a separate external reality but rather it is integral to every learner whose knowledge will be conditioned by his/her own experiences. Therefore, applying this principle, reality is made up of â€Å"the network of things and relationships that we rely on in living.†3 Hence reality will be interpreted and constructed in accordance with the individual learner’s experiences and interactions

Commanding Heights PART 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Commanding Heights PART 2 - Essay Example The video is based on the social, economic, and political events that were notably experienced by the BRIC and Poland community in the 20th century, and how these events contributed in shaping the world economy. The focus is primarily directed to economies and markets in the context of the role played by governments in influencing the two. In the 20th century, states controlled and regulated market activities in many economies across the globe. This resulted in numerous economic hardships and crisis that prompted governments and states to embrace free market economies. Economies of Asia, Europe, and the Americas are highlighted in the video, and the trends in their economies outlined. Leaders, especially state figures, tried to curb economic crisis that regulated markets posed to their economies. Towards the end of the 20th century, market liberalization heightened, and a ground to establish a global economic system was set. However, not all participants in this move were ready for the realized outcomes. Deregulation of markets realized minimized state influence in markets and economies. The private sector was uplifted to an extent that it critically engaged the public sector in intense competition. Regulated markets and economies had failed to meet their purposes, goals, and objectives in their respective countries. The reform process to endorse free markets was characterized by benefits for some players and agony for others. States that regulated their markets and economies had plunged into economic meltdowns and financial crises that eventually necessitated need for reforms. As much as these reforms were welcome, the recovery process was characterized by both advantages and disadvantages. Market and economy freedom had privatization, deregulation, and competition implications to account for. The world economy as it is known in the 21st century is the result of market and

Cowboys & Indians Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cowboys & Indians - Research Paper Example A closer evaluation and research on Native Americans would divulge that just like any other ethnic race, American Indians belong to different tribes and still exist in vast areas of the country. Further, the noted privileges were reported to have been products of treaties â€Å"that tribes signed with the federal government were provisions that the government would provide education and health care to the tribes in exchange for the millions of acres of tribal lands† (Fleming, 2006, p. 215). These misconceptions apparently became so prevalent because people have tendencies to oversimplify, to add personal interpretations to facts, or to apply some personal observations on limited individuals to the whole group, in general. As disclosed by Fleming (2006), â€Å"they can be a product of oversimplification, exaggeration, or generalization† (p. 216). When not immediately corrected or validated, these myths and stereotypes are spread throughout time like wildfire and become part of a culture’s misunderstood perceptions. Fleming, W. (2006, November). Myths and Stereotypes About Native Americans. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from jcu.edu:

How the Disciplines of Computer Science and Business intertwine Essay

How the Disciplines of Computer Science and Business intertwine - Essay Example eople who have studied the discipline of computer science and information technology becomes essential businesses to progress rapidly in the market and remain competitive. Today, the competition between businesses is increasing with every passing day because of the advancements in technology. In such conditions, a company that does not use computers and related technologies leaves behind in the race of competition too. The writer has written the paper in a coherent manner in which he/she has describes all aspects of the use of internet in businesses very clearly. The paper is based totally on the effects of using computers in the business world and the need or importance of the internet in the success of today’s business. The discussion reveals that the use of internet and other IT technologies lend a hand to small companies competing on a global level. The writer as given many examples of how internet has benefited small businesses and what potential is has for large businesses. Some of the main benefits that the writer has discussed include outsourcing, off shoring, rapid progress, online advertising, social networking, and globalization. Moreover, the writer has also revealed some negative outcomes for small business using internet. However, reading the paper it cannot be said that those negative outcomes are able to overshadow the benefits of information technology for business. These b enefits and negative effects show that the study of computer science and information technology has become an integral part of the study of business management. This is also evident if we analyze the course contents and subjects included in the curriculum of the field of business management. Today, almost every university teaches some basic computer programming in the course of business management, as well as provides internet and computer knowledge to students to make them able to succeed in their professional lives. I do not think the areas of computer science and business

Can Viral Marketing Replace All Other Forms Of Advertising Research Paper

Can Viral Marketing Replace All Other Forms Of Advertising - Research Paper Example This paper illustrates that various people have cited the negative effects of this method of advertising as compared to the traditional means of advertising. Looking at the two methods of advertising and analyzing them is important because it helps in understanding the best manner in which to market commodities. Without looking at the negative aspects that involve this form of advertising, it is vital to remain subtle when analyzing this method. Viral marketing is a credible way to replace all other forms of advertising and it is appropriate to review the various ways of doing this while still reviewing the benefits. One effective manner in which this method of advertising can replace other methods of advertising is through comfort when advertising. Many methods of advertising are hectic and require an individual to move from one position to another with the aim of attracting customers. However, viral advertising just requires an individual to use their gadgets such as phones or lapt ops to post the products they want to the internet. Posting these photographs on the internet is simply because it can be carried out from the comfort of a person’s home without any hectic activities being involved. Another advantage of viral marketing that can assist people to view its value as compared to the normal methods of advertising is its economical nature. Other methods of advertising normally involve the people or rather the advertisers engaging in the marketing of their products by posting them in media providers such as televisions, radios or even the print media. These services are very costly and they involve the product owners paying a lot of money for these products to receive quality marketing. Viral marketing, as opposed to this method of advertising, is very cheap as the only amount of money spent is that used to pay service providers for the internet. When compared with the print media method of advertising, this method is very economical.

Software to Support Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Software to Support Assessment - Essay Example Donnelly, McGarr, & O’Reilly noted that in the quest to arrest the decline in the number of students taking science subjects in higher education the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment highlighted ‘the need to focus on investigative approaches, problem-solving, the assessment of practical work and the effective use of ICT.’ In light of this rapid injection of technology in the teaching and learning arena teachers need to be able to assess not only the software that is on the market for their use but the ability of the technology to effectively assess student learning. Consequently, there is a need to analyze the capacity of technology to facilitate assessment of students’ learning. Tomlinson emphasizes that there may be ‘assessment of learning, assessment for learning, and assessment as learning.’ Ultimately, Tomlinson suggests that assessment is most useful when it is seen as learning because it is then that it most informs the teac hing and learning process. She sees assessment as the ‘beginning of better instruction’. Assessment then is a vital part of the entire teaching learning process. This paper analyses how technology can facilitate both formative and summative assessment of student learning. ... Tomlinson observed that by the time she had given a final grade in a summative assessment the class would have been ‘moving on to a new topic’. She noted that this information could not be effectively utilized because the time for its effectiveness would have been gone. Thus, Tomlinson became ‘a devotee of formative assessment’ which would allow her to correct students’ faults in real time. Finally, Tomlinson views summative assessment as assessment of learning, and formative assessments as assessment for learning. It is difficult for the teacher to use technology for formative assessment since this process occurs almost spontaneously. Nonetheless, the use of the SMART board as highlighted by Debunker allows the teacher and the student to interact in real time. It is easier for summative assessment to be provided through technological means since these are standardized materials which may be given to all students at the end of the year. Using technolo gy to assess student learning is an emerging concepts as such there are a number of teething problems associated with its implementation. Hence, the use of technology to assess student learning brings with it several pros and cons. Technology allows teachers to analyze the scores of students at a faster rate. The use of assessment software allows for greater standardization across the districts. What is more, the students enjoy interacting with the technology. Thus, they will be more comfortable with the use of the technology than with traditional procedures. Two major concerns of the use of technology are the ‘quality’ and the cost of the materials. Williams, Boone, & Kingsley assert that teachers expect producers of educational material to be

Andy Warhol and His work on the Contemporary Art Essay Example for Free

Andy Warhol and His work on the Contemporary Art Essay Andy Warhol (1928-1987) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, less commonly known as Andrew Warhola, was a central figure in the pop art category. He is an American artist who reigned around the world as a painter, author, avant-garde filmmaker and as a public personage for his connection to many people of different fields of work and status. Warhol studied in Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as the Carnegie Mellon University) to hone his artistry (www. artgallery. com, 2008). Warhol unify his works through the Keatonesque style which is aritistically and personally affectless. In his work s a Pop artist, conceptual aspects were always there as a key factor. His art was known for its irony, in most of its sense. Campbell’s soup cans was probably his most famous work. The mundane images he made were turned to the so-called ironic art through enlargement, hand-painting or silk-screening. He always mentioned that the idea of his work is always at the surface of his work, obvious, apparent. Other attributes of his work were slight color changes using ink spots (www. pbs. org, 2007). His work reveals contemporary art in such a way it concerns some human desires that never ceases to revolve around. He even made his film where he was an international celebrity and a pop artist. His experiences with many people brought him the ideas of what is contemporary, and made sure that no traces of the artists can be recognized from his artwork.

Leadership Operations Management of Audi

Leadership Operations Management of Audi Organisation: Audi AG, Head Quarters: Ingolstadt, Germany, Chairman of the Board of Management: Prof Rupert Stradler (Audi, 2016) This report has been conducted for and requested by the Directors Senior Management Personnel of Audi AG, to investigate the different approaches/practices towards Operations Management, the overall performance of the organisation. Key emphasis has been placed upon understanding the value of Operations Management within the organisational context at Audi AG; and how effective operational efficiencies can aid businesses to successfully achieve business objectives. The application of different theories and models of approach/practice towards contrasting situations within the Audi AG working environment has been explored; for the resulting information/evidence to be contextually comprehensive. Methodology The information contained within this Briefing Paper has been obtained primarily through secondary research techniques including web-based research, academic journal reading and published books and articles. The reasons behind this, are that it is particularly problematic gaining primary research information from Board Level Directors Senior Managers due to time constraints, thus much of the information is obtained through organisational publications. However, primary research was utilised on occasions where greater depth was needed or the required information was not obtainable through other methods. Results 2.1  Audi AG Organisational Structure Audi AG (Audi) was historically established in 1910 by founder August Horch in Zwickau (Central-Eastern Germany). Audi AG operates and distributes cars worldwide, manufacturing cars in 11 Production Facilities across 9 countries in Europe, Asia, North America and South America. Audi AG Group currently employees 84,435 members of staff (November 2016) with a revenue of 58.42 Billion EUR (Full year ended 31 March 2016) Chairman of the Board of Management is Prof Rupert Stradler (Audi, 2016). Audi AG is categorised as a large multinational organisation and is a constituent of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with a current share price as of COP (close of play) on 8th December 2016 at à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬604.62 EUR (Frankfurt Stock Exchange, 2016). Audi AG has many subsidiary companies including Lamborghini, Italdesign Giugiaro, Audi Brussels and Audi Hungaria Motor Kft; with also an overriding parent organisation of Volkswagen Group sitting above Audi AG in hierarchy. (Audi, 2016) 2.1.1 Organisational Management Structure Audi AG is a vast organisation with a Management Matrix/Structure that consists of many layers across various business functions and geographical prominence. The corporate management of Audi AG draws on its expertise and leadership to promote the interests of more than 80,000 employees, the Audi shareholders and the Audi customers around the globe. The managers of Audi AG form the basis for responsible corporate management. (Audi, 2016) Prof Rupert Stradler (Chairman of the Board of Management) is at the summit of the Board of Management and is responsible for the forward planning of the organisation, coupled with the performance of his appointed Board of Management. Beneath the Chairman, the Board of Management consists of Board Members responsible for the performance of specific business functions within the organisation globally; these include: Procurement, Human Resources Organisation, Finance IT, Sales Marketing and Production Logistics. The full list of Audi AG Board Member s is shown in Appendix A. Beneath the Board of Management, Audi AG is dissected depending on Geographical Area within each discipline. For example, European Sales Marketing Director North American Production Logistics Director; these individuals will report up to the relevant Board Member. The regions are once again split up depending on individual plants/locations and the Management Structure continues this trend throughout the organisation. See [Figure 1] Audi AG Company Organogram for further clarification of the Organisational/Management Structure within the organisation. (Audi, 2016) 2.1.2Audi AG Organisational Organogram [Figure 1] (P3, M2, D1) Author: Jacob Hood. Ref: (Audi AG, 2016) Organogram Key: Functional Relationship. Different Departmental Individuals/Functions that work very closely a together to achieve Organisational Objectives. Line Relationship. Organogram structural links indicating hierarchal structure and a subordinates/superiors across departments. Functional Relationship. Symbol to indicate the whole department works loosely albeit of lesser importance as with all other business functions. Indicated with a symbol to maintain clarity of [Figure 1]. Lateral Relationship. Different Departmental Individuals/Functions of the same Hierarchal Position that a work very closely together to achieve Organisational Objectives. 2.1.2 Overview of Operations Management Within Audi AG To gauge an understanding of the Key Operational Functions within Audi AG; an explanation of Operations Management in a broader sense and how the Business Function operates within organisations is critical. Joseph Martinich devised definitions in relation to Operations Management, Operations management is a discipline and profession that studies (and practices) the process of planning, designing and operating production systems and subsystems to achieve the goals of the organisation. (Martinich, 1997) It is responsible for all the processes associated with the design, planning, control, and production of the products/services that the organisation offers. Operations Management forms the fundamental groundwork of the production of products within organisations; and an efficient Operations Management Function leads to increased profitability, productivity and a more streamlined product build process. Within Audi AG, the key operations of the organisation involve the production of their various car models across the globe. These vehicles have numerous variations and are broadly bespoke based upon the customers desired specifications at the point of order. Some of these include: Different Body Shapes, Chassis, Engine Sizes, Left/Right Hand Drive, Transmission, Interior Specifications, Leather Seats, Carbon Fibre Trims etc. (Audi AG, 2016) These variations field complications to the Operations Management Team due to the fluctuating build times between variation of Model/Specification and requires careful scheduling and planning alongside the engineering and manufacturing processes in place to deliver the finished output/product. 2.1.3 Key Operations/Operations Functions Within Audi AG The Operations Management Function, which is known as the Production Logistics Procurement Functions within Audi AG are responsible for the design, control and delivery of Audi AGs Key Operations (Production of Audi Vehicles). The Board of Management Member for the Production Logistics Function is Dr.-Ing. Hubert Waltl and Procurement Board of Management Member is Dr Bernd Martens. (Audi AG, 2016) The inter-relationship between these two functions is crucial to the success of the Operational Processes at Audi AG especially within the Logistics Inventory Management Aspect of the Manufacturing Process. The Key Operational Functions and how Audi AG dissects these functions into Departments within Audi AG is indicated below. The assumptions below are taken from the Neckarsulm, Mid-South Germany Plant, where the production of Audi A4, A5, A7, A8, R8, RS6 and all the individual variations of such vehicles within the Neckarsulm Production Plant. (Audi AG, 2016) Scheduling. The Operation Function of Scheduling is responsible for the design and allocation of resources and setting up the timetable of when the product/service will be completed, following a customer order. (Management Study, 2017) Within the Organisational Context at Audi AG, they name this departmental function Production Control Planning. (Audi AG, 2016) They utilise sophisticated computerised systems to ascertain the duration of time that it takes to fully manufacture the product dependent on current Queue Time, Model Bespoke Specifications etc. This is then relayed to the Customer to give them an indication of the anticipated delivery time of their Audi Vehicle. A key aspect of Scheduling is devising the algorithms and the systems based upon their research of previous Build Time of vehicles to create accurate schedules for various models and variations of those models. Scheduling is also responsible for maximising the efficiency of the Production Line, Streamlining Process es and Eradicating Bottlenecks. For Example, within Audi AG the body and chassis of an Audi A4 takes sufficiently longer than the interior. Therefore, a key improvement to mitigate this issue could be to build in a buffer of excess Audi A4 bodies being manufactured in the night shift. This will then sufficiently mitigate the issue that the Interior aspects of the Manufacturing Process take less time to complete than the Exterior Production. Thus, maximising the number of vehicles that can be manufactured within a given time period. Capacity Management. Capacity Management is concerned with the matching of the capacity of the operating system and the demand placed upon that system. (Wild, 2002) Capacity Management within Audi AG is part of the Production Control Planning Departmental Function with the core objectives being to manage the current level of resources available in relation to the demand placed upon those processes; to deliver efficient and effective mechanisms that successfully meet Business Objectives. Capacity Management must be able to accurately draw upon historical and forecasted data to ascertain whether the current structure and configuration of Human/Non-Human Resources can sufficiently deal with current and prospective consumer demand. (Management Study, 2017) For example within Audi AG, they must be acutely aware of the Micro/Macro Environmental Factors, Sales Forecasts and balance these with a detailed analysis of the Production/Manufacturing Systems and make informed decisions as to whet her internal operational adjustments are required. One of Audi AGs Business Objectives is to work to ensure that the consumer doesnt have to wait extensive quantities of time to receive their new Audi Vehicle. Short-Term Demand can be dealt with by increasing the forecasted build time from 6 weeks to 8 weeks. However, if there is a prolonged increased demand for a model of Audi Vehicle, whereby Customers must wait over 8 weeks for their new vehicle; it may be necessary to increase the amount of resources available to manufacture more units of that model (More Labour, Machines Etc.), to successfully meet business objectives. It is the role of Capacity Management to monitor the current trends in relation to the processes and make pragmatic strategic decisions based upon this data. Transformation Process. The Transformation Process is the Operational Function that addresses the process of taking Inputs which include Transforming Resources (Staff, Machinery) and Transformable Resources (Raw Materials) and turns these resources/materials into finished Outputs that are ready to distribute to the consumer. (Pearson, 2016, p.567) See Appendix A for the Transformation Process Model in a visual format. Within the Situational Context at Audi AG, the Transforming Resources include: Production Line Workforce, Machinery and Individual Plants. The Transformable Resources include: Raw Materials such as Vehicle Body/Chassis, Engines, Leather Interior, Electronic Chips etc. The Output is the finished Audi Model Vehicle that is distributed to the customer, For Example Audi TT. The Transforming Resources assist to construct/transform the Transformable Resources into the final output product. (Pearson, 2016, p.567) At Audi AG, there are a couple of functions responsible for impl ementing the Transformation Process efficiently and effectively, these being Production Engineering and Maintenance Engineering and Quality Management. Production Engineering is responsible for devising innovative processes that can streamline the Transformation Process of producing an Audi Vehicle, thus saving significant costs if these can be implemented effectively. Maintenance Engineering is responsible for the continued operations of seeing through the existing Engineering Processes attributed to building Audis vehicles. This needs to be done effectively to ensure that quality products are being produced to the correct schedule set out by the Scheduling Function. Quality Management is responsible for the checking and vetting of the finished outputs to ensure it is to Audi AGs quality specifications. This is crucial to offer a consistent quality of product and ensure customers are happy with the products they receive. (Audi AG, 2016) Logistics Inventory Management. Inventory Management supervises the flow of goods from manufacturers to warehouses and from these facilities to point of sale. (Manufacturing Tech, 2017) Within the Organisational Context at Audi AG, the Operations Management Function of Inventory Management is incorporated within the Logistics Department. Inventory Management is responsible for supervising the process of managing inventory at various degrees/levels of completion/processing of those materials from Raw Materials through to Finished Products. Inventory Managements primary objective is to minimise the amount of excess capital that is expended on surplus inventory; the storage, transport and management of such inventory is very costly to organisations. Other reasons behind the implementation of this process is to be able to successfully meet seasonal demand, variation in production demand, ability to take advantage of quantity discounts, highlight quality/other issues in the Production Li ne and to streamline the Production Process and reduce costs. (Management Study, 2017) Within Audi AG, the Logistics Function must ensure to manage their inventory of Raw Materials (Engine Parts, Interior Materials, Chassis Etc.) so that they do not have excess Inventory costing the business money through unnecessary storage of such materials. Audi AG implement an Operational Approach called Just-In-Time (JIT) which will be explored in detail below, however broadly speaking it ensures the delivery of materials from Suppliers at precisely the time at when they are required in the Production Line. This program is devised in association with the Scheduling Function and mitigates the risk of unnecessary Raw Materials Inventory. Audi AG also must contend with the matter of Finished Goods Inventory (Completed Vehicles). The approach within Audi AG is to ensure to sell such stock as quickly as possible while the vehicles are worth the most money, often through promotions on certain models and incentives to purchase the Models/Variations whereby there is excess Finished Goods Inventory. (Management Study, 2017) Audi also removes this form of inventory through offering the vehicles as Company Cars or through Employee Centred Incentive Schemes. (Audi AG, 2017) It is the role of Inventory Management to also prevent these occurrences from happening and analysing Sales Trends Forecasts to minimise excess Finished Goods Inventory; as the costs to store and the depreciation of the vehicles reduces the profitability of the organisation. 2.2 Key Operational Approaches To Operations Management 2.2.1 Just-In-Time Philosophy/Theory The Just-In-Time Philosophy (JIT) is primarily used within Manufacturing/Retail focused organisations, however the theory can be applied across a range of different market sectors. Just-In-Time (JIT) refers to the process of the supply of materials, either from external suppliers or from other areas within the organisation, delivering the items to the relevant department/area of the business at precisely the time that they need it. The main objective being to achieve reduction and mitigation of surplus raw materials within the organisation with a view to increasing productivity, (Toyota Global, 2017) The art of just-in-time production consists of keeping intermediate stock levels down to an absolute minimum, yet none the less having each part arrive at the predetermined point at precisely the right time. (Audi, 2017) JIT is a Production Model where items are manufactured/created to meet demand, not created in surplus/advance of need. (Tech Target, 2017) Within the Organisational Cont ext at Audi AG, implementing Just-In-Time within the Procurement Process can significantly streamline the Production-Line Process and lead to increased productivity. For Example, within Production Line A at Audi Neckarsulm Plant, Germany the Scheduling and Logistics Department will utilise sophisticated computer systems to ascertain the quantity of each product is required to produce a given number of cars per day i.e. (500 Michelin 750 Continental Tyres Per Day). The suppliers for these tyres will then be allocated a precise time slot to deliver the items Just-In-Time for when they are required in the Production Line Process. This can assist to eliminate waste, inconsistencies, unreasonable requirements thus resulting in increased productivity in the line. (Toyota Global, 2017) 2.2.1.1 Advantages of Applying Just-In-Time Philosophy (JIT) Lower Stock/Raw Materials Inventory results in a significant reduction in storage space which saves capital in rental and insurance costs. (Tutor2U, 2017) As stock is only purchased when orders are placed, it results less working capital tied up in stock, which can be invested elsewhere in/outside the business. (Tutor2U, 2017) Mitigates the issue of un-sold finished stock being produced due to sudden non-forecasted increases in demand and prevents the risk of stock perishing due to it only arriving when it is needed to be used. This can increase Profitability within Audi AG due to unnecessary capital not being expended on wasted materials/stock. (Tutor2U, 2017) -Drives higher standards on the Production Line and with Suppliers due to there being little room for error with Minimal Stock retained to account for errors on the Production Line and very precise Delivery Slots can ensure Supplier Standards are maintained, thus increasing Productivity of these aspects within Audi AG. (Tutor2U, 2017) 2.2.1.2 Disadvantages of Applying Just-In-Time Philosophy (JIT) Little/No Room for Error. This is a big contributing disadvantage to the system for both the Production-Line. Minimal stock is kept for re-working faulty products due to the implementation of this process, therefore a lot of pressure is placed on the Production-Line to get things right first time. (Tutor2U, 2017) -Heavily Reliant on Suppliers. Suppliers are allocated a small-time slot to deliver the correct amount of the product that is specified by the Scheduling and Procurement Functions. If they miss their slot, deliver incorrect quantity/type of materials this can cause the Production Line to falter, meaning less vehicles are made, productivity is decreased and in-turn profitability. (Tutor2U, 2017) -There is no spare finished stock to cater for unexpected increases in demand, however the flexibility of the system means that it can react quickly to demand changes. Albeit this will not be as rapid for the consumer as having finished stock ready to be distributed. (Tutor2U, 2017) 2.2.2Six Sigma Six Sigma is a widely used Operational Approach towards Operations Management and is frequently applied within Manufacturing Businesses, however the fundamental processes also apply within businesses operating within the Service Industry. The Purpose of Six Sigma is to reduce process variation so that virtually all the products or services provided meet or exceed customer expectations. (DTI, 2017) Six Sigma adopts a very data driven, disciplined method for eliminating defects within processes and promoting business improvement within organisations. (iSixSigma, 2017) Within Audi AG, this could mean the Manufacture of a Car Model or the Service offered to customers throughout the Sales Process. (Audi AG, 2016) Six Sigma is able to show quantitatively how a process is performing and to achieve Six Sigma Status, a process must not produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. (iSixSigma, 2017) Six Sigma is dissected into three core elements including: Process Improvement, Proc ess Design/Re-Design Process Management and will be explored below. 2.2.2.1Process Improvement The Process Improvement aspect of the Six Sigma Model addresses the concept of improving existing processes with the ultimate objective of increasing the quality of product/service that the consumer receives and attainment of Six Sigma Status

Should All Children be Included in Mainstream Schools?

Should All Children be Included in Mainstream Schools? The following paper shall discuss the educational provisions available for students with profound and complex needs. Such individuals have severe cognitive and neurological dysfunctions, which at times are also accompanied by sensory impairments. Their intellectual level cannot be thoroughly assessed. They form a vulnerable group of persons who are in need of constant assistance, even to perform the most basic needs of feeding and personal hygiene (Arthur-Kelly et. al., 2008). So what should be taught to the members of this group? Is it meaningful to follow the national curriculum? Or should it be modified? What teaching approaches should be used in order to maximise their learning and awareness? Can these approaches be used in ordinary classes? And if so, will it impact negatively on the other non-disabled students? Should they be included in mainstream schools? These are some of the pungent and yet delicate arguments which shall be tackled in the following paragraphs. Section A A1. What is Inclusive Education? Article 26, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, states that education is a fundamental right of every human being (United Nations, 1948). The right to education is embraced by all since it opens the gates for employment opportunities; enhances the quality of life; gives empowerment to the individual; and promotes equity in society (Peters, 2007). All children should have access to an appropriate education that affords them the opportunity to achieve their personal potential (DfES 2001b:2) Inclusive education refers to the education of special education needs (SEN) students together with their non-disabled peers in mainstream education schools. It values the right of all students to receive quality education with equal opportunities; whereby they can participate in meaningful learning and hence develop their full potential (Peters, 2007:99). Such schools shift their focus from the concept of disability and work to remove barriers of participation for all students (Barton Armstrong, 2001 as cited in Ypinazar Pagliano, 2004). The goal of inclusion is not to erase differences, but to enable all students to belong within an educational community that validates and values their individuality (Stainback et. al., 1994) A primary document which, identified that the way forward to reach education for all is through inclusive education, was the Salamanca Statement in 1994. It declares that every child is diverse in his or her abilities and is therefore unique. It goes on to say that primarily: Every child has a fundamental right to education, and must be given the opportunity to achieve and maintain an acceptable level of learning .. Those with special educational needs must have access to regular schools which should accommodate them within a child-centred pedagogy capable of meeting these needs (UNESCO, 1994, para 2 pp: viii) The philosophy of the Salamanca Statement is underpinned by the social model of disability; whereby learning difficulties are not considered as the problem to educational exclusion, but rather that the general education system needs to be responsive to the needs of all students (Peters, 2007). A2. Historical Overview in the UK Gone are the days when children with physical and intellectual impairment were labelled as being ineducable, idiots, or defective; and hence segregated away into asylums for imbeciles (Pickles, 2004). The situation started to take a better turn with the 1944 Education Act. It stated that disabled children had the right to receive an education tailored according to their needs, however, this had to be done in special settings; segregated away from their families and the rest of the community (Pickles, 2004). The Warnock Report in 1978 coined the term special education needs (SEN); a term which included all those children who had some type of intellectual and/or physical disabilities. The report was a key point in the history of inclusive education. The 1981 Education Act followed it. Both reports introduced a multi-disciplinary approach; whereby representatives from the Education, Health and Social Services sectors, teamed up in order to draw an accurate profile of the child, such that whenever possible the child was included in mainstream classes. The Act also empowered the parents or guardians in deciding on the type of education provision for their children. This legislation brought about a change in the composition of special schools. More children with mild to moderate needs started to attend mainstream schools, leaving their peers with profound and complex needs segregated in special schools (Pickles, 2004). Another two reports followed in 1992, in order to review the objectives of the 1981 Education Act. However, the Green paper, Excellence for All Children (DfEE, 1997) and subsequently the White Paper Program for Action (DfEE, 1998) were decisive, for these brought about the movement of the majority of SEN students into mainstream schools. The papers also addressed the financial resources of schools; and hence saw to the improved standards in all schools. A3. Inclusive Education at the turn of the 21st century The Special Educational Needs and Disability Act in 2001, together with The Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES, 2001) were introduced, and emphasised the importance that local education authorities (LEAs) should conform to the parents choice of schooling provision, except when the school: . is unsuitable to the childs age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs, or the placement would be incompatible with the efficient education of the other children with whom the child would be educated, or with the efficient use of resources (DfES, 2001:107) The SEN Code of practice coined the idea of Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCO), in order to work closely with teachers and parents to the best possible educational outcome for the SEN student and drawing up and Individual Educational Plan (IEP). Removing Barriers to Achievements (DfES, 2004) followed, strengthening inclusive approaches in schools and promoting early intervention programmes. It states that: All teachers should expect to teach children with SEN and all schools should play their part in educating children from their local community, whatever their background or ability (DfES, 2004:5) The policy promotes further use of assessment tools; where at the age of five the child is assessed in order to move on to formal schooling. The assessment is based on the Early Learning Goals. However these 13 goals are not classified enough to include the progress made by those children with profound and complex needs, who may also have additional sensory impairment. Therefore its inclusive nature is very much contested (University of Manchester, 20009). In 2006, the Report of the Teaching and Learning in 2020 Review Group stressed the importance of personalised learning as the way forward. Personalised learning means: Taking a more structured and responsive approach to each childs learning, so that all pupils are able to progress, achieve and participate. (DfES, 2006:41) This approach is important for the progress of all student; especially those with SEN and in particular those with profound and complex needs. Section BB1. Special and Mainstream Schools Should they join forces? The perceived divergence between special and mainstream schools should be reduced such that inclusion becomes a shared concept, and eventually the policies practiced in ordinary schools are adapted as to provide for the collective interests and educational needs of all students (Zelaieta in Armstrong Moore, 2004:33). At the turn of the century, the government has assigned a new role for special schools; whereby these have to be: outward looking centres of excellence working with their mainstream partners and other special schools to support the development of inclusion. (DfES, 2001:23) Mittler (2000, as cited in Rose Howley, 2007) believes that the role of special schools in providing educational services for those students with profound and complex needs has been and still is, of extreme importance. Yet, today, it is widely accepted that pupils are referred to special schools only when mainstream schooling does not cater for their educational needs. Improved cooperation between mainstream schools and special schools, has led to partnerships being established in order to help the transition of students from special schools to ordinary schools (Rose Coles, 2002 as cited in Rose Howley, 2007). Such collaboration is to the advantage of those teachers in mainstream schools who are willing to learn from the expertise of those who work with students with special educational needs (McLeod, 2001 as cited in Rose Howley, 2007). As they work closely together there will be more sharing of ideas and resources, ultimately to the benefit of all the students. The DfES Report of the Special Schools Working Group states that: Special schools have a vast wealth of knowledge, skills and experience which, if harnessed, unlocked and effectively utilised by mainstream schools, can help ensure that inclusion is a success. (DfES 2003b: 6 as cited in Cheminais, 2003:4) As Cheminais puts it, one size will never fit all (2003:5). She believes that as long as there is diversity of needs, special schools cannot be all closed down. She looks at inclusion from a realistic point of view; one which backs the notion that a small minority of students, usually those with severe and complex disabilities, will always necessitate special educational provisions in particular settings. B2. To be included, or not to be? Advocates of inclusion affirm that: the special education system is a key element in the creation and perpetuation of the social oppression of disabled people (Barnes, Mercer Shakespeare 1999:104) Butterfield and Arthur (1995, as cited in Arthur-Kelly et. al., 2008) stressed the importance that students with profound and complex needs should experience meaningful communication experiences both from their peers and teachers. Such communicative interactions could only be achieved in inclusive settings, whereby non-disabled peers could connect with them. An inclusive classroom could set the grounds for meaningful communication, and it is the best social forum for experiences such as turn-taking, requesting and greeting (Arthur-Kelly et. al., 2008:163). In fact, in his study, Foreman et. al., (2004, as cited in Arthur-Kelly et. al., 2008) concluded that inclusive settings further increase peer interaction and engagements for students with PCLD when compared to those students attending special schools. Moreover, Ypinazar and Pagliano (2004) retain that the segregation of SEN students in special schools accentuates their disability identity and hence the stigma of labelling. However, Knight (1999) argues that stigmatisation will not vanish just by placing a student with PCLD in a regular classroom. Peers need to be taught how to accept their difference and move beyond. Inclusion is far more than just about the location of a childs school placement (DfES, 2004 as cited in Runswick-Cole, 2008:174) MacKay (2002, as cited in Armstrong and Moore, 2004) believes that there might be cases where inclusion is not always appropriate; especially in the case of those students with severe and complex learning difficulties. When the mainstream school does not meet the needs of the SEN pupil, it would be highly irresponsible to allow the child attend such a school; such a situation leads to the build up of pressure both on the pupil and teachers alike. John MacBeath, a Professor at the University of Cambridge, recently declared that mainstream classes can be a form of abuse (BBC News, 2006). He affirms that: Physically sitting in a classroom is not inclusion. Children can be excluded by sitting in a classroom that is not meeting their needs. (BBC News, 2006) And in fact Peters (2007) argues that inclusion is more than just the physical presence; it means flexible curriculum for some students; teachers who are willing and prepared to welcome an array of abilities; and a welcoming school community. In 2002, Hanafin and her colleagues concluded that mainstream education does not fulfil the concept of inclusion. They feel that mainstream education is set up on a flawed notion of intelligence and is crippling the learning process of many students (Hanafin, Shevlin Flynn, 2002:410). Giving that the national curriculum is primarily based on linguistic and mathematical skills, those students who are not as proficient in these areas are going to find extremely difficult to cope. Whereas, if the formal curriculum had to give further importance to other subjects which do not require such skills, such as art, music and drama; then all learners would benefit. Moreover, learning and assessment depend on the ability to read and write; those students with severe disabilities, whose abilities are undeveloped if not completely absent, are at a disadvantage. As Camiletti (1996) puts it, SEN students constantly have to rely for learning on their weakest resources (as cited in Hanafin et. al., 2 002:417). Young people with severe/profound intellectual disabilities are often excluded from meaningful participation in mainstream education. As a result they rarely have an opportunity to interact with their non-disabled peers. and remain an isolated and marginalised group. (Shevlin OMoore, 2000, as cited in Gibson et. al., 2005:23) Norwich goes on to say that this issue of student placement and location of provisions is a huge dilemma, especially in the case of students with profound and complex disabilities. If these children are educated in mainstream schools it is very likely that they will not have access to appropriate resources and facilities; if on the other hand they receive their education at special schools it is likely that they will not have meaningful interactions and thus feel excluded by their peers (Norwich 2007a as cited in Norwich 2008). From his study (2007), Norwich concludes that inclusion can have its negative aspects as well. The study revealed that sometimes severely disabled students are made to feel unwelcome as their peers do not accept them as their friends, with the result that they feel excluded in their own class. Moreover their learning process can also be compromised by lack of teacher training and appropriate resources, as well as poor attitudes from the teachers side. B3. Has inclusion gone too far? The extent to which inclusion can be implemented still remains debatable. Baroness Warnock (2005) criticised the government for putting children with special educational needs in one scale. There isnt a single group of children with SEN; every child is an individual with his or her unique learning difficulty, and it is wrong to categorise children with SEN and those without. The term SEN covers a broad spectrum of learning difficulties and needs, which need to be addressed on an individual basis when planning the Individual Educational Programme. The needs of a child with cerebral palsy who is wheelchair bound differ widely from those of a child with Aspergers syndrome. Mercer (1997, as cited in Knight, 1999) argues that students with profound and complex disabilities may not benefit from inclusive classrooms, since their need of highly specialised services, such as physiotherapy or speech therapy will not be catered for in regular classes. The lack of such provisions will negatively affect the learning potential of these students. In fact there are situations where inclusion has a counter effect; that of exclusion, since the needs of the child are not being met while in the regular classroom (Knight, 1999). These views are also reflected by some teachers, who when interviewed said: I dont think it [inclusion] is realistic because a mainstream school doesnt have facilities to meet their needs and the variety of different things they need like physio, speech and medical needs (Simmons Bayliss, 2007:22) Baroness Warnock, who coined the idea of inclusive education more than three decades ago, has now criticised the extent to which inclusion policy has been carried. In her report Special Educational Needs: a new look, she criticises the fact that special schools are closing down with the result that students have no choice but to attend a mainstream schools, which fails to meet their needs. She goes on to say that special schools should still play an important and ongoing role in the lives of those students who need special provisions (House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, 2005/6). Baroness Warnock adds that the concept of inclusion has gone too far. She rejects the idea that for effective inclusion all students need to be under the same roof at all times. She believes that students with special educational needs should be included in the common educational enterprise of learning, wherever they learn best (Warnock, 2005 as cited in Norwich 2008:137). This idea is further reinforced by the Centre for the Study of Inclusive Education (CSIE) who accepts the notion that SEN students can spend part of their time outside the regular classroom, as long as it is for a limited period of time and the student is engaged in meaningful learning sessions. Time spent out of the ordinary classroom for appropriate individual or group work on a part time basis is not segregation . provided it is time limited for a specified purpose. (Thomas Vaughn, 2004:137 as cited in Norwich 2008:137) Moreover, despite the increasing numbers of SEN students attending mainstream schools and actually doing good progress; in 2004, the Office for Standard in Education (OFSTED) reported that schools in England and Wales still lack the required preparation, skills and resources in order to cater effectively for the needs of SEN students (Rix et.al., 2009). In fact statistics show that while in 1974, 1.3 per cent of the school population attended special schools; in 2004 there was just a slight change in the amount, with 1.1 per cent of the school population still attending special schools (DfES 2006 as cited in Runswick-Cole, 2008). This hints that maybe mainstream schools still leave much to be desired! B3. Teacher training The issue of lack of teacher training has been addressed by several scholars. According to Forlin (2001, as cited in Florian, 2008) it is one of the principal barriers to inclusion. Cook and Schirmer tried to identify what is special about special education (2003 as cited in Florian, 2008:204). In their study they explained that the same teaching methods used with SEN students are as effective when used with students who have no learning difficulties. Hence, Lewis and Norwich (2005 as cited in Florian, 2008) proposed the idea that teaching approaches should be designed in a ladder-like spectrum from high to low levels, so as to reach all, from the most gifted to the least; rather than designed according to one particular type of learning disability. Moreover, Florian is confident that most of the teachers, irrespective whether they teach in mainstream or special schools, have enough knowledge and skills to teach all children; all they need to do is to have the courage to put their expertise into practice (Florian, 2008). Florian (2008) looked in depth at the role of teachers as an influential factor in the success of inclusion. Teachers have to be aware that not all students are the same, and therefore it is in their responsibility to ensure that every student is participating in classroom activities. It is very worrying that OFSTED Reports in 2004 showed that teachers are still reluctant to perform the necessary adaptations to the national curriculum to include all learners (as cited in Runswick-Cole, 2008). School observations in mainstream classes conducted by Simmons and Bayliss (2007) confirmed that various teachers struggled to meet the needs of those children with profound and complex disabilities. One teacher clearly stated that: if staff want to learn more, then its up to them personally to join a course off their own back though we dont have time to do that at the moment (Simmons Bayliss, 2007:21) In my opinion it all burns down to attitude; teachers need to focus on the potential of children with PMLD rather than on their impairment (Peters, 2007). A study conducted by Higgins and colleagues (2009) showed how one primary school principal felt about her school: there is a family type environment here. weve got the buddy system up and running. I do something on values at assembly each week. the big children also learn [to be inclusive] from the school staff. thats how we are here (Higgins et. al., 2009:482) This proves that if the teachers attitudes are positive then inclusion is possible. As Hart et. al., (2004) put it: things can change, and change for the better on the basis of what teachers do in the present (Hart et. al., 2004 as cited in Florian, 2008:203) B4. The Role of Parents Parents usually have the arduous task of having to choose the type of educational provision for their child. Those parents who value socialisation tend to choose mainstream schooling (Duhaney Salend 2000, as cited in Flewitt Nindt, 2007); while those who prioritise on academic performance tend to opt for a continuum of services (Palmer et. al., 1998 as cited in Flewitt Nindt, 2007). However, a recent study by Flewitt and Nindt (2007) showed that nowadays the prevalence of parents opting to combine both inclusive and special education is increasing steadily. It seems that in the majority of the cases this combination worked very well for the children; and the parents were happy that their child is enjoying healthy peer interaction in the inclusive classroom while at the same time benefit from adequate resources at the special school. One parent said we had no hesitation about combined placement it just evolved (Flewitt Nind, 2007:434). Yet, some of the parents in the study were concerned about the possibility that this combination would ultimately cause confusion since the child would be attending two different settings. The choice of combining two educational provisions clearly shows that parents are looking for an ideal situation, and this ideal cannot be found in either one of the provisions alone. In their study Flewitt and Nind (2007) found that a common reasoning expressed by parents was: The child would get the best of both worlds. Copying healthy children and mixing with them socially, but also getting pyhsio, and physical support and exercise they needed to improve (Flewitt Nind, 2007:436) This point is further examined by Zelaieta, where she points out that since ordinary schools are not yet equipped to provide for the needs of all students; some SEN students have to attend two different schools, unlike the rest of the population. She proposes that special schools should change their approach, and instead of operating as individual bodies, start working towards an inclusive policy; since, she believes, ultimately these will fade out and mainstream schools [shall] transform themselves into communities for all learners (Zelaieta in Armstrong Moore, 2004:41). Richard a father to a severely disabled child relates his story: At this stage, we were frightfully keen, realising he was different and so, still trying to include him in the local community but he was being sort of parked in a corridor and he was actually being quite literally excluded because he was at the [local] primary school. So we started looking at special. (As cited in Runswick-Cole, 2008:178) It is a pity that the reason that drives parents to opt for special schools is one of a sense of exclusion and uncertainty from regular schools. In his study, Runswick-Cole (2008) observed that some parents had to abandon their original premise of sending their children in mainstream schools, due to attitudinal barriers present in the regular educational settings. Parents looked for a welcoming environment where their children could feel fully included, and for some special schools provided such safe and friendly environment. Conclusion Setting up educational provisions capable of supporting all learners, including those with disabilities is not an easy task. Educators are expected to respond to student diversity, through a range of educational approaches. New teaching approaches, such as the use of Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices, enabled the effective participation and learning of those students who previously were unable to access the curriculum (Rose Howley, 2007). By right every child should have access to mainstream schooling. Choosing whether the child shall attend mainstream or special schools depends on the parents preferences and the childs needs. Students with mild and moderate learning disabilities are increasingly being educated in mainstream schools. Special schools with their supported environment are most often seen as the best option for those with profound and complex needs. There are parents who choose to combine both provisions in order to find the ideal educational setting for their child. James, a boy with cerebral palsy attends a combined setting. He says: If I was born 20 years ago I might not have had the opportunity to go to a mainstream school. I wouldnt have had the friends Ive got now, so things have got a lot better, but we have got a long way to go. (House of Commons Education and Skills Committee, 2006:37) Inclusion develops a greater sense of diversity, and helps society in general to learn that despite such differences all individuals have equal rights (Millar Morton, 2007). . regular schools with this inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities , building an inclusive society and achieving education for all. (UNESCO, 1994, para 2 pp: ix) ReferencesArmstrong F., Moore M., (2004) Action Research for Inclusive Education: changing places, changing practice, changing minds. RoutledgeFalmer, London Arthur-Kelly M, Foreman P., Bennett D., Pascoe S., (2008) Interaction, Inclusion and students with profound and multiple disabilities: towards an agenda for research and practice. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. Vol. 8 issue 3:161-166 Barnes C., Mercer G., Shakespeare T., (1999) Exploring Disability: a sociological introduction. 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Support for Learning Vol. 14 issue 1:3-7 Millar R., Morton M., (2007) Bridging two worlds: special education and curriculum policy. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol. 11, Issue 2:163-176 Norwich B., (2008) What future for special schools and inclusion? Conceptual and professional perspectives. British Journal of Special Education, Vol. 35, Issue 3:136-143 Peters S., (2007) Education for All? : A historical analysis of international inclusive education policy and individuals with disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, Vol. 18 Issue 2:98-108 Rose R., Howley M., (2007) The Practical Guide to Special Educational Needs in Inclusive Primary Classrooms. Sage Publications, London UK Runswick-Cole K., (2008) Between a rock and a hard place: parents attitudes to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. British Journal of Special Education. Vol. 35 Issue 3:173-180 Simmons B., Bayliss P., (2007) The role of special schools for children with profound and multtple learning difficulties: is segregation always best? British Journal of Special Education. Vol. 34 issue 1:19-24 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (1994) The Salamanca Statement and framework for action on special needs education. Paris: Author University of Manchester (2009) Profound and Complex Learning Disability: Education Child and Adult Issues, Sections 6 to 9. Unpublished course unit resource for PCLD programmes. Manchester: University of Manchester Warnock, M. (1978) Special Educational Needs. Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People. Department of Education and Science. London: Her Majestys Stationery Office Ypinazar V., Pagliano P., (2004) Seeking inclusive education: disrupting boundaries of special and regular education. International Journal of Inclusive Education, Vol. 8 Issue 4:423-442 Zelaieta P., (2004) From confusion to collaboration: can special schools contribute to developing inclusive practices in mainstream schools? In: Armstrong F., Moore M., (Eds) Action Research for inclusive education: changing places, changing practices, changing minds. London, Routledge Falmer.