Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Name: Jasmine Chan Date: 26-7-12 Summer holiday book report |Book Title: |Change of Heart |[pic] | |Author: |Jodi Picoult | | |Publisher: |Atria Books | | Plot summary: June’s daughter, Claire, needed a heart transplant. However, it was Shay, a man on death row for killing the rest of June’s family years ago, who wanted to donate his.After a grim, life-and-death struggle and careful consideration, June accepted Shay’s â€Å"grand† offer grudgingly, so Claire’s life was saved. Commentary: Before reading the book’s brief introduction, the words â€Å"change of heart† gave me the impression that this book is about a person suffering from heart failure and had to get a heart transplant from an unknown donor just like so many others did. After reading the blurb, I discovered that this is not the case. Actually, the plot is very special and the issue is very controversial and worth discussing so I started reading this book.I have to assure everyone that this book is a page-turner that impels readers to read towards the very last page. Would you fulfil your enemy’s dying wish to save the life of somebody you love? In this novel, Jodi Picoult delves into questions of vengeance, mercy, salvation and redemption by exploring the rage of June who already lost a daughter, the bitterness of Shay the criminal on death row and the fate of a critically-ill child to force them to think about a question: â€Å"Can even the most understandable thirst of vengeance be squashed if it means saving someone you love? In my opinion, as there is an old saying : What’s done, is done, I think June should forgive or at least put aside Shay’s wrongdoings and accept his kind offer because this would be an act of forgiving herself and other’s too. Moreover, this would be the only way to save her daughter (There was no one except Shay whose heart was suitable for Claire. ) However, of course, as a reader, we know that June’s family did not die of murder but manslaughter.So, that’s why I actively encourage June to accept Shay’s giving, which came out of love. As a result, my answer to June’s question : â€Å"Would you give up your vengeance against someone you hate if it meant saving someone you loved? † is definitely yes. Besides, I truly appreciate Jodi Picoult having the courage to write about these themes, which are novel, controversial and meaningful. Secondly, concerning about the characters, I think Shay was a hero because he was humble and willing to sacrifice himself.For example, when there were miracles –water turned into wine, Calloway’s pet robin was brought back to life and a tiny piece of gum became enough for all to share—happening under his finger in the prison, he did not boast about himself, but instead denied that he was a â€Å"Messiah† and said that he was just an ordinary man who wanted to donates his heart to sa ve a little girl called Claire for redemption.Besides, although nobody knew the truth—it was only because Shay wanted to protect Elizabeth from being sexually-abused by her stepfather, Kurt that he was compelled to shoot Kurt and accidentally shot Elizabeth too. He still insisted to die for Claire because he loved that family and wanted for redemption for his big mistake. Having lost a daughter and two husbands, June’s life was fraught with grief. I can vividly see how that grief shaped her character and informing the choices that she makes.At first, when she had lost her first husband, she was willing to take a second chance and let go of the past and start a new life by remarrying and giving birth to another girl. However, when her first daughter and second husband were â€Å"murdered†, she broke apart. When it came to the decision whether to have a restorative justice meeting with Shay and accepting his heart, June initially refused, which showed that she was no longer that flexible and easy to adapt to changes. Fortunately, in the end, being more rational, June made the correct decision—to take Shay’s heart.I think she made this choice in hopes of a better future, which was also a wise move. Last of all, looking upon the writing strategies, the way Jodi Picoult presents the story generates readers’ interest in finding out what’s going to happen. Each chapter is written from the perspectives of a different character. I get to know all the characters’ inner thoughts: their fear, hope, bitterness and above all, their reflections of what makes sense of them. I felt as if I were one of the characters while reading. I understood their feelings.I explored their complex minds. I walked with them in their life journeys. I felt deeply what they underwent. I could view things from different people’s perspectives. Through this, I could experience the sorrow and difficulties of June and her family. In the e pilogue, it is the first and the last chapter written from Claire’s perspectives, which makes the ending very unique. In conclusion, Change of Heart is a true-to-life story, which I love so much and would strongly recommend to all my fellow schoolmates.

Educational Orientation for African Americans Essay

â€Å"Reality depends on one’s perception of the world. Thus, although there is one school, each student perceives his or her experiences in that school differently. Reality exists in that individual perception† (Marcus, Gross, & Seefeldt, 1991, p. 364). Ensuring social justice and opportunities of achievement for all students, especially historically underrepresented groups, has been my mission in life for many years. Concerned with issues like equal opportunity and treatment for all students, regardless of students’ social class, ethnicity, or family structure, I have always attempted to be cognizant of students’ perspectives. As a counselor in a school that is predominantly white with a few African American students I would like to research intervention strategies that would make those African American students in my school be more successful. There are many factors associated with school failure, especially in African American males. The purpose of this research is to identify those factors and develop interventions strategies to apply to combat the school failure of those students. Examining their culture and of the causes of this phenomena and understanding how they experience school was critical in identifying the issues and influences on their educations. Students’ failures to learn and succeed do not occur out of thin air. More specifically, African American boys’ failures to achieve do not occur out of thin air. A review of literature on Black male achievement shows that not only do they lag behind their White counterparts in America, but also in Britain and Canada (Graham & Robinson, 2004; Smith, Schneider, & Ruck, 2005). Attention must be given to examining policies, practices, attitudes, and experiences that create such failure in schools (Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson, 2005; Kagan, 1990; Nieto, 1999). Educators have many responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to examine the reasons for the failure of students. Marian Wright Edelman (1992) sums up the purpose of education and echoes my belief of the responsibility of educators: â€Å"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it† (pp. 9-10). The decision to study African American males in middle school arises from personal interest in equity and social justice issues. Tied to that is my experience in middle schools where I have been witness to struggling students, particularly African American males from low socioeconomic neighborhoods, who have demonstrated a lack of success in school. One cannot help but wonder why being Black and male puts students at risk for school failure (Davis, 2003; Noguera, 2003). For these reasons, my research is focused on a group of African American who are not successful in school; those who are struggling academically, demonstrating inappropriate behavior at school, and not putting forth effort to meet their academic potential. The research will seek to identify the influences, or the lack thereof, impacting these students’ success. When factoring in other issues that potentially result from a lack of educational attainment, such as involvement in illegal activity and incarceration of African American students, it is easy to see that we cannot afford to gamble on whether or not these students will make it on their own. Alarming statistics create a sense of urgency and responsibility for educators in reaching African American students in particular. Predictions based on steady incarceration rates reveal that 32% of African American males will likely serve time in state or federal prisons during the course of their lifetimes (U. S. Department of Justice, 2002). We are living in a country where twice as many African Americans live below the poverty line than Caucasians and where 40% of jail inmates are African American (U. S. Department of Commerce, 2002; U. S. Department of Justice, 2002). African Americans have held the lead in the percentage of people unemployed for three years consecutively (U. S. Department of Labor, 2003). Such statistics, when coupled with economic consequences of failing to adequately educate all students, paint a bleak picture for a large segment of our population. Gibbs (1988) goes so far as to say that African American males are an â€Å"endangered species. † She uses a dictionary definition to define this term as â€Å"a class of individuals having common attributes and designated by a common name [which is] in danger or peril of probable harm or loss† (p. 1). It is critical that struggling African American students are identified early to help avoid the dismal scenarios. The implications of failing to identify and assist struggling students at the earliest point possible not only have an immediate effect on students but also carry long-term consequences for students, communities, and the nation (Gibbs, 1988; Lee, 2002; President’s Committee, 1997). The educational and societal implications of not reaching this group of students are worthy of great concern. The lack of both academic progress and motivation to learn are symptoms of a larger problem. Without getting to the root causes for the underachievement of African American males, another year goes by and they fall further behind their academically excelling peers, lowering their chances of passing their grades or scoring at proficiency on the required yearly standardized tests. On a larger scale, this â€Å"silent catastrophe,† as a member of the London Parliament refers to the underachievement of Black male students, lays the foundation for impediments to quality of life, earned income, and other obstacles in these individuals’ lives, as well as implications for the greater society (Graham & Robinson, 2004, p. 654). behaviors children exhibit and failing to see the real problems. Conversations may take place between the teacher and the student or the student and an administrator on a superficial level inquiring as to why they are misbehaving or failing, but the deliberate search for the root causes is often set aside to deal with the immediate problem of behavior or unwillingness to learn. Students who are not succeeding academically often become â€Å"casualties of the educational systems that cannot see them because their problems remain invisible† (Nieto, 2004, p. 17). Classroom interventions, parent contacts, disciplinary consequences, counseling, and tutoring are a few of the strategies educators have implemented to improve student learning and chances of success. However, with some students it does not appear that we have scratched the surface of the underlying issues. Without getting to the root causes for the underachievement of African American males, another year goes by and they fall further behind their academically excelling peers, lowering their chances of passing their grades or scoring at proficiency on the required yearly standardized tests. On a larger scale, this â€Å"silent catastrophe,† as a member of the London Parliament refers to the underachievement of Black male students, lays the foundation for impediments to quality of life, earned income, and other obstacles in these individuals’ lives, as well as implications for the greater society (Graham & Robinson, 2004, p. 654). Irvine and Irvine (1994) suggested there are two perspectives that sum up the critical factor analysis on African American students’ failure in school. The first they call the achievement problematic, which suggests that Black students’ school failure is related to their cultural beliefs, perceptions and values about education. The second, cultural problematic, suggests that indifference to African American student culture is responsible for African American student school failure. The cultural vs. structural argument with regard to minority education is a common theme within sociology of education research. Empirical studies often highlight one or the other as contributing the under-achievement of African American. An examination of the various cultural and structural theories will put this debate into context.

Banking Industry in Nigeria

Against the backdrop of the role of banks as financial intermediaries and their function as the engine of growth of the economy, this paper examines the extent to which the banking industry has helped to stimulate economic activities in Nigeria and what the prognosis looks like in the post-consolidation era.The paper notes that the banking industry in Nigeria witnessed a remarkable growth in terms of deposit base, number of branches, total asset and volume of loans and advances, especially since the de-regulation of the financial services sector in the last quarter of 1986. However, given the potentials of the market, banks need to do more, particularly in financing the real sector of the economy.It is argued that the consolidation programme is expected to have a positive effect on employment in the long-run, and that has drastically altered and redefined the nature of competition in the banking industry. Furthermore, it argues that mere size would no longer be a critical factor in t he customers’ choice of which bank to patronize. Rather, emphasis would shift to the ability to deliver superior value to customers. THE BANKING INDUSTRY AND THE NIGERIAN ECONOMY POST-CONSOLIDATION By DR. B.B. EBONG GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR/CHIEF EXECUTIVE UNION BANK OF NIGERIA PLC 1. 0 INTRODUCTION Banks facilitate economic growth in a variety of ways. In the first instance, they act as financial intermediaries between the surplus generating units and the deficit spending ones. This is a two-fold function involving the mobilisation of savings from the former group which are then channelled to the latter to support productive economic activities. This intermediary role is important in two respects.First, by pooling together savings that would have otherwise been fragmented, banks are able to achieve economies of scale with potential benefits for the users of such funds. Secondly, in the absence of banks, each person or business seeking credit facility would have had to individ ually look for those with such funds and negotiate with them directly. This is a cumbersome and timeconsuming process of double coincidence of wants. By matching the preferences of savers with those of borrowers therefore, banks help in overcoming such difficulties.It is pertinent to note that it is from this intermediation function that banks normally not only earn the bulk of their income by way of interest margin but also pay out returns to savers, compensating them for the opportunity cost of their money. It is important to bear this point in mind because, as we shall see later, if any bank is unable to recover the funds it lends out, its own existence as a going concern would be undermined rapidly and ultimately. This is to the extent that its ability to meet the withdrawal needs of depositors would be impaired.It is for this reason that the officials of any bank cannot afford to toy with the management of its risk assets. Towards ensuring that the funds they lend out are recov ered, banks have found it expedient to provide business advisory services to their customers. The essence of availing their clients these services is to assure themselves that the beneficiaries adopt modern management policies and practices in running the affairs of their respective companies which benefit from borrowed funds. The ultimate goal is to guarantee that these customers are in a position o service their loan obligations as and when due. This, in turn, would enable banks meet their obligations to depositors while also earning a narrow margin to ensure business continuity and corporate growth. Banks also play a pivotal role in an economy by providing a mechanism for producers/buyers and consumers/sellers to settle transactions between themselves. They do this not only within a country but also across national boundaries through a highly efficient and technologically enabled payments systems.In the process, banks encourage specialisation and division of labour, a major advan tage of which is the enhanced production and economic growth of the country. Furthermore, banks act as a conduit for the transmission of monetary policy. They provide a veritable platform when it comes to the implementation of monetary, credit, foreign exchange, and other financial sector policies of the government. Among other things, monetary policy is designed to influence the cost and availability of loanable funds with a view to promoting non-inflationary growth.The instruments available to the Central Bank to achieve this include open market operations (OMO), the cash reserve ratio (CRR), liquidity ratio (LR) and of course, moral suasion. The capacity of the banking industry to perform these functions effectively is, to a large extent, determined by the financial health of the individual institutions themselves and soundness and viability of the industry as a whole. For instance, where the majority of banks are adjudged to be weak and unhealthy, that will impair the ability of the industry to lubricate economic growth and vice versa.Against this background, the objective of this presentation is to examine the extent to which the banking industry has helped to stimulate economic activities in Nigeria and what the prognosis looks like in the post-consolidation era, come January 2006. To achieve its objective, this paper is organised into five parts. Following this introduction, we review the performance of the Nigerian banking industry between 2000 and 2004 in section II. The challenges facing the banking industry, which the current reform programme was designed to address, are highlighted in section III.In section IV, we present the prognosis and outlook during the post-consolidation era while section V contains the concluding remarks. 2. 0 THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY IN 1990 – 2004 PERIOD. The banking industry in Nigeria has witnessed a remarkable growth, especially since the de-regulation of the financial services sector in t he last quarter of 1986. In terms of headcount for instance, the number of banks increased by about 154. 8% from 42 in 1986 to 107 in 1990. It further increased by about 12% to120 in 1992.By 2004, however, the number had reduced to 89. This was because, some banks had to be liquidated on account of their dwindling fortunes. The number of bank branches also rose from 1,394 in 1986 to 2,013 in 1990, 2,391 in1992 and by 2004 in spite of the reduction in number of banks, it had reached 3,100. This translates to an inter-temporal increases of 44%, 18. 8% and 29. 7%, respectively. Given this scenario, the pertinent question agitating the critical mind is the extent to which the expansion in the number of banks and their branch network had impacted on the economy.Another way to evaluate the performance of banks is to carefully examine the credits they granted, both in terms of volume, distribution by sectors, and the maturity profile. The data on banks’ credit to the economy are sho wn in table 2 below. Table 2: Banks’ Credits to the Economy, 1990 – 2004 Year Aggregate banks’ credit (Net) (N billion) 42. 58 49. 41 59. 25 125. 75 162. 83 194. 05 266. 44 Growth rate (%) Net Domestic Credit Target (%) 13. 5 10. 6 13. 2 17. 5 9. 4 11. 3 12. 0 Actual (%) 17. 1 45. 3 69. 1 91. 4 29. 2 7. -23. 4 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 16 19. 9 112. 2 29. 5 19. 2 37. 3 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 302. 31 378. 08 608. 44 807. 01 1,033. 64 1,302. 2 1,591. 2 2,078. 1 13. 5 25. 1 60. 1 32. 6 28. 1 26. 0 22. 2 30. 6 24. 8 24. 5 18. 3 27. 8 15. 8 57. 9 25. 7 24. 5 -2. 8 46. 8 30. 0 -25. 3 79. 9 64. 6 29. 1 12. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, (various years) As the figures show, the rate of growth of aggregate bank credit (net) to the domestic economy ranged from 13. % in 1997 to 112. 2% in 1993. However, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria, in its 2004 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, an ana lysis of the sectoral allocation of these credits revealed that the less productive sectors of the economy continued to be favoured. For instance, in 2003, those sectors comprising agriculture, solid minerals and manufacturing got only 40. 2% of the credits. The situation worsened in 2004 as this figure further declined to 37. 0%.The corollary of this is that, on average, it was more attractive for banks to lend to such sectors as distributive trade, especially import financing, because the risks associated with such lending were relatively lower. The turn around time was equally shorter. Furthermore, as shown in the last column of table 2, actual domestic credit (net) consistently deviated from target for most of the years for which data was shown. If we take the targets to be representative of societal preference, what this means is that the flow of credit for each of those years was far from what was socially desirable.The quality of these risk assets has worsened progressively s ince 2002 as the statistics in table 3 demonstrate graphically. Table 3: Asset Quality of Nigerian Banks, 1990 – 2004 Year Ratio of non-Performing Credit to total Credit (%) Ratio of non-Performing Credit to Shareholders’ Funds (%) 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 44. 10 39. 00 45. 00 41. 00 43. 00 32. 90 33. 90 25. 81 19. 35 21. 5 16. 9 21. 3 21. 6 23. 08 344. 00 222. 00 299. 00 380. 86 567. 70 496. 00 419. 80 253. 09 89. 20 92. 2 77. 1 85. 9 89. 105. 3 Source: Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Annual Report & Statement of Accounts, Various Issues The data in table 3 reveal that the ratio of non-performing credit to total credit declined from 45% in 1992 to 23. 08% in 2004. This means that of every N100. 00 lent out during these years, banks lost an average of N30. 60. These losses contributed in no small way to the erosion of shareholders’ funds as shown in the table. These bad accounts represented 567. 7%, 419. 8 % and 105. 3% of shareholders’ funds in 1994, 1996 and 2004, respectively.In deed, in the years 1990 to 1997, the shareholders’ funds had been impaired by non-performing risk assets in several multiples. The factors responsible for the poor quality of risk assets range from inadequate appraisal of credit proposals, unfavourable environmental factors that adversely affected the cash flow of the clients’ businesses to sheer unwillingness to repay credit facilities on the part of borrowers and the corresponding ineffectiveness of the rule of law to catch up with pathological loan defaulted some of whom moved round and ravaged one bank after the other.The deterioration in the quality of banks’ risk assets took its toll on the health of the industry as the outcome of the rating of all licensed banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria using the CAMEL parameters has shown. The result of that exercise, which is reproduced in table 4 below, has shown glaringly that th e performance of banks in the country has deteriorated since 2001. Table 4: Rating of Banks Using the CAMEL Parameters, 2001 – 2004 2001 No. of % of Banks Total Sound 10 11. 1 Satisfactory 63 70. Marginal 8 8. 9 Unsound 9 10. 0 Total 90 100. 0 Category 2002 No. of Banks 13 54 13 10 90 2003 No. of Banks 11 53 14 9 87 2004 No. of % of Banks Total 10 11. 5 51 58. 6 16 18. 4 10 11. 5 87 100. 0 % of Total 14. 4 60. 1 14. 4 11. 1 100. 0 % of Total 12. 6 60. 9 16. 1 10. 4 100. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, 2004 From the table above, it can be seen that the banks adjudged to be sound was consistently less than 15% of the total number for the four-year period.In addition, those whose performance was considered satisfactory represented as high as 70% of the total in 2001. By 2004, however, this group represented only 58. 6% of the total number of banks covered by the exercise. Apart from poor quality assets, other factors responsible for th is state of affairs include under-capitalisation, weak corporate governance practices, and the challenges of ethics and professionalism. It is these factors that the on-going reform agenda seeks to address with a view to totally overhauling the system.These issues are examined in more details in the next section. 3. 0 CHALLENGES FACING THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA The current banking sector reform in Nigeria was designed to promote the viability, soundness and stability of the system to enable it adequately meet the aspirations of the economy in terms of accelerated economic growth and development. The reform agenda was motivated by the need to proactively put the Nigerian banking industry on the path of global competitiveness to enable it effectively respond to the challenges of globalisation.The overall objective is to guarantee that the economy and Nigerians do not remain fringe players in the context of a globalizing world. The major challenges that the reform was targeted at include inter alia, the following: Weak capital base. Most banks in Nigeria had a capital base that was less than US$10 million while the largest bank in the country had a capital base of about US$240 million. This compared unfavourably with the situation in Malaysia where the smallest bank had a capital base of US$526 million.The small size of most local banks, coupled with their high overheads and operating expenses, has negative implications for the cost of intermediation. It also meant that they could not effectively participate in big-ticket deals, especially within framework of the single obligor limit. The challenge of ethics and professionalism. In a bid to survive the stiff competition in the market, a number of operators had resorted to unethical and unprofessional practices. Strictly speaking, some even went into some businesses that could not be classified as banking.In appreciation of the enormity of the problems caused by the failure to adhere to professional and ethi cal standards, the Bankers’ Committee set up a sub-committee on â€Å"ethics and professionalism† to handle complaints and disputes arising from unwholesome and sharp practices. Poor corporate governance practices. There were several instances where Board members and management staff failed to uphold and promote the basic pillars of sound corporate governance because they were preoccupied with the attainment of narrowly defined interests. The symptoms of this included high turn over in the Board and management staff, inaccurate reporting and on-compliance with regulatory requirements. Gross insider abuses. One area where this was pronounced was the credit function. As a result, there were several cases of huge non-performing insider-related credits. Insolvency. The magnitude of non-performing risk assets was such that it had eroded the shareholders’ funds of a number of banks. For instance, according to the 2004 NDIC Annual Report, the ratio of non-performing cr edit to shareholders’ funds deteriorated from 90% in 2003 to 105% in 2004. This meant that the shareholders’ funds had been completely wiped out industry-wide by the non-performing credit portfolio.Over-reliance on public sector deposits. These deposits accounted for over 20% of total deposits in the system. In some institutions, such public sector funds represented more than 50% of total deposits. This was not a healthy situation from the viewpoint of effective planning and plan implementation, given the volatile nature of these deposits. On account of the huge reliance on public sector funds, a number of players did not pay adequate attention to small savers who normally constitute a major source of stable funds which should be channelled to finance the real sectors.Instead, they concentrated on a few high networth individuals, government parastatals and blue chip companies. It was in response to this situation coupled with the need to accord the small and medium ent erprises sub-sector the priority it deserves that the Bankers’ Committee came up with the Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Scheme (SMEEIS) with a view to redirecting credit flows to the sub-sector Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the foregoing captures the situation in the banking industry at the time the reform agenda for the sector was conceptualised and introduced.One has taken time to highlight the challenges that the industry was grappling with to enable us better appreciate the rationale for the reform in terms of what it is intended to achieve. Even though the consolidation programme has thirteen basic elements, it is those relating to the minimum capital base for banks and mergers and acquisitions that have received the most attention in the ensuing public discourse on the subject. In the light of this, it might be useful to enumerate these elements, more so that they are at the centre of this discussion.These planks of the reform programme are: Incre ase in the minimum capital base of banks from N2 billion to N25 billion with December 31, 2005 as deadline for compliance; Consolidation of banks through mergers and acquisitions; Phased withdrawal of public sector funds from banks, beginning from July, 2004; Adoption of a risk-focused and rule-based regulatory framework for the industry; Adoption of zero tolerance in the regulatory framework particularly in the area of information rendition/reporting. All returns by any bank must now be signed by the Managing Director;The automation of the process for rendition of returns by banks and other financial institutions through the electronic Financial Analysis and Surveillance System (e-FASS); Establishment of a hotline and confidential internet address to enable Nigerians wishing to share confidential information with the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to do so; Strict enforcement of the contingency planning framework for systemic banking distress; The establishment of an Asset s Management Company as an important element of distress resolution;Promotion of the enforcement of dormant laws, especially those relating to the issuance of dud cheques and the law relating to the vicarious liabilities of the Board members of banks in cases of bank failure; Revision and updating of relevant laws, and drafting of new ones relating to the effective operations of the banking system; Closer collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the establishment of the Financial Intelligence Unit and the enforcement of the antimoney laundering and other economic crimes measures; andRehabilitation and effective management of the Mint to meet the security printing needs of Nigeria, including the banking system which constitutes over 90% of the Mint’s business. The likely impact of these measures on the banking industry and the economy are examined in the next section. 4. 0 ANTICIPATED IMPACT OF THE CONSOLIDATION PROGRAMME ON THE BANKING INDUSTRY AND T HE NIGERIAN ECONOMY In this section, we will attempt to paint a scenario regarding the probable impact of the consolidation programme on the banking industry and, hence, the economy.In doing so, it is important to reiterate that even though the reform agenda is targeted at the banking industry, its ultimate focus is the Nigerian economy. In view of this, and in order to put the discussion in proper perspective, we would like to begin this section with a brief review of the performance of the economy between 2000 and 2004 which data are presented in table 5 hereunder: Table 5: Nigeria, Selected Macroeconomic Indicators, 2000 – 2004 Indicator Real GDP Growth Rate (%) Oil Sector Non-Oil Sector Manufacturing Capacity Utilisation (%) Gross National Savings (% of GDP) Gross Fixed CapitalFormation (% of GDP) Inflation Rate (%) External Reserves (US $ million) 2000 5. 4 2001 4. 6 2002 3. 5 2003 10. 2 2004 6. 1 11. 3 2. 9 5. 2 4. 3 -5. 7 7. 9 23. 9 4. 5 3. 3 7. 5 36. 1 39. 6 44. 3 45. 6 45. 0 NA 11. 3 15. 6 13. 6 15. 3 7. 3 7. 2 9. 1 12. 0 16. 2 6. 9 9,910. 4 18. 9 10,415. 6 12. 9 7,681. 1 14. 0 7,467. 8 15. 0 16,955. 0 Source: Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, 2004 The data in table 5 reveal that, in real terms, the rate of growth of domestic output ranged from 3. 5% to 10. 2% between year 2000 and 2004. The average annual growth rate for the period was 5. 6%, which falls far short of the 10% minimum that is required for the country to meet the targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Furthermore, the service sector and wholesale & retail trade still account for a disproportionate share of total output, considering our stage of economic development. On the other hand, the real productive sectors like agriculture and manufacturing are yet to assume their pride of place in the economy. As can be seen from the statistics, capacity utilisation in the manufacturing sector was consistently below 50% throughout the five ye ars.Among other things, this is a reflection of the undue competition that local manufacturers have had to face from their relatively more mature and efficient overseas counterparts. These are not healthy developments from the viewpoint of a developing country that is desirous of achieving sustained economic growth. Given the low level of domestic output, coupled with the rising demand, it is not surprising that the authorities were not able to keep the inflation rate below double digit as intended.It is this parlous state of the economy that the banking sector reform was designed to address at the end of the day. The expectation is that the reform programme will impact positively on the banking industry and thus put the economy on the path of sustainable growth. While most analysts have expressed serious concerns regarding the adverse impact of the consolidation programme on the level of employment, the authorities at the Central Bank of Nigeria have allayed such fears.While acknow ledging that employment opportunities in the industry would shrink, at least in the short run, the management of the Bank is optimistic that the long-term positive effects of the reform programme on the labour market will be more far- reaching. The thrust of the argument is that at the end of the day, the consolidation programme will lead to a stronger and more robust banking industry that will adequately support the expansion of economic activities, especially in the real sectors of the economy. In this process of rejuvenating the economy, more job opportunities will be created.The consolidation programme will drastically alter and redefine the nature of competition in the banking industry. By significantly increasing the minimum capital base for banks, the policy has not only raised the barriers for new entrants, it has also reduced the number of banks in the system through the mergers and acquisitions. It will be recalled that hitherto, competition in the industry was essentially between those players that one may safely refer to as the â€Å"industry giants† on the one hand, and those popularly referred to as the new generation banks, on the other.Going forward, however, what we will witness is a battle for survival among the ensuing mega banks, all with extensive branch network. In the new dispensation, stability of individual institutions and, hence, safety of depositors’ funds is not likely to remain a major consideration in customers’ choice of which bank to patronise. Rather, emphasis will shift to the ability to deliver superior value to clients and stakeholders generally as well as the prices for bank products and services. As pointed out earlier, many banks in Nigeria had relied heavily on the public sector as a source of funds.Consequently, they did not aggressively explore available potentials in other market segments. This situation will, however, change with the withdrawal of public sector funds from the vaults of banks as part of the policy shift. We therefore expect that banks will focus more on those sectors that were hitherto underserved like the real, informal sectors, including the consumer market. They need to devise creative ways of effectively tapping into the opportunities in these market segments, both in terms of deposit mobilisation and the provision of credit facilities.Going forward therefore, banks are more likely to provide better support for sustained economic growth in Nigeria. The pressure to aggressively explore those market segments that were hitherto underserved will be reinforced by the desire on the part of the management of each bank to continue to generate attractive returns to shareholders. Currently, the average return on invested capital (ROIC) in the Nigerian banking industry is estimated at 38%. With the substantial increase in shareholders’ funds, however, each bank will need to generate a minimum of N9. billion in profit before tax in order to maintain the same rate of return. This is a daunting challenge that calls for creativity. To meet the challenge, banks will need to radically redefine their business models and strategies. The status of corporate governance in the banking industry is expected to improve remarkably following the change in ownership structure. This is because, even though poor governance practices cut across the industry, they were more pronounced in the privately owned institutions.Given the dilution of ownership in the new dispensation, the situation where individuals and their cronies had overbearing influence in the running and management of banks will become a thing of the past. Moreover, as public companies, each bank will now be subjected to a higher standard of governance in terms of information disclosure. 5. 0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION In this paper, we have examined the probable impact of the on-going banking sector reform on the Nigerian economy.In the process, we drew attention to the challenges facing opera tors in the banking industry that need to be addressed for the industry to make desired contributions to the orderly growth of the economy. These challenges encompass those of unethical and unprofessional behaviour, poor corporate governance practices, weak capital base, and over-dependence on public sector deposits. From the analysis, it is clear that the consolidation programme will impact positively on the economy for a number of reasons.First, the development is expected to have long-term beneficial effects on the level of employment considering that it will facilitate enhanced production in diverse sectors of the economy. The reform programme will also redefine the nature of competition in the banking industry such that each institution will have no choice but to assign priority to its capacity to deliver superior value to its clients, since this is what will ultimately make the difference between losers and winners. By denying anks access to public sector deposits, the reform will make it imperative for them to shift focus to those market segments that were largely unbanked and untapped hitherto. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the consolidation programme will have salutary effects on corporate governance practices in the industry. In concluding this discussion, it is important to reiterate that the realisation of these outcomes would depend on the effective implementation of the programme. In particular, it would depend on how the banks that have embraced mergers and acquisition handle the post integration challenges that will face them.Where these issues are nor properly handled, the anticipated synergy may become elusive.BIBLIOGRAPHY Central Bank of Nigeria, Annual Report and Statement of Accounts, (various issues. ) Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Annual Report and Accounts, (various issued) Statement of Mckinnon, R. I. (1973), Money and Capital in Economic Development Washington, D. C. : The Brookings Institution. Oboh, G. A. T. (2005), Sel ected Essays On Contemporary Issues In The Nigerian Banking System. Ibadan: University Press Plc.

Business law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business law - Essay Example Under the element of ‘agreement’, several aspects must be established to activate demonstrate a consensus on some of the major terms of the exchange: 1. Offer. There must be an offer for sale under clearly stipulated terms which includes a full description of the item(s) of exchange.The offer must be complete. Ordinarily this would include a description of the item(s) for exchange, nature of the item(s), the cost or price and any other sale-related features such as payment details. 2. Acceptance. The parties involved in the intended exchange must accept the offer as stipulated and communicate this acceptance within the period in which the offer still exists. Acceptance of the offertory terms becomes invalid when a counter-offer is made and allowed by the parties involved. 3. Genuine consent. Parties to the contract must have contractual capacity an additionally must freely enter into the contract. Elements of duress, mistakes and misrepresentation may render the acceptan ce void and thus, the contract too. Step III: Applications of the Rule of Law to Case Facts 1. Offer. Sally’s initial offer is for a dashing green Cadel Evans â€Å"GF† model bicycle at a cost of $6,000 payable upon delivery. The offer’s duration has not been expressively stated. ... Peter’s acceptance is conditioned on acceptance of his counter-offer and a communication thereof within the closure of business the following day. His liability becomes questionable at this juncture. 3. Genuine consent. By responding to the offer, both Peter and Burt are aware that they are entering into contractual obligations. There is however an element of duress on Sally’s part that may render her consent void. She hastens the delivery of the bicycle to Peter’s premises to make the amount duly payable for fear of foreclosure by the bank on her outstanding mortgage payment amounting to $4,000. 4. Contractual capacity. Their contractual capacity is valid as they have both attained the majority age. Conclusion Sally cannot draw a suit against Burt for any breach of contract since he expressly denied acceptance of the adjusted $5,000 for the bicycle and communicated it in reasonable time to sally.The contract therefore does not exist between the two individuals.S he might have had a claim against Peter except that it might be proved that there was lack of a genuine intent by sally to provide reasonable time for Peter to communicate and finalize the sale agreement i.e. It can be interpreted that Sally only entered into the contract to transfer her liability from the due mortgage and foreclosure to Peter. At Law, no contract can be valid if it is entered into with malicious intentions. However, ignoring the performance of the contract, Sally can enforce legal action against Peter as per the $ 4,000 under the contract for sale since there was implied agreement through their email discussion that instructed the seller to make delivery of the bicycle as soon as his

Jacobs Creek in United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Jacobs Creek in United Kingdom - Essay Example Since 1973, the company has accumulated around 5000 awards that include 110 trophies and 670 gold medals2. Jacob Creek is one the Australia’s most famous wine distributor. The company has continued to innovate in a variety of ways. It recently introduced screw caps instead of the corks on its Riesling variety. The quality price ratio of the products from Jacob’s Creek is excellent as the basic wines cost just  £4.6. The only major weakness that Jacob’s Creek reflects is that it is not an elitist brand and it has no snob value3. The brand is approachable by everybody because of its lower cost as compared to other leading premium wine producers. A person having a bottle of Jacob’s Creek is considered no outclass in contrast to a person holding a bottle of Absolut in his hand. The wine market of UK is one of the worlds largest and the most dynamic market for imported wines. Wine share of all the alcoholic beverages in the UK accounts for 30%. The market is valued to  £7 to  £9 billion by the Wine Intelligence4. There are 45 million adults in the UK of which 31 million are wine drinkers, therefore all the statistics are in favor of Jacob’s Creek brand. The population structure is changing rapidly in the UK as more and more people cross the 65 years mark; the younger population group is falling day by day. The average life expectancy in the UK has increased to 82 from 78.55 which means that the wine consumers are on the rise. This is evident from the survey by Wine Intelligence Ltd that most of the wine consumers are above the age of 65. The distribution cost is less in the UK as compared to Australia but it is a difficult task. UK is bigger is size than Australia in terms of developed areas. Wine consumers are spread from the downtowns to suburbs in the UK which requires wine companies to develop a strong distribution system in order to maintain presence everywhere in the country. The warehouse costs are much higher

Leishmaniasis Disease Emergence and Re-emergence Analysis Essay

Leishmaniasis Disease Emergence and Re-emergence Analysis - Essay Example In the previous decade, endemic areas have extended, occurrence increased and the substantial unrecorded cases of the disease identified. Leshmaniasis is one of the most significant human vector-borne disorders. Leishmania parasite causes nodules and skin ulcers to individuals. Numerous Leishmania parasites can have an effect on mucous membranes of an individual and may cause nose disfiguration (Ashfold & Bettini, 1987). In addition, other leishmania species may harm the internal body organs of an individual. According to a report by Ready (2010), dogs are the most significant domestic animals in epidemiology of Leishmaniasis. This is because dogs are reservoir hosts for L. Infantum, a significant organism in human visceral Leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is caused by species of leishmania, a protozoan that belongs to the family of Trypanosomatidae. Leishmania genera are divided into two subdivisions that are Leishmania and viannia. These two different types of parasites live and multip ly in the digestive tract of causative agent. The difference between the two sub divisions lies in where they multiply in the digestive system of the causative agent. Human leishmanisis is caused by leishmania which is transmitted between individuals who are reservoir hosts. ... In this regard, the activity of the sand flies intensifies at dawn, dusk and at night when perturbed in their hiding places. Sand flies are always attracted by light at night and enter buildings at night, bite people and cause the spread of Leishmaniasis. Leshmania parasite may also be transmitted by canine fleas and ticks (Ashfold & Bettini, 1987). Ticks are most importantly used to transmit the parasite between dogs. Presently, sand fly transmission seems to have reduced due to the effects of global warming. Global warming has brought changes in the climate which has caused hot regions to be hotter and cold regions to be colder. This change in climate has adversely affected the activities of sand flies whose activities are high when it is cool, humid and fewer rains. Present transmission seems to be done by mammals that can traverse the harsh climatic conditions. Leishmaniasis disease was initially termed as a disease of the rural areas. Presently, large outbreaks have been reporte d in large cities across the world because of encouraging epidemiological conditions linked to the reduction of natural ecological space of the vectors due to droughts, deforestation due to population growth and famine which are effects of climate change (World Health Oragnization, 2009). Mammals can remain infected with Leishmania for long and can still infect with the parasite even after clinical cure. Infected mammals can in turn transmit the parasite to sand flies. Presently, the parasites have been transmitted to people through blood transfusions in dogs and people (Ready, 2010). Leishmaniasis may also be caused by l. infantum which can be transmitted through saliva, semen, urine and conjunctiva secretions and blood. In the contemporary world, the

Qatar Airways Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Qatar Airways - Essay Example This has led to many of its global achievements and awards. Management strategies help to identify new opportunities for growth, like the merger between the American Airlines and US Airways which provides an exciting opportunity for further growth American Airlines and US Airways provides an exciting opportunity for further growth American Airlines and US Airways provides an exciting opportunity for further growth and connecting of customers to North America. The airline has also refocused its capacity to Africa in response to market and competition developments. During the recent years the airline has launched various global networks and destinations covering from Europe, South Asia the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America with a modern fleet and cargo aircrafts. It has made plans for its expansion with an additional frequency ad capacity to both existing and new destinations. The addition of airlines provides a major increase in the number of passengers and networks. Qatar Airways is one of the launch customers of the twin-deck super jumbo recognized for its luxurious design and as the world’s biggest aircraft capable of carrying capacity of 555 passengers. The first aircraft was delivered in 2014. The company also operates corporate jets for its executive subsidiary launched in 2009. The use of modern technology is a major advantage in the airline industries; it plays a key role in enhancing efficiency and customer services, the Qatar airways has partnered with Wipro Infotech in order to conceptualize their growth strategies. This gives them a competitive edge as they will be able to utilize Wipro’s highly technical resources, research and development centers to explore and take advantage of new technological solutions. Hamad International Airport opened I April 2014 is a project undertake y Qatar Airways designed to help shape Doha as one of the greatest regional and international aviation hub. The

Arthur Andersen Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Arthur Andersen - Essay Example Long-range planning is most often an extrapolation of the present. It answers the question of how to get the job done. For example, if you (as a city department head) plan to provide the same services with the same frequency to an expanded city, that is long-range planning (Bateman and Snell 2009). In Arthur Andersen, planning function of management is based on unique strategic goals and competitive pressure, the need to meet customers' needs and preferences. "Once managers have assessed the various goals and plans, they will select the one that is the most appropriate and feasible" (Bateman and Snell 2009, p. 135). The planning function of management is to incorporate mission, vision, objective and goals into a well-thought development plans. For Arthur Andersen, the three basic strategic options are to grow, to remain static, or to shrink. The intent here is not to go into a detailed discussion of their application, but simply to point out the importance of establishing a clear theme of organizational direction and intent. Describing the overall strategy in clear terms is the pragmatic link to organizational objectives. Objectives, in turn, are the specific steps used to execute the defined strategy. Organizational goals are derived from the major categories of problems and opportunities, while objectives are derived from the specific issues that are listed as problems and opportunities. Thus, there will be a much larger number of objectives than organizational goals. Each objective is categorized under the specific goal that it supports. Worthwhile objectives meet certain criteria and are achievable. These conditions may be more stringent than they sound. Many times, too much is taken on in strategic-planning conferences, resulting in unrealistic expectations (Bateman and Snell 2009). Legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility have a great impact on planning determining the main directions and framework of future performance. The legal norms and principles are the core of planning process. Similar to other accounting firms, Arthur Andersen pays a special attention to FASB and Codes of ethics. Ethical issues involve fair treatment f all customers and high morale, strict moral principles of the profession and in personal relationships. This description implies that the responsibility of individuals and firms is to identify and respond to market stimuli and to make profits for the shareholders. Any corporate action on social issues is considered to violate management's responsibility to shareholders (Gutman, 2002). As the most outspoken supporter of the fundamentalist position, According to an accepted manifesto of the managerial view, the modern professional manager also regards himself, not as an owner disposing of personal property he sees fit, but a s a trustee balancing the interests of many diverse participants and constituents in the enterprise, whose interests sometimes conflict with those of others. What all this implies is that Arthur Andersen's managers have enough discretionary control of corporate resources to consider adding social responsibi

Compare and Contrast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Compare and Contrast - Essay Example Sherlock Holmes, from the television serial â€Å"The Hound of The Baskervilles† and the movie â€Å"Sherlock Holmes,† played by Jeremy Brett and Robert Downey respectively, are compared, then it is found that they display similar traits and behavior when it comes to their mental patterns. For example, they both like the process of deduction and find it challenging. They are proud of their analytical ability to deduct the facts about people from their physical appearance or accessories. For example, Brett is shown making deduction about a man from the walking stick that he forgets in his apartment. When he sees the man getting down from the carriage, he remarks â€Å"I was right,† in a very satisfactory and happy tone. In the movie, Downey is shown making deduction about Watson’s girl friend from her appearance and her accessories. He does not refuse to state the facts even when he realizes that it might make Watson and his girl friend uncomfortable. This shows that both the characters find great mental satisfaction in making deductions about people, and do not hesitate to display their skill even if it creates discomfort for others. Secondly, both the characters are sarcastic in their expressions. For example, Brett asks Watson to make deduction from the walking stick. When Watson tells him what he thinks, Brett initially appreciates him but when Watson expresses happiness over his achievement, Brett says â€Å"but I am afraid that most of your conclusions were erroneous.† Similarly, even Downey is shown being sarcastic in his remarks. For example, in the beginning of the movie, when the inspector reaches the crime scene after the girl is saved by Holmes and Watson from being murdered by Lord Blackwood, Holmes says to the inspector â€Å"impeccable timing Lestrade,† in a sarcastic tone. Later, when inspector says â€Å"and you were supposed to wait for my orders,† Downey replies â€Å"if I had, you would be cleaning up a corpse and chasing a rumor.† This shows that

Integration of Paperless System in Healthcare Administration Research Paper

Integration of Paperless System in Healthcare Administration - Research Paper Example This paper's aim is to introduce the definition of a paperless environment, its meaning, requirements and components, advantages and benefits, specifically for the medical settings and the healthcare administration. This paper will be focusing on these main topics of interest: 1. Introduction to the paperless workplace 2. Benefits of the paperless workplace A. Environment-friendly impact B. Communication versatility C. Security D. Productivity and effectivity 3. Components and requirements of a paperless workplace in the medical setting 4. Conclusion Introduction to the paperless workplace The idea of a paperless workplace has been around for quite sometime, but its transition from being an idea to actually being implemented took quite some time. According to articlesbase.com in their article â€Å"A Brief History Time â€Å"paperless Office ", the idea of the paperless office â€Å"was introduced in the year of 1975† but the article also stated that it was not until 1993 th at a major software company started to actually introduce the idea and provided tools in order to make it doable in the workplace. In an article by ehow.com, called â€Å"Definition of a Paperless Office†, they described a paperless office as â€Å"Instead of paper, the paperless office would use modern technology to accomplish all of the same goals.† This means that a paperless office would make it so that functions such as internal or external communication, memos and reminders, bulletins, notes and reports would all be done electronically. This means that there would be little to no paper used in such an office setting; only when absolutely necessary. This type of situation has both benefits and adjustments that need to be made on the part of both the business and the employees, which will be detailed in later parts of this paper. The thing to remember is that this type of work environment presents many advantages for all types of workplaces, even healthcare environ ments. In a paper called â€Å"Synthesis of Data from Alabama Board of Nursing† they described that the healthcare industry still relies heavily on paper for documentation. This shows us how much the healthcare industry wastes on paper. The basics of the paperless office or workplaces are quite simple in concept. According to inc.com in their article â€Å"How to switch to a paperless office†, going paperless has lots of advantages, one of them being that the business could potentially save money. The article goes on to say â€Å"Anyone working in the office of a lawyer, accountant, or health care company can tell you: the paperless office is still for many elusive, buried under ever increasing stacks of paper. â€Å" but it does provide steps to follow in order to help a business to go paperless. We must be aware that going paperless is not without cost, but we can think of that initial cost as an investment that will eventually have a return. The next part of this paper will discuss the benefits of a paperless office and break them down into specific benefits and their effects on the healthcare setting. Benefits of the paperless workplace Before we look at what benefits can be gained from converting to a paperless workplace, we must first look at how using paper as a main source of communication and documentation can affect a workplace negatively. Some people feel that new

The four basic health care system models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The four basic health care system models - Essay Example Bismarck model that compiles to the Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries’ health care system is fairly similar to the American health care system that uses insurance policies to cover people’s health as a multi-payer model. Similarly, Bismarck model is strictly government run and non-profitable funded jointly by employees and employers (Boboc & TÃŒ §itÃŒ §an, 2014). Comparatively, Beverage model is a Britain, Spain and New Zealand oriented and nationalized health care that is financed and provided by the government. Beverage model focuses on the highest quality of services by controlling the sole tax payers and what the health providers can offer. In contrast, National Insurance Model contains some components of both Bismarck and Beverage models involving private-sector providers where the beneficiaries are able to negotiate for the services rendered at the best and affordable prices (Health Disparities Conference & Wallace, 2008). However, the health care cost within the national care model is regulated by the government especially adopted in Canada and South Korea. In contrast, The Out-of-Pocket Model is applied in most developing with disorganized health care systems to provide mass health care services. Unlike other health care models, the Out-of Pocket model is adopted in rural area of South America, China and Africa. Nevertheless, this kind of health care model does not provide health care for all citizens (Boboc & TÃŒ §itÃŒ §an, 2014). The future American healthcare system should combine the elements of both health care models to cover the health care from cradle to the grave for all American individuals. Similarly, the future American health system should centrally focus on preventive services directed towards improving health and driving down costs in long term where the United State citizens’ priorities and health concerns are invested in and

Top 5 Essay Topics and Tips How to Be Original Essay Example for Free

Top 5 Essay Topics and Tips How to Be Original Essay The first writers on Earth were not actually writing – they were drawing pictures of the daily life. That was long before the actual writing started. Those days one did not have to be creative to â€Å"write† – a piece of chalk and a cave wall was more than enough. Luckily, we have evolved, and despite they write, the present Homo sapiens also try to deliver a unique, one-of-a-kind written message to the world. Believe it or not, creativity is very hard to achieve, and now you will find out why and what do with it. It seems like all the imaginable and unimaginable issues have been already discussed, described and published. So contributing a breath of fresh air to the endless stream of mass media looks impossible. Not only professional writers and journalists face the problem with being creative and original, but the students as well. Writing an essay, a term paper or a research paper can sometimes be compared to childbirth – with sweat and blood, a painful process that drives you crazy. That is why more and more students avoid all these troubles and turn to professional writing services for help. It is a great idea, though it will never make one original. Don’t be desperate – there are a few ways to keep your creativeness up. First of all – cheer up, buddy! It’s a simple psychological factor – the more negative thoughts you have in your head, the less creative and productive you are. Just smile, take your laptop/sheet of paper/notebook and start writing. Some instructors are likely to give you a topic. It makes your task much easier, as at least you know what to write about. But if you picked up a creative writing course – forget about it, most of the times you will be the one to come up with an interesting point to dwell on. At the stage of choosing the headline for your essay, the Internet or any published media can be of a great help. Try searching for the information you are interested in, what fascinates you most. This will keep up and feed your motivation, which is a vital thing for creativeness. Once you sifted through all the materials you found and came up with a topic you want to write on, you are ready to move further. Concentrate on your topic and write down your ideas – simply put your thoughts on the paper (thoughts like â€Å"I wanna eat† or â€Å"It was a great party last night† do not count!). Avoid going off-topic. Please note that in order to write something worthy and interesting, you are supposed and advised to spend at least 2-3 days on the writing process. Here I explain why: after you reviewed the articles on your chosen topic, your brain is overwhelmed with information, and to dot one’s is and cross one’s ts you need some rest. It’s better to make a research in the evening and start writing in the morning, with all the material in your hands. Fresh and creative ideas will fill your imagination for sure! If the very first stage has caused you troubles, you can use the following top 5 essay topics: Can love be associated with pain? Role models in your life Smoking – a bad habit or a disease? How to fight a depression? Pros and cons of having a pet I would like to sum up with a famous quote from Steve Jobs: â€Å"Stay hungry, stay foolish†. This phrase is the key to creativity. Dear reader, strive for knowledge, education and explore the world – nothing else will make you truly original.

The Contemporary Issues In Hospitality Management

The Contemporary Issues In Hospitality Management Experiencing HRM issues in Hospitality: Whatever the choice of terminology or decisions on organisation, effective HRM and the successful implementation of personnel activities are essential ingredients for improved organisational performance. The smooth-running man or woman is an essential feature of any company and for some industries people are not just important but the key factor for successful performance. HR policies and practices have an important role in hospitality to play in facilitating the effective implementation of management processes. Hospitality Companies today face five critical business challenges: globalisation; profitability through growth; technology; intellectual capital; and change, change and more change. These challenges provide HR with an opportunity to play a leadership role in the development of new capabilities to meet the challenges. The five challenges present a new mandate for hospitality human resource management in order to help deliver organisational excellence in the following four way s:- It should become a partner with senior and line managers in strategy execution an expert in the way work is organised and executed to ensure costs are reduced and quality maintained a champion for employees, vigorously representing their concerns to senior management and working to increase employee contribution and commitment an agent of continuous transformation, shaping processes and a culture to improve an organisation 2.1 Training: One major area of the HRM function of particular relevance to the effective management and use of people is training and development. Staffs are a crucial, but expensive, resource in hospitality. In order to sustain economic and effective performance it is important to optimise the contribution of employees to the aims and goals of the organisation. Training is necessary to ensure an adequate supply of staff who are technically and socially competent, and capable of career advancement into specialist departments or management positions. There is, therefore, a continual need for the process of staff development, and training fulfils an important part of this process. Training should be viewed, therefore, as an integral part of the hospitality process. Because specially in hospitality industry new IT based training are getting famous irrespectively in hotels, airlines. Training benefits includes:- Improve performance which results in cost savings of HRM Improve productivity Improve quality of customer service Improve self esteem of employees Improve sense of job security Increase comrade and sense of team work among employees Increase higher morale among employees and Reduce employee turnover and absenteeism Reduce stress and tension of employees Reduce waste Reduce work conflict among employees In todays competitive business weather hospitality industry is facing new skill developing process in different way. Customers are now more concerned about quality service rather than just service. According to WTTC tourism hospitality industry supporting more than 258 million jobs worldwide and generating some 9.1% of global GDP. In 2008 UK Government  £112m fund for hospitality training reveals the importance of training. Travelodge welcome this fund from Government. Chrissie Herbert, director of HR at Travelodge, said: As we approach the 2012 Olympics we are in a skills race to ensure we have the number of people needed to match the demand. 2.2 Customer Care: After training customer care is the another big issue in hospitality industry now-a-days. It is important to remember that good customer care start with good staff care. Surveys reveals that people are happiest at their work when they feel valued and important, when they are involved in the business and feel knowledgeable about what is happening. In todays hospitality business customer care is the main concern where all businesses should focus on because customer expectations for quality are increasing, presenting the industry with a double edge sword; at the same time qualified labour is becoming harder to find and keep and this is a great challenge for HRM in any hospitality business. Thats why HRM in hospitality trying to get more effective result by training existing employees in several field in hospitality. Customers are demanding higher levels of service excellence. Linking this issue with seasonality, a common characterise of tourism enterprise , Baum and Hagen(1999,p130)wrote, the lack of sustained employment, which is characterise as seasonal operations, undermines the ability of operators to deliver quality, which the market place, increasingly, expects. Service remains key factor for hospitality but value for money is becoming increasingly important as recession looms, research has revealed in UK 2009 by Square Meal Restaurants Bars report, which surveyed more than 9,500 diners, found service remained a major gripe (44% of all complaints containing words such as over-priced, costly and poor value) for customers. 2.3 Stress in Hospitality: Work stress is now recognised as a major issue in the human resource management within the hospitality industry context. Service quality issues are beginning to assume major importance in the success of many operations. Interpersonal conflict and work stress responses associated with hospitality industry employee management conflict, together with approaches to service quality. In European Union countries, hospitality industry has been identified as one of those most stressful sector to work, with frequent contact with inebriated clients and customers. Exposure to violence and sexual harassment is sometimes viewed as being a regular occurrence and a part of the job in the sector. Stress factors in the hospitality industry include an intensive interface with customers; increasing customer demand for highly diversified and personalized services; tight requirements on timely delivery of services, especially in kitchens and restaurants; unclear roles in a customer-dominated environment; and lack of training for supervisors. These result in low control of employees over their work. The health status of workers in the hospitality industry is worse than that of the average population, especially concerning mental health. In hospitality there are different reasons for stress and they are: global competition, customer expectations and demand for highly diversified and personalized services, tight requirements on timely services, especially in kitchens and restaurants, unclear roles in a customer-dominated environment, and lack of training for supervisors, reducing in staff to reduce cost, lack of control over working situations, seasonal staff turnover etc. 2.4 Empowering the employees: Empowerment, formerly known as participative management, reduces employee turnover and increases customer satisfaction. High hospitality industry turnover is the result of poor employee selection, inadequate training and an over-abundant management staff. Empowering the staff makes them work better together as a team and leads them to provide a better quality of service. In a simple way, empowerment extend democratic approach from workforce which is very good for hospitality organisations because its not possible for hospitality managers to be everywhere every time, in those moment empowerment make employees more participative and delegate them towards job satisfaction. Empowerment was known as participative management, but the problem had always been that implementing the concept was much more difficult than talking about it. No one knew how to overcome this problem for the usual reasons that all concepts can fail that is, identifying the whos, whats, whens, wheres and hows of implementation. The hospitality industry today requires to examine the way to manage. Hospitality industry is plagued with turnover statistics that are way out of proportion and this situation has developed because of poor hiring practices, insufficient training and overstaffing in management ranks. Empowerment is a style, not an evolution. It is a philosophy that must originate from the top if it doesnt, it will fail. Empowerment flattens out the organizational chart naturally by eliminating the tiers of responsibility, replaces desire to establish accountability with results, allows hospitality industries to respond to the aspect of customers needs and complete satisfaction. HRM in hospitality industry must understand the economic benefits of employee empowerment. Employee empowerment makes each individual responsible for doing the job to the best of their ability which results in greater guest satisfaction, returning guests and lower employee turnover. Hiring the best person for the job and adequately training that individual will also lead to greater employee empowerment. Empowering management personnel requires altering the job so that management receives feedback on their management style from their staff as well as their supervisors. 2.5 Management Leadership in hospitality: Effective leadership is the number one factor that influences success in hospitality organization. Maintaining cultural identity, employment brand and employee satisfaction requires consistent and regular communication. Leadership skills include a strong focus on relationships, emotional intelligence, a track record of results and innovation, a focus on process and outcome, and the ability to give positive and constructive feedback. Also important is the ability to teach and coach others and provide recognition both formally and informally. Management and leadership style is a contemporary issues in todays hospitality business. There is a sentence Employees dont leave their jobs, they leave their managers. The reason for that is the style adopted by todays leaders are not always right and its a big issue. International Labour Organisation(ILO) said almost 600,000 employees a year leave hospitality managers in their droves, which leads hospitality industry average recruitment and initial training cost  £1,500, costs around  £886m as a whole. Labour turnover for the whole hospitality, leisure tourism and travel (HLTT) industry stands at 30%, although some employers within the hospitality industry alone report double or triple this figure. Yet, only 14% of employers feel their labour turnover is too high. HRM should be part of any pilot program to help leadership understand, anticipate and mitigate management problems in hospitality. When HRM has experience in participating in a virtual team, it lends credibility for HRM to fully participate and respond to problems as they arise. 3. Conclusion: It is known that, hospitality industry stands on employee performance. So, HRM department in hospitality now-a-days getting more and more challenge day by day because every business strategy of todays world more focused on service which is a crucial issue in hospitality field. HRM managers should emphasis on the need for professional approach and right leadership attitude to achieve goals and keep status. HRM in hospitality industry has grown with its impact and status because of huge number of hospitality industries increased globally. Only The British hospitality industry contribute  £46 billion to the UK economy and the core hospitality economy is estimated to directly contribute  £34 billion in tax revenue by creating 2.44 million jobs in the hospitality sector the 5th largest industry in the UK, and a further 1.2 million jobs are indirectly generated by hospitality which is around 8% of the total UK employment. This statistics proves that, the HRM has great responsibility to play a vital role in hospitality sector by adjusting with market needs and trends.

Types Of Goods In Economics Economics Essay

Types Of Goods In Economics Economics Essay Demand is the desire to own anything, and the ability to own for it. Demand is the relationship between two variables. The price and the quantity demanded. The Law of Demand States That as the price of the goods services increases consumer demand for the goods services decreases vice versa. Law Of Demand Lets take an example of pizza, the consumers of the pizza increases as the price of the pizza decreases same as the consumers of the pizza decreases as the price of pizza increases, this follows the law of Demand. Lets take another example of butter when the price of the butter gets increases consumers switched to its substitute margarine, means when the price of the Products started increasing consumers started moving towards the substitute of the Products. INFERIOR GOODS: Inferior goods are those goods whose demands decrease when the income of the consumer increases and vice versa. Inferior goods are unlike normal goods which are opposite in nature, Normal goods are those whose demand increases when the income of the consumers increases and vice versa. An example of inferior good is old car , consumers will generally prefer old cars when their income is limited. As the income of the consumers increases the demand for the old cars will decrease while the demand for the costly car increases so the cheaper cars are the inferior goods. Bus services is also an example of the inferior good, this form of transportation is cheaper then air and train transportation. When the income of the consumers is limited then travelling by bus is more acceptable while it is more time consuming but when money is more abundant then time then faster transport will be choosen by the consumer. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Inferior_good.png Good Y is a normal good since the amount purchase increases from Y1 to Y2 as the budget constraint shifts from BC1 to the higher income BC2. Good X is an inferior good since the amount bought decreases from X! to X2 as income decreases. Giffen Goods: Giffen good is one which people consumes more of as their price rises. in giffen good situation income effects dominate, leading people to buy more of the goods even as its price rises. As in Demand price and quantity demanded pull in opposite direction, if price goes up, then quantity demanded goes down, or vice versa. Giffen goods are an exception to this, their price elasticity of demand is positive, when price goes up, the quantity demanded also goes up and vice versa. In order to be a true giffen good, price must be the only thing that changes to get a change in quantity demand. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPl0QcoAXu3oLSEJsBNEfzEtu99wwX0cp05S0lesDvgdii8nfFI4XrwNUcd6yjvsOqoXo8cFlDIt3jjOsRsQVEbkf5XPOzCOO9iRP00QUuhB4mhcTVoA2hR4wpX51Svs2ZckiyTgwEHfuI/s400/giffen+good.jpg http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199586547/01student/advanced/figures/fig022.jpg In the case of a Giffen product the income effect leads to a fall in the quantity demanded. This means that following a price fall the overall the quantity demanded falls. This means the demand curve is upward sloping. This is shown in the diagram above. File:Types of goods.svg TYPES OF GOODS IN ECONOMICS All Giffen goods are inferior goods but not all inferior goods are Giffen goods. Giffen goods are difficult to find because a number of conditions must be satisfied for the associated behavior to be observed. One reason for the difficulty in finding Giffen goods is Giffen originally envisioned a specific situation faced by individuals in a state of poverty. Modern consumer behaviour research methods often deal in aggregates that average out income levels and are too blunt an instrument to capture these specific situations. Furthermore, complicating the matter are the requirements for limited availability of substitutes, as well as that the consumers are not so poor that they can only afford the inferior good Some types of premium goods (such as expensive French wines, or celebrity-endorsed perfumes) are sometimes claimed to be Giffen goods. It is claimed that lowering the price of these high status goods can decrease demand because they are no longer perceived as exclusive or high status products. However, the perceived nature of such high status goods changes significantly with a substantial price drop. This disqualifies them from being considered as Giffen goods, because the Giffen goods analysis assumes that only the consumers income or the relative price level changes, not the nature of the good itself. If a price change modifies consumers perception of the good, they should be analyzed as Veblen goods. Some economists question the empirical validity of the distinction between Giffen and Veblen goods, arguing that whenever there is a substantial change in the price of a good its perceived nature also changes, since price is a large part of what constitutes a product However the theor etical distinction between the two types of analysis remains clear; which one of them should be applied to any actual case is an empirical matter. A Giffen good is one which people consume more of as price rises, violating the law of demand. In normal situations, as the price of such a good rises, the substitution effect causes people to purchase less of it and more of substitute goods. In the Giffen good situation, cheaper close substitutes are not available. Because of the lack of substitutes, the income effect dominates, leading people to buy more of the good, even as its price rises. An inferior good is a good that decreases in demand when consumer income rises, unlike normal goods, for which the opposite is observed. Normal goods are those for which consumers demand increases when their income increases. Inferiority, in this sense, is an observable fact relating to affordability rather than a statement about the quality of the good. As a rule, too much of a good thing is easily achieved with such goods, and as more costly substitutes that offer more pleasure or at least variety become available, the use of the inferior goods diminishes. Depending on consumer or market indifference curves, the amount of a good bought can increase, decrease, or stay the same when income increases. For inferior goods the demand decreases as income increases since when u get richer u go for nicer things eg tesco value tights. the poorer u are the more you did demand for it cause u cant afford anything else, whereas MS tights would be in higher demand with increase in income cause they are nicer. Giffen goods are exactly opposite people want more of it with higher income Example a posh car. The richer u is the more likely u is to be able to afford it so the higher the demand in the economy as a WHOLE.

Comparing the Living Dead in Great Gatsby, In Our Time and The Sun Also

The Living Dead in Great Gatsby, In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises            Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life without consequence; is this possible?   This was the main goal of the men and women existing after WW1.   During this era of great prosperity and moral backlash the young adults of the world took to the bars and dance halls of Europe or the extravagant parties of the American east coast looking for happiness.  Ã‚   Their lives are chronicled in the stories that came from the emerging great authors of that time period.   The most notorious of these books is F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby where the exploits of the rich are articulated with great description and lavishness that complimented their somewhat insane lives well.   There is another author whose stories open a window into that generation as well, Ernest Hemmingway.   In Hemmingway's books In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises we see the plights of this generation played out in a very serious way that leaves the reader with a heavy feeling of discomfort with the illogical and empty way the characters attempt to subsist.   Both authors and all three novels point to one conclusion, that if your goal is to live without suffering consequences of your actions you will in fact not live but suffer in an unfulfilling existence.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the tale of The Great Gatsby the reader is treated to a vivid description of Gatsby's parties and his prolific residence.   It would appear that Gatsby had everything a person could want.   Loads of money and friends and surrounded by the finer things of life.   However, the book takes a turn towards its e... ...this growth leads to personal happiness and satisfaction.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall one gets a sincere feeling of loss and lacking in these three novels.   Perhaps it is by paying attention to the warning that is embedded in these commentaries that the authors achieve their true goal in guiding their readers to a higher understanding of life.  Ã‚   Both authors are quite thorough in presenting their viewpoints on life.   There are also other conclusions and lessons that can be drawn from these novels.   Many people feel that they are commentaries on the wrath that war has on the young, or the tumultuous times of a new century.   However, it is the false ideal that life can be lived by negating responsibility for actions that prevails and burns a sense of virility into the readers of these three important novels. Comparing the Living Dead in Great Gatsby, In Our Time and The Sun Also The Living Dead in Great Gatsby, In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises            Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Life without consequence; is this possible?   This was the main goal of the men and women existing after WW1.   During this era of great prosperity and moral backlash the young adults of the world took to the bars and dance halls of Europe or the extravagant parties of the American east coast looking for happiness.  Ã‚   Their lives are chronicled in the stories that came from the emerging great authors of that time period.   The most notorious of these books is F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby where the exploits of the rich are articulated with great description and lavishness that complimented their somewhat insane lives well.   There is another author whose stories open a window into that generation as well, Ernest Hemmingway.   In Hemmingway's books In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises we see the plights of this generation played out in a very serious way that leaves the reader with a heavy feeling of discomfort with the illogical and empty way the characters attempt to subsist.   Both authors and all three novels point to one conclusion, that if your goal is to live without suffering consequences of your actions you will in fact not live but suffer in an unfulfilling existence.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the tale of The Great Gatsby the reader is treated to a vivid description of Gatsby's parties and his prolific residence.   It would appear that Gatsby had everything a person could want.   Loads of money and friends and surrounded by the finer things of life.   However, the book takes a turn towards its e... ...this growth leads to personal happiness and satisfaction.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall one gets a sincere feeling of loss and lacking in these three novels.   Perhaps it is by paying attention to the warning that is embedded in these commentaries that the authors achieve their true goal in guiding their readers to a higher understanding of life.  Ã‚   Both authors are quite thorough in presenting their viewpoints on life.   There are also other conclusions and lessons that can be drawn from these novels.   Many people feel that they are commentaries on the wrath that war has on the young, or the tumultuous times of a new century.   However, it is the false ideal that life can be lived by negating responsibility for actions that prevails and burns a sense of virility into the readers of these three important novels.

Discomfort, Irritation, and Confusion of The Bath Essay -- Wife of Bat

Discomfort, Irritation, and Confusion of The Bath People are living robots. They follow the norm. They go with the latest trend. They walk the latest walk and talk the latest talk. Even the "brilliant ideas" that sprout from people's minds are a combination of other people's thoughts and ideas; friends, family and the media are the greatest influences. When a situation that is out of the norm confronts people, they are suddenly caught off guard, and instead of dealing with the situation, they shy away from it in attempt to return to their protective glass case; the norm. Raymond Carver forces his readers to face discomfort, irritation, and confusion through reading "The Bath". His language is dry, and the story is short. The characters do not have names, the language does not flow well, and the ending leaves the reader hanging. The message of the story is vague, and the plot lacks depth; however, the details that this story reveals through the concise language surpasses any detail that "A Small, Good Thing" reveals through its abund ance of words. To begin with, "The Bath" lacks much usage of adverbs. Adverbs typically help describe an action so that the reader better understands either the character or the situation. Clearly, the point of not including adverbs in this short story is to force the reader to focus on what happens instead of how something happens. A short story is "something glimpsed from the corner of the eye, in passing" (Carver 558). A reader should not feel connected with the characters in the story because that is not the author's main concern. An author simply attempts to convey a message through some words in a page that is arranged in ... ... intentions for "A Small, Good Thing" differ from his intentions for "The Bath". Throughout "The Bath" the reader struggles with many uncomfortable feelings, and although the reader may not immediately realize that he/she can relate to the story more than he/she knows, a relationship is present. "The Bath" does a good job of putting the reader in the characters' shoes. "A Small, Good Thing," on the other hand, provides a comforting feeling of knowing everything that happens, and knowing that everything works out at the end. Since there is a beginning and an ending to the story, the reader can conclude a meaningful message from the story and relate or apply it to his/her life. Overall, "The Bath" sets the mood of the story better than "A Small, Good Thing" because of its concise language and its focus on "the glimpse" instead of the "big picture".

Gender Inequality in Education Essay

Gender Inequality is the unjust behaviour or insights of people on the basis of gender. In regards to education, we can then say, gender inequality in education is the discrimination of individuals based on gender in schools. When talking about this gender inequality it is quite obvious that the ones being discriminated are the females. Education is a fundamental right, which should not be restricted to a certain gender, every human being, male or female has a right to education. No matter the form of inequality it is bad for an economy and well-being. The impact is more severe if when it is viewed from the perspective of gender and even more detrimental when the resources allocated are unfair against women. A society that its hierarchal organisation have a habit of placing men in choice making positions and women demoted to economic work that seeks limited work and does not give them the satisfactory resources of means of support is a society that is put in danger. (Ijaiya & I.O.Bal ogun) This issue of gender inequality in education is far more prominent in less developed countries, plus Nigeria where quite a number of readings have shown that under the backings of religion and tradition the men discriminate against women hence divesting them access to skills and education for useful activities. (Ijaiya & I.O.Balogun) In general education is well-defined as a long life progression through which a person’s progress is smoothed so that he can be beneficial to his society and to himself. From this definition, my concern here is the western education because it the most important form of education in the world which is more prominent and its achievement, regardless of what level one has attained is seen to be very significant to the development of an economy, since it allows people accomplish new tasks and to assess and adjust to new jobs. Gender inequality in education affects a lot of things in countries, it affects economic growth as it brings down the level of human resources because when some of the population that could have  contributed to somethings are not educated, they do not amount to much in the society. There has been a lot of concerns with women when it comes to education and it is not a new thing. History of Gender Inequality in Education For some time now, there has been a change in gender success all through education; in the late 1980’s underachievement by girls was common; girls were less likely than boys to gain one or more A-levels and also not likely to go on to advanced education. In the 1990’s there was a quick reversal; girls started doing better than boys. In the year 2006 10% more females were gaining more A-levels than males. This gender diversion has been viewed from a social perspective. (Gender and Educational Attainment, 2014) In the 1990’s gender discrimination was still evident in the society though women were attaining greater success throughout work and education. The Education Reform Act of 1998 (important piece of education in Wales, Northern Island and England) which brought coursework helped girls as they tend to be generally more organised and care about the how their work looks than the males. Feminists consider that the purpose of education ought to be to benefit and advantage disadvantaged women. In a feminists view this is not wrong as what that is what they seek. The 1998 Education Reform Act indicates clearly that women are to be given more chance to attain education. Some girls were interviewed in the 1970’s and others were interviewed in the 1990’s, it was found that main concern had changed, it had changed from marriage and love in the 1970’s to careers and jobs in 1990’s. From this it is quite obvious there has been an increase in career ambitions. Two things could have influenced this, contemporary socialisation from media and parents or achievement from course works. (Gender and Educational Attainment, 2014) A conceptual Issue Wellbeing and Gender Inequality, according to the World Bank a key determinant of wellbeing in a country is the presence of a stable economy and its growth. Inequality is frequently referred to as lack of equivalence. One of the concerns of gender inequality when it comes to education is that it could pointer to a whole great deal of violence against women, which might make it hard for them to talk about issues of power. If this  inequality is such that leads women into having little access to education as well as limited skills for dynamic employment, it will have an effect on them when it comes to poverty of the present and also of that of the next generation. An illiterate woman with restricted access to income cannot take care of her children in regard to nutrition and health; and a woman with so much work and has no regular access to income might use their daughter’s labour for survival which might end up depriving them of a chance to gain education. (Sheehan, 2012) Effects It is also observed that gender inequality in education may weaken development goals. It may avert increase in child mortality and fertility and the increase of education on the next generation. There is absolutely no doubt that education has a main impact on economic growth, as the more educated people in a society, the better the economy of that society. Studies have conventionally used years spent in schooling as a variable to measure education. There is a strong proof that quality of education is more essential than the quantity of education. Gender inequality in education influences education indirectly, through dissimilar ways such as by dropping the fertility rate, growing life span of population and social unity. Gender inequality has a negative impact on the outcome of education, which will also have a negative impact on the economy’s growth. These can happen in so many ways. Girls who are schooling in a school where there is high inequality might end up believing the re will inequality in the society, which might hinder their opportunity for success in life. These would lead to decrease in their performance in school. Gender inequality does not only manifest itself in education but also in other areas, like, politics, education etc. (Sheehan, 2012) While numbers of children not in school has dropped, and number of girls not in school has declined from 58% to 54% in 2010, in some countries there has been limited progress in children getting into schools, many which are girls, and girls from poor households continue being one of the groups at jeopardy of never attending school. In 2006 in Pakistan, 60% of children not in school were girls while only 12% of poor Hausa girls in Nigeria went to school. The odds of getting to school are not in favour of girls from poor households. Girls’ enrolment in Yemen is vividly much lesser than boys and the same case goes for Pakistan when  attendance is the case analysed. (Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality , 2010) It is seen also that gender is not regarded as a serious issue compared to poverty, some officials in the South African Education Department said: Gender is not a primary issue to them because they deal more with poverty, whether one is male or female poverty is still poverty, they get to deal with hunger and that does not discriminate. From what they can see, gender is not an issue. Poverty is an issue also but to think it is more important that gender inequality in education is totally wrong, from what I have said earlier, the more educated people the lesser the chances of poverty, so, a way to tackle poverty is to tackle gender inequality in education first. Another South African is worried that focusing on gender will distract from the poorest needs, saying that there is a risk involved with having too much emphasis on gender issues, saying that it is an issue that would be taken well in resourced areas rather than areas with the majority being the poor. (Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality , 2010) In conclusion, what this paper is saying is, Gender Inequality in Education is an ongoing issue that is declining but not going away anytime soon. It is a problem that comes with its own problems, meaning it affects economic growth and development. A way to decrease the number of inequality is to educate people especially those in the rural areas that the girl child’s education is just as important as the male’s child. Every individual male or female should not be discriminated on the basis of anything talk less of education, education is key. Say NO to Gender equality in Education. Works Cited Engendering Empowerment: Education and Equality . (2010). United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative , (pp. 15-25). Dakar. Gender and Educational Attainment. (2014). Retrieved from History Learning Site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gender_education_attainment.htm Ijaiya, T. G., & I.O.Balogun. (n.d.). Estimating the Impact of Gender Inequality in Education on the well-being of women in Nigeria. Kolhapur: Serials Publications. Sheehan, K. (2012). Does Gender Inequality in Education Affect Educational Outcomes? Connecticut.