Earthquake Power Essay Example

Earthquake Power Essay The magnitude 6. 3 (ML) earthquake[1] struck the Canterbury region in New Zealands South Island at 12:51 pm on Tuesday, 22 February 2011 local time (23:51 21 February UTC). [1][9] The earthquake was centred 2 kilometres (1. 2 mi) west of the port town of Lyttelton, and 10 kilometres (6 mi) south-east of the centre of Christchurch, New Zealands second-most populous city. [1] It followed nearly six months after the magnitude 7. 1 Canterbury earthquake of 4 September 2010, which caused significant damage to Christchurch and the central Canterbury region, but no direct fatalities.The earthquake caused widespread damage across Christchurch, especially in the central city and eastern suburbs, with damage exacerbated by buildings and infrastructure already being weakened by the 4 September 2010 earthquake and its aftershocks. Significant liquefaction affected the eastern suburbs, producing around 400,000 tonnes of silt. The shallow earthquake was reported to be felt across the South Island and the lower and central North Island. While the initial quake only last around 10 seconds, the vicinity and depth of its location to Christchurch in addition to the previous quakes were the reason for so much destruction.In total, 185 people were killed in the earthquake,[6][7] making it the second-deadliest natural disaster recorded in New Zealand (after the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake), and fourth-deadliest disaster of any kind recorded in New Zealand, with nationals from more than 20 countries among the victims. [10] Over half of the deaths occurred in the six-storey Canterbury Television (CTV) Building, which collapsed and caught fire in the quake. The government declared a state of national emergency, which stayed in force until 30 April 2011. 11] The total cost to insurers of rebuilding was originally estimated at NZ$15 billion. [12][13] At that point it was already predicted to be by far New Zealands costliest natural disaster, and the third-costliest earthquake (nominally) worldwide. [14] But by April 2013, the total estimated cost had ballooned to $40 billion. [15] Some economists have estimated it will take the New Zealand economy 50 to 100 years to completely recover. [16] The earthquake was the most damaging in a year-long earthquake swarm affecting the Christchurch area.It was followed by a large aftershock on 13 June (which caused considerable additional damage) and a series of large shock s on 23 December 2011. Contents [hide] * 1 Geology * 1. 1 Main aftershocks since 22 February 2011 * 1. 2 Canterbury region long-term probabilities * 2 Emergency management * 2. 1 Police * 2. 2 Search and rescue * 2. 3 Defence forces * 2. 4 Medical response * 2. 5 Humanitarian and welfare * 2. 6 Infrastructure and support * 3 Casualties, damage, and other effects * 3. 1 Casualties * 3. 1. 1 Animal casualties * 3. 2 Buildings affected * 3. 3 Suburbs * 3. 4 Beyond Christchurch 3. 5 Christchurch International Airport * 3. 6 Sport * 4 Response * 4. 1 International * 4. 2 Fundraising and charity events * 4. 3 Memorial services * 4. 4 Commission of Inquiry * 5 Recovery * 5. 1 Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority * 5. 2 Housing * 5. 3 Schools and universities * 6 Economic impact * 7 Cancellation of 2011 census * 8 See also * 9 References * 10 Further reading * 11 External links Geology[edit source | editbeta] Earthquake intensity map Location of the 12:51pm quake epicentre within Christ church The 6. 3 quake was probably an aftershock of the 7. -magnitude 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake. While New Zealands GNS Science describe it as technically an aftershock of the earlier event, other seismologists, including those from USA and Geoscience Australia, consider it a separate event, given its location on a separate fault system. [17][18] The earthquake has generated a significant series of its own aftershocks, many of which are considered big for a 6. 3 quake. [19] 361+ aftershocks (magnitude 3+ foreshocks incl) were experienced in the first week, the largest measuring magnitude 5. 9, which occurred just under 2 hours after the main shock. [20] A 5. -magnitude aftershock on 16 April,[21] the largest for several weeks, caused further damage, including power cuts and several large rock falls. [22] Another aftershock hit the Christchurch region on 10 May 2011 from the Greendale fault measuring 5. 3 magnitude. It cut power for a few minutes and caused further damag e to buildings in the city centre. No deaths or injuries were reported. It was felt as far away as Dunedin and Greymouth. [23] On 6 June, a large aftershock occurred, measuring 5. 5 on the Richter scale. The shake was felt as far away as Kaikoura and Oamaru. [22] A series of aftershocks occurred on 13 June.A tremor of 5. 7 was felt at 1 pm NZT, with depth of 9 km and an epicentre at Taylors Mistake,[24] followed by a 6. 3 tremor just over an hour later, with a depth of 6 km, located 10 km east of the city. [25] Power was cut to around 54,000 homes, with further damage and liquefaction in already weakened areas. The Lyttelton Timeball Station collapsed[26] and Christchurch Cathedral sustained more damage. At least 46 people were reported injured. [27] Initial reports suggest the earthquake occurred at a depth of 5 kilometres (3 mi); further analysis of seismic data might result in a revision of that depth. 19] Early reports suggested that it occurred on a previously unknown faultline running 17 km east-west from Scarborough Hill in South Eastern Christchurch to Halswell, at depths of 3–12 km,[28] but the Institute of Professional Engineers have since stated that GNS Science believe that the earthquake arose from the rupture of an 8 x 8 km fault running east-northeast at a depth of 1–2 km depth beneath the southern edge of the Avon-Heathcote Estuary and dipping southwards at an angle of about 65 degrees from the horizontal beneath the Port Hills. [29] Although the rupture was subsurface (i. . did not break the surface), satellite images indicate the net displacement of the land south of the fault was 50 cm westwards and upwards; the land movement would have been greater during the quake. [30] Land movement is varied around the area horizontally—in both east and west directions—and vertically; the Port Hills have been raised by 40 cm. [31] Satellite picture showing shaking strength (click to enlarge) The quake was a strike-slip event w ith oblique motion—mostly horizontal movement with some vertical movement[32]—with reverse thrust (i. . vertical movement upwards). [3] The vertical acceleration was far greater than the horizontal acceleration. [32] The intensity felt in Christchurch was MM VIII. [33] The peak ground acceleration (PGA) in central Christchurch exceeded 1. 8g (i. e. 1. 8 times the acceleration of gravity),[34] with the highest recording 2. 2g, at Heathcote Valley Primary School,[3] a shaking intensity equivalent to MM X+. [35] This is the highest PGA ever recorded in New Zealand; the highest reading during the September 2010 event was 1. 26g, recorded near Darfield. 34] The PGA is also one of the greatest ever ground accelerations recorded in the world,[36] and was unusually high for a 6. 3 quake. [19] and the highest in a vertical direction. [37] The central business district (CBD) experienced PGAs in the range of 0. 574 and 0. 802 g. [38] In contrast, the 7. 0 Mw 2010 Haiti earthquake had an estimated PGA of 0. 5g. [36] The acceleration occurred mainly in a vertical direction,[32] with eyewitness accounts of people being tossed into the air. [36] The upwards (positive acceleration) was greater than the downwards, which had a maximum recording of 0. g; the maximum recorded horizontal acceleration was 1. 7g[37] The force of the quake was statistically unlikely to occur more than once in 1000 years, according to one seismic engineer, with a PGA greater than many modern buildings were designed to withstand. [39] New Zealand building codes require a building with a 50-year design life to withstand predicted loads of a 500-year event; initial reports by GNS Science suggest ground motion considerably exceeded even 2500-year design motions,[40] beyond maximum considered events (MCE). 41] By comparison, the 2010 quake—in which damage was predominantly to pre-1970s buildings—exerted 65% of the design loading on buildings. [39] The acceleration experienced in February 2011 would totally flatten most world cities, causing massive loss of life; in Christchurch, New Zealands stringent building codes limited the disaster. [18] However, the most severe shaking lasted only 12 seconds, which perhaps prevented more extensive damage. [41] It is also possible that seismic lensing contributed to the ground effect, with the seismic waves rebounding off the hard basalt of the Port Hills back into the city. 28] Geologists reported liquefaction was worse than the 2010 quake. [32] The quake also caused significant landslips and rockfalls on the Port Hills. [32] Although smaller in magnitude than the 2010 quake, the earthquake was more damaging and deadly for a number of reasons. The epicentre was closer to Christchurch, and shallower at 5 kilometres (3 mi) underground, whereas the September quake was measured at 10 kilometres (6 mi) deep. The February earthquake occurred during lunchtime on a weekday when the CBD was busy, and many buildings were alrea dy weakened from the previous quakes. 42][43] The PGA was extremely high, and simultaneous vertical and horizontal ground movement was almost impossible for buildings to survive intact. [32] Liquefaction was significantly greater than that of the 2010 quake, causing the upwelling of more than 200,000 tonnes of silt[44][45] which needed to be cleared. The increased liquefaction caused significant ground movement, undermining many foundations and destroying infrastructure, damage which may be the greatest ever recorded anywhere in a modern city. [29] 80% of the water and sewerage system was severely damaged. 41] While both the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes occurred on blind or unknown faults, New Zealands Earthquake Commission had, in a 1991 report, predicted moderate earthquakes in Canterbury with the likelihood of associated liquefaction. [18][46] According to GNS Science seismologists, the energy released in Christchurch was equivalent to a magnitude 6. 7 earthquake. [47] On 13 June 20 11, two major aftershocks measuring 5. 7 and 6. 3 struck the region, causing further damage, liquefaction and 10 injuries in and around Christchurch. [48] These were followed by a magnitude 5. quake at a depth of 8 km and centred 10 km south-west of Christchurch at 10:34 pm on 21 June 2011. [49] Main aftershocks since 22 February 2011[edit source | editbeta] Below is a list of all aftershocks of Richter,Moment amp; Body-wave Magnitudes 5. 0 and above that have hit Christchurch since the 22 February 2011 earthquake. [50] Date| Time| Richter Magnitude| Moment Magnitude| Body-wave Magnitude| Earthquake Epicentre| Depth (km)| Depth (miles)| Modified Mercalli| 22 February 2011| 12:51 pm| 6. 3| 6. 2| 6. 3| 10 km south of Christchurch| 5. 0 km| 3. 1 miles| X.Intense| 22 February 2011| 1:04 pm| 5. 8| 5. 5| 5. 5| 10 km south of Christchurch| 5. 9 km| 3. 6 miles| VII. Very Strong| 22 February 2011| 2:50 pm| 5. 9| 5. 6| 5. 6| Within 5 km of Lyttelton| 6. 72 km| 4. 1 miles| VII. Very Strong| 22 February 2011| 2:51 pm| 5. 1| 4. 5| 4. 4| Within 5 km of Lyttelton| 7. 3 km| 4. 5 miles| VI. Strong| 22 February 2011| 4:04 pm| 5. 0| 4. 5| 4. 4| Within 5 km of Christchurch| 12. 0 km| 7. 4 miles| VI. Strong| 22 February 2011| 7:43 pm| 5. 0| 4. 4| 4. 5| 20 km south-east of Christchurch| 12. 0 km| 7. 4 miles| VI. Strong| 5 March 2011| 7:34 pm| 5. 0| 4. 6| 4. | 10 km south-east of Christchurch| 9. 5 km| 5. 9 miles| VI. Strong| 20 March 2011| 9:47 pm| 5. 1| 4. 5| 4. 5| 10 km east of Christchurch| 11. 83 km| 7. 3 miles| VI. Strong| 16 April 2011| 5:49 pm| 5. 3| 5. 0| 5. 2| 20 km south-east of Christchurch| 10. 6 km| 6. 5 miles| VI. Strong| 30 April 2011| 7:04 am| 5. 2| 4. 9| 4. 7| 60 km north-east of Christchurch| 8. 7 km| 5. 4 miles| VI. Strong| 10 May 2011| 3:04 am| 5. 2| 4. 9| 5. 0| 20 km west of Christchurch| 14. 4 km| 8. 9 miles| VI. Strong| 6 June 2011| 9:09 am| 5. 5| 5. 1| 5. 1| 20 km south-west of Christchurch| 8. 1 km| 5. 0 miles| VI.Strong| Date| Time| Richter Magnitude (ML)| Moment Magnitude (Mw)| Body-wave Magnitude (Mb)| Earthquake Epicentre| Depth (km)| Depth (miles)| Modified Mercalli| 13 June 2011| 1:00 pm| 5. 9| 5. 3| 5. 0| 10 km south-east of Christchurch| 8. 9 km| 5. 5 miles| VIII. Destructive| 13 June 2011| 2:20 pm| 6. 4| 5. 9| 6. 0| 10 km south-east of Christchurch| 6. 9 km| 4. 2 miles| IX. Violent| 13 June 2011| 2:21 pm| 5. 1| 4. 8| 4. 8| 10 km south-east of Christchurch| 10. 2 km| 6. 4 miles| VI. Strong| 15 June 2011| 6:27 am| 5. 2| 4. 8| 5. 0| 20 km south-east of Christchurch| 5. 8 km| 3. 5 miles| VI.Strong| 21 June 2011| 10:34 pm| 5. 4| 5. 2| 5. 2| 10 km south-west of Christchurch| 8. 3 km| 5. 2 miles| VI. Strong| 22 July 2011| 5:39 am| 5. 3| 4. 7| 4. 7| 40 km west of Christchurch| 12 km| 7. 4 miles| VI. Strong| 2 September 2011| 3:29 am| 5. 0| 4. 6| 4. 5| 10 km east of Lyttelton| 7. 6 km| 4. 7 miles| VI. Strong| 9 October 2011| 8:34 pm| 5. 5| 4. 9| 5. 0| 10 km north-east of Diamond Harbour| 12. 0 km| 7. 4 miles| VI. Strong| Date| Time| R ichter Magnitude (ML)| Moment Magnitude (Mw)| Body-wave Magnitude (Mb)| Earthquake Epicentre| Depth (km)| Depth (miles)| Modified Mercalli| 23 December 2011| 1:58 pm| 5. | 5. 8| 5. 8| 20 km north-east of Lyttelton| 8 km| 4. 9 miles| VIII. Destructive| 23 December 2011| 2:06 pm| 5. 3| 5. 4| 5. 4| 21 km east-north-east of Christchurch| 10. 1 km| 6. 2 miles| VII. Very Strong| 23 December 2011| 3:18 pm| 6. 2| 6. 0| 5. 9| 10 km north of Lyttelton| 6 km| 3. 7 miles| VIII. Destructive| 23 December 2011| 4:50 pm| 5. 1| 4. 7| 4. 8| 20 km east of Christchurch| 10 km| 6. 2 miles| VI. Strong| 24 December 2011| 6:37 am| 5. 1| 4. 9| 5. 1| 10 km east of Akaroa| 9 km| 5. 5 miles| VI. Strong| 2 January 2012| 1:27 am| 5. 1| 4. 8| 4. 9| 20 km north-east of Lyttelton| 13. 3 km| 8. 2 miles| VI.Strong| 2 January 2012| 5:45 am| 5. 3| | | 20 km north-east of Lyttelton| 13. 5 km| 8. 3 miles| VII. Very Strong| 2 January 2012| 5:45 am| 5. 6| 5. 1| 5. 1| 20 km north-east of Lyttelton| 13. 5 km| 8. 3 miles| VII . Very Strong| 6 January 2012| 2:22 am| 5. 0| 4. 5| 4. 6| 20 km north-east of Lyttelton| 6. 7 km| 4. 0 miles| VI. Very Strong| 7 January 2012| 1:21 am| 5. 3| 4. 8| 5. 0| 20 km east of Christchurch| 8. 4 km| 5. 2 miles| VI. Strong| 15 January 2012| 2:47 am| 5. 1| 4. 6| 4. 5| 10 km east of Christchurch| 5. 8 km | 3. 6 miles| VI. Strong| This table is being constantly updated, and upgrades and downgrades may happen.Canterbury region long-term probabilities[edit source | editbeta] One month: 9 November 2012 – 8 December 2012| Magnitude Range| Expected Range| Expected Average| Probability| 5. 0 5. 4| 0 1| 0. 12| 11%| 5. 5 5. 9| 0 1| 0. 033| 3%| 6. 0 6. 4| 0 1| 0. 009| 1%| 6. 5 6. 9| 0 1| 0. 0025| lt;1%| 7. 0 7. 9| 0 1| 0. 0009| lt;1%| One year: 9 November 2012 – 8 November 2013| Magnitude Range| Expected Range| Expected Average| Probability| 5. 0 5. 4| 0 4| 1. 2| 69%| 5. 5 5. 9| 0 2| 0. 34| 29%| 6. 0 6. 4| 0 1| 0. 093| 9%| 6. 5 6. 9| 0 1| 0. 025| 2%| 7. 0 7. 9| 0 1| 0. 009| 1%|This table was last updated on November 14, 2012 Information in the tables above is sourced from GNS Science, New Zealand. [50] Emergency management[edit source | editbeta] In the immediate moments following the quake, ordinary citizens and those emergency services on duty responded and initiated rescues. Although communications proved difficult initially (it took many hours to obtain a full picture of the devastation) a full emergency management structure was in place within two hours, with national coordination operating from the National Crisis Management Centre bunker in the Beehive in Wellington. 51] Regional emergency operations command was established in the Christchurch Art Gallery, a modern earthquake-proofed building in the centre of the city which had sustained only minor damage. [52] On 23 February the Minister of Civil Defence, John Carter declared the situation a state of national emergency,[53] the countrys first for a civil defence emergency ( the only other one was for the 1951 waterfront dispute). [54] As per the protocols of New Zealands Coordinated Incident Management System and the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act, the Civil Defence became lead agency—with Air Vice Marshal John Hamilton as National Controller.His alternate was Steve Brazier, Director of the Security and Risk Group at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. They were supported by New Zealand Police, Fire Service, Defence Force and many other agencies and organisations. [55] One experienced international USAR team member described the response as the best-organised emergency he had witnessed. [56] The Government response was immediate and significant, with many departments and ministries involved.Cabinet Minister Gerry Brownlees regular portfolios were distributed amongst other cabinet ministers, so he could focus solely on earthquake recovery. [57] After a brief sitting, when a National Emergency was declared, Parliament was adj ourned until 8 March so cabinet could work on earthquake recovery. [58] Prime Minister John Key and other ministers regularly visited Christchurch, supporting Christchurch mayor Bob Parker, who was heavily involved in the emergency management and became the face of the city, despite his own injuries and family concerns. 59] Both COGIC (French Civil Protection)[60] and the American USGS requested the activation of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters on the behalf of MCDEM New Zealand, thus readily providing satellite imagery for aid and rescue services. [61] Police[edit source | editbeta] Christchurch Police were supplemented by staff and resources from around the country, along with a 300-strong contingent of Australian Police, who were sworn in as New Zealand Police on their arrival, bringing the total officers in the city to 1200. 62] Alongside regular duties, the police provided security cordons, organised evacuations, supported search and rescue teams, missing persons and family liaison, and organised media briefings and tours of the affected areas. They also provided forensic analysis and evidence gathering at fatalities and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) teams, working closely with pathologists, forensic dentists and scientists, and the coroner at the emergency mortuary established at Burnham Military Camp. [63] They were aided by DVI teams from Australia, UK, Thailand[64] Taiwan and Israel. 63] They follow international best practice for victim identification after disasters—which is extremely thorough to ensure correct identification—and have assistance from the Interpol DVI chair. [65][66] New Zealand Police requested 300 police from Australia for non-rescue tasks such as traffic control, general policing duties and to prevent looting. The contingent was formed by 200 from the New South Wales Police Force,[67] 50 from the Australian Federal Police[68] and others from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia state police forces. 69] In total, 323 Australian police, including DVI officers, were sent. [70][71] Following their arrival on 25 February, they were briefed on New Zealand law and procedure and the emergency regulations before being sworn in as temporary constables, giving them complete New Zealand policing powers. [69][72] Many of them received standing ovations from appreciative locals as they walked through Christchurch Airport upon arrival. [73] The first contingent remained in New Zealand for two weeks, after which they were replaced by a further contingent. 72] While serving in New Zealand, the Australian officers would not carry guns, since New Zealand police are a routinely unarmed force; the officers would instead be equipped with standard New Zealand issue batons and capsicum spray. [73][74] It was the first time in 170 years that Australian police have patrolled in New Zealand. [72] Following a rotation of staff, police were present from all Australian states and territorie s as well as Federal Police, the first time representatives from all Australian forces have worked together on a single operation. [75] Search and rescue[edit source | editbeta]A Japanese search and rescue team approaches the ruins of the CTV building. The New Zealand Fire Service coordinated search and rescue, particularly the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from New Zealand and Australia, UK, USA, Japan, Taiwan, China and Singapore, totalling 150 personnel from New Zealand and 429 from overseas. [56] They also responded to fires, serious structural damage reports, and land slips working with structural engineers, seismologists and geologists, as well as construction workers, crane and digger operators and demolition experts.A team of 72 urban search and rescue specialists from New South Wales, Australia was sent to Christchurch on a RAAF C-130 Hercules, arriving 12 hours after the quake, with another team of 70 (along with three sniffer dogs) from Queensland sent the followin g day. [76] A team of 55 Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team members from the Singapore Civil Defence Force were sent. [77] The United States sent Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 2, a 74-member heavy rescue team consisting of firefighters and paramedics from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, doctors, engineers and 26 tons of pre-packaged rescue equipment. 78][79] Japan sent 70 search-and-rescue personnel including specialists from the coastguard, police and fire fighting service, as well as three sniffer dogs. [80] The team left New Zealand earlier than planned due to the 9. 0 earthquake which struck their homeland on 11 March. [81] The United Kingdom sent a 53 strong search and rescue team including 9 Welsh firefighters who had assisted the rescue effort during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake. [82] Taiwan sent a 22-member team from the National Fire Agency, along with 2 tons of specialist search and rescue equipment. [83][84] China sent a 10-member specialist rescue t eam. 85] Defence forces[edit source | editbeta] The New Zealand Defence Force—staging their largest operation on New Zealand soil[86]— provided logistics, equipment, transport, airbridges, evacuations, supply and equipment shipments, survey of the Port and harbour, and support to the agencies, including meals; they assisted the Police with security, and provided humanitarian aid particularly to Lyttleton, which was isolated from the city in the first days. [87] Over 1400 Army, Navy and Air Force personnel were involved,[88] and Territorials (Army Reserve) were called up. 89] They were supplemented by 116 soldiers from the Singapore Army, in Christchurch for a training exercise at the time of the earthquake, who assisted in the cordon of the city. [77][90] HMNZS Canterbury provided aid to Lyttelton residents isolated by the quake. The Royal New Zealand Air Force provided an air bridge between Christchurch and Wellington using a Boeing 757 and two C-130 Hercules,and brin ging in emergency crews and equipment and evacuating North Island residents and tourists out of Christchurch. Three RNZAF Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters were also used to transport Police, VIPs and aid to locations around Christchurch.RNZAF Beech King Air aircraft were also used to evacuate people from Christchurch. The crew of the Navy ship Canterbury, in Lyttelton harbour at the time of the earthquake, provided meals for 1,000 people left homeless in that town,[91] and accommodation for a small number of locals. [92] The Royal Australian Air Force also assisted with air lifts. On one of their journeys, an RAAF Hercules sustained minor damage in an aftershock. [93] The army also operated desalination plants to provide water to the eastern suburbs. [94] Medical response[edit source | editbeta]Australias foreign minister Kevin Rudd told Sky News that New Zealands Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully had asked for further help from Australia. He said Australia would send counsellor s over and a disaster medical assistance team comprising 23 emergency and surgical personnel. [95] A field hospital providing 75 beds arrived 24 February. [76] Set up in the badly affected eastern suburbs, it was equipped to provide triage, emergency care, maternity, dentistry and isolation tents for gastroenteritis, and also provide primary care since most general practices in the area were unable to open. 96] Humanitarian and welfare[edit source | editbeta] Humanitarian support and welfare were provided by various agencies, in particular the New Zealand Red Cross and the Salvation Army. Welfare Centres and support networks were established throughout the city. Government Departments, such as WINZ and Housing New Zealand established contact with as many people as possible and provided grants and assistance. Many church and community-led projects also became established. The scale of the disaster meant many people went some days without official contact, so neighbourhoods and street s were encouraged to attend to those around them.Official visitation teams were organised by Civil Defence, with aim of visiting every household; the teams, which assessed homes and welfare needs, and passed on official information, included structural engineers or assessors from EQC. The primarily wilderness all-volunteer search and rescue organisation, LandSAR, deployed 530 people to the city to perform welfare checks. Over the course of a week, LandSAR teams visited 67,000 premisis. [97] Workers try to restore water service Infrastructure and support[edit source | editbeta] Businesses and organisations contributed massively to the initial rescue, recovery and emergency infrastructure.Orion, Christchurchs electricity distribution lines company, assisted by other lines companies from New Zealand, worked constantly to restore power. The 66 kV subtransmission cables supplying Dallington and New Brighton zone substations from Transpowers Bromley substation were damaged beyond repair, which necessitated the erection of temporary 66 kV overhead lines from Bromley to Dallington and Bromley to New Brighton to get power into the eastern suburbs. Such a project would usually take six or seven weeks but was completed in 2? days, with the resource consent process taking only 20 minutes. 98] Power had been restored to 82% of households within five days,[99] and to 95% within two weeks. [100] Generators were donated, and telephone companies established emergency communications and free calls. Water provision was worked on by companies and contractors, while Fonterra provided milk tankers to bring in water, the Army provided desalination plants, and bottled supplies were sent in by volunteers and companies. Mains water supply was re-established to 70% households within one week. [101] Waste water and sewerage systems had been severely damaged, so households had to establish emergency latrines.Over 2,000 portaloos and 5,000 chemical toilets from throughout New Zealand and o verseas were brought in, with 20,000 more chemical toilets placed on order from the manufacturers. [100] Community laundries were set up in affected suburbs by Fisher and Paykel[102] and individuals. Portable shower units were also established in the eastern suburbs. [100] Many companies assisted with transport, particularly Air New Zealand, which operated extra flights of Boeing 747 aircraft to/from Auckland and Boeing 737/Airbus A320/Boeing 777 aircraft to/from Wellington to move people and supplies in and out of Christchurch.The airline also offered flights for Christchurch residents to and from Christchurch for NZ$ 50 one-way from any New Zealand, Australian and Pacific Island airport, and for NZ$400 one way from other international destinations for affected family-members. [103] Fundraising and support efforts were established throughout the country, with many individuals, community groups and companies providing food and services to the city, for welfare and clean up. Many imp romptu initiatives gained significant traction.Thousands of people helped with the clean-up efforts—involving the removal of over 200,000 tonnes of liquefaction silt—including Canterbury Universitys Student Volunteer Army (created after the September quake but significantly enlarged) and the Federated Farmers Farmy Army. [104] The Rangiora Earthquake Express provided over 250 tonnes of water, medical supplies, and food, including hot meals, from nearby Rangiora by helicopter and truck. [105] Casualties, damage, and other effects[edit source | editbeta]The effect of liquefaction in North New Brighton, Christchurch A Central City Red Zone was established on the day of the earthquake as a public exclusion zone in the Christchurch Central City. Since February 2013, it was officially renamed the CBD Rebuild Zone by government agencies, but remained to be known as the Red Zone. It gradually shrank in size and the last cordons were removed on 30 June 2013, 859 days after the earthquake. [106][107][108] As of 3 May 2011, the New Zealand Police believed 181 people had died as a result of the earthquake, but a further four deaths were later judged by the coroner to have been due to the earthquake. 6] Of the 185 victims, 115 people were lost in the Canterbury Television building alone, while another 18 died in the collapse of PGC House, and eight were killed when masonry fell on Red Bus number 702 in Colombo Street. [7] An additional 28 people were killed in various places across the city centre, and twelve were killed in suburban Christchurch. [7] Due to the injuries sustained some bodies remained unidentified. [109] Between 6,600 and 6,800 people were treated for minor injuries (ECAN Review October 2011),[full citation needed] and Christchurch Hospital alone treated 220 major trauma cases connected to the quake. [110]Results of liquefaction. The fine washed-up sand solidifies after the water has run off. Rescue efforts continued for over a week, then shif ted into recovery mode. The last survivor was pulled from the rubble the day after the quake. [111] At 5 pm local time on the day of the earthquake, Radio New Zealand reported that 80% of the city had no power. Water and wastewater services have been disrupted throughout the city, with authorities urging residents to conserve water and collect rainwater. It was expected that the State of Emergency Level 3, the highest possible in a regional disaster, would last for at least five days.Medical staff from the army were deployed. Road and bridge damage occurred and hampered rescue efforts. [112] Soil liquefaction and surface flooding also occurred. [113] Road surfaces were forced up by liquefaction, and water and sand were spewing out of cracks. [114] A number of cars were crushed by falling debris. [115] In the central city, two buses were crushed by falling buildings. [116] As the earthquake hit at the lunch hour, some people on the pavements were buried by collapsed buildings. [117] Casualties[edit source | editbeta]As of 8 September 2011, New Zealand Police had formally identified 177 deceased, and released the names of all 181 victims. In the list are people from fifteen different nationalities, including New Zealand, and the ages of the victims range from 5 weeks to 87 years. [7] Four victims could not be formally identified all of whom were recovered from the CTV Building. Coroner Matenga said, Any traces of DNA have been destroyed by the extremely high temperatures caused by the fire in the CTV building. [109] The nationalities of the deceased are:-[7] Country| Casualties| New Zealand – Christchurch Waimakariri amp; Selwyn – Lyttelton – Wellington – Other/Unknown| 97[118] 86 8 1 1 1| Japan| 28[118]| China| 23| Philippines| 9| Thailand| 6| Israel| 3| South Korea| 2| Canada Ireland Malaysia Romania[119] Serbia Taiwan (Republic of China) Turkey United States| 1 each| Total| 176| Animal casualties[edit source | editbeta] Animal welf are agencies reported that many pets were lost or distressed following the earthquake. [120][121] SPCA rescue manager Blair Hillyard said his 12-strong team assisted urban search and rescue teams that encountered aggressive dogs while conducting house-to-house checks.The team also worked with animals in areas where humans had been evacuated and distributed animal food and veterinary supplies to families in need. 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The American Dream Essays - Advertising, Marketing, Free Essays

The American Dream Essays - Advertising, Marketing, Free Essays The American Dream The American dream. It consists of a family, house, cars, and other luxury items. How did it become the American dream? Why do we feel so compelled to pursue it? The reason is because we, the American public, have been convinced through advertising to acquire it. It is a very powerful way of persuasion. Advertising affects us so powerfully that it sometimes sets our views of society for us. We constantly absorb images of families, houses, and cars through commercials and magazine ads. It persuades us so strongly to the point that it can alter our social consciousness. Alter it to the point that we feel that the American dream is no longer a luxury, it has become a necessity. Today there is almost no way to escape advertisements. The radio, television, and magazine ads make sure of that. The more we view these advertisements, the more we are persuaded toward the American dream. With a television in almost every household and magazines an arm=s length away, advertisers basically have us on our knees. We must digest advertisers= views so frequently that you would think it was necessary to sustain life. Advertising=s main goal is to persuade. They want us to see the American way through their eyes. They tell us what to eat, drink, wear, drive, and think. Advertisers start this form of brainwashing on us at a very early age. They lay the groundwork of ideals early on because it is easy to persuade a child. Now, with the two income family, children are left to interpret not only advertisements but television programming as well without supervision. Children are forced to make their own evaluations and most of the time they go along with the views of what they see. How many times do children want something because they saw it on television? With the unending viewing of shows and advertisements who could blame them. By age twenty, Americans have viewed an estimated half a million commercials. Now that is a major amount of influencing on a young person. This is exactly what advertisers hope to accomplish with young people. They want them to associate advertisements to purchasing. ! It starts out with toys and leads to the American dream. One day they want a matchbox car and a few years later they want a real Porsche. Do not all boys want a fancy car? Do not most girls dream of living in a big house? Is this a coincidence or a carefully thought out scheme by advertisers? Now, how is it exactly that advertisers get us to want the American dream. They do this by channeling into one of our most basic instincts, emotions. Along with emotions, advertisers want to make you feel three other things: connection, imagination, and desire. A connection between the product and a feeling is important. They also want you to imagine yourself in the experience with the merchandise. A strong desire for the product is another effect that the advertiser=s want you to feel. Take for instance any food commercial. They connect the food to a feeling which is hunger. They want you to imagine yourself eating the product. This produces a strong desire for the food. Advertisers hope that this will produce a sale. The stronger the feeling for these topics, the more likely you are to trust and believe that you need them. These feelings are supposed to affect you at a subconscious level. They are not exactly leveling with you. But would you buy something from someone if you! knew they were deceiving you. Why is it that most of us want a family? Well, for the past thirty years we have seen countless families in commercials. Advertisers usually show these families as fun-loving and happy. The message they send out is that a family is healthy. That having a family equals happiness. All of which spell the American dream. If you do not have a family, you are not a complete person and that is not American. Is this not evident through societies silent discouragement of single parents? Do we not think that there is something wrong with someone if they are not married by the age of thirty-five? Advertisers use this

The Software Requirement Specification Case Study

The Software Requirement Specification - Case Study Example Creation of Invoice: - The Salesman creates a Sales Invoice after every purchase. The invoice summarizes the booked room, including full customer information, and information of the booked room. The invoice may contain details of the Options selected by the customer or no options. The Options have a code. The customer choices are being put on the invoice after the Salesman fills the digital form with the code of the selected option. No selection of Code means no option has been chosen by the Customer. Creation of Customer ID: - If the customer books room in Charlton Lodge for the first time, his details are being recorded for future use for promoting sales. The customer is given an ID and so that the same can be used for data storage and retrieval. It's the Salesman who has interacted with the Customer will to fill in all details. Creation of list of Options with each option being given a Code: - The Charlton Lodge provides lots of options to its Customers and these can be identified through the list of features and Option Code. Each Option has been pre stored in the database. The Option contains the details of features associated and the related Option Code. The Operator of the system has to store the list along with its code. Activity diagrams contain activities, transitions between the activities, decision points, and synchronization bars. The activity diagram in this case shows the different phases of creation of the invoice which is actually the most dynamic work in the whole list of system functions. System begins login process. The access right is verified and depending on the result of this decision making process, the system moves on. If verification process gives positive result, room

A Critcal Analysis of W. James Work on Varieties of Religious Essay

A Critcal Analysis of W. James Work on Varieties of Religious Experiences - Essay Example James defines religious experiences as feelings and acts of men that are dependent on what is considered to be divine. His method of studying religious experiences is based on the definition. He relies on four forms of experiences (Totor2u, 2009). The first form explains that experiences are unique to an individual and can only be explained by the person who goes through them. The second form gives an insight to the truth while the third one is short lived. Finally, the last experience is supernatural in nature, and it takes over the human body (Totor2u, 2009). His study on varieties of religious experiences addresses the usefulness of religion in human experiences. Given the fact that he does not dismiss the important role played by science in people’s lives, he tries to create a science of religion with the aim of authenticating religion. For James, it is through varieties that unscientific phenomena can be addressed (Pomerleau, 2002). According to his explanation, science cannot be sure whether religious phenomena are genuine or fraudulent. As such, means of dealing with such discrepancies must be developed. However, he agrees that religious accounts may not always be reliable because people tend to profile their experiences around that which they consider most significant (Cho, 1996). James notes that there is a gap between scientific explanation of phenomena and religious reasons that is hard to understand. The level from which situations can be explained through philosophy is different from religious understanding. He acquires evidence from people believe in supernatural forces to control events. The occurrence of unexplainable events is enough evidence to prove that these forces are real. Since it is what an individual believes in, it is perceived to be the truth (Boston, 2000). The point at which things happen without explanation takes the form

Teacher Accountability For Quality Education In Mauritius

Teacher Accountability For Quality Education In Mauritius There are various papers and reports on teacher accountability worldwide. Our paper focuses on teacher accountability in the Mauritian context. In this study, we argue that even though these studies are stepping stones to conduct pedagogical survey, however they are not sufficient for qualitative research since a recent review from National Institute of Child Health and Human Development claims, rigorous experimental and qualitative research that defines and characterizes effective teaching methodologies that demonstrate improved student performance is limited. This model has been developed from teachers perspective and analyzes their role in the success and failure of students. The conditions identified are based on a literature review on school and teacher accountability. Questionnaire data were collected from a representative teacher sample (N = 206) in 6 State Secondary Schools in in the four educational zones of Mauritius. Keywords: accountability, Qualitative INTRODUCTION The need for teacher accountability is to evaluate a teacher, like evaluating any other professional, one needs to determine what that professional needs to know and be able to do , and then how that professional demonstrates this knowledge through performance (John Schacter). Reports from education policy specialists help us see how we come to have failing schools, low-performing students, and little accountability (Unicef report, 2000) and how we can devise the affordable, reasonable, and workable accountability systems and incentives we need to raise student learning. Therefore, following Earl LeMahieu (cited in Earl, 2005:7) we understand that, Accounting is gathering, organising and reporting information that describes performance. Accountability is the conversation about what the information means and how it fits with everything else that we know, and about how to use it to make positive changes. In fact various literatures stress upon how accountability has become a cornerstone of schools reforms. Gurr (2006:2) notes that, in recent time there has been intense interest in most parts of the world to create systems for monitoring school performance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (2004:20) refer to the worldwide trend towards school evaluation. The Mauritian School is presently experiencing a need to assure academic success and development for all students and the focus is on providing opportunities for students achievement and removes barriers to students access (Strategy Plan 2008- 2020). In this light the focus is on finding ways to reach more students and on the implementation of strategies for successful teaching and learning. At a time of rapid technological advances, there is a need to increase standards-based education through a foundation of accountability to account for academic achievement (Strategy Plan 2008-2020). Global Perspective Recent reform initiatives have laid increasing emphasis on teacher accountability. The aim of President Clintons Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994 was to shift the focus from inputs to results and this reform initiative led to a national development of standard-based educational reform (Herrera Murray, 2006). According to McLaughlin and Shepard (1995), standards-based education can be defined as setting standards of performance in academic subject areas as a means of improving the substance of school curricula and increasing the motivation and effort of students, teachers, and school systems and thereby improving student achievement. In addition to setting high standards, the reform aimed at making educators feel accountable for what students learned and their performance on standardised tests (McLaughlin Shepard, 1995). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law (2002) mandates that USA states adopt comprehensive accountability systems for identifying and improving underperforming schools. The major focus of NCLB is to provide all children with a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain high quality education. The moves towards a more balanced and sustainable approach to school accountability processes in England followed the release of the Governments Green Paper in 2003 called Every Child Matters. Under the accountability and integration proposal outlined in this paper, the creation of an inspection framework for childrens services was to be actioned with the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) taking the lead in bringing together joint inspection teams. School and teacher accountability relates to an ongoing pursuit of quality improvement and at the same time providing public assurance. De Grauwe and Naidoo (2004:39) conclude that the challenge is not to choose between accountability and quality improvement, but to find the right balance between these aims, between internal and external evaluation, between the criteria set by central authorities and those set by the school staff itself, between the demands of the public and the needs of the professional community. Opinion is divided on the impact of school evaluation and accountability processes on the performance of schools. Many authors question the inherent value of the components of some systems. Elmore (cited in Gurr, 2006:3) disputes the long-term worth of external accountability environments and suggests that for real and sustained school improvement, teachers and principals need to take more responsibility for the outcomes they influence. Hattie (2005:12-13) argues that we must develop an accountability system that is located from the student level upwards, directly involving and influencing the teacher and principal level, as such a system is more likely to have major effects on the quality of teaching and learning. Leithwood (2005) proposes the adoption of a reciprocal, professional approach. Together with the assessment of student progress, he emphasizes upon the importance of developing and appraising teachers performance against professional standards. The Reports on School Accountability Framework Review, National and International Perspectives and Approaches help to have an insight in the accountability processes in other countries: In Scotland a system of proportional response has been established linked to the findings of school inspections. In some USA and Australian states various regional and district based services are called upon to support schools in response to reviews and the analysis of test results. Finland, South Korea and Singapore have a strong focus on teacher training and continued professional development for serving teachers and principals. In Finland the initial selection process for students applying for the teacher education program is very rigorous. All teachers graduate with a Masters degree (5 years). South Korea has recently introduced an evaluation system for teachers and principals, while in Singapore teachers and principals are appraised using the Enhanced Performance Management System. Every school is to have a School Staff Developer to ensure that training and professional development programs encompass teacher needs while maintaining a focus on school goals. Experienced teachers in Ontario, Canada are formally evaluated every three years. Inexperienced teachers are mentored, closely monitored and evaluated. An unsatisfactory rating for any teacher can result in a recommendation for termination. In contrast with general trends De Grauwe (2004:78) notes that in Finland, a country that consistently performs at the highest level in international tests, the national inspection system was discontinued in 1991. Decision-makers felt that the benefits from external inspection and advice services were minimal and that, in view of the high level of training and professionalism of teachers and the strong parental interest in the schooling of their children, quality control could be entirely trusted to them. Accountability as an Auditing Tool An accountable educational system can be set up and managed through strategic planning processes, which shape and guide the system, where it is going and how it is going to get there (Kaufman et al, 2002). In the work world, management and employees are held accountable. Those that do well gain merits and are promoted. The marketplace creates incentives for their efficient performance, holds them closely accountable, and rewards success. Likewise, the accountability principle extends to most sectors of Mauritian life more significantly the private sector. Unfortunately, the Mauritian school system lacks the marketplace accountability, which is seen only at the level of large-scale examination systems associated with higher achievement, Cambridge School Certificate and Higher School Certificate. Educators resistance to testing and accountability is not surprising and is rather to be expected. Neither doctors nor bricklayers would choose to be accountable for their effort, it would be much easier for them to say that alls well as they request higher compensation (Evers et al.) Government-generated movement for accountability is generally welcomed by the public, vigilantly accepted by the school personnel responsible for implementing them and skeptically viewed by the teachers who are to be appraised (Odhiambo, 2003). Accountability is a contentious and divisive issue regardless of the context within which it operates. It is not unusual for teachers to openly, or covertly, resist involvement in appraisal schemes for numerous reasons, ranging from a fear of negative information becoming public to a complete lack of trust in the appraiser (Dimmock Walker, 2005). According to the report prepared by Michael Heim for Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education: A Primer for School Leaders, the author based on different literature review comes up with the Conceptual model for accountability. Heim writes that, The evaluative nature of accountability, i.e., using authority justifiably and credibly, is an essential characteristic. The evaluative dimension is what distinguishes accountability from reporting. Furthermore he asks a simple question, Who is responsible for what to whom? The Who is Responsible? and To Whom? components contain numerous accountability providers and recipients: policymakers, the government, education officials, school staff, parents, students, the general public, and special interest groups. It can be noticed that there is an internal-external dimension to accountability. That is, accountability relationships arise internally within the same organization, and also externally that is with recipients outside the organization The following diagram tries to integrate various accountability frameworks found in the literature with the definition of accountability used herein. The diagram contains the necessary components required of a conceptual model for accountability. Conceptual Accountability Model C:UsersAdminDesktopAccountability in Education A Primer for School Leaders_filesAccountability.png Source: M. Heim, Hawaiis School Leadership Academy on Accountability in Education: A Primer for School Leaders Teachers are responsible for accomplishing tasks such as aligning curriculum, classroom instruction, and student assessment practices. Teachers are also responsible for truly involving others so that the co-production of learning can be successful. Attention must be given throughout these efforts to thoughtfully cultivate a relationship with students. Accountability between students and teachers, teachers and parents, and students and parents, can only exist on a mutually agreed relationships and responsibilities among them. Student learning is not a one way traffic or unidirectional, it encloses many factors, some of which are within the authority of school and its staff to control, and others which are not. Whatever the educational circumstances and limiting factors contributing to educational goals, teachers must make a difference in the lives of children and youth. Teachers accountability for student outcomes, then, must highlight the ways and extent to which they have contributed to making a difference. Testing students performance is useful, but information that shows growth or improvement over time is essential (Heim, ). 1.3 Reform Initiatives on Accountability and Quality in the Mauritian Educational System International commitments such as Education for All, Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategies, and the Millennium Development Goals increasingly influence strategy decisions and planning in the Mauritius education sector. Over the past decades, through the different policy papers and reports, the Government has aimed at creating an education system responsive to the emerging needs of society. Besides, the new Programme-Based Budgeting (PBB) system demands achievement in return for investment, and it requires a system of performance measurements at all levels of the education system. According to the Strategy Plan 2008-2020, the vision of the Government is to ensure Quality Education for all. Teacher performance, student assessment and the structure of the system are specifically designed to improve the quality of education and ensuring excellence for all. Quality in the education system requires accountability on the part of teachers for both the learning environments they provide and the learning outcomes they enable their students to achieve (Strategy Plan, 2008). In 1991, the Master Plan pointed out that there were insufficient accountability and poor communication within the educational system as duties and responsibilities were not clearly defined. There was no School Management Division. The Master plan therefore proposed an improved and more effective system of management by re-establishing policy and operational management of responsibilities at all levels to achieve accountability (Parsuramen, 1991). One of the recommendations of the White Paper (1997) was that Heads of Schools should manage their schools within clear policy guidelines and accountability parameters (Pillay, 1997). Moreover, the Action Plan (1998) insisted on accountability and transparency at each level and the setting up of a Quality Assurance Division in order to achieve increased quality and cost effectiveness in the education system. At the turn of the new millennium, Obeegadoo in his reform plan Ending the Rat Race (2000) highlighted that for colleges to be centres of excellence, it is necessary to have a close monitoring of standards with clear lines of accountability. The Strategy Plan 2008-2020 also indicated that performance indicators should be set up so as to increase the accountability of school personnel to produce results. Existing Framework The Mauritian System has developed accountability frameworks which consist the components of school planning, school self-assessment, school reporting and school review (internal or external). Self-assessment and reporting are usually annually based, planning is often both longer term (3-5 years, strategic) and annual (operational) with review cycles. With the purpose of ensuring the accountability of teachers within the educational system, the following indicators are in place: Guidelines such as, the National Curriculum Framework, define the task and responsibilities of teachers. The Personnel Management Manual of the Ministry ensures uniformity and stability of employee action through specified rules and regulations. Quality Assurance Teams assess teaching and learning. Heads of Schools monitor the work of teachers through regular class visits. A Performance Management System (PMS) is in place. After being on a pilot basis in 2009, the system will be fully operational in 2011. Establishment of clear reporting guidelines and schedules. Performance Analysis Report provide statistical data on student achievement results and progression Percentage pass rate at SC and HSC level. 1.5 Barriers/ Limitations that exist 2 levels: one general, second specific (related to our topic) According to David Blake (Quality Assurance in Teacher Leadership Education, A case study) the emerging framework for quality assessment in teacher evaluation is clearly problematic because many problems such as definition, workload, funding, bureaucracy and values are involved. Furthermore, sanctions and rewards are elements of the accountability processes and as mentioned above, teachers as the appraisee are scared of the appraiser. Furthermore to hold the appraisee accountable there needs to be valid and reliable assessment mechanisms. Teacher accountability, as per various studies, is very broad Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondary school teachers feel accountable for their students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state secondary teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating best practices. This article reviews the research on teachers accountability for quality education and proposes that by implementing firm teacher performance based accountability systems (The Milken Family Foundation, 2000), can improve teaching practices and ultimately students success. METHODOLOGY Survey Method The survey method is a research method to gather data about people, their opinion and behaviours (Wikipedia, 2010). The survey method was selected as it is an efficient way of collecting information from a large number of respondents. Survey is flexible as it produces a wider range of information compared to other methods, like direct observation, experimentation (Wikipedia, 2010). Several questions can be asked about the given topic, thus conferring considerable flexibility to the analysis, and standardised questions make measurement more accurate. Statistical tests can be used to determine validity, reliability and statistical significance (Wikipedia, 2010). There are two types of surveys, namely questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaires are usually paper-and-pen instruments which the respondent completes whilst interviews are completed by the interviewer based on the say of the respondent (Trochim, 2006). For the purpose of our study, we found that the Questionnaire method would be best for our situation. Questionnaire Design Data was collected through the use of questionnaires. Our survey used the quantitative measure, i.e. forced-choice questions were used. Cross-sectional survey was used, as information was gathered on a population of State Secondary College teachers, as of October 2010. Once we had selected Questionnaire as our survey method, we had to construct the survey itself by tackling a few issues, including the different types of questions, decisions about question content and purpose, decisions about question wording, decisions about response format, and, question placement and sequence in our questionnaire. Our survey consisted of close-ended questions, where the response options were exhaustive and mutually exclusive. Two types of response scales were used, namely, dichotomous, and four-point Likert. Five main sections have been duly taken into consideration while designing the questionnaire namely Respondent Profile, Planning and Preparation, Classroom Environment, Instruction, Professional Responsibilities and Support and Demand. These are essential components regarding collection of data in connection with teacher accountability for quality education. Participants A representative sample of State Secondary School teachers was selected from a population of 3439 teachers so as to collect questionnaire data. The study was explained to the teachers and they were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The questionnaire data was collected from a sample of 206 teachers from 6 State Secondary Schools from the four Educational Zones in Mauritius. 3 of the schools are termed as State Colleges and are high-performing schools with an average pass rate of 80%, whilst the other 3 schools are low-performing schools with an average pass rate of 75%. The sample was 59% female and 41% male; the age ranged between 23 and 60 years with an average age of 30-40 years. The participants belonged to 14 different departments. Limitation of the study Though there are advantages to the questionnaire method, we would, however, like to point out that there are a number of weaknesses to the method. For instance, the quality of responses cannot be judged and respondents honesty cannot be proven. Human biases for e.g. ego of the respondents are there. High response rates were not achieved; out of the 300 questionnaires distributed, only 206 were retrieved. The period during which the survey was carried out was not appropriate due to the fact that many teachers were involved in Cambridge examinations at that given time. Moreover, some respondents did not attempt a few questions whilst others, although having the best of intentions, could not find the time to respond to the questionnaire. Others misplaced the instrument or forgot to return it. It was also noted that though secrecy was assured, some respondents were unwilling to provide certain information as they felt this would somehow intrude on their confidentiality, for e.g. some omitted to specify whether they were the Head of Department or not. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Purpose of study The purpose of the study is to find out whether state secondary school teachers feel accountable for their students performance. This study examines the roles and responsibilities of state secondary teachers and it aims at transforming teachers into accountable, responsible competent collaborators, demonstrating best practices. Respondent Profile Male (%) Female (%) Age group 30-40 41-50 >50 10.6 58.8 12.9 17.6 30.0 55.0 10.0 5.0 Teaching experience 5-15 yrs 16-25 yrs >25 yrs 13.4 54.9 13.4 18.3 25.2 59.7 9.2 5.9 Educational zone 1 2 3 4 12.9 58.8 15.3 12.9 22.3 41.3 9.9 26.4 Posting Gaetan Raynal SC Shrimati Indira Gandhi SSS Quartier Militaire SSS Sookdeo Bissoondoyal SC Sir Leckraz Teeluck SSS Sharma Jugdambi SSS 13.1 21.4 3.6 14.3 34.5 13.1 26.4 11.6 15.7 9.9 14.0 22.3 Type of posting Permanent Supply Medco 88.2 7.1 4.7 89.2 6.7 4.2 Department English French Mathematics Science Social Studies Computer Economics Accounts Home Economics Art and Design Design and Technology Physical Education Oriental Languages/ Hinduism Music and Dance 5.1 8.9 20.3 17.7 3.8 1.3 7.6 10.1 0 2.5 6.3 5.1 8.9 2.5 16.5 13.0 7.8 9.6 1.7 1.7 5.2 3.5 4.3 5.2 0 1.7 25.2 4.3 Head of Department Yes No 23.5 76.5 19.2 80.8 Working periods 16-20 21-25 >25 2.4 3.6 22.6 71.4 4.1 5.8 25.6 64.5 Qualifications Diploma Degree Masters 4.8 69.0 26.2 5.0 65.3 29.8 Professional training Yes No 64.6 35.4 49.6 50.4 Teacher Accountability/Effectivess Performance Management System One of the governments principal stated reasons for introducing performance management into schools was that it claimed doing so would help improve the professional development of teachers (DfEE, 2000, p.3). The PMS (Performance Management System) in Mauritius allows the educator to be assessed based on a variety of competencies, of which he/she has to choose at least ten. This new tool of performance appraisal of teachers is still at its initial stage in Mauritian schools. The results obtained are provided below. Table 1: Educators self-rating based on competencies enlisted in PMS Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Always 83 40.3 41.3 41.3 Often 82 39.8 40.8 82.1 Rarely 25 12.1 12.4 94.5 Never 11 5.3 5.5 100.0 Total 201 97.6 100.0 Missing System 5 2.4 Total 206 100.0 The study carried out by Brown, A (2005) showed that performance management can, under certain circumstances, help to improve the quality of primary education in England. with new challenges in the field of education, teachers also basically need to be assessed by such appraisal systems so as to maintain accountability. However, the study by Monyatsi, P. et al (2006) in the context of teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of teacher appraisal in Botswana concluded that though some teachers consider teacher appraisal as an axe ready to chop teachers which is contrary for the appraisal process to serve the purposes of accountability, yet, through the appraisal process as practiced in Botswana secondary schools, teachers can gain increased knowledge and skills, which ultimately enhance their performance in their daily duties in the schools Our study supports this fact as out of 205 respondents in this section, 146 educators organise and manage their classrooms effectively whereas on 2 of hem rarely do so. To bring about a rise in performance through efficiency and effectivenss, there are two major aspects which need to be taken into account. One, professional development of the teacher and second, accountability. The Strategy Plan 2008-2020 caters for this aspect by focusing onlifelong learning of the educator. With the growing challenges in education, teachers roles are changing rapidly. Globalisation and meeting international educational standards demand the teacher to be more professional in his/her teaching tasks. Teachers are expected to be equipped with updated trainings in pedagogy, teaching skills and professional development. Many countries are coming with teacher appraisal management systems so as to make the teacher of today become accountable at various levels. (ON DEMAND SUPPORT ?) The study conducted on teacher accountability demonstrated that the expectations of educators as far as support in the form of trainings, opportunities to work with experienced teachers or even participation in decision making are much below and somewhere, there is a co-relation between support and the accountability of educators towards their multiple tasks they perform. Though, many educators (107 often give remedial work, 94 often encourage group learning and 94 collect feedback on students performance whereas on 1 educator never does so in all the cases) are accountable towards their modes of instruction and are satisfied with their teaching practices, yet,some seem to be less accountable as far as performance of students on an overall basis is considered (18.9%). Many have held the rector responsible for the overall rate of failures or passes while detaching themselves from the schools performance. Normore (2004) mentions that being accountable means, among other things, being o bligated or subject to giving an account. In saying that someone is accountable we could imply that he/she is obligated to give a report, description, explanation, justifying analysis, or some form of exposition of reasons, causes, grounds, or motives for what we have observed Table 2: Educators feel rector is accountable for acedemic success/failure of students Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Always 49 23.8 24.7 24.7 Often 51 24.8 25.8 50.5 Rarely 64 31.1 32.3 82.8 Never 34 16.5 17.2 100.0 Total 198 96.1 100.0 Missing System 8 3.9 Total 206 100.0 It implies that, based on our survey, educators in Mauritius are normally very much satisfied with performance at their departmental level rather than at the institutional level. Many (144 educators) assert that they are satisfied with their classroom teaching only. As for the Planning and Preparation aspect, most educators do prepare their Lesson Plans and their Scheme of Work on a regular basis (135 out of 206 always do so). Out of 203, only 1 educator never preprares the Scheme of Work. Out of 203, 13 rarely align their objectives with the National Curriculum Framework. Hanley, C. (2009) documents a number of the ways in which accountability pressure has changed school instructional policies and practices in Floridas low-performing schools, and relate these instructional policy and practice changes to increased student performance. Many educators also felt that demonstrating a general feeling of warmth, care and respect towards their students make them accountable and thus, contribute to their professional development (140 always do so whereas only 3 never do so). Feeling responsible towards the classroom setting and oraginsing and managing classrooms effectively has an impact on the performance of students and therefore bring quality teaching, they believed. This is why, a considerable number of educators take care of these aspects with existing infrastructure at their particular schools. However, some educators (40 rarely and 4 never do so) do not feel responsible/accountable for preparing their students for competition and collaboration in a global economy. This confirms that the vision of the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, as stated in the Strategy Plan 2008-2010, has not totally reached the understanding of educators. Another reason might be that though the vision is noble yet appropriate infra structure and training are hardly to be provided to schools for implementation. 3.4 Teacher Experience a

Essay: the Promise of the Sociological Imagination

JaypeeII – AB Sociology 10-10-11 Socio 212MWF / 1:30pm – 2:30pm The Promise of the Sociological Imagination (By: C. Wright Mills) Charles Wright Mills (1916-1962) was an American sociologist, and a social commentator and critic. He was born on August 28, 1916 in Waco, Texas. Mills has been described as a â€Å"volcanic eminence† in the academic world and as â€Å"one of the most controversial figures in American social science†. He is committed to social change and angered by the oppression he saw around him. He was anti-authoritarian, showy and an individualistic. I figured out that, he got married three times by different women (Dorothy Helen Smith, Ruth Harper and Yaroslava Surmach) and had two daughters (Pamela and Kathryn) and one son (Nikolas Charles). Mills died on March 20, 1962 – cause of major heart attack. One of the most influential works of Mills (that he coined) was the Sociological Imagination (1959), in which he set out his views on how social science should be practiced. Sociological Imagination plays an important role in explaining the nature of sociology and its relevance in daily life. He defined it as, â€Å"the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society†. In addition, he believed in the power of the Sociological Imagination to connect â€Å"personal troubles† to â€Å"public issues† – is the ability to see things socially, and how they interact and influence each other. Therefrom, to have a Sociological imagination, a person must be able to pull away from the situation and think from an alternative point of view. It requires thinking ourselves away from our daily routines, and then looking at them over. C. Wright Mills pointed out three components that form the Sociological Imagination: (1) History – how a society came to be, how it is changing, and how history is being made in it. (2) Biography – the nature of â€Å"human nature† in a society; what kind of people inhabits a particular society. (3) Social Structure – how the various institutional orders in a society operate, which ones are dominant, how are they held together, how they might be changing, etc. (http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/C. _Wright_Mills). The Promise of Sociology details how C. Wright Mills’ notion compels us to investigate into an individual’s biography and lifestyles, and place their findings within the surrounding circumstances – in which events occur in order to perceive the whole picture of the society in which the individual survives. According to him, what occurs in any individual’s life is interrelated with society as a whole. Mills mentioned that, presently individuals, men and women often feel that their private lives are series of traps in which they sense that they cannot surpass these traps (troubles) within their everyday lives. Hence, what people are aware of and what they try to do are usually, confined by their private cycle by which they live and because of their visions of powers were limited to different things or group – they move imaginably and remain as an observer to their surroundings. The more they are aware of those things (within their environment), the more they seem to feel being deceived. He stated that facts of contemporary history are also facts about the success and the failure of individual men and women. Since, when a society is industrialized, a peasant becomes a worker; a feudal lord is placed or becomes a businessperson. Moreover, when classes rise or fall, a man is employed or unemployed; when the rate of investment goes up or down, a man takes a new heart or goes broke – these few cases are facts that usually happen in present days. Until now, individuals usually do not determine the troubles they suffer in terms of historical change and institutional conflict. Like Emile Durkheim, as stated to his study regarding the historical transformation from mechanical to organic solidarity – what causes the change or transformation between them was the increase in dynamic density of the society. Because of a sudden transformation in every period, people had the difficulty to know or recognize disastrous changes due to historical facts that are now immediately becoming â€Å"merely history† – a history that now affects every man is world history because of its highly specialized. Mills also emphasized that, everywhere in the underdeveloped world, ancient ways of life are broken up and vague expectations become urgent demands. Everywhere in the overdeveloped world, the means of authority and of violence become total in scope and bureaucratic in form – like what Durkheim discussed about the LAW (the concept of his theory). This can be interrelated to the Restitutive Law, a characteristic of organic solidarity – where individuals in this more modern type of society were asked to comply with the law. Thus, Mills explained that it is not only information and skills of reason that the commonality need, since information frequently controls their attention and devastate their capacities to understand it. Like Georg Simmel’s theory, The Tragedy of Culture. Where in it, he argued that people are doomed to increasingly less understanding of the world they have created and are destined to be increasingly controlled by that world. Then what they need is the quality of mind that will help them to use information and to develop reason in order to achieve understandable summary of what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within them. Thus, Mills believed that knowledge, when properly used, could bring about change and the good society. Furthermore, he added that, if the good society was not yet here, it was primarily the fault of intellectuals – people of knowledge. Mills said, to understand this â€Å"Imagination† would be to see the connection between personal troubles and public issues. Where â€Å"Personal Troubles† are problems that are felt personally, which are caused by occurrences or feelings in an individual’s life; and â€Å"Public Issues† are issues that affect a group or mass of people with their roots associated within an organization or institution and history of a society. A person can become homeless for many reasons: a family member throws them out of their home because they do not contribute financially, or they become incapable of caring for themselves due to mental illness, or they become addicted to drugs and lose their home trying to support their habit. These are a few examples of personal troubles which most would think are brought about by the individual alone and therefore can be solved by them. However, when using Sociological Imagination, one can see that homelessness is also a social problem. Therefore, Charles Wright Mills made a significant contribution in, his integration of American pragmatism and European sociology which lead to innovative work in the sociology of knowledge; he completed a substantial range of studies in what was a short working life; and lastly, he provided a considerable and lasting intellectual stimulus to others. Sociological Imagination then, enables us to grasp history and biography and the relations between the two within society – that is its task and its â€Å"PROMISE† and this is the purpose of classical social analysts. Sociological Imagination is becoming the major common denominator of our cultural life and its signal feature (this quality of mind is found in the social and psychological sciences). It is not merely a fashion, it is a quality of mind that seem most dramatically to â€Å"PROMISE† an understanding of the intimate realities of ourselves in connection with larger social realities. It is not merely one quality of mind among the contemporary range of cultural sensibilities – it is the quality whose wider and more skilled use offers the promise that all such sensibilities and in fact, human reason itself will come to play a greater role in human affairs. In addition, you cannot understand the life of an individual or the history of society without the understanding personal troubles and public issues of the commonality.

Attitudes in Jesse Pope and Dulce Et Decorum Est

Compare the poets attitude to war in ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? ’ by Jesse Pope In this essay I will be comparing the poets attitudes to war in ‘Dulce et decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen and ‘Who’s for the game? by Jesse Pope. ‘Dulce et decorum est’ is about the unglamorous reality of trench life, while ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is a propaganda poem published in the Daily Mail encouraging young men to join the army. Both have different views and attitudes to war and there poems are quite different. Wilfred Owen’s poem is positive, whilst Jesse Pope’s is positive.Although both poems are about war they have vastly different attitude to war. Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ encourages young men to join, promotes the positives and makes those who don’t join feel like outsiders. For example the ‘who’ll grip and tackle the job unafraid? ’, which is implying that those who don’t join the war are afraid of the war. This is very effective because they use emasculation to make a man feel like less of a man. Furthermore their family would feel embarrassed and pressured by others who have joined the army.Young men ,during that war, also thought that joining the army would be like an adventure and that they would have a blast. Many people also underestimated the war and assumed that it would all be over by Christmas. On the other hand ‘Dulce et decorum est’ focuses on the negatives aspects like death, war and the harshness of it. In the very first line Owen writes ‘Bent double, like beggars under sacks’ as soon as the reader starts the poem they already know that Owen is strongly denying the concept: ‘Dulce et Decorum est’- that it is sweet and honourable to die for your country.By using that it sets the theme for the rest of the poem, which is about the untold story of trench life. While ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is a poem about the reality of war, Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is promoting the war and portrays it as a game. She uses word and phrases usually used in sports such as: ‘grip’; ‘tackle’; ‘Signal to Go! ’ and ‘toe the line’. Using these words she makes the comparison between war and game more effective. On the other hand Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decdorum est’ is the hard reality of going to fight for your country.Therefore he focuses on describing the soldiers’ vunerable and poor situation as already seen ‘Bent double, like beggar under sacks’. Instantly this sets the subject matter for the poem, by comparing soldiers, who are thought to be of as strong and healthy, to beggars. This comparison is effective because beggars are thought of as weak, dirty and vunerable, which is what he is trying to get the reader to imagine. Although the Pope’s poem is about war she had never experience the war first hand, compared to Owen who was a soldier and had actually joined the army.Jesse Pope was a writer and journalist and her work was often described as being very patriotic as can be seen in ‘Who’s for the game? ’. Her attitude was that war was a game, and that young men should take part in the war. Pope was also part of the propaganda pro-war poets, who encouraged and pressured young men to join. Unlike today woman, during that time, were not allowed to join the army. The fact that a woman wrote this poem was also very significant, because men felt that they couldn’t refuse a woman and that their pride and honour was very important.Whereas Wilfred Owen was a soldier and had joined the army, been injured, but still came back. Sadly Owen, who was against the war, died in action one week before the end of the war. The tone in the poem reflects the poets different attitudes. Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ tone sounds betrayed, angry and upset. One line that reflects the betrayal is ‘The old lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori’. This line is also the title and the betrayal he feels towards the propaganda is clear, because his discusses the negatives of war throughout his poem and does not mention anything positive about the war.On the other hand Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ is more excited and upbeat and she uses words like ‘Come along, lads’ to suggest it’s a game and that all are welcome to play. I think both poems had alot of poetic techniques both use rhyme. Pope uses words that rhyme like ‘tight’ and ‘fight’, and Owen used word like ‘sludge’ and ‘trudge’ . I think both poets used rhyme (a sound device) so that the poem could be appreciated when read aloud. Especially words like ‘sl udge’ and ‘trudge’ really exaggerate the soldiers movement and how hard it was for them to walk.Pope also uses a extended metaphor comparing war to a game throughout the poem. This comparison is very effective because she tempts the reader by saying have fun and join us or watch and be part of the audience, which is made apparent when she writes ‘who wants a turn to himself in the show, and who wants a seat in the stand. She also uses repetition with the word ‘who’ll’ on the beginning of several lines and also uses collective personal pronouns like ‘you’ll, your and you’ as if she is speaking directly to the reader. On the other hand Owen uses the same technique (repetition) but for a different purpose.This can be seen when he writes ‘I saw him drowning†¦ He plunges at me guttering, choking, drowning’. He repeats these words to emphasize the shock and harshness that someone is dying and he canâ€℠¢t do anything about it, and the soldiers death is still haunting him after all this time. Likewise he repeats the words face ‘white eyes writhing in his face, his hanging face’ to really emphasize what he is seeing. Owen also uses personification, metaphors and similes in his poem. For instance ‘haunting flares’, ‘drunk with fatigue’ and ‘like hags’ to paint a picture of what the soldiers and their surroundings look like.This is effective because the reader can empathise with the soldiers just from the description. Pope also uses personification by comparing the country to a woman she writes, ‘Your country is up to her neck in a fight’. This use of personification is effective because men feel they need to protect woman and so they feel responsible for their country. Both poets use poetic techniques such as: personification; repetition and rhyme to express their different views and attitudes towards war. So whilst the y may have used the same techniques they used it for different purpose.I think that their attitudes towards war are very different. Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum est’ is what he thought and had personally experienced, while Jesse Pope’s ‘Who’s for the game? ’ was propaganda poem encouraging young men that the war was a game. Even though I don’t agree with Pope’s approach, I think it’s very effective and shows how her attitude towards war is very patriotic. I think Pope’s poem is very effective and I can understand why so many men felt they needed to join the army. They have different views and attitudes to war and express their personal views through their poems.