Comparison Between Two Paintings Essay Example for Free

Comparison Between Two Paintings Essay During the 14th century, when the beginning of the Renaissance took place, Florence was one of the main political, economic, and artistic cities in Europe. The Black Death, the plague that reduced the population of Florence, and the difficulties Florence encountered by this time explain the heavy influence of gothic style in architecture and the elegance found in every artwork created in this era. Florence was one of the top European cities when it came to painting, because it had the greatest school of painting where many important artists assisted. Florence, throughout the years, has always been an important influence in history and art. Even though many artists have a vast aspiration for art, each artist possesses his own criteria and methods that they acquired during the time in which they lived. Artists in Italy from the 1400s throughout 1900s shared many common techniques and skills that were characterized by their era. This period brings a new perspective of life to the European countries in the early fourteenth-century. By this time, people in Italy thought that a new and contemporary era had begun with a new style in painting and architecture and a new evolution in music, science, philosophy, and literature as well. Lorenzo di Credi, is an Italian painter who belonged to the Renaissance period of the 1400s. Lorenzo di Credi, who lived in Florence, was learning about this new era that had a huge impact in everyone’s life. This new era had an advanced development in society and a rise of civic culture. A new sense of realism in art, new discoveries in the material world, and new more joyous vision of the world around them were taking place during the era. The Renaissance influenced the social, economic, spiritual, scientific, and religious aspect of Italy. Lorenzo, who started to have a special interest in art when he was in Florence by the 1450s, was already starting to produce his own paintings. When Lorenzo started his vocation as an artist, he always had a special interest in portraits. â€Å"He is known primarily for his devotional paintings, although he was also much in demand as a portrait painter and was a sensitive draughtsman. † Lorenzo also started painting in oil, which was a new technique that arose in the Renaissance period. This new technique was usually painted in wood or canvas. Oil has a deep, intense tone and has hard, enamel-like surfaces. With oil, painters could also demonstrate the glowing and the light and, if needed, they could arrange any possible mistake or part they wanted to change because oil dries very slowly. This technique is not easy to adapt and adjust, but this did not keep Lorenzo from painting with it. â€Å"It is not known how oil painting was first developed, but in Western Europe there are indications of its use from at least the 12th century AD, and it was widely used from the Renaissance. Oil was also very popular because with it, artists could produce the finest clarity of colour. Artists manipulate the oil using stiff brushes made out of hog hair. Lorenzo was recognized for possessing patience when working in his paintings, he did not only use oil, he also adapted other methods of painting that required a lot of skill. A perfect example of a famous artwork of Lorenzo di Credi is Portrait of a Young Women. In the Renaissance, women were not lucky to live in Florence if they wanted to be involved in society. Woman by this era were just a subject of men. The Portrait of a Young Women exhibits a widow woman. When looking at the painting, one can find a variety of characteristics that lead the viewers to think her husband has died. In the Renaissance era women in Italy dressed very elegantly, wearing long gowns with baggy and loose fitting dresses. Woman used to wear very complex fabrics that covered their entire body. Wool was usually the dominant fabric woman in Italy used to wear in different types of quality and colors. This young woman in the painting is wearing a long, simple black dress with long sleeves and a black veil on the head. The dress may not seem extravagant because she is dressed as a widow. The dress does not contain any important detail, but stills looks elegant. Besides her clothing, her appearance does not demonstrate a positive one. The look on her face and the body language the painting resembles has a negative connotation. It is said that this woman was Lorenzo di Credi’s sister-in-law. She is also holding a ring in her left hand, which one can assume is her wedding ring. The way she holds and places her hands leads the viewer to think she is thinking about him, she is recalling him. The look on her face, her eyes, nose, and mouth are all-static, they don’t have any positive expression. When looking at the eyes, one cannot tell where she is looking at. One may think Lorenzo was imitating Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa. It is said that Lorenzo admired and followed Leonardo’s paintings. When looking at Lorenzo’s paining, one can relate with her because of the rigorousness body. Her hands and her face are painted with in an accurate manner. Lorenzo’s skills are perfectly demonstrated in this painting, one can see the shadows all over he painting and the different tones of colors he uses in his work. The young woman’s body is so realistic that one can even see the perfect nails and the wrinkles in her hands. Behind the widow woman is a beautiful garden and an enjoyable view. The background contains many details in the tress, especially in the leaves. The background incorporates the mountains and the sky with a variety of tones of blues and greens. The tree behind the woman is painted in a circular way looking like a halo, which can resemble an image of the Virgin Mary. Her face looks calm and docile, which can also be associated with the Virgin Mary. After analyzing Portrait of a Young Woman from the 15th century, one is going to encounter a whole new perspective of life with new techniques and characteristics in a painter from the 20th century even though both artists are Italian. This Italian artist, Umberto Boccioni, was not only a painter; he was also involved with sculptures, theories, and literature. Even though his career came to an end very fast when he died at a young age, he still influenced many artist around the world and had a very productive career. Boccioni was from the Italian city of Verona, but he spent the majority of his childhood in Forli, Genoa, and Padua. It is not until he moves to Rome that he found his passion for art. Boccioni, inspired by Balla, relates himself a lot with landscapes and nature. â€Å"In his first years of activity, closely following his master’s teaching, Boccioni produced oil paintings, sketches, pastels, studies in tempera, and advertising posters. † After several years he went to Paris where he got inspired by the modernity and the French metropolis, which impacted his life and his work in many ways. Boccioni was leaving in a new era were the Futurism, art movement, was taking place. The Futurism movement had a great influence in his artwork; it later became a distinguished characteristic in all of his paintings and his career as an artist. He established this movement, so by demonstrating his painting with this new movement, he also inspired other artists to follow the Futurism. Self-Portrait was painted in Rome in the 1905 when Boccioni was twenty-three years old. In Boccioni’s famous painting, one can see Umberto Boccioni well dressed in black also with a black, flat hat on his head. The painting does not show the body’s parts with clarity and the painting only covers less than half of his body. The way Boccioni paints himself is in a more modern manner using vivid colors in the background and in his face. This portrait is also painted with oil, but this time on a canvas instead of wool. Oil on canvas was the other method artist used in the 1400s, but still was popular in the 20th century. One can see that oil became an important gadget for artists in their paintings and is still currently in use by many artists at the present time. Boccioni’s painting, Self-Portrait, reflects a change in style from light tonalities in colors to stronger contrasts of light and dark. With the way Boccioni applies the oil in this painting, one can see that the body itself is not well defined because of the longer brushstrokes. His face has a deep, serious look with his eyebrows twisted even though his black, little eyes are almost close. At the background, one can see a wall with different tone of yellow, baby blue, and the leaves of a tree. One can see that Boccioni avoided the straight line and has used complementary colors to create a vibrant effect and express a positive connotation in his portrait. Now, one can see that even though both artists are Italian, they still have very different styles; they both have different perspectives of life because of different periods the lived in. Although they both have very different techniques, one can still find some characteristics that relate them and connect their paintings. Di Credi shows a more complex, divine, almost perfect human being while Boccioni portraits himself in a more modern manner. Both paintings are portraits; yet, one can find a lot of distinction between the two of them. While the young woman shows a negative connotation, Boccioni’s self portrait shows a lively man with vivid colors that gets the viewer’s attention immediately. Both artists found a way of establishing a human body in different styles using different methods with the brushes. Another difference in the way these two artists painted is that with di Credi’s painting one can see when he exactly ends in the edges. One can see that the young woman seems real, while Boccioni’s portrait has more shadows. In Boccioni’s painting is more noticeable the use of brushes than in di Credi’s young woman. Usually, each artist demonstrates his feelings in their paintings; or shows a current event happening in the artist’s era. Or they just produce something that has impact their life or them in any certain way. Zeitgeist , â€Å"spirit of the times† can be related with theses two artists and their paintings because both are presenting their passion for art in the epoch in which they are living. All artworks are a reflection of the time. By analyzing and comparing these two paintings, one can find many interesting aspects of art. Art is more than a painting; art is a history behind an artwork that each artist is trying to evoke in every viewer. Art is using one’s creativeness to transmit one’s thoughts. One can appreciate more the Art when learning the â€Å"spirit of the time†; one can comprehend the artist’s emotions by analyzing every single detail in the artwork and the historical background of it. It is beyond belief how many details one can find when observing in detail each painting; one can find intriguing how every artist was impacted and influenced by the political, economical and historical aspect of their own country. The techniques, skills, and styles di Credi and Boccioni possessed are still influencing other artist nowadays. Their artworks will always be recognizable and distinguishable to people because art will never be forgotten. As centuries go by, one will still see these two artists dominating, impacting, and influencing new artists and viewers.

History of Rape in armed conflict

History of Rape in armed conflict Rape and violent sexual abuse of women in armed conflict has a long history which corroborates that sexual violence is not only common; in effect it is encouraged. In war, every man could be king  [1]  . Rape has existed as an invidious expression of the domination and subjugation of women throughout the course of human existence and is compelling evidence of the subordination of women by men  [2]  .Women are raped by men of all ethnic origins, creed and ideologies. During Biblical times soldiers regarded women as spoils of war; Biblical law conveyed that soldiers could take these as plunder. [a]nd you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies  [3]  . Hebrews raped  [4]  and were permitted to keep the captives as slaves or concubines. Greeks raped; Homers Iliad offers an insight into the fate of women in war, the book opens with an argument between the Greek warriors Agamemnon and Achilles over the possession of women seized during the Trojan W ar. Chryseism a Trojan woman of lesser status was captured by the Spartans and given to Agamemnon as his battle camp entertainment  [5]  . In the History of Art H W Janson has offered an explanation of the sculpture by the 16th century Italian artist Giovanni Bologna entitled Rape of The Sabine women, which is a reminder of the fate of the Sabine women at the hands of Roman warriors  [6]  . In the middle age during the first crusade knights throughout their march to Constantinople set aside time to assault women  [7]  . In the fifteenth century French soldiers raped English women during the hundred year war  [8]  and Catholic French raped French women during the war of religion  [9]  . In 1746 King Georges army suppressed a Scottish rebellion by raping any Scottish woman ill-fated enough to be home  [10]  . George Washingtons documents recorded an occurrence of rape in the revolutionary war  [11]  .General Andrew Jackson was credited with coining the phrase Booty and Beauty during the 1812 war  [12]  ,substantiating the opinion that women during war become mere object and are no more legal su bjects. In 1914 during World War I, rape was extensively used against French and Belgian women by German soldiers, who began to abandon this practice  [13]  , when the troops switched to trench warfare making access to local women difficult  [14]  . Rape was used as a war tactic by German and Japanese armies in World War II and later by the Russian forces as a weapon of retribution .Kristallnacht or the night of broken glass was a night of rapes, arson, plunder and murder in November 1938 as Germans killed Jews, burned their properties and arrested the survivors, so that they could be moved to concentration camps  [15]  . However, it must be noted that Hitlers government expelled rapists from the Nazi party and turned them over to the civil courts as Nazis regarded rapes more reprehensible than murder since rape violated Nuremburg racial laws forbidding sexual intercourse between Gentiles and Jews. When the war changed course and the Russian army advanced into German territory, G erman women were treated exactly as the Russian women had been treated by the Germans. Hordes of Russian troops demanded the rights due the conquerors: the women of the conquered  [16]  . Moroccan armed force in 1948 fought free French forces in Italy under contract terms that included free license to rape and plunder in the enemy territory  [17]  . In 1937 during World War II the Chinese Nationalist army used Nanking as its capital but General Chiang Kai-shek decided not to defend Nanking and withdrew the army when Japanese forces arrived leaving the city full of defenceless women and children resulting in a number of them being abnormally and sadistically killed and raped  [18]  . Many old women and young girls were raped and their bodies were mutilated after the act. In the Tokyo tribunal it was noted that the Japanese government had knowledge of the rapes but did nothing to prevent them from happening  [19]  . The atrocities did not stop with Nanking, the Japane se soldiers forced almost 80,000 to 200,000 Asian women, mostly Korean who were known as comfort women, to serve as sex slaves. These comfort women were held mostly at frontline brothels and evidence shows that officials of the Japanese Imperial army  [20]  maintained meticulous records about the price per woman (one yen to use a Chinese woman, one and a half yen to use a Korean woman and two yen to use a Japanese woman) , revenue generated and venereal disease  [21]  . While giving evidence at the Tokyo tribunal, one soldier admitted that he partook in daybreak raids on Korean villages dragging women and loading them into trucks to be taken to frontline brothels  [22]  . Historians hold the view that most women held in Japanese brothels died during or soon after the World war II  [23]  . The experience of Vietnamese women in the 1960s was no different than the experience of women involved in armed conflict in the past.The sight of a womans body spread eagled with an 11th brigade badge between her legs, witnessed by an American G.I flying over a rice paddy near the village of My Lai in Vietnam, a few days after an American unit had massacred nearly the entire population, bears some evidence to this continuing abuse.  [24]  . Time and war tactics advanced but the plight of women during armed conflict saw no change. More than 20,000 Bengali women were raped and impregnated by Pakistani soldiers in the 1971 war between Pakistan and what is today Bangladesh  [25]  . Almost 5000 women were raped by Iraqi soldiers during the August 1990 invasion of Kuwait and after liberation a number of foreign domestic workers were raped by returning Kuwaitis  [26]  . Women in Rwanda  [27]  and Kashmir  [28]  suffered rape and death during internal armed conflict. During Perus 12 year internal war women were raped, murdered and threatened both by the government security forces and the communist party of Peru shining path  [29]  . Similarly women in East Timor were raped and killed since the Indonesian occupation of 1975  [30]  . During the ethnic violence of Liberias civil war, Liberian women faced rape and death  [31]  . Media reports are available of sexual violence committed against women by UN TAC in Cambodia; UN forces in Somalia and rebel forces in Dr. Congo  [32]  . Most recently, there have been reports of mass rapes which have occurred in the war torn lands of the former Yugoslavia. M. Cherif Bassiouni (head of an U N commission investigating war crimes) cited almost 13,000 to 50,000 rape victims in the Bosnian war, majority being Muslim women victimized by the Serbs  [33]  , who used rape as a weapon in order to express the totality of victory, a means for troop mollification and as a form of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The details listed above are but a few to give an insight into the historical past ; however, for ages rape has been used and continues to be used globally as a weapon during internal or external armed conflict.

Environmental Degradation In Mauritius

Environmental Degradation In Mauritius Environmental degradation is the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of wildlife. It is defined as any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. The main environmental problems facing Mauritius are water pollution, soil erosion, and preservation of its wildlife. The sources of water pollution are sewage and agricultural chemicals. Mauritius cities produce 0.1 million tons of solid waste annually. The erosion of the soil occurs through deforestation. The Ministry of Housing, Lands, and the Environment has principal responsibility in environmental matters. As of 2001, only about 1.8% of the nations total land area is protected. According to UN reports, Mauritius ranked third in the world on the list of countries with the most endangered species in the mid-1990s. In 2002, there were 44 extinct species. As of the mid-1990s, 3 of Mauritius mammal species and 10 of its bird species were endangered, as well as 269 of its plant species. Endangered species on the island of Mauritius include the pink pigeon, Round Island boa and keel-scaled boa, green sea turtle, and Mauritius varieties of kestrel, parakeet, and fody. Extinct species include the Mauritian duck, the Mauritius blue pigeon, and the red rail. One of the biggest threats that the environment faces today is environmental degradation. One of the main reasons for environmental degradation is human activity. Rampant burning of fossil fuel and deforestation are major causes of this degradation. Also, over hunting, expansion of residential areas, increasing population and industrialization are degrading the environment beyond repair. The toxic chemicals let out by industries end up contaminating the water bodies. This, in turn, makes the water bodies polluted and the water is not fit for drinking or irrigating land. Also, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, are contributing to the gradual warming of the planet, a process known as global warming. This warming is having a negative impact on the climate and we can observe climate change everywhere. Agricultural activities are wreaking havoc with the environment. Agriculture is leading to degradation of the soil and contamination of ground water due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers. Strong economic development Strong economic development on a small territory is generating threats on environment. In a developing country, there is often a gap between development and prevention or correction measures. In Mauritius, we have very fast development simultaneously causing numerous problems, a lack of human resources and frequent undeserved privileges. There are various conflicts of interest on a small space, particularly on the coastal zone, between various activities. Tourism in Mauritius The tourism service provider in Mauritius is heavily dependent on natural resources, that the physical environment. The traditional marketing approach of sand, sea and sun has created a mindset that led to the concentration of tourist facilities in coastal areas. Coupled with an economys growing dependence on tourism revenues and the agglomeration of hotels on the coastline, tourism has developed into a sector of the economy in its own right which has led to a greater use of coastal and marine resources. This dependence is not without cost, both for the economy and industry. According to Empretec Mauritius, the tourism industry has undoubtedly contributed to the degradation of coastal and marine environment. The actions of the tourism industry have a close relationship with the coastal and marine resources and are heavily dependent on coastal and marine resources. As there are fragile ecosystems and which are interconnected in coastal areas, they are experiencing increased stress due to human activities such as fishing in the lagoon, pollution, erosion, overexploitation of coastal waters and coral. The actual construction of hotels directly on the beach head has significant environmental impacts. Very often, there are sediment run-offs into the lagoon and haphazard disposal of construction wastes into wetlands. When permission is given for works directly in the lagoon, such works very often involves dredging and excavation which increases turbidity when mud is disturbed and is carried away by currents to be deposited somewhere else in the lagoon, on corals for instance. Furthermore, often Government grants permission to remove beach rocks to create bathing areas as was carried out in the south of the island a few years back (2004-2005). Such works interfere with beach dynamics and interestingly enough, this has often resulted in beach erosion. A few years later the hotel promoters were forced to replace some of the rocks to mitigate the beach erosion they created in the first place. Heavy construction works in lagoon 2005 west coast In the seventies and eighties it was very common for hotels and bungalows to build jetties that impeded greatly the long shore current which in turn caused local accumulation of sand in one place and sand erosion in another. These jetties also impede the free passage of the public up and down the seashore. At times there were even high walls that descended right into the sea so as to physically prevent people from walking in front of a number of bungalows. It took energetic action in the early nineties from authorities to gradually put an end to this disgraceful practice. Indeed, government workers were sent together with officials to pull down those walls and jetties thereby re-establishing long shore currents and also permitting the free passage of the public. Example: Grand Gaube By 1992, hotels with more than 75 rooms must have, by law, a water treatment plant on site, it is not known whether all the different hotels treatment plants are really adequate to cope with the load or whether some seepage does occur at times which could have adverse effects on the lagoon. Sometimes sewage treatment plants were built close to the seashore as was the case in 1990 in the north. Sand erosion caused by the construction of piers and other hard structures close to the sea shore and by sand mining (thankfully banned in October 2001) is a significant problem as detailed in the Baird report of 2005. The seriousness of the problem can be gauged by the fact that the Government has, over the past years, built sea defenses at certain places round the coast like Grand Baie, Cap Malheureux and Flic en Flac. The defenses consist of placing at selected places gabions which are wire netting cages 1 metre cube in volume filled with rocks. The objective of this method is to hold sand in place and permit the local accumulation of sand. Unfortunately gabions tend to disintegrate with time for instance at Flic en Flac. The clearing of sea weeds, corals and other rocks in the lagoon close to the shore has regularly been carried out to create suitable bathing areas or sky lanes for hotels. Though, in some cases, the clearing is fairly innocuous, on a couple of occasions, it cannot be said to be so. It needs reminding that sea grass beds are nurseries for fishes and other sea creatures. In 1993, the Touessrok Hotel at Trou Deau Douce (east coast) carried out very important works in the lagoon with the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment report. The government of that time informed the management that the ministry has no objection to the implementation of the proposed works in relation to (i) the dredging of the inner cover and of the two channels (ii) dredged material treatment and handling onshore (iii) beach recharging and widening (iv) erection of a groyne and (v) the construction of an artificial breakwater to protect the cove beach, provided that the following conditions are observed (Le Week End 20th of June 1993). Though the local fishermen went to court to obtain an injunction, it does not appear that they managed to influence the course of things. From 1995 till 2000, promoters fought hard to have a hotel built on ilot des deux cocos in Blue Bay Marine Park. Their initial works in August 2000 did cause damage to coral fields in the vicinity. However for once Government had the initial works stopped and subsequently rejected their Environment Impact Assessment report in April 2001. It is worth mentioning that it is the first time that a hotel project had been rejected by the Authorities on purely environmental grounds. It is undoubtedly a landmark in environmental management in Mauritius. It is possible that from then on promoters might be a little more aware of the importance of sound environmental management for the tourism industry. Unfortunately, little is at present known on the impacts of hotel development on the coastal and lagoon ecology. Yet there is anecdotal evidence that points to sewage seepage from hotels into nearby lagoons in spite of most hotels having primary and secondary sewage treatment plants. In several places, bungalows and even hotels have been built on wetlands or marshy grounds, for example at Flic en Flac or Grand Baie. This has resulted in a drastic reduction of wetlands around the coast, hence wetlands are no longer there to act as natural filtering systems of either sewage or storm waters. The water table at Grand Baie has risen significantly, for example, and is now only a metre deep. Flooding and pollution by sewage is now a reality in parts of Grand Baie. At Flic en Flac also, construction of hotels and bungalows has been going on for years on marshy lands. And now certain parts of Flic En Flac are regularly flooded after heavy rains with little scope for a permanent solution to the despair of residents. It is important to realise that wetlands act as natural filter beds cleaning storm or rain waters before they enter the lagoon system. Lack of wetlands inland can lead to sediments finding their way into the lagoon thereby polluting it. Environmental Impact of the Recreational Use of Beaches One of the main impacts of the use of beaches by the public on the environment is the fact that a fair proportion of the public fails to use the dust bins provided on the beaches for the proper disposal of solid waste. Hence, at times and on certain beaches, there is solid waste accumulating on site. This waste, apart from being unsightly and a source of bad smells attracting rodents, can drift into the lagoon waters thereby polluting it. Furthermore, at certain places, the lagoon is used by some people as a huge and uncontrolled dumping ground. Regularly, non governmental organisations working in the field of the environment and professional divers team up to remove from the lagoon bottom large quantities of solid waste which found its way there. For example on the 7th of June 1997, during the World Environment Day divers removed from the lagoon of Blue Bay ( South of the island ) car and truck tyres, old nets, discarded plastic bags and bottles, broken plates and even radio sets. At low tide, it is common for locals or tourists to go reef walking sometimes even at night. The potential for coral damage is evident. In the nineties undersea walking was introduced as a tourist attraction. This activity has lead to localized coral reef damage. Nowadays authorities have ceased to issue new permits for this activity, though previous operators appear to continue their activities. Environmental Impacts of pleasure Boats Operations Anchor damage by pleasure crafts or fishing boats is thought to be a significant factor in the destruction of corals whilst oil seepage from motor boats can have an impact on lagoon health, especially in places like Grand Baie where there are lots of boats at mooring. Over the years there has been a fairly widespread effort to install mooring buoys especially at popular diving sites in order to limit anchor damage. There is evidence that this measure has helped to a certain extent. Boating operations in lagoons have often created conflicts with swimmers on public beaches when boat operators openly flout safety regulations and common sense by loading and offloading passengers for boat trips directly from public beaches and travelling at high speed close to the sea shore. Authorities had to demarcate bathing areas along popular beaches to limit accidents. Coastal zones are undoubtedly under heavy use, and pressure will not cease in the foreseeable future as long as there are significant increases in tourism arrivals and with more of the population going to the sea side for leisure activities. With the world economic and financial crisis of 2008 2009, tourism arrivals have begun to drop. Although no-one knows how far or how deep this present crisis will be, reductions in tourism arrivals will lessen pressures on coastal zones, thereby opening up a window of opportunity to put in place a coherent coastal zone management plan.

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Our business will not be able to compete with the other competitors without building a website. We will need to hire personal, such as software engineer and net developer or outsource the task. To create, develop and keep up to date all the software and website. The website will of course have all our contact information, description of services we offer. In addition it will have a feature which allows our future customers to get a quote by filling in some information such as the type of services they want, type of course, country delivered, number of days, number of attendees and language needed. When the information is complete we will provide an approximate cost for the services required. In addition, the developer will take care of the software that will be used to translate, schedule our trainings, and organize all the data and training information. So having employees within the company taking care of our website is crucial. Content: All the trainings, translating and services we will provide will need content .We will purchase data about the countries and languages we are targ...

The Annual Cycle of Eudyptula Minor, Its Phases and Major Effects :: Penugins Animals Wildlife Essays Expository

The Annual Cycle of Eudyptula Minor, Its Phases and Major Effects Abstract The Eudyptula minor, the smallest member of the penguin family, is an indigenous species of Australia, located on the southeastern coast. Little penguins follow an annual energetics cycle. The Little penguins go through periods of fasting which occur while incubating and molting. During the rest of the year, E. minor forage for numerous fish types. Foraging behavior relies on the aerobic diving limit as well as the amount of sunlight present. Fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans provide all the nutrients E. minor needs although one species might not be enough. Some prey types fulfill only partial daily requirements of the Little penguin’s diet. Introduction Australia is home to a numerous variety of flightless birds like emus and cassowaries. A unique member of the penguin family, Eudyptula minor can be found on the southeastern coast of Australia. The locals have given these penguins numerous names such as: Little penguin, Little Blue penguin, Blue penguin, and Fairy penguin. Unlike their arctic cousins, E. minor have adapted to a much warmer climate. The Little penguins have maintained the penguin species’ exceptional swimming abilities, and are able to stay out to sea for great periods of time. While out to sea the Little penguins must eat almost constantly to keep up their energy in order to maintain metabolism and energy levels. On shore during times of molting and egg incubation, the penguins can fast for many days. Little penguins have an annual energetics cycle that is affected by seasonal changes and during times of fasting and re-feeding. E. minor has a preferred choice of food and using information taken from s tudying captive Little penguins’ nutritional requirements can be determined. Life History The smallest member of the penguin family, the Little penguin at adulthood stands at 35 cm tall and weighs between 1-1.5 kg. As the alternative name Blue penguin indicates, adult E. minor have blue feathers on its dorsal side and white feathers on its ventral side. Females lay two eggs in a nest burrowed into a rocky shore or in dense vegetation. Many nests are now being made by scientists so that the threat of predators as well as other unfortunate circumstances that would cause an early death to the chicks or to the parents is reduced (Dann et al. The Annual Cycle of Eudyptula Minor, Its Phases and Major Effects :: Penugins Animals Wildlife Essays Expository The Annual Cycle of Eudyptula Minor, Its Phases and Major Effects Abstract The Eudyptula minor, the smallest member of the penguin family, is an indigenous species of Australia, located on the southeastern coast. Little penguins follow an annual energetics cycle. The Little penguins go through periods of fasting which occur while incubating and molting. During the rest of the year, E. minor forage for numerous fish types. Foraging behavior relies on the aerobic diving limit as well as the amount of sunlight present. Fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans provide all the nutrients E. minor needs although one species might not be enough. Some prey types fulfill only partial daily requirements of the Little penguin’s diet. Introduction Australia is home to a numerous variety of flightless birds like emus and cassowaries. A unique member of the penguin family, Eudyptula minor can be found on the southeastern coast of Australia. The locals have given these penguins numerous names such as: Little penguin, Little Blue penguin, Blue penguin, and Fairy penguin. Unlike their arctic cousins, E. minor have adapted to a much warmer climate. The Little penguins have maintained the penguin species’ exceptional swimming abilities, and are able to stay out to sea for great periods of time. While out to sea the Little penguins must eat almost constantly to keep up their energy in order to maintain metabolism and energy levels. On shore during times of molting and egg incubation, the penguins can fast for many days. Little penguins have an annual energetics cycle that is affected by seasonal changes and during times of fasting and re-feeding. E. minor has a preferred choice of food and using information taken from s tudying captive Little penguins’ nutritional requirements can be determined. Life History The smallest member of the penguin family, the Little penguin at adulthood stands at 35 cm tall and weighs between 1-1.5 kg. As the alternative name Blue penguin indicates, adult E. minor have blue feathers on its dorsal side and white feathers on its ventral side. Females lay two eggs in a nest burrowed into a rocky shore or in dense vegetation. Many nests are now being made by scientists so that the threat of predators as well as other unfortunate circumstances that would cause an early death to the chicks or to the parents is reduced (Dann et al.

Health of Children

| |Healthy minds | | |Promoting emotional health and well-being in schools | | | | Contents Executive summary1 Key findings4 Recommendations6The role of schools in providing for pupils with mental health difficulties7 Whole-school approaches to promoting good mental health10 Recognising and providing for individual needs17 Working in partnership with other agencies17 Relationships with parents24 Informal arrangements27 Provision through professional referral31 Notes34 Further information35 Publications35 Websites36 Executive summary This report examines the vital role played by schools in promoting the emotional well-being of their pupils.It analyses practice based on evidence gathered from visits by Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) to 72 schools and reports on the impact of the guidance provided to schools four years ago by the Department of Education and Skills (DfES) and the National Healthy Schools Standards (NHSS), agreed in 1999. [1],[2] Both clarify the importance of goo d provision to ensure that schools meet the needs of pupils with mental health difficulties. Schools’ lack of knowledge of the DfES guidance results from a missed opportunity to improve the quality of provision for pupils with mental health difficulties.The large number of schools visited for this survey who were not working towards meeting the NHSS is of serious concern. Only just over half of them were aware that such standards existed. Of these, only a very small minority of schools were working towards or had met the criteria for providing for pupils’ emotional health and well-being. One barrier was the low level of awareness of the importance of the issue. It is unsurprising, therefore, that training for staff on mental health difficulties was found to be needed in three quarters of the schools.Most training tended to focus on strategies for managing pupils’ behaviour rather than on promoting positive approaches to relationships and resolving conflicts. Des pite such a lack of awareness in schools of mental health issues, there was good practice in one third of the schools in the survey, including: †¢ an ethos which valued and respected individuals †¢ a serious approach to bullying and pupils’ difficulties with relationships, and swift resolution of problems †¢ good arrangements for listening carefully to pupils’ views †¢ the involvement of parents in identifying problems and making provision for their children.Good joint working between health services, social services and schools was at the heart of effective planning and provision for individual pupils. Although multi-agency working was becoming better established within local education authorities, it was unsatisfactory in a quarter of the schools. Schools, parents and pupils were not always aware of how they might gain access to services. The best arrangements included regular meetings attended by a range of professionals, where work was coordinat ed, referrals made and difficulties followed up.Health services, social services and schools used different terms to describe mental health difficulties. The lack of a common language added to difficulties in recognising and meeting pupils’ needs. Schools identified about one in twenty pupils with mental health problems, although the Department of Health suggests a figure nearer one in ten. Arrangements for pupils to refer themselves for support and help were popular with them, as well as effective. This was particularly so where a pupil was struggling emotionally but where the school had not noticed changes in the pupil’s behaviour.Mentoring and support from peers was also very effective at providing a listening ear and opportunities for positive friendships. The report concludes that schools should make the promotion of pupils’ emotional health and well-being a priority and ensure all staff are aware of the guidance available. Key findings were nearly all prim ary or special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs). Secondary schools found it most difficult to make arrangements for multi-agency working a priority and they rarely took the lead in improving this aspect of their work.The lack of common language between education, health and social services professionals contributed to the difficulties in establishing good partnership working. Recommendations Local authorities and other agencies should: †¢ ensure that services for pupils with mental health difficulties are co-ordinated effectively within their area and that access to services is clear to schools, parents, children, young people and other service users †¢ commission, where appropriate, the services of voluntary organisations. Schools and other settings should: use the DfES national guidance on mental health difficulties to develop clear procedures, that are known and used by all staff, for identifying and supporting pupils †¢ ensure that issues concerning mental health are tackled successfully, either through the National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) programme or the PSHE curriculum †¢ establish arrangements for preventing bullying and promoting positive relationships and monitor their effectiveness †¢ work together to ensure that the DfES guidance is disseminated to all staff.The role of schools in providing for pupils with mental health difficulties 1. Many services play an important role in promoting pupils’ emotional health and well-being, including health services, social services, voluntary organisations, early years provision and schools. However, the notion of mental health difficulties carried a considerable stigma for many pupils and their parents. This, together with the need to attend a clinic, created difficulties for Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in working with young people and their parents.A few pupils in the survey said that they did not wish to attend clinics for their appointments and did no t want to be labelled as mentally ill. Schools, therefore, play an important role in supporting children and young people in this area. 2. Guidance provided by the DfES in 2001 aimed to help teachers and others, working alongside mental health professionals, to promote children’s mental health and to intervene effectively. [3] It provides a useful description of the nature of pupils with mental health difficulties and a thorough overview of the issues relating to joint working between health services, social ervices and education. It suggests helpful strategies for schools to use. Few schools, however, were aware of the guidance which should have provided a good opportunity to improve the quality of provision for pupils with mental health difficulties. 3. A survey referred to in the DfES guidance indicated that about 10% of pupils experience clinically defined mental health difficulties. The schools visited, however, identified only between 4% and 6% of pupils overall with so me form of mental health difficulty, indicating some under-identification.This might go some way to explaining why schools struggle to manage the behaviour and attendance of some pupils, if they are not correctly identifying their difficulties and providing for them. 4. The 1999 Mental Health Foundation publication Bright futures defined children who are mentally healthy as able to: †¢ develop psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually †¢ initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships †¢ use and enjoy solitude †¢ become aware of others and empathise with them †¢ play and learn develop a sense of right and wrong †¢ resolve (face) problems and setbacks and learn from them. [4] 5. Health services, social services and schools all use different terms to describe pupils and their conditions. There are many definitions of the term ‘mental health difficulty’ ranging from the highly categorised, commonly u sed by many health services, to those based on more descriptive terms which are prevalent in schools and other educational settings. 6. ‘Mental health’ and ‘mental health difficulties’ are more commonly used terms within health and social care.Schools and local authorities are increasingly using the term ‘emotional health and well-being’ in relation to both the care they take of pupils and the curriculum they provide. 7. The lack of shared definitions and understanding of mental health problems, however, makes it difficult for schools to identify and discuss these pupils. In a small proportion of primary schools, boys were pinpointed as more likely to exhibit mental health difficulties, but most schools reported no pattern. Some secondary schools identified more girls who were depressed, self-harming or who had eating disorders.However, no real gender differences were apparent and boys and girls were equally likely to have mental health problem s which were evident in school. Whole-school approaches to promoting good mental health 8. The best schools promoted good emotional health and well-being by valuing and respecting every individual. In the schools visited, those which embodied a value system that embraced all children identified fewer children with mental health problems. These schools promoted many and varied opportunities for pupils to share their thoughts and feelings.They used the curriculum to develop pupils’ listening skills and an understanding of other people’s points of view: this culture permeated school life. Case study A primary school in a disadvantaged area had a caring and supportive ethos in which the personal development and emotional well-being of pupils was very effectively promoted. There was a strong emphasis on developing all pupils’ self-esteem and ensuring that they had the language and opportunities to express their feelings and emotional needs.The school council and staf f were concerned that some pupils did not have friends to play with at break time. Very good initiatives, including ‘Playground Buddies’ and a ‘Friendship Area’, were introduced in response to these concerns. The school worked very hard to build up and maintain supportive relationships with parents and guardians, who felt that the school was a very safe and caring place for the children. The whole staff, including teachers, teaching assistants, administrative staff, catering staff, the site manager and cleaning staff contributed to this whole-school thos. 9. Pupils interviewed for the survey identified a lack of friendships and bullying as reasons for emotional difficulties in school. In all the schools with good arrangements for promoting health and well-being, bullying was not tolerated at any level. Pupils were able to discuss any incidents where they felt bullied and matters were discussed sensitively and resolved speedily. In these schools the pupils s pecifically commented that they were happy at school because they could talk to an adult if they had problems and know that action would be taken. 10.All schools taught a programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE). Nearly all primary and special schools discussed some elements of anger management, conflict resolution, bullying and friendship difficulties through such programmes. The provision was always at least satisfactory, and was good in over half of all schools visited. 11. Very few of the schools, however, tackled mental health difficulties specifically. These were missed opportunities to promote pupils’ general emotional well-being, particularly so in secondary schools where there were generally fewer opportunities to explore such issues.Only a third of the secondary schools visited taught PSHE programmes which included topics such as bereavement, stress and bullying. 12. The Primary National Strategy has provided training and curriculum materials for sc hools which focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning. At the heart of the materials is the belief that positive behaviour requires an active, whole-school approach to developing children's social, emotional and behavioural skills within a community that promotes the emotional well-being of all its members.A few of the schools visited were involved in the pilot stage of this work to very good effect. These schools were teaching pupils how to understand their own feelings and those of others, persevere when things became difficult, resolve conflict and manage worries. Staff found the training helpful and were in a good position to ensure their pupils learned how to take responsibility for their relationships and their learning. Following successful piloting, the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum resource was made available to all primary schools in June 2005. [5]Case study A Year 5 class explored what it felt like to join a new group. Pupils talke d freely about their own experiences of joining clubs, moving to a new school and trying to make new friends. They used a good range of vocabulary to describe the feelings associated with newness and change, ranging from ‘scared’ and ‘excited’ to ‘apprehensive’ and ‘excluded’. Groups then planned what they would put in a welcome pack for a newcomer to their school. They gave careful thought to the kinds of information that would be helpful and to the ways in which they, as individuals, could be supportive. 3. No similar national programme was observed in secondary schools although one is currently being developed. Overall, secondary schools were less successful than primary and special schools at tackling issues of emotional health and well-being through whole-school initiatives. 14. In over half of the secondary schools visited, behaviour policies created stress or tensions for pupils. For example, in one school, exclusion was a c ommon response to difficult behaviour; as a result, the pupils felt under-valued.Schools made only very limited efforts to provide a suitable curriculum to meet these pupils’ emotional and learning needs. In one learning support centre within a school, pupils were taught by unskilled staff in poor surroundings which contributed to their low self-esteem. In a PRU, Year 11 pupils involved in a transition programme jointly run with the youth offending team reported that they were sent home on study leave two months before their official leaving date, even though they were not taking any formal examinations. They felt unwanted and this has had a negative effect on their self esteem, behaviour and attendance. 5. A significant minority of the secondary schools found ways to promote emotional well-being through their behaviour policies. For example, one large secondary school was developing ways to ensure that older pupils remained engaged with their school, even though they were so on to leave. A group of Year 11 pupils received two days’ training to develop skills of listening and helping pupils to find their own solutions to problems. The pupils subsequently provided a non-threatening opportunity for pupils who were experiencing difficulties to confide in someone and share their problems.The trained listeners received an external accreditation award for completing their training. 16. One barrier to improving provision for pupils’ emotional well-being was the low level of awareness amongst staff of its importance. Hardly any schools were aware of the comprehensive guidance issued by the DfES in 2001. [6] Even fewer schools had provided any staff training to raise awareness of the issues and the strategies described in the guidance. 17. Training for staff on mental health difficulties was unsatisfactory in just over a third of the schools visited and good in only just under a quarter.Most training tended to focus on managing pupils’ behavi our rather than on promoting a positive approach to relationships and resolving conflicts. However, a few secondary mainstream and special schools were developing an approach to conflict resolution based on ‘restorative justice’. This ensured that, where there were conflicts, all points of view were aired and discussed. The pupils valued this: they felt they could ‘have their say’ and that their views were respected. The training programme for staff was effective: teachers and support staff felt able to implement the programme successfully. 8. The National Healthy Schools Standard (NHSS) is at the core of the government’s healthy schools programme. [7] It was introduced in October 1999 to support the teaching of PSHE and citizenship in schools and to provide schools with practical ways to create a safe and productive learning environment and minimise potential health risks. One of its eight key areas of activity is emotional health and well-being (in cluding bullying). Of serious concern, however, was the large number of schools in the survey who were not working towards meeting the standard. Only just over a half were ware that the NHSS existed and, of these, only a very small minority were working towards or had met the criteria for emotional health and well-being in their school. 19. Small schools often had informal but effective arrangements for recording and discussing concerns about pupils’ well-being. Staff quickly perceived changes in pupils’ behaviour, demeanour or progress. An important feature of these effective schools was the quality of the communication between staff, for example between class teachers, teaching assistants and the special educational needs co-ordinator.Recognising and providing for individual needs Working in partnership with other agencies 20. All schools and LEAs recognised the importance of working well with professionals from the health and social services. Joint working with thes e other agencies was crucial in planning and providing for pupils’ individual needs. The challenge, however, for professionals from a range of disciplines was to achieve a common understanding of the problems of pupils with mental health difficulties. The following case study shows the benefits of effective joint working. Case studyA counsellor in a secondary school was working with a pupil who had referred herself for support. The pupil’s mother did not know this. A mental health worker from CAMHS, who worked in a local clinic, was also working with the pupil and approached the counsellor to see if they could work together with the pupil and parent. The counsellor discussed this with the pupil who gave permission for her mother to be contacted. Both professionals became engaged in supporting the parent and child. The consistent approach agreed between the adults ensured more straightforward discussions and properly agreed resolutions to problems. 1. Many of the local authorities visited were in a period of reorganisation as they set up Children’s Services to meet the requirements of the Children Act 2004. Practice is beginning to develop to establish the joint planning and working at the heart of this legislation. For example, one LEA was developing multi-agency patch teams and common referral procedures were being considered. Despite this, the survey showed that there was a long way to go to ensure that the legislative intentions result in better practice in schools. 22.Partnerships with external services were unsatisfactory in nearly a quarter of the schools visited and significant improvements were required in two thirds of them. Only a few of the secondary schools had good arrangements for multi-agency working. Relationships between schools and social services were particularly variable. 23. Unsatisfactory relationships between schools and other agencies were typified by: †¢ the unavailability of social workers, even for urgent c ases †¢ schools’ inflexibilities in approaching the planning of programmes to meet the needs of some of their pupils †¢ frequent staff changes long waiting lists for referrals †¢ reliance on personal informal contacts rather than agreed systems †¢ issues relating to geographical boundaries which remain unresolved. In the third of schools where multi-agency work was good, all the agencies had found ways of resolving such difficulties. 24. The most effective strategies which promoted good joint working included regular, frequent meetings attended by all agencies. Pupils’ needs were discussed and plans agreed and recorded. Case study A Vulnerable Students’ Panel effectively identified students xperiencing emotional health difficulties and provided appropriate multi-agency support for them. The panel met monthly and included representatives from a range of agencies. It was chaired by a deputy headteacher and a psychiatric nurse who was the manage r of the school support centre. All school staff were informed confidentially about the students who had been discussed and this dissemination aided further identification. Decisions made by the panel ensured that agencies were deployed to work most effectively in their areas of greatest competence and avoided unnecessary duplication of effort.Importantly, the school and agency representatives were charged with taking action and reporting back on its success at the next meeting. In this way each organisation was accountable to the panel. 25. Identifying one person to be responsible for co-ordinating and liaising with health and social services helped communication and ensured important information about pupils was disseminated effectively. 26. In a few LEAs, networks of professionals working in the same area met regularly to share effective strategies.They learnt about each other’s working practices and this promoted a shared understanding of issues. There was good practice i n schools where a wide range of professionals including counsellors, therapists, social workers and psychologists were employed by the school. Case study A primary school had formal procedures for logging concerns about a child’s academic, personal, social or emotional development. A nurture group also provided a way of identifying pupils who might have mental health difficulties. The school used short-term charitable funding to employ a family officer.She maintained close links with families identified as being in crisis and was therefore easily able to identify pupils at risk of developing difficulties in their emotional health and well-being. This approach encouraged partnership working so that parents referred their child to the family officer, headteacher or special educational needs coordinator if they had concerns. 27. Regular visits by other professionals helped schools to identify pupils who might be experiencing mental health difficulties. Case study The headteacher attended the school’s breakfast club every day and a mental health worker attended once a week.The club provided an effective method of identification through direct observation of children and regular communication with parents. 28. Sometimes other agencies initiated the joint working and the schools grasped the opportunity to participate. Case study A consultant paediatrician at a local hospital initiated collaboration amongst different schools to promote emotional literacy amongst pupils. The initiative was inspired by an attempt to deal with bullying, cited as a problem by many children who attended the hospital.The project, now in its fourth year, involved pupils from a primary school, special school, high school and the local tuition service. The project’s activities were based on posters which depicted problems faced by pupils. They were encouraged to develop listening skills, understand the perspective of others and to negotiate and compromise. Hospital staff encouraged the use of a common language by colleagues and the project fostered strong links between the health and education services. The result was fewer individual referrals to the hospital. Pupils who experienced bullying were usually referred directly to the project for support. 9. The pupils who were least mentally well were those who were withdrawn or depressed and who were underachieving as a result. Schools commonly identified pupils whose attendance was unsatisfactory and who did not participate fully in school life. Typically, these pupils had few or no friends and were isolated in the play ground. However, they presented few challenges to teachers and, too often, their problems were not followed up. Few schools saw non-attendance, lateness or falling behind in course work and homework as indicative of deeper problems. 30.Schools relied too much on informal methods to identify vulnerable pupils. Primary schools, particularly, insisted that they were able to identify such pupils easily because they knew their pupils very well. 31. Only a minority of the secondary schools used information from pupils’ previous schools to help recognise those who might experience mental health difficulties. Relationships with parents 32. A key to effective identification and provision lay in schools’ relationships with parents. Links with parents and other agencies were closest in the early years.Home visits, where parents could talk openly about their concerns and their children’s behaviour, and initiatives such as parenting classes, supported the identification of any problems or difficulties. As pupils grew older, schools found it harder to sustain such relationships, although there were examples of very good practice in primary, secondary and special schools. The main characteristics of good practice were: †¢ home visits by teachers and other support staff †¢ training for parents in developing healthy minds †¢ parental support gr oups †¢ regular meetings and telephone contact co-ordination with other agencies so that parents had to attend only one meeting. 33. Parental support groups were particularly common in the schools visited. In the following case study, the support groups were run by a local CAMHS team based in the school. The workers were able to talk to teachers while they were in the school and to ensure that information about individual pupils was discussed with them when appropriate. Case study A group of six parents met for ten two-hour sessions. The aim of the group was to help parents enjoy rather than simply manage their children.Parents learned how to play games and stimulate their children, thus strengthening their relationship. They particularly appreciated the opportunity to share their concerns with other parents who understood the problems. One parent reported, ‘You realise you’re not on your own; you don’t feel so bad’. The project was in its infancy, bu t there were signs that it was helping parents to develop confidence and to help each other do better. 34. Difficulties in working with parents stemmed from: †¢ late diagnosis of a pupil’s problems †¢ uncoordinated support from a range of agencies poor information provided for parents about whom to contact †¢ inadequate account taken of parents’ childcare arrangements, so that they sometimes had difficulties in attending meetings †¢ negative feedback to parents about their children †¢ parents’ perceptions that the school had ‘given up’ on their child. One parent observed, ‘Nobody ever said what was available; you had to find out for yourself or hear it from someone else’. 35. Most, but not all, of the pupils identified with mental health difficulties also had emotional, social and behavioural difficulties (EBSD).Some had more than one such difficulty. Ofsted has reported recently on the provision for these pupil s and its effectiveness. [8] This report focuses on the provision required for pupils who do not necessarily have special educational needs but who require additional emotional support to succeed at school. Informal arrangements 36. Half the schools in the survey operated self-referral or drop-in schemes run by peer counsellors, youth and community workers, school nurses, in-school counsellors and those from voluntary organisations.These arrangements enabled the pupils to identify themselves and seek the help they wanted and needed. Case study A secondary school appointed a health practitioner who dealt with a wide range of issues: developing self-esteem, anger management, relaxation and stress management. Pupils were able to make their own appointments and the work was completely confidential. She also did some teaching. This made her more accessible and reduced the stigma for pupils of ‘knocking at the door’. 37. A very small minority of primary schools offered pupils opportunities for self-referral to staff.In these schools, pupils could draw or write about themselves in a ‘reflections book’ or a ‘feelings book’, make use of a ‘bullying box’, and write or talk directly to the headteacher or the PSHE co-ordinator. Pupils who had such opportunities reported that this was supportive and gave them confidence. A Year 6 pupil said of her ‘reflections book’: ‘It helps me to have a confidential conversation with my teacher about things that are worrying me. ’ 38. A programme of education about values also helped pupils to talk freely and openly about their feelings.Each pupil was given a book in which they could write or draw a picture about the things that had made them happy or sad. Teachers monitored the books regularly to ensure that a pupil’s personal difficulties were identified early; they were powerful additions in a school where the ethos was already strongly supportive of pupils’ emotional well-being. 39. Clubs and after-school activities also enabled schools to support vulnerable pupils in a way which reduced the stigma of referrals. 40. In one primary school, 50 pupils regularly attended the ‘happy/sad’ club, where they talked about positive or negative experiences that concerned them.Clear ground rules had been established, which were understood by pupils, such as respecting what had been discussed and not gossiping. Pupils could put a photograph in a scrapbook of people that were special to them. The teacher usually led a short, directed session based on an appropriate text and provided an opportunity for meditation and reflection. The high number attending reduced the possibility of negative labelling and pupils had good opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings openly with their peers. 1. Pupils often commented that they particularly valued opportunities to talk and be listened to. The extent to which pupils with m ental health difficulties have problems in making and sustaining friendships may explain, to some extent, the success of peer support schemes. 42. Nearly half the primary schools visited had effective initiatives which were based on pupils helping each other to resolve difficulties. One school focused on socially isolated pupils by appointing ‘playground angels’.The ‘angels’ had weekly meetings with a teacher and were also represented on the school council. Pupils involved in these activities felt that they helped them to show responsibility towards younger children and to develop into mature and sensible people. 43. Others schools focused on the difficult point of transition between primary and secondary school. Pupils who struggled to make friends were considered by a few primary schools to be particularly at risk of experiencing problems. These schools developed a range of peer support programmes, as in the following example: Case studyA group of Year 4 pupils were considered to be at risk of difficulties on transition and the school decided to make provision in collaboration with the local secondary school. Year 8 pupils were invited to apply for posts of pupil mentors. They were interviewed and successful applicants were trained. Over two years, the primary pupils visited the secondary school at least once each half term for lessons, lunchtimes and social activities. On each occasion they were met by their individual mentor and had time to discuss issues with them. Primary pupils really enjoyed the programme.They were very clear how the transitional programme had helped them to prepare for secondary education. 44. Two thirds of the secondary schools visited had good peer counselling, support and mediation systems. Peer mentors who had themselves experienced difficulties in the past commented on how much they valued helping younger pupils who were also experiencing problems. The most successful schemes provided thorough training f or the pupils offering the support, as well as careful monitoring from the teachers responsible for it. Provision through professional referral 45. Referral systems differed widely.In one area, the consultant psychiatrists responded to requests for information about pupils; the service accepted referrals from any involved professional. More commonly, however, panels of professionals considered referrals. The latter arrangement had some advantages in that there was discussion and agreement on the type of intervention which was most likely to succeed. However, this arrangement also tended to create delays in responding to pupils’ needs. 46. Not all professionals were clear about how referrals should be made, and who ought to make them, for particular types of provision.This lack of clarity meant that pupils who might have benefited from services were not given access to them since the school was unaware that it could make such a referral. 47. Schools and pupil referral units (P RUs) did not always receive an equitable service from other agencies, especially where education, social services and health services had not agreed how resources should be allocated and work prioritised. It was common to find that a CAMHS worker was based in a school in one part of a local authority, while, in the same authority, another school had to make referrals to a panel.The schools were unaware of why these differences existed. 48. The most common types of provision were: †¢ counselling †¢ family work †¢ mentoring and support workers who visited the pupils regularly and provided advocacy and support through discussion and activities †¢ a modified curriculum and timetable †¢ nurture groups and sanctuary space. 49. This provision was largely effective when it was matched well to the assessment of the pupils’ needs. However not all schools were able to attract the additional resources required to provide these types of opportunities.Larger school s had more funding to be able to establish support centres specifically for pupils with mental health problems. 50. Local and national voluntary organisations played an important role in working with schools and local authorities to provide services for children and young people with mental health difficulties, and they were often represented on local CAMHS strategy groups. In some local authorities, partnerships with voluntary organisations provided helpful services for schools and parents, such as counselling and family therapy.Voluntary groups were often better at monitoring and evaluating the impact of their work since they depended on such evidence to attract further funding. Case study In one local authority a charity had been working in some schools for five years. For an annual fee, the school received a large amount of support from the charity which provided an art therapist and a dance instructor who worked with pupils identified by the school and provided counsellors, sup ervised by team leaders, from the charity. NotesThis survey is based on the findings of a survey of 72 settings in eight local authorities. The settings and almost all the authorities were selected randomly to represent a mixture of shire and unitary authorities. One authority was chosen because of known good work in the area of mental health. Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) visited early years settings, primary and secondary schools, pupil referral units, hospital schools and settings, maintained and independent schools for pupils with EBSD and learning difficulties, and specialist provision for pupils who had been bullied.HMI observed lessons and other activities, scrutinised policies and records and held discussions with 269 pupils and 115 parents. Discussions were also held with a range of local authority staff, headteachers and senior managers, teachers, teaching assistants, learning mentors, and representatives of voluntary organisations. They also met CAMHS regional dev elopment workers. Further information Publications Promoting children’s mental health within early years and school settings, (DfEE 0121/2001), DfEE, 2001. SEN and disability: towards inclusive schools (HMI 2276), Ofsted, 2004.Managing challenging behaviour (HMI 2363), Ofsted, 2005. Mental Health and Social Exclusion, Social Exclusion Unit Report, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004. http://www. socialexclusionunit. gov. uk/downloaddoc. asp? id=134 Promoting social, emotional and behavioural skills in primary schools, Primary National Strategy, DfES, 2004. Developing emotional health and well-being: a whole-school approach to improving behaviour and attendance, Key Stage 3 National Strategy, DfES, 2004. Behaviour and attendance toolkits, Key Stage 3 National Strategy, DfES, 2005. http://www. standards. fes. gov. uk/keystage3/respub/ba_toolu Promoting emotional health and well-being through the national healthy school standard (NHSS), NHS Health Development Agency, 2004. http://www. hda-online. org. uk/Documents/promoting_health_wellbeing. pdf Guidance on new ways of working for psychiatrists in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency context: national steering group interim report, NIMHE, CWP, Royal College of Psychiatrists and Department of Health, 2004. http://www. dh. gov. uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4087352=01RXVr Effective joint working between child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and schools, Research report no. 412, Bridget Pettitt, Mental Health Foundation, DfES, 2003. Websites www. dfes. gov. uk/mentalhealth DfES Mental Health www. rcpsych. ac. uk Royal College of Psychiatrists www. socialexclusionunit. gov. uk Mental health and social exclusion www. standards. dfes. gov. uk/primary DfES guidance on developing children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills www. teachernet. gov. uk/management/atoz/n/nhss/ National Heal thy Schools Standard ———————– 1] Promoting children’s mental health within early years and school settings (DfES 0121/2001), DfES, 2001. [2]Promoting emotional health and well-being through the national healthy school standard (NHSS), NHS Health Development Agency, 2004. [3] Promoting children’s health within early years and school settings, DfES, 2001. [4] Bright futures: promoting children and young people’s mental health, Mental Health Foundation, 1999. [5] The SEAL resource box can be ordered from Prolog, Tel. 0845 602 2260, [email  protected] uk. com (ref: DFES 0110 – 2005 KIT), or viewed and ordered from the Teachernet website: www. eachernet. gov. uk/seal. [6] Promoting children’s mental health within the early years and school settings, DfES, 2001. [7] The NHSS is funded jointly by the DfES and the Department of Health, hosted by the Health Development Agency (HDA). It forms part of the government’s drive to reduce health inequalities, promote social inclusion and raise educational standards through school improvement. [8] Managing challenging behaviour (HMI 2363), Ofsted, 2005. ———————– Primary and SecondaryJuly 2005 HMI 2457 ———————–

Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century

A Reflection Paper on Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century This is a reflection paper on the recommendations proposed in the Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st century report by the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission). The Volcker commission, comprised of members from the three major political parties, recognizes the importance of disciplined policy direction, operational flexibility, and clear and high performance standards as guiding objectives (The National Commission on the Public Service [NCPS], 2003) for an organizational restructuring within the federal government to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This author agrees with the commission in that no such undertaken has occurred since the Hoover Commission some 50 years ago. It articulates in my view a comprehensive plan to reclaim the dignity once associated with public service, and if effectively utilized could re-establish trust between the American public and its government. The decline in confidence shared by many Americans in the capability of federal personnel to carry out the tasks of public service must be addressed. The National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker Commission) recognized this need and published a 2003 report on the public service sector titled Urgent Business for America: Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century. The report, a collective collaboration between veteran government employees, drew upon their knowledge and the expertise of outside sources from every political affiliation to address challenges that plague the civil service sector in the 21st century. The members of the commission focused on seven key areas which are: the relationship between the government and the American public, organizational disorder, one size fits all management, vanishing talent, personnel systems, and labor-management conflict (NCPS, 2003). This author considers trust as the main component of any relationship and agrees with the commission that the distrust between the American people and the government is contributing to the decay of public service. The commission realized that that the policy changes need to combat the problems associated with public service in the 21st century will take a collaborative effort between the citizens of American and government. I agree with the commission that there is no â€Å"quick fix† that the government shares the blame for the negative perception, and must make every effort possible to regain that trust by sufficiently improving its performance. The organizational structure within the civil service sector was another focal point in the commissions’ report. The members recommended that â€Å"the federal government should be reorganized into a limited number of mission-related executive departments† (NCPS, 2003, p. 14). The commission points out that most public servants are perplexed as to the application and significance of their agency’s undertaking and more often than not departments share responsibilities that could be combined to form one cohesive unit. For example, I found it very disturbing that as many as 12 different agencies share the responsibility of administering over 35 food safety laws (NCPS, 2003). The disarray with organizational structure also presents the problem of effectively managing the mission of these individual agencies. The commission notes that nine agencies operate 27 teen pregnancy programs come back to. It is my opinion that the solution given by the commission to group related missions under the same organizational structure would enhance employees’ sense of purpose and loyalty, provide opportunities for advancement and reduce waste of limited resources (NCPS, 2003). One size doe not fit all; this entire â€Å"cookie cutter† approach to agency structure and management practices is no longer viable. The needs of the American public are far more complex and vary significantly than those confronted by civil service reformers of the past. Because the tasks performed by public servants range so greatly it is no longer feasible to assume that a single approach to management will be effective in every instance. The commission members make a valid point in that â€Å"excellent performance requires organizational leadership and culture that fit the mission, not just a single theory of administration† (NCPS, 2003, p. 8). The future of attracting and retaining highly qualified workers in the public service profession appears bleak. The prestige and sense of accomplishment once considered attributes or incentives of public sector employment is on a sharp decline amongst American citizens. This can be attributed to many factors such as inadequate work conditions, differential in public versus private sector salaries, personal safety, and the opportunity for advancement. The two I found most interesting were the requirements for disclosure of personal information and the application process. Ethics regulations are enacted by Congress to ensure the integrity of federal employees. It is a given than more that 250,000 federal employees must make yearly disclosure of the full details of their personal finances (NCPS, 2003). While I agree that such laws are necessary; I also think the process can be modified as not to encompass so many employees. As the commission states Congress needs â€Å"to make federal ethics rules cleaner, simpler, and more directly related to the goals they are intended to achieve† (NCPS, 2003, p. 22). The application process within the civil service sector is another deterrent that I agree with the commission on could be streamlined to expedite the procedure. Those applying for public sector employment find this process tedious and much more complicated than that of the private sector and typically get faster responses private employers. Personnel management systems in public service were originally designed to promote equity among the workforce. The truth of the matter is â€Å"equal pay for equal work† is no longer realistic. This concept is antiquated because of the sophisticated high level tasks performed by some government agencies. The recommendation of the commission is to eradicate the General Schedule classification system. This system has become too cumbersome to administer; to guarantee equity in compensation this system will always require constant tinkering to define â€Å"equal work† so that it can ensure â€Å"equal pay† (NCPS, 2003). What the commission has suggested, and what I agree with, is a broadband system under which the current 15 pay grades are consolidate into six to eight broad bands with wider salary ranges (NCPS, 2003). This would give managers the flexibility to compensate based on capability and performance, and design personnel systems that best sustains the mission of the organization. The Commission notes that there are three very distinct factors that determine pay for the overwhelming majority of federal workers: how an individual job fits into the General Schedule classification system, geographical location of the job, and the employee’s time in service (NCPS, 2003). I was disturbed by the fact that the quality of the work performed was frequently disregarded as a standard. It has to frustrating for workers who provide a high quality of service to be judged on the same merits as those of poor performers. The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was enacted to reward bonuses, merit pay and performance commendations to high performing civil servants (NCPS, 2003). This is rarely the case because of insufficient funds or an evaluation system that acts more as a rubber stamp than an effective means of evaluation. Managers routinely were allocating funds as a means to compensate equitably across the board, and not as inducements or rewards for top achievers. This is an area of reform which much attention should be given. It is irrational to believe that high performing employees do not â€Å"pick up the slack† for poor performers. It has been my experience that management comes to rely on this (as long as the work is getting done) instead of dealing with poor performers appropriately. This attitude does nothing but destroy the morale of the unit as a whole. The last area of concentration by the Volcker Commission was the conflict between labor and management. The commission believes, as do I, that it is entirely possible to modernize the public sector without jeopardizing the fundamentals of the merit system (NCPS, 2003). I agree that political affiliation should not be a factor for determining employment within the civil service sector, and that individuals employed by this sector should not be subject to arbitrary discipline or dismissal based on political affliction. I also agree that labor- management collaboration can coexist within the federal government. Numerous recommendations made to the president and Congress. What I found surprising about the report is that the commission instead of focusing exclusively on changes to the public service sector; devoted much attention to a restructuring of the executive branch of government. Moreover, it calls for â€Å"The House and Senate to realign their committee oversight to match the mission driven reorganization of the executive branch† (NCPS, 2003, p. 17); which is no small feat given the current political climate. The commission also made several other controversial proposals, for example, the President and Congress should work together to drastically decrease the number of executive branch positions (NCPS, 2003). In calling for an â€Å"immediate and significant† increase in judicial, executive, and legislative salaries, the commission also recognizes the long-standing reluctance of members of Congress to vote for a pay increase for themselves (NCPS, 2003). The report calls upon Congress to break the statutory link between their salaries and those of judges and senior political appointees (NCPS, 2003). While I found the report be very cohesive and comprehensive, a nd a blueprint for a more efficient government and better quality of civil service employees; I also felt several issues were not adequately addressed. Although, the repot does present sufficient advice as to restructuring organizational and management systems within the federal government â€Å"it fails to address the core problems affecting the delivery of public services. Primarily too often federal agencies simply don't have the resources they need to meet mission requirements; an emphasis on pay compression for top ranking government positions overlooks the impact of pay disparities on front-line workers; and much more needs to be done to address the negative impact of contracting out (Palguta, 2003). While the commission's report appropriately focuses on â€Å"leadership in government† as a primary area of concern, it tends to define leadership too narrowly as those individuals at the top of the organization. First-line supervisors and mid-level managers are a vital component of the leadership team. Finally, while agreeing that greater management flexibility is needed, there must also be balanced with reasonable safeguards to ensure the basic merit principles are maintained (Palguta, 2003). References The National Commission on the Public Service. (2003). Urgent business for America: evitalizing the federal government for the 21st century. Retrieved from http://docs. google. com/viewer? a=v&q=cache:KSnwxENfsmQJ:www. brookings. e du/gs/cps/volcker/reportfinal. pdf+urgent+business+for+america:+revitalizing+the +federal+government+for+the+21st+century Palguta, John M. â€Å"Revitalizing the Federal Government for the 21st Century: Presenting differing perspectives on the rep ort of the National Commission on the Public Service (Volcker II). (Opinion Roundtable: Volcker II). † The Public Manager 32. 1 (2003): 7+. Academic OneFile. Web. 6 Feb. 2011.