Caribbean medical schools have long been the butt of jokes but their graduates are the ones having the last laugh. There are thousands of licensed physicians from Caribbean schools practicing all across the country. Over 25% of all doctors in the US are from international schools. Do you know where your primary care physician went to medical school? This is the field where Caribbean graduates are expected to dominate with a large percentage of graduates training in Internal and Family Medicine. They are expected to fill a nationwide shortage that is currently occupied by Physicians Assistants and Nurse Practitioners.

Picture this. A 17 year old high school graduate enrolls in a pre-medical program at a Caribbean university. Schools will automatically accept students to their medical programs as long as they maintain a certain GPA in the pre-program. This means there is no need to take the MCAT so you can save yourself the headaches from preparing for that. The program is completed in 2 years and the student enrolls in the first year of the medical degree program at 19 years old.

Numerous Caribbean schools offer an accelerated curriculum that divide the year into trimesters. Students attend school year round and are able to complete their M.D. in less than 36 months. Not to mention you only spend 18 months studying on the island. The clinical years are spent training alongside American medical student at hospitals in the US. St. George’s medical school has hospital affiliations that match any US school. Our fictional student graduates with his Doctorate in Medicine at the ripe age of 22 (going on 23).

Our new graduate is eligible to practice in any state in the country as long as he attended one of the “Big 4” Caribbean medical schools (St. George’s University, Saba University, Ross University and American University of the Caribbean). Internal Medicine residencies last 3 years so we have a residency trained physician ready for board exams, licenses and employment at a mere 25 years old. Not quite Doogie Howser but it’s impressive to say the least.

This accelerated path also benefits those seeking a new career or chasing their dream of being a doctor. Time is of the essence and wasting summers off in the traditional semester system is not time well spent. Caribbean medical schools are littered with nurses, pharmacists, dentists, chiropractors and many other health care practitioners. Many schools offer several different entrance times during the year giving flexibility for students who want to begin their medical education immediately.

There is risk involved in attending a medical school overseas but there have been thousands who have blazed the trail before you and set the precedent. Caribbean medical schools produce capable physicians and fill an integral need in the health care system of the US.

I have seen a meme which says a school depends on the one who manages it. Well, I believe not only the one who has the final say on everything about the school’s fate be blamed for or be given accolade to, but the whole community within or out the school. Efforts done in collaboration, conscientious performance of each assigned tasks as reflected on the job descriptions, and the delegations of work so as not to bombard the head with all the tasks beyond her/his capacity as a normal human being– are necessary ingredients in making a school successful or, without them, the other way ’round happens. Highlighting the positive is the norm, of course, for no one wants to be the bearer of bad news. Well, let’s tackle the roles a school principal have to take in order to ensure that within her/his might; all’s well toward learners achieving human excellence within/beyond school.

THE ROLE OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Role as a School Leader

Daunting defines the work of a school principal when it comes to all facets of work under her/his belt. However, with all the necessary preparations ranging from physical to mental to psychological to emotional to spiritual one needs to have reservoir of patience, bundles of energy and truckload of confidence in order to deliver what is expected of her/him. Since a school community is composed of different people with different attitude, personality, background or culture, etc one needs the necessary skills in dealing with them; thus, ensuring smooth relationship which means going beyond call of duty, even to the extent of sacrificing personal comfort, happiness and so on. Leaders like this could make impossible possible; a lowly school could be transformed into performing to excellent and so on.

Role in Student Discipline

Sans discipline instituted among learners, the school would be chaotic. An environment like this would never be successful in achieving desired goals, either localized or national standards be a burden to take especially among teachers who are front liners where they have to bend backward so as to reach out problematic learners due to myriad of factors around. Conferences with parents and other significant persons in the community could change mindsets who are supposed to be partners in maintaining harmonious relationship between and among learners, teachers, staff and parents, but are sometimes unenlightened in their responsibilities to help out. Yes, learning takes place in a conducive school environment where each one knew what people around expect them to be.

Role as Teacher Evaluator

Gauging the ability of teacher to teach, manage a class, deal with problem kids and cranky parents, do assigned tasks, etc. a school principal must have all the tact, expertise and compassion to take the teacher’s journey be smooth and meaningful within her/his leadership style. Mentoring or coaching teacher especially newly hired ones takes time and expertise to hone them from being a beginner to becoming proficient or highly proficient as the time goes by. No one should be frustrated because of his/her inept attitude toward the one being burdened by tasks assigned improperly. No one should have a fast exit out of desperation. No one should take his own life out of bullying or inhumane treatment due to biases of some senior teachers or school principal him/her-self.. No one should be labeled as “pasaway” or hard-headed, whatever.

Role in Developing, Implementing, and Evaluating Programs

Since school must meet the needs of its clientele, programs catering those needs be developed, implemented and evaluated properly, or should I say, expertly. And here, an expert leader can initiate brainstorming activities with all teachers and stakeholders where data from investigations serve as springboard for such program, say in reading remediation, PHIL-IRI results could be lamentable; thus, reading programs suited to each kid be put in place complete with all the needed support or resources to make it effective, efficient and impactful. All programs must sane enough to get desired goals and one responsible in attaining this is the one in charge of the school.

Role in Reviewing Policies and Procedure

Student handbook serves as guides for good behaviors. School principal must have final say on everything written on it and be well-informed on additions, revisions, etc. so as to avoid committing lapses in dealing with expulsion procedure, to mention a few. Accountability of all concerned be emphasized so as to limit instances of misunderstanding, media harassment and so forth.

Role in Schedule Setting

Scheduling tasks needs tremendous energy especially before the opening of the year. Bell schedule, duty schedule, computer lab schedule, library schedule, among others are daunting tasks to do. Cross-checking each one to ensure fair distribution of tasks among teachers and staff would spell a difference. Too much tasks given to a particular teacher could be a source of depression, jealousy among them, and myriads of issues.

Role in Hiring New Teachers

Hiring the right persons to do the job is vital to avoid headaches later. Not only does a school principal have the wisdom to hire the best among the applicants but the faith in his choice to perform when validated by other stakeholders in hiring process. With the help of superior, he/she could get the right one from the applicants, and see to it that mentoring or coaching be the next step to ensuring proficient partners in delivering quality education among learners.

Role in Parent and Community Relations

Befriending parents and significant people within the community means a lot. A parent with a problematic child could be more cooperative to the school when she/he has the chance to be heard and become partner in helping out the child overcome his/her problem. Likewise, business people in the community could extend help to the school needs like sponsoring an event, donating cash or in kind during “Brigada Eskwela”activities, Scouts Investiture, to mention a few.

Role in Delegating Tasks

No one has the monopoly of time, energy and all. Therefore, building rapport with co-workers means giving them a chance to take part in providing services to clientele, within their level of capacity and talent. Aside from giving them confidence and trust, teachers realize that they can also act like one having the taste of managing people toward an end in mind.

Complex, daunting, multi-dimensional and multi-layered are the tasks faced by a school principal. It takes a village actually to make a successful school. With the support of people around, it is always possible to transform a lowly school into progressive one; provided qualified ones be installed in power, not because of political clout and other considerations detrimental to human psyche. For, you cannot give what you don’t have.

The nutritional plan that a wrestler follows can be a factor in his performance. Different foods supply different nutrients to our bodies. Although food is the most important element in your nutritional plan, supplements can also be a beneficial addition. Some wrestlers desire to lose weight. Some wrestlers do not need to lose weight. Regardless of whether or not a wrestler needs to lose weight, all wrestlers want to be strong and have sufficient energy.

Protein (4 calories per gram)

The body uses protein to perform many functions. I believe most of you know that one of protein’s main functions is building and repairing body tissues (e.g. muscle tissue). Proteins are composed of amino acids. Essential amino acids are amino acids that the body cannot make and must be provided by one’s diet. A complete protein supplies all of the essential amino acids. Most complete proteins come from animal sources. We are talking about meat, fish, fowl, milk, cheese, and eggs. Why is protein important for a wrestler? Wrestling is strenuous and can be catabolic (i.e. break down muscle tissue).

How much protein do you need? Some studies have suggested that athletes require more protein than a sedentary person does. Your diet should get about 25% of its calories from protein.

Good Sources of Protein:

• lean beef
• boneless, skinless chicken breast
• lean pork
• fish without breading
• turkey
• milk
• yogurt
• cheese
• cottage cheese
• eggs

An Interesting Fact about Cottage Cheese:

Cottage cheese contains a large amount of the milk protein called casein. In fact, cottage cheese is almost 100% unadulterated casein. Casein digests slowly in the body. Casein supplies a slow trickle of amino acids after being ingested. Therefore, if you eat some cottage cheese before bed you can receive a slow trickle of amino acids (i.e. protein) into your body throughout the night that could be anti-catabolic (i.e. prevent the breakdown of muscle tissue) while muscle tissue is being repaired during sleep.

Regarding Eggs:

Eggs have a Biological Value (BV) of 100. Our bodies utilize the protein contained in eggs very well. Even egg whites have a BV of 88. I don’t recommend eating only egg whites even if they are lower in fat and calories. I think nature made eggs to be eaten with the yolk and white as a package. A large whole egg contains about six grams of protein. Eggs are nutrient dense. If you’re concerned about calories, you can poach eggs or fry them in a non-stick pan. There are liquid egg white products if you prefer. Remember that it’s probably not a good idea to eat raw eggs like Rocky Balboa.

Regarding Beans:

Beans are interesting because they can be a good source of protein and carbohydrates. Beans also supply fiber that can help you feel full if you are trying to diet. Beans and rice are a popular combination for supplying a meal that includes all or close to all of the essential amino acids. Some experts consider the combination of beans and rice to be a complete protein.

A guy named Tim Ferriss advocates something he calls a “slow-carb” diet for weight loss. Beans and legumes are an important part of this diet plan. For example, one meal might consist of beef, pinto beans, and mixed vegetables. Another meal might consist of eggs, black beans, and mixed vegetables. The diet doesn’t include carbohydrates like breads, cereals, and fruits so it’s not really a good diet for a wrestler. I just thought it was interesting as a weight loss option and because of its reliance on beans and legumes.

Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)

Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of fuel. In other words, carbohydrates provide you with energy. Wrestling practice and competition obviously require a lot of energy. Therefore, make sure to include plenty of carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates get broken down into glucose and other sugars. Glucose is your brain’s preferred fuel source. Much of this glucose gets stored in your muscles in the form of glycogen. Glycogen is then used as a source of energy. Your diet should derive about 60% of its calories from carbohydrates. There are complex carbohydrates like breads and cereals and simple carbohydrates like fruit. Educate yourself.

Good Sources of Carbohydrates:

• breads
• bagels
• muffins
• pancakes
• cereals
• rice
• pasta
• potatoes
• sweet potatoes
• fruits
• vegetables

When I wrestled in high school, I ate a lot of carbohydrates. For instance, I actually ate a lot of rice cakes. I figured I could eat five rice cakes for about the same number of calories in one can of soda. I know you probably think they taste like Styrofoam but I became used to them. I also ate many potatoes without butter, salt, or any other condiments. I ate many bowls of plain oatmeal. I became accustomed to eating a simple diet. Of course, I still had a Pop-Tart or candy bar occasionally.

In Regards to Fruits and Vegetables:

Why eat a candy bar when you could eat two large apples for about the same number of calories? That was my thinking back in high school when I was dieting for wrestling. Fruits and vegetables are often fat free, low in calories, high in water content, high in fiber, and rich in nutrients like antioxidants. I ate many servings of green beans back then. I had an apple or two almost every day. I could eat a large amount of food for a small amount of calories.

Fat (9 calories per gram)

Fats provide twice the number of calories per gram as proteins and carbohydrates. Therefore, you don’t want to consume too much fat. However, you should not eliminate fat entirely from your diet. Your diet should derive about 15% of it’s calories from fats. Fats do many important things in our bodies. Fats build healthy cell membranes. Fats help to make hormones like testosterone. Your brain is approximately sixty percent fat. Some fats can help make your skin smooth and healthy. Moreover, fat cushions your body organs.

You’ve probably heard about the many types of fats such as saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats. Dr. Eric Serrano believes that saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats are all important. However, he recommends avoiding hydrogenated fats altogether. You may want to research fats and essential fatty acids. You may also want to perform an online search for Dr. Eric Serrano, Udo Erasmus, Dr. Bill Sears, and Dr. Joseph Mercola in regards to healthy fats.

Some Good Sources of Fat to Consider:

• extra virgin olive oil
• flax oil
• fish oil
• cod liver oil
• peanut butter
• nuts
• virgin coconut oil
• avocados

Don’t be afraid to eat whole eggs, lean red meat, salmon, tuna, and even a bit of butter occasionally. Coconut oil is a saturated fat. However, if you do some research regarding virgin coconut oil you will find out it that it has many potential health benefits. In addition, remember to limit or avoid hydrogenated fats and trans fats.

I was advised at a wrestling camp to try to eat a diet of about 80% healthy food and 20% unhealthy food during wrestling season. I guess they figured nobody could eat healthy 100% of the time. That may be sound advice.

In the book Blood in the Cage, author L. Jon Wertheim writes about Pat Miletich, a former wrestler and former UFC champion. Pat and most of his fighters follow something called Miletich’s “fighter’s diet” when a competition is drawing near. This diet consists mainly of oatmeal, eggs, and skinless, boneless chicken.

Fast Food Tips:

• Have water or milk instead of pop
• Have grilled chicken in sandwiches and soft shell tacos
• Have grilled chicken breast, lean roast beef, and lean ham on sub sandwiches
• Have a garden salad with minimal dressing
• Have a baked potato without butter, sour cream, or cheese
• Have a small hamburger without cheese, bacon, or mayonnaise
• Avoid deep-fried, breaded, and batter-dipped foods

Keep in mind:

• One pound equals approximately 3,500 calories
• If you cut 500 calories a day from your diet you will lose approximately one pound per week
• A simple way to determine the number of calories you need to eat per day to lose weight is to take your current bodyweight times 10 (e.g. 150 X 10 = 1,500 calories)
• A simple way to determine the number of calories you need to eat per day to maintain weight is to take your current bodyweight times 15 (e.g. 130 X 15 = 1,950 calories)
• A calorie-counting book and a food scale may be helpful; read nutrition labels
• Try to avoid empty calories like you find in soda pop and candy
• Keep your pre-competition meal light and carbohydrate based

I don’t recommend cutting weight or starving. You need food to fuel your body. In addition, drink plenty of fluids so that do not become dehydrated. If you choose to lose weight, do it slowly and carefully. You don’t want to lose muscle tissue and strength. In addition, you need energy for hard practices.

If you are Vegetarian or Vegan:

Strength coach Mike Mahler is a vegan (i.e. eats no animal products whatsoever) and yet he is big and strong. Some staples in his diet include nuts, seeds, peanut butter, almond butter, beans, lentils, vegetables, coconut milk, healthy fats like olive oil, and rice protein powder.

Pre-Competition Meal:

As far as your pre-competition meal goes, keep it familiar. That is not a time to try new foods. Keep it light and carbohydrate based so you have energy. A heavier meal with more fat will be slower to digest. On the other hand, your pre-competition meal should be something that you enjoy. I think I read somewhere that boxer Sugar Ray Leonard liked to have a cheeseburger before a big fight. I wouldn’t recommend that, but it seemed to work fine for him. Olympic champion speed skater Bonnie Blair’s pre-race meal was always a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I had a friend in high school that had one of his highest scoring basketball games after a meal of several bowls of chili. Personally, I always liked to have pancakes before a competition. For some people that would probably sit too heavy in their stomach. I liked to have jelly sandwiches and Pop-Tarts at wrestling tournaments if I needed something between matches. Find what works for you.

Supplements to Consider:

• Multivitamin – to cover anything you might miss in your diet
• Meal Replacement Products (MRPs) – shakes like Myoplex and Met-Rx provide protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals if you don’t have time to eat a meal
• Whey protein – whey protein is absorbed quickly by the body and is ideal for a post workout shake
• Glutamine – may help you maintain muscle if dieting; improves immune function
• Creatine monohydrate – supplies energy to your muscles; make sure you stay hydrated if you use this supplement
• Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) – may help with recovery and repair
• Inosine – may give you greater endurance by supporting the regeneration of ATP
• HMB – may help slow the breakdown of muscle tissue (i.e. anti-catabolic)
• Beta-alanine – may help improve your work capacity via it’s ability to buffer lactic acid
• Caffeine – can increase energy and alertness

You probably don’t need to supplement at all. Eat a healthy diet with a variety of foods and stay hydrated. That will do more for you than any supplement ever can. In addition, supplements can be costly. Moreover, some supplements work for one wrestler and not for another. Therefore, if you choose to use supplements be cautious and be careful. Do some research about the potential benefits and dangers of any supplement before using it.

I am not a nutritionist or dietitian. I am not an expert on dietary supplements. Read articles and books pertaining to nutrition and supplements. I have simply provided a rough guide to help you get started. Remember that you need fuel for your body to function well. That fuel is food. Therefore, make sure that make smart dietary choices on your path to wrestling success.

Dental School Grants

Many children know from a young age what it is that they want to become in life. They are able to choose their profession at an early age if parents are encouraging enough and know how to direct them without pushing them from one side to another.

There are many children in this world who do not have the opportunity to grow up in a financially stable environment, which is why it sometimes might seem hard for them to follow their dream and apply to a college, as all of them ask for a consistent financial support.

Dental School is a big part of the Medical School and both of them usually require a lot of money. Being a dental practitioner is one expensive dream, but once it has been realized, the fruits of success exceed by far all the financial stumbling and compromises that might have been done along the way.

General facts about Dental School

There are two major directions in every dental school: dental hygiene school and the school of dentistry. Those who attend the dental hygiene school will obtain a license as soon as they graduate. Those who choose to go to the school of dentistry are more likely to become dental surgeons and tweets, but their training process is a bit more complex as compared to the previous set of students. They have to complete an undergraduate degree in a major that is oriented more towards science. Then, in order to continue with their dental education, they need to look and apply to a specialized school of dentistry.

Financial Aid

Since dental hygienists can complete their professional preparation as undergraduates, it is a lot easier for them to find grants and scholarships that will secure their entire educational period. On the other hand, those who apply for the school of dentistry will have a harder time in finding financial aid, as they will be enrolled as post-graduates, thus competing for smaller funding resources.

Most of the times, in order to sustain their education, students will search for grants and scholarships that bear the name of gift aid. The money they get cannot be returned and they can use it however they wish in their educational process.

This money will come from private sources, such as different organizations, estates or individuals or from public sources which are known to be funded by taxes.

How to get Financial Aid

The first thing you need to do is to go through a thorough research process. The sum of money a student can get depends on his family's contribution or how much money he can provide for this purpose. Before applying for a financial aid, all colleges require their potential students to fill out the form called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the FAFSA . The information placed in this document will give the government a concrete image related to the amount of money the family is able to contribute to the education of the student, without causing a financial chaos that would lead to a tremendous financial burden.

The students who are able to pay most of their education are not considered to be appropriate for receiving this aid. Moreover, every grant has its own rules and conditions students need to meet in order to be considered eligible.

Then, there are also the merit based grants which are given to students for their excellent academic results. Just like the other type of grants, this one does not need any repayment to be made. The number for this type of grants is limited, so the competition can be quite heated.

The pharmacy school interview is an integral part of the application process as the admission staff, who already knows everything about you on paper, will finally be able to see how you will fit into their program. This is also your time to interview each pharmacy school, so be prepared to ask questions you may have about their program.

Most pharmacy schools do a good job of making the interview session as comfortable and non-stressful as possible. Usually current pharmacy school students will greet you and make conversation with you. Take full advantage of this opportunity to loosen yourself up and practice your speaking skills. By this time you should have already completed your speech requirement, so now is the time to make use of what you have learned in the classroom!

Prepare yourself by familiarizing yourself with what you wrote on your personal statement essay. In addition, it is a good idea to have a general idea on what kind of questions are going to be asked.

As soon as you meet your interviewers, take the initiative to build rapport / spark up a mini conversation (crazy traffic this morning, beautiful day, etc). Smile and split eye contact between all your interviewers as much as possible when you are speaking and keep eye contact on the person asking the questions.

Some General Interview Questions

1. Tell me about yourself

2. What was your favorite/most difficult course in college?

3. Who is your greatest role model?

4. What is a negative aspect about yourself? How have you worked on making it better?

5. Describe a moment you felt proud an accomplishment.

6. Why our pharmacy program?

7. What do you want to do after you graduate?

8. What do you do in your free time?

9. Why pharmacy, why not research or medicine?

10. What got you interested in pharmacy?

11. What are the most important attributes of a pharmacist?

12. What makes you stand out among other applicants?

13. What got you interested in pharmacy?

14. Give us an example of your leadership ability.

15. Is there anything you would change about your undergraduate experience?

16. Describe the importance of understanding diversity as a pharmacist.

17. What is the most positive aspect of pharmacy?

18. Give us an example of when you used your creativity to solve a problem.

19. What makes you unique?

20. Where will you be in 5 / 10 years?

21. Anything else we should know about you? YES, [list other positive aspects about you]

Be familiar with topics in health care and ongoing changes to pharmacy practice as you may be asked to give your opinion or specific questions on some of the major events that are going on now.

Other questions may be hypothetical questions that place you in a ‘difficult’ or ethical situation where you will need to discuss your course of action. There is usually no right or wrong answer, but make sure you are paying close attention to the question being asked so that you don’t miss anything. Take a moment to think over your answer before starting to speak.

I personally bought a book to have the correct mindset and strategy to answer even the toughest interview questions. I think this really helped me to nail my interviews. Check my Pharmacy School Interview Lens for a link to actual interview feedback and questions from each pharmacy school.

Don’t stress out, you’ll be just fine for your interviews!!

It’s no news that iPods have quite a following and can be literally found everywhere. But, is it right to use it in the classroom? (Educators everywhere sigh collectively and shake their heads in disapproval.)

Quite obviously, students lean more (if not entirely) towards allowing iPods in school whilst most educators ban them unequivocally. Let’s see how it all weighs out and get an insight for ourselves, whether our children should/shouldn’t carry them to school.

Cons:

a. Teachers are bothered that students might be too distracted and unable to listen to them as they conduct their lessons in class.

b. Students might download pornography or inappropriate media and bring them to school, where other students might be affected.

c. iPods may be used as a tool for cheating. Some teachers have overheard students planning to download formulas for math exams and the like.

d. iPods might be a target for theft.

e. Some educators are concerned that students become isolated and antisocial. Instead of tuning into other people, they are left tuned into themselves.

f. Students can become so engrossed in listening to music that they may completely tune out what going on around them, causing unnecessary mishaps.

g. Students might be playing their music too loud and could cause damage to their hearing.

Pros:

a. Students find that listening to music calms them down and thus become better at school work.

b. It gives students something to do when there is downtime at school; or while riding the bus to or from school. (Watch a movie or an educational video, perhaps?)

c. Students are able to show their individuality by the kind of music they listen to.

d. Students disagree that they will become antisocial; in fact, they believe it is a good way to connect with their peers, by sharing their music with them (as there are two headphones to split with a friend.)

e. iPods can be used to record lectures in class and listened to when reviewing for exams. This is also favorable when the teacher talks too fast; you can just rewind and listen again.

f. There are available educational podcasts that students can tune in to that can aid them in their learning.

g. Students can install educational applications such as dictionaries, bibles, and calculators thus eliminating added bulk to their backpacks/lockers.

h. Audio lessons can be listened to before class thus allowing the students more time to work during class.

i. It could be more beneficial for teachers (whose been teaching the same lesson over and over) to record and podcast their lesson. That way they won’t miss including important points in their topic.

j. Recorded lessons can be shared with students that are absent.

k. Podcast lessons are much more accurate rather than reviewing from notes.

Nowadays, it is not outlandish to see many teenagers are working part-time as promoters or sales girls during the school holidays. Parents are willing to allow their children to work part-time so that their children will spend their school holidays well without wasting any time on surfing the internet and playing computer games. However, some parents do not allow their children to work part-time because they have the fallacy of thinking that their children are not mature enough to work. In my opinion, I partially agree that teenagers should be allowed to work during the school holidays due to the reasons that teenagers can earn their own pocket money, learn ample knowledge from working and the teenagers’ academics performance will be affected.

School holidays are defined as a period for the students to rest and keep away from their school routines. Whereas, working is known as physical or mental activities carried out to fulfill the tasks and is rewarded in monetary terms. One of the points I will highlight is pocket money can be earned by teenagers through working during the school holidays. For example, those who work as promoters in the shopping malls can earn RM5 an hour as their extra income. Thus, their parents’ burden can be reduced as teenagers do not need to ask for pocket money from their parents for daily expenses. Teenagers can even save the money they earn from working to buy reference books and stationery that they need. Therefore, parents do not need to worry on the school fees as their children are able to fork out on their own. Teenagers can also afford to buy things that they long for such as phones, laptops and shoes. In short, teenagers should be allowed to work during the school holidays because of the extra income they can get.

Furthermore, teenagers can obtain ample knowledge by working during the school holidays. It is due to the fact that they will have the opportunity to be exposed to working life at early age. Thus, they will be more experienced and know the ways of dealing with people from different social and financial backgrounds. They also know how to cooperate with other people to complete the tasks given. Hence, their social skills, a yardstick for them to reach for the stars in their future jobs, can be enhanced. They will be able to express their ideas clearly to their colleagues and supervisors. Teenagers can also know ways of utilizing time well as they need to complete the jobs that are assigned by their supervisors in a given time. Thus, they will learn to be punctual. They will become more independent as they have to look for the effective avenues to solve any problems that are faced by them in work. In brief, students’ knowledge can be widened through working and, therefore, teenagers should work during their school holidays.

However, teenagers should not spend most of their school holidays in working part-time because their academics performance may be affected. Teenagers should spend their school holidays by attending more tuition classes or seminars and doing more revisions. As a result, they can prepare and perform better in their academics. Conversely, if teenagers use most of their time working, they will have no time to do revisions and exercises from reference books because teenagers who are tired after working are unable to concentrate on their studies. Hence, teenagers who do not do their revisions during their school holidays will find difficulties to catch up with their studies when the following semester resumes. Their academic results will deteriorate due to lack of revisions. In summary, teenagers should not work during their school holidays as this will disturb their academic performance.

In conclusion, teenagers should be given leniency to work during the school holidays so that they can earn extra income and their knowledge can be widened. On the contrary, it is undeniable that working part-time during the school holidays may affect their academic performance. Thus, teenagers should put in unremitting efforts to balance the need and the wants so that they can perform well in academics.

Human relations in a democratic society must be shaped by free and independent individuals. Schools must therefore work to promote the equality of men and women. Schools must endeavor to lay the foundations of solidarity with disadvantaged groups in this country and abroad. They must actively promote the inclusion of immigrants in this country in the community. They must also lay the foundations of a determination to seek peaceful solutions to conflicts. This means that schools must aim to develop in pupils a capacity for empathy and for understanding other people’s conditions, and also a will to act in the best interests of other people as well as oneself.

Schools supplement the influence and upbringing provided in the home. The main burden of responsibility always rests with the home. Schools are jointly responsible with homes for the pupils’ development into democratic and responsible individuals. The adult members of the school community must support parents in their task of bringing up their children. Conversely, schools are entitled to expect parental support for their work. lt is very important that parents should also accept and endeavor to promote the principles and rules of democracy. In this way children and young person’s can see that homes and schools belong to the same community.  

The upbringing and personal development of children are indissolubly connected with their work in acquiring and developing knowledge and skills. The circumstances in which children and young person’s acquire knowledge and skills therefore have an important bearing on their upbringing. We are concerned here with the whole of the spirit characterizing a school. The expectations and demands of adults and the part which they play through their words and actions as examples to children and young person’s influence the self-image acquired by the younger generation and also their attitudes towards knowledge work and ethical questions.  

Activities in schools, as in the community at large, are founded on policy decisions democratically made. These decisions are manifested in laws and regulations. Pupils, like adults, have to comply with these rules. At the same time as schools are quite firm on this point, they must make it clear that legislation must never be used as a means of suppressing human rights and liberties.  

The common democratic way of life which schools, is to act in close co-operation with homes, are to transmit to children, and implies that adults should endeavor to bring up their children with the least possible element of coercion. They must endeavor to root ethical norms in the children’s own personalities and in their practical surroundings. Human ethical development is never stimulated by blind obedience, but nor is it stimulated by indifference on the part of adults. A child’s morals are shaped by contact and community with people whom it trusts and wants to resemble.  

Children must be enabled to ponder moral problems and conflicts of norms and also to assume responsibility for solving such problems in practical everyday situations. Our common basic values accommodate many problems and conflicts. Collisions between goals and reality should not be glossed over. Questions concerning conflicts, their causes and solutions, must be brought out in conversations and discussions in many connections. Schools must actively induce children to adopt standpoints concerning these matters.  

Starting on the basis of common values, every class and school must draw up the rules which children, school staff and parents together agree are necessary in order for the work and social life of the class and the school to run smoothly. These rules of everyday life must be felt to be important iu the actual prevailing  situation, and they must be consistently adhered to. It must also be jointly decided what are to be the consequences of various infringements of the rules.  

Rules must be continuously evaluated by pupils, teachers and parents together. Every child and adult must assume personal responsibility for agreements being kept. At the same time, each individual needs the support of the others. The responsibility and concern of the stronger for the weaker must be clearly emphasized.  

Being useful, being acknowledged for one’s sake, being allowed to assume responsibility -these are palpable and fundamental needs among alI children. The adults and children in each individual school must accept the practical consequences of this fact in relation to the conditions applying at their particular schools. Respect for human dignity and respect for others must also provide the ethical foundation of school work concerning matters where people in this country embrace different values.  

Hardly a day passes without school work touching on matters involving different opinions. This applies to questions of belief, to politics, to social values or morals, and it can apply to attitudes towards humanity, interpretations of history and style and taste. Schools admit children from all walks of society and all opinion groupings. All parents must be able to send their children to school with the same conviction and assurance that schools will not condition them in favor of one or the other of mutually conflicting views and opinions. The instruction provided by schools in matters where opinions vary must therefore be empirical and objective.  

Schools must be amenable to the manifestation of differing values and opinions, and they must assert the importance of personal commitment. At the same time, schools must assert the essential values of our democracy and must clearly dissociate themselves from everything which conflicts with those values. Thus schools must not adopt a posture of neutrality or passivity concerning the fundamental values of democratic society. Instead they must deliberately promote these values and educate pupils to respect them.  

In this period of hard financial times for schools around the country, many school districts are questioning the value of high school sports, and whether or not the cost is worth the educational benefits. High school sports are important to teens for many reasons. Sports have been an integral part of the public education system in our country for many years now. Good coaches / educators use athletics as an extension of the classroom, teaching lessons that could not be taught in a typical classroom setting.

One of the biggest lessons sports can teach is the importance of teamwork and mentors. Many high school athletes consider their coaches to be some of the most influential people in their lives. The success of the school community is often a result of how well students can relate to teachers and adults in the school. Having a coach that is a teacher builds a great support system for student-athletes, as they have somebody they know and trust to seek guidance and counsel from.

Involvement in sports has also been shown to increase grades. On many high school and college campuses, the average GPA of student-athletes is higher than the GPA of non-athletes.

Athletics provide an outlet for students to connect with the school and bring the school community together as they support their team. It is often difficult to convey successes in the classroom to the outside community, however sports provide a face for the school that the outside community can very easily see and support.

Most children consider math to be the hardest subject in school. Their case may be merely an emotional one. However, we have to investigate the reasons behind this widespread hatred of math in children. If your child does not like math, these can be the following reasons for your child’s dislike; (1) inability to comprehend the basics of math, (2) natural aptitude against math, (3) boring material and syllabus for math classes, (4) uninspiring teaching methods, (5) no interest of the parents. Any one or all of these reasons can make math the hardest subject for a child.

If you do not develop a liking in your child for math during pre-school , your child may not be able to develop a natural aptitude for math. Kids like to play with toys, play various interesting little games and making paintings or the like. Parents should try to teach the child about counting things and the basic concepts in their routine activities. This does not make it a boring task and your child develops a natural aptitude for math. This will solve another problem for your child as well. This will develop a very strong base for math in your child and when he will go to school he will not be behind the other students. Having developed an aptitude for math, your child will perform better in his subject.

Another problem that makes math the hardest subject in school is an inefficient and boring math syllabus. The syllabus should be developed while keeping the level and the liking of children. They find math to be boring and disgusting because syllabus books present it in a dry and boring manner. The next cause that makes math the hardest subject in school is the teaching method. If the teacher himself or herself does not like math, how could she be able to generate an interest in the subject for your child? Teachers do not give examples from every day life. The children start to assume that math does not have any importance in their lives. Then why should they study a subject that has no utility in real life? This is why children start losing interest in math. To make math an interesting subject, teachers have to make it a living subject with examples from the every day life of children.

Most of the teachers focus all their energies to prevent mistakes and the creative abilities of children go unnoticed for the most part. This method creates a negative impression about math. If we take away inventiveness from the subject then boring addition or multiplication makes math the hardest subject in school. Children may develop a distaste for math in the long run.

There is another major factor that makes math the hardest subject for your child. Mostly parents do not give proper attention and encouragement to children. You may not be able to solve syllabus or teaching method problems. However you can save your child from failure in math at your own home. Schools can not give attention to each child; the teachers have to teach to the whole class. Parents can give attention to their child’s problems. You can make math an interesting subject for your child by playing math games or assigning amusing math tasks. The homework routine should be made fun for the child. You must take interest in your child’s homework and help her wherever she needs it. If you find it difficult to give the necessary help to your child, you can hire someone who can make math an interesting subject for your child.