Free Essays on School Prayer

Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com... Free Essays on School Prayer Free Essays on School Prayer For many years, American public school students have been denied the right of religious freedom that the Constitution's First Ammendment established. A section of the First Ammendment reads, "Congress shall make no law restricting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof," but yet, court rulings have, in many cases, prohibited students to take part in certain religious activities. As a result, prayer has been banned from many public schools throughout the country. Those who are pro-separation of church and state argue that prayer should be banned from public schools, but I, being a religious person, believe prayer should be allowed. The doctrine of the separation of church and state, as it has been articulated in the past years by our courts, is an inaccurate misinterpretation of the Constitution that actually provides the framework for immense violations of our First Ammendment rights. The First Ammendment was never meant to eliminate all references to God and religion from our public life or government. The most certain sign of the craziness of this doctrine is the fact that the Declaration of Independence itself can only be taught as a historical artifact rather than as a living expression of our moral identity as people. Starting a school day off with a prayer will not harm society. Prayer may be a way of allowing students to clear their minds. It gives students a peaceful way to start the day, instead of a teacher having to quiet an annoying group of students. Prayer does not only help make the transition into learning smooth, it also helps students resolve personal issues. It gives students a time every morning when they can think about values and faith to help them through life. Many students have problems, and prayer gives them time to think about their issues. Many ask, "What is... Free Essays on School Prayer Should school prayer be allowed in public schools? Introduction Since this country’s establishment, there have been several debates over the issue of religious prayer in school. Religious sects and other groups feel that prayer should be mandatory in public schools; however, many people believe it to be our right to have church and state remain separate. If we allow prayer in school, then it will indoctrinate our unsuspecting children’s minds and devastate the United States Constitution. Religious prayer must not be allowed into public schools. The destruction of our constitution through prayer in schools raises a group of children with no independence of their own thoughts and beliefs. The research that is presented in this paper will prove indefinitely why the use of prayer in public schools is illegal. Government’s Position Public schools are for all children, whether Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Baptist, Quaker, or Atheist. Schools are supported by all taxpayers and should be free of school prayer and religious observances. It is the duty of the parents and churches to instill religious beliefs. It should not be the governments’ job to help instill these religious beliefs. School prayer is a time where all children are required to pray. Justice Black sees the First Amendment as, â€Å"a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayer American people can say† (Bach 128). When government attempts to promote, support, establish, or use religion in any way, both church and state suffer (Bach 128). Newt Gingrich’s belief on voluntary school prayer is thus, nothing in this constitution shall be construed to prohibit individual or group prayer in public schools or other public institutions. No person shall be required by the United States or by any State to participate in prayer. Neither the United States nor any State shall com...

Social Psychology essay

Social Psychology essay Social Psychology essay Social Psychology essayThe history of social psychology can be described as the history of social science that reflects multiple efforts to explain social conditions, social actions and the relationships between society and its members (Fenestra, 2013). The history of social psychology helps to better understand the nature of social world. In fact, social psychology plays an important role in helping individuals to have a better understand of the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of other individuals. It is necessary to understand not only social, but also political and material influences on the conceptions of individuals. The history of social psychology is closely connected with the political history because the discipline helps to explore human nature through the application of certain scientific methods. A number of key research developments have helped to define social psychology and differentiate it from other fields of study, including ethical, cultural, behavioral and other types of research developments.   The following theoretical constructs are inherent in social psychology principles include the â€Å"commonality corollary, the sociality corollary and the fragmentation corollary† (Rogers, 2013, p. 157). The role of ethics in behavioral research is crucial because any form of behavioral research requires not only observation, analysis of human behavior, but also it requires the analysis of by-products of human behavior, such as public opinions. Ethics in behavioral research influences the attitudes of personnel, the behavior of the participants, and other aspects that may have certain impact on society. Some of the ethical dilemmas that researchers face include the issues associated with specific national or cultural context, maintenance of the respect for privacy and confidentiality, etc. One of the examples of an ethical violation that occurred in a human research study includes the violation of moral principles in the form of racial ineq uality, which leads to racial discrimination and racism. The study well-known as the Tuskegee Syphilis study demonstrates the actual violation of moral norms in relation to African Americans. The methodology used by researchers was observational. Considerable changes could have been made to improve the ethical nature of the research, including the improved ethical standards and the proper control.

Ontario Teachers Strike Essays - Strike Action, Teacher, Trade Union

Ontario Teachers Strike Essays - Strike Action, Teacher, Trade Union Ontario Teachers Strike Education is probably the most important resource in our society. The education System determines our future, by educating the youngest segment of our population. For this reason, it should be of great concern when there is a problem or an issue like a Teachers' strike. The Ontario teachers' strike that began on Monday October 27 involves 126,000 teachers and affects 2.1 Million students in the province. This strike is North America's largest, right ahead of the 1975 New York City strike when 60,000 teachers walked off the job . The main issue of debate is over Bill 160, which is all about who holds The Power to set education policy in the province of Ontario. Bill 160 centralizes control of the education system, putting it in the hands of the provincial government. It eliminates the authority of school boards and teachers' unions to set classroom and teaching conditions locally through collective bargaining. The bill allows the government to regulate class sizes, education property tax rates, teachers' preparation time, the amount of time teachers and students spend in school and the use of non-certified instructors. The issue is whether teachers should have a role in educational reform. The strike is illegal, because most of the te! achers have existing contracts. Ontario premier Mike Harris said that reforms are needed to stop a decline in student performance. Although the same government announced that the bill will allow the education ministry to cut 7,000 teaching jobs and up to $700 million from the $14-billion education budget. The strike is not a typical one, because it's not really a labor issue. It's not about teachers fighting a school board over a collective bargaining agreement. It's a strike protesting against the Harris government and Bill 160. While the teachers want to protest Bill 160, they also have an obligation to teach their Students. Many teachers are caught in this dilemma; do you go to the classroom, or do you go to the wall to defend education? Are teachers responsible first and foremost for their students or should they be loyal to the union? Many teachers in Ontario feel that they should be there for their students, although they're Scared To cross the picket line. Eileen Lennon, president of the Ontario Teachers Federation, has said that teachers who cross picket lines won't be sanctioned. However, they might take heat from individual co-workers when they get back on the job. The Teachers feel that they have to show solidarity with the union, or they will be alienate! d. "Parents should be on the alert that their schools may be closed in the very near future," Lennon said. "When we do it, it will be province wide." Union members met with education minister Dave Johnson over changes to Bill 160, although nothing was resolved. Johnson said he was discouraged following a one-hour meeting with representatives of the five major teachers' unions. He said he would not make changes the unions demanded. "I was presented with a list of issues to pull out of Bill 160," Johnson said. "I've been presented with an ultimatum to take these sections out of Bill 160 and further discussions, according to the Ontario Teachers' Federation, are not able to take place until those sections are taken out of the bill." Union leaders said they asked Johnson to remove some provisions that would allow the province to use non-certified teachers in classrooms and to regulate class size, teacher preparation time and the amount of time teachers spend in the classroom. Johnson says the changes are necessary to improve the quality of education. The government and the unions have each spent over 1 million dollars in advertising, trying to win over the support of the people of Ontario. The most recent polls show that the unions have a slight edge over the government as they prepared for the illegal strike. Though the longer the strike lasts, the opinion will shift to the government. "The question is: How long will people put up with the inconvenience in light of the over-arching motives? "Right now, tone and character become extremely important." Opinion on the issue is constantly changing, with a shift of two or three percentage points a day

Sales Letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sales Letter - Assignment Example The manufacturer will have to adjust to new consumer needs because of new interactive market place conditions. This depends upon where and how the company markets its products or services. In addition, when it comes to marketing or promoting a service or product, one sixe does not fit it all. I will introduce a new sales technique to the company in order to attract more customers. In addition, it will be my responsibility as a salesperson to ensure that the sales department is working in line with the company objectives. In order to increase sale of goods, I will do the following as a salesperson; ii. The sales department can use just in time method of supplying goods as this ensures that goods are delivered on time to avoid inconveniences in the production process. This type of system ensures that the delivery trucks are operating on a scheduled time plan and that they deliver goods at the stipulated time. iv. Just in time, technique is efficient because it does not need too much supervision in order to accomplish. This is because the truck drivers follow the schedules, which means there is no need to supervise their work. I am writing to you this letter because I believe I have all the necessary qualifications, experience and qualities that would help your company prosper. In addition, I know your are targeting customers from Asian countries especially India. I have worked as a salesperson for renowned companies such as BMW in India. This means I clearly understand Indian perceptions and behaviors towards a new product. Therefore, as explained above, I will ensure that you will not regret choosing me as your salesperson because your product will receive a positive reception in new market. I m looking forward to your positive

Successful Reintegration into the General Education Setting Research Proposal

Successful Reintegration into the General Education Setting - Research Proposal Example Teachers and parents of these students will help in providing necessary information such as the challenges that are deemed to hinder reintegration process. The proposed study will span for three months whereby participants who are students with special needs will be undergoing the normal intervention therapies provided by their respective educational organizations. Students with special needs learn for five days with majority of them being in boarding schools and the researcher will try as much as possible not to disrupt the normal school schedule. Therefore, researches will be conducted from break time up to lunchtime. Participants will receive training as a group for three hours per day in five days, which will be an additional training since they are taken through such sessions by their trainers. The researcher will have a team of trained personnel who will assist him in providing this training to the children with special needs. Training sessions will be starting immediately after the introduction and familiarization whereby the team of IEP will be beginning to train the students using the approaches explained under subheading â€Å"analysis†. Effective application of these approaches will help in evaluating the teachability of these students among other behaviors that the research team might find important to monitor. Various approaches will be used so that the research team can analyze them later and establish the most effective one. The researcher will get information from agencies taking care of these students by requesting them to answer questions that will be submitted via email. After these three months sessions, the researcher will recommend students who will be found to be ready for reintegration to the general education. Assessment of the programs for students with special needs will be administered by researchers who are not

The best parenting style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The best parenting style - Research Paper Example Several studies discovered that parenting style can affect the personalities and behaviors of their children (Evans, 2012; Baldwin, McIntyre, & Hardaway, 2007). To determine the best patenting style, a number of secondary sources and one primary source have been used. In several cases, the best parenting style is authoritative parenting, although other factors, including culture, family dynamics, and children’s traits can affect the decision for choosing the style that fits the context and individualities of children. Authoritarian parents are not very good in raising happy, confident, sociable, and high-achieving children. These parents integrate high control with low warmth or parental involvement (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010, p. 250). They want to nurture the values of hard work, compliance, and discipline among their children (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2010, p.250). Clinical psychologist Block described that authoritarian parenting focuses on maintaining control and authority (personal communication, October 20, 2012). She stated: â€Å"[Authoritarian parents] use their authority to control their children. They make rules that are explained through the need to be obedient to authority† (personal communication, October 20, 2012). She explained that authoritarian parents are strict and demanding because they expect their children to act as adults. Their punishment tends to be physical and punitive: â€Å"They punish children who do not follow their rules, sometimes through spanking them† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). Furthermore, authoritative parents rarely show warmth toward their children because â€Å"many think that warmth will make their children weak† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). Authoritarian parents think that control and less emotional interaction is the best way to raise children. Kail and Cavanaugh (2010) noted from their review of studies that authoritarian parents raise children who tend to be unhappy and overly aggressive, while permissive parents tend to have children with poor self-control and are very impulsive. Block explained that the children of authoritarian parents can have extreme behaviors (personal communication, October 20, 2012). On the one hand, some are â€Å"rebellious and have been involved in alcohol and drug abuse† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). Some have developed â€Å"bullying behaviors† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). On the other hand, others are very â€Å"obedient and efficient in following rules† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). Block underlined that they follow because of â€Å"fear for punishment, and not because they believe that it is right† (personal communication, October 20, 2012). Happiness is elusive too: â€Å"I have interviewed these children and none of them are happy. They may project high self-esteem, but they are very uncert ain in discussing their goals and identity† (B. Clock, personal communication, October 20, 2012). Hence, children of authoritarian students are not always happy and successful in their chosen fields, probably because of their reaction to their parents’ authoritarian control on their lives. Permissive parents may be too lenient, although they can raise self-assured and disciplined students too. Permissive parenting has little rules and demands; these parents are very responsive to their children’s emotional needs (Shaffer, 2009, p. 378). The idea is to

Obesity and Smoking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Obesity and Smoking - Essay Example 935). Smoking has been estimated to account for 8% of total healthcare costs in the US, 3.8% in Canada, and 3.7% in Germany (Chang et al, 2005, pp. 2122 -2125). Dramatic variations in rates and trends of smoking are evident for specific subpopulations of women in Canada. There has recently been a disturbing trend whereby smoking rates among teenaged girls exceeded smoking rates among teenaged boys for the first time. Among girls aged 15 to 19, 25.1% reported being daily smokers in 1998 - 1999 and 26% in 2001, as compared with 18.5% and 20% respectively for boys in this age group (Chang et al, 2005, pp.2126 -2128). Girls also started smoking at a younger age, 41% of girls aged 15 to 17 reporting having smoked their first cigarette before age 13 as compared with 29% of boys. In the last decade, daily consumption increased for girls aged 15 to 19 from 11.5 cigarettes per day in 1990 to 12.7 cigarettes per day in 1999; this has decreased to 10.8 in 2001 (Statistics Canada, 2000, pp. 238- 245). In this paper we would be discussing the two issues faced by the Canadians - Obesity and Smoking. The simplest definition of obesity is an excessive amount of body fat. It must be distinguished from overweight, which refers to an excess of body weight relative to height. Obesity is probably best assessed by the visual judgment of an experienced observer. If a man, woman, or child looks fat when undressed, he or she is probably obese. Measurement of sub scapular and triceps skin-fold thicknesses with calipers is the simplest objective way to assess body fat. Data from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) indicate an obesity rate for Canada of 23.1% and an overweight rate of 59.1%. U.S. data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 -2002 show that 65.1% of the American adult population is overweight and 30.4% are obese (Hedley et al, 2004, pp. 2847- 2848). The problem of obesity does not affect all populations equally, particularly in the U.S. The obesity rate in the U.S. is higher for women at 33.2% compared to the rate for men (27.6%). By race, these gender differences are exacerbated. F or example, the obesity rate among non-Hispanic white women is 30.7% compared to a rate of 49% among non-Hispanic black American women, whereas obesity rates across race for men do not differ significantly (Hedley et al, 2004, pp. 2849- 2850). In Canada, obesity rates do not vary substantially by sex (23.2% for women and 22.9% for men). However, obesity rates are higher for white women (24.8%) and white men (25 .5%) compared to their non-white counterparts (Hedley et al, 2004, p.2849). An estimated 80-90% of persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Canadian population are overweight or obese. Obesity is also a growing problem in children with type 1 diabetes (Hypponen et al, 2000, pp.1755-1760). Furthermore, intensive insulin therapy is associated with weight gain. Weight loss has been shown to improve glycemic control by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake and diminishing hepatic glucose output (Chou et al, 2004, pp. 565-587). The risk of death from all causes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and some forms of cancer increases with excessive body fat (Calle et al,