Researchers found children were likely to have educational development impaired if families had multiple social issues

More than a quarter of children in the UK are not reaching their potential at school because of poor living conditions and unwell parents, a study has found.

Researchers from the University of London’s Institute of Education and the University of Sussex analysed the intellectual development of 18,000 children between the ages of nine months and five years.

They found that children were likely to have stunted intellectual development if they were exposed to two or more disadvantages, such as having a parent who suffered from depression, and living in an overcrowded home.

Some 28% of the children they studied came from families that faced two or more disadvantages. In most cases, these children had a considerably reduced vocabulary or behaved worse than their peers.

In their study, multiple risk factors in young children’s development, the academics highlight 10 situations that can impair a child’s development. These include living in an overcrowded home; having a teenage mother; coming from a family with poor basic skills or a history of drug or alcohol abuse.

Some 30% of the children analysed in the study came from families facing one of these disadvantages, but it was only when children faced at least two disadvantages that their development was impaired. Some 41% of the children did not face any of the disadvantages the academics listed.

The researchers found that Bangladeshi children were most likely to be exposed to multiple family problems. Almost half – 48% – came from families that faced two or more disadvantages, compared to 20% of children of Indian heritage.

Professor Shirley Dex, one of the authors of the study, said politicians should concentrate on individual disadvantages, rather than “clusters of disadvantage”. She said: “Any combination of disadvantages only represents a small proportion of families, so if you have a targeted policy that addresses parental depression, excessive alcohol consumption and a lack of basic skills, we might only get to a small proportion of children.”

In December, David Cameron announced that he expected each large local authority to appoint troubleshooters to address the problems facing chaotic families. The scheme is formally voluntary, but if a family refuses to co-operate, councils already have the powers to evict tenants, take children into care or issue antisocial behaviour orders.

The study will be published by the Institute of Education’s Centre for Longitudinal Studies.

online school degrees

More children than previously thought miss school because of misdiagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome, according to research

Far more children than previously thought miss a lot of schooling because of chronic fatigue syndrome which has not been diagnosed, according to research.

The illness is identified as a significant source of absenteeism and the study suggests more efforts need to be made to identify sufferers. Around one in 100 secondary age pupils suffer from the condition, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), the findings in the medical journal BMJ Open claim. With 3.3 million pupils in state-funded secondary schools in England, that means that 33,000 children aged between 11 and 16 may have it, according to calculations done for the study. This is far higher than two previous surveys which estimated that just 0.06% of schoolchildren have chronic fatigue and another which found only seven sufferers among 8,839 children in 10 schools. The new figure is also higher than estimates of 0.1% to 0.5% for the prevalence of ME generally.

The conclusions are based on a study of 2,855 pupils aged 11-16 at three secondary schools in and around Bath, of whom 461 had missed 20% of their lessons, or at least a day a week, over a six-week period. Some 315 of the 461 had an identified reason for such regular absenteeism, such as a medical illness, a bout of ill-health or persistent truanting, and three of the 315 had already been diagnosed as having CFS. Of the 146 others who had unexplained absence, 112 attended a school clinic for an assessment, and of those 48 were then invited to a specialist CFS/ME clinic, of whom 42 attended. Two of those had also been previously diagnosed with CFS, though their school had not been told, and a further 23 were also diagnosed as having the illness.

That gave a total of 28 pupils out of the 2,855 who were classed as having CFS, or a rate of 1%.

“This project suggests that undiagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome/ME may be an important and under-appreciated cause of school absence in children aged 11-16 years,” said the authors, led by Dr Esther Crawley. She is a consultant senior lecturer at Bristol University and a paediatrician who runs the country’s largest clinic for young people with CFS, at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath.

“GPs have always thought that this is really rare in under-16s. But this paper shows that it’s not that rare,” said Crawley. Schools should assess pupils who are missing 20% or more of days, consider CFS as a likely cause and refer them to a specialist service, she added.

Schools should start screening pupils who miss at least 20% of lessons for signs of CFS, especially as the average length of time between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis is 22 months, she added.

A spokeswoman for Action for ME said: “Dr Crawley’s findings suggest that many more pupils than previously estimated may have ME. We estimate that there are 250,000 people in the UK with ME and that as many as 25,000 of these are children and young people. The youngest person to be diagnosed ever in the UK was two.”

The Department for Education reacted cautiously to the findings, believing it unwise to draw any conclusions about the picture nationally from a study of just three schools, especially with a condition that is hard to diagnose accurately.

A spokesman said: “Absence from school, even for one day, is hugely detrimental to pupil’s prospects. Where there is an underlying medical problem, schools and the local authority should work with parents to minimise the impact of the long term illnesses on a pupil’s education.”

Peter White, a professor of psychological medicine at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, said: “This well-conducted study shows that schoolchildren who miss school without explanation fall between the stools of school and the health service, and do so for two main reasons: emotional ill-health and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

“Both of these can delay or even prevent a child from reaching their educational and personal potential.”

Case study

Ruth Haughton fell ill just before taking her GCSEs. “I initially got glandular fever three weeks before my GCSEs in May 2005, when I was 15, and that mutated into ME. I was diagnosed within eight weeks, which is unusually quick. The exam board said that I had to try to take at least one of my exams. I ended up taking three but, because I was bedbound with severe muscle fatigue, I had to take them at my kitchen table, as I couldn’t leave the house. I was pretty delirious, in a feverish stupor, and could barely read. I think I got ill because I’m a perfectionist and was pushing myself to get an A-star in all my 10 subjects. But it then took me three years to get just one A-level, in art, and I had to abandon my ambition of doing medicine.” I’m now doing the foundation year of a geology degree instead. Yes, ME was devastating for me. But it’s also brought some positives, like teaching me that I can’t push my body too hard or it will break.”

online school degrees

Annual survey of attitudes reveals perceived social apartheid with powerful ‘elite’ dislocating government from populace

Private education perpetuates a form of social apartheid and the emergence of a political class drawn from a segregated elite which does not understand or share the views of most people, the annual British social attitudes survey warns on Wednesday.

The study, by the National Centre for Social Research (NCSR), which surveys a representative sample of more than 3,300 people annually, also found that televised debates during the elections failed to enthuse voters, that the NHS is recording its highest-ever satisfaction ratings, and, just before the riots erupted, six out of 10 respondents said most young people were “responsible and well-behaved”.

But the survey’s most controversial analysis centres on why class matters more than ever in British life by looking at the educational background of respondents for the first time.

From this, researchers could identify a “sense of superiority bonus” that comes from attending a private school.

This “superiority” manifests itself in a belief that private education confers a higher position on the ladder of life.

After accounting for family background, the study found that the privately educated are still roughly twice as likely as state school pupils to see themselves as being middle or upper-middle class.

The privately schooled also have an in-built bias to value the work of “top people” more highly than others, because captains of industry and cabinet ministers were “people like us”. This tendency is especially pronounced when considering how much people should be paid.

When asked how much a company chairman should earn on average, privately educated people suggested an average figure of £237,000 a year, £88,000 higher than the average level proposed by those who went to state schools.

State-educated respondents were also more concerned with social inequality. Private schools, the NCSR said, “produced Conservative partisans”.

Strikingly, on issues of crime and punishment, the privately educated were more liberal: 61% of state-educated people agreed that the death penalty should be brought back. Only 47% of those who attended fee-paying schools agreed.

In the absence of any agreed way to identify people as upper-class, the report concludes that one indicator has persisted: where they went to school. They represent a self-replicating caste, being likely to marry each other and send their children to private schools.

The report also highlights the social divide at the heart of government. The prime minister is an Etonian son of a stockbroker who married a baronet’s daughter,; his deputy attended Westminster school, and the chancellor went to St Paul’s school. Across government, two-thirds of ministers were privately educated. The NCSR says studies in the past decade have found that more than half of senior civil servants went to private schools and the vast majority of senior judges are privately educated.

The report says: “The dominance in the current government of people who come from such a segregated elite can only add to concerns that it does not understand or share the views of the vast majority of the population it purports to represent.”

The report also highlights a surging disillusionment with politics. Only 20% trust the government to put the interests of the nation above those of their own political party “most of the time” – down from 33% in 1997 and 47% in 1987.

Although half of respondents watched the televised leaders’ debates in the 2010 election, making them one of the most popular ways of following the campaign, three-quarters of the audience were those who confessed to being interested in politics anyway.

On the NHS, the study found that the health service in 2010 was the most popular it has ever been, with satisfaction ratings of 70%, up 5% in a year.

The report says that expectations have also become more favourable about the likelihood of being seen promptly by a doctor, with 73% “definitely” or “probably” saying they would get an appointment at a hospital outpatient department within three months.

“The government will have to watch how its NHS reforms affect that because there has been a marked improvement in recent years,” said Alison Park, who edited the report.

The report also looked at childhood. While most of those questioned thought Britain is a good country to grow up in, only a minority think children are happier now than they were a decade ago.

Despite the changes outlined last month in the chancellor’s spending review, which would increase child poverty by 100,000 by 2013, an overwhelming majority of the public support action to reduce child poverty, with most people seeing this as a task for central and local government.

The NCSR concludes that “although people do see child poverty as something for ministers to tackle, it is seen as rooted in poor parenting. Less engaged or willing to make sacrifices for the common good during challenging times, the British public perhaps increasingly sees it as the responsibility of the individual to get through. If that’s true, what hope for the big society?”

online school degrees

Researchers say August babies underperform compared with older children in their school year throughout their working lives

Children born in August, the youngest in each school year, are less likely to go on to study at top universities than their older classmates, a thinktank study has found.

Researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) examined whether there was a link between the month in which a child is born and what they tend to do when they leave school.

They studied three data sets, which represent the records of 48,500 children and teenagers in England. They found children born in August were 20% less likely than their classmates born 11 months earlier. in September, to go to Russell Group universities – the top flight that includes Oxford and Cambridge. They were more likely to study vocational courses instead.

Claire Crawford, one of the authors of the study, said August-born children may “end up doing worse than September-born children throughout their working lives, simply because of the month in which they were born”.

“Studying for academic qualifications, attending a Russell Group university, and believing that you have control over your own life are all associated with a greater chance of being in work and having higher wages later in life,” she said.

A previous study by the IFS, published in 2007, showed August-born children were significantly less likely to be academically successful than their September-born classmates. The latest study – Does When You Are Born Matter? – found parents tried to compensate for any potential disadvantage by reading to August-born children more. But they began to help them catch up only after the children started school.

The researchers found teachers were two and a half times more likely to regard August pupils at seven as below-average in maths. While 63% of teachers deemed September pupils “very ready” to start secondary school when they were nearing the end of their last year at primary school, only 49% did for August children. The researchers said this might imply that there needs to be extra help for August children to make an easy transition between school stages.

August children were less likely to be confident in their academic abilities than their September peers and twice as likely at seven to report that they have been bullied.

The study found the differences were at their most stark at primary school. Children in England start primary school in the September following their fourth birthday. The researchers said it could be that September-born children are significantly older than their August-born classmates when they sit national tests.

Ellen Greaves, another of the authors, said the government “should be concerned about the wider educational experience of summer-born children, who appear to be at a disadvantage in terms of their wellbeing as well as their test scores”.

online school degrees

Sound knowledge is the base of a promising career. The law students must possess professional skills and in-depth knowledge to excel in this profession. The sense of professionalism gets enriched with the real-life experiences but it must be sown in the student life. When it comes to quality, the study online in Nigeria does not lag far behind the regular ones.

The curriculum of the online law program is devised and revised to let the students have a good hang of the entire legal system. A thorough understanding of law is not synonymous with digesting the sections and subsections and vomiting them out in the court, but allows the learners to grasp how the legal system works in a society. The law courses through the program of study online in Nigeria ensures that the students will be equipped with the nitty-gritty of legal theory to get comfortably established in the competitive market.

Just like the study online in Nigeria in the field of law, the Nigerian students are quite hopeful about the prospect of UK MBA in Nigeria. Management is a hotshot profession to the ambitious students along the length and breadth of the globe. Eyeing on getting one’s name registered into a premier institute requires preparing a lot to vie with the other competitors. A lot of screening and scanning will be done to filter the extraordinary students. The rest will have to rush to the not-so-good institutes. The Nigerian education authority has done a commendable job by introducing the program of UK MBA in Nigeria. It is an extended field of study online in Nigeria program that stays focused on nourishing the budding managers and efficiently arranges a platform for them to learn the skill of management.

What makes the online study program so much endearing to the generation Y? Of course, it is its flexi-features. The program was conceptualized to perfectly fit the needs of the professionals. Being sandwiched between the workloads and personal life, they do not find any time to continue studies. But higher learning is a ladder to climb up high in the professional life. The program of study online in Nigeria does not require commuting from one place to another, being in person at the classrooms and appearing for the scheduled exams. Being relieved of attending the regular classes, the online students are endowed with enough time to finish their courses through the program of study online in Nigeria and earn the advanced degrees.

Revision of curriculum is vital to develop the necessary skills to be successful in any field. The age-old course structure can not fit to the modern needs and demands of the industry. The regular course revision in the study online in Nigeria program is the right step to keep pace with the evolving demand. The online program also injects the quality of analytical thinking, gives attention to details and provides facility of enough hands-on experiences. In absence of any stringent rule, the students have to be diligent and disciplined enough to chalk out the path of success.

What is the Online Degree in Human Resource Management?

An online degree in human resource management is designed to give students the skills required to carry out functions of recruitment, selection, development, training and assessment of employee within an organization. The online degree in human resource management also addresses issues of labor law, employee compensation and safety. Online degrees in human resource management are available at all levels of the educational ladder ranging from associate, bachelor, master through to PhD online degree programs.

Students of online human resource degree programs are able to receive an accredited high quality degree program within their comfort of their homes without ever having to visit the campuses of any university. Online degrees in human resource management are available through pre-recorded lectures that guides student smoothly through the program. Students can easily revisit past lectures to solidify their understanding. In addition, online human resource management cost less in the end that at traditional institutions as the cost associated with commute and campus life are all eliminated.
Benefits of an Online Degree in Human Resource Management

Upon the completion of an online degree in human resource management, graduates will be able to:

* Motivate employees to go the extra mile for the organization
* Design or source effective training to empower employees
* Successfully conduct negotiations to resolve salaries packages beneficial to both employees and the organization
* Conduct employee appraisals
* Resolve internal disputes using effective mediation skills
* Source the best employees for the organization

Top Accredited Online School for Human Resource Management Degrees

Many institutions online offer degrees in human resource management. However, students should take cars to pursue degree programs only from accredited online universities. This ensures that the employing public will recognize your degree. Some of these accredited online schools include:

* Virginia College: Virginia College offers students 100% online degree programs in Human Resource Management at the associates, bachelors and masters level. At Virginia College, students receive a high quality accredited degree that is highly respected by both their peers and organizations. Graduates of Virginia college online degree in human resource management can thus look forward to a fruitful career in the field.
* University of Phoenix: The University of Phoenix is one of the oldest and most experienced online institutions in the business of online education. Their influence reaches far and wide thus making graduates of their online degree in human resource management in constant high demand. Their online degree in human resource management is always current and applicable in all forms of organizations.

The present education system in India, consisting primarily of primary education, secondary education, secondary and higher education. Primary education consists of eight years of education. Each secondary and upper secondary education has two years of education. Higher education in India starts after passing upper secondary education. Depending on the tide, doing graduation in India can take three to five years. Graduate courses are generally two to three years. online degree courses have attracted students from different academic interests. Arts, Science, Technology, Engineering, Medicine, Fine Arts, Business, Social Science, Media Studies and various vocational courses complete the orbit of online degrees. Online bachelor degree has been a popular choice among students opting for distance learning courses.  

Today, online degree in India plays a major role in the education field.  Online universities and colleges offer a wide range of online degree courses to suit your educational goals and objectives and schedule. online degree programs in India are offered by various universities and colleges. Your degree program represents the mastery of a body of knowledge and is a symbol of your level of dedication to your profession. An online mba nursing is a great way for a Registered Nurse (RN) to advance their career and open a new world of opportunities. Completing mba   nursing program online offers all the benefits of the traditional campus based programs but without the inconvenience of taking 2 years off to complete.  

Online learning is the most important term, which is applied for computer-enhanced learning. It is related to the field of advanced learning technology. It can be one good option for pursuing education for those who can’t regularly attend the courses. online training programs are different from traditional education systems and there is no need of a classroom and face-to-face interaction with teachers. You can understand online learning program is a way of “learning while working”.  Putting your name down for online learning programs will allow you to participate in online classes from the major institutions as well as universities throughout the India and also around the world. online middle schools and online high schools act as a “bridge” between elementary school and high school. Today middle school education is also provided through online middle schools so that student can learn from their comfort zone.

Sometimes, these scientists can make mistakes if they dont follow established procedures, which include keeping exact files on the evidence in a case. In some cases, these mistakes can have a negative impact on innocent lives. Several individuals have been sentenced to death on the basis of expert forensic evidence and testimony. Later on, it was discovered that these people were innocent, and the real criminals were apprehended. In these cases, science save an innocent life, and the courts could provide justice. Recently, over eleven individuals were released from a Chicago jail after new forensic evidence showed they were innocent. These people had already spent years in jail as a result of mistakes made in the legal system.

You can get a degree in forensic science online in just a few years. To earn a degree, you need to have a previous degree in biology, physics, chemistry, or physical science in order to register. Some online colleges require a minimum of a bachelors degree in one of these subjects before you can begin courses in forensic science. If you want to find a degree program in this field you should consult organizations such as the American Board of Criminalistic-ABC, American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors-ASCLD, National Forensic Science Tech Center-NSFTC, International Association of Forensic Science, and International Association for Identification-IAI and International Society for Forensic Genetics, and International Association for Identification-IAI and International Society for Forensic Genetics.

Degrees in forensic science may cover budget analysis, forensic accounting, working in a morgue or hospital, studying DNA, or working with computers. There are many areas in which you can work after getting a forensic science degree. Computer forensics involves investigations of evidence by tracking information via computer technology. It is a new field, but expertise in this area increases daily. Computer forensics involves extracting data from various media and presenting the evidence collected to the courts. This field uses extensive software programs and applications. The FBI, CIA, and other law enforcement agencies use forensic science with computers to resolve their cases.

An online forensics degree requires more work and specific background education than other online degrees, but if you want an exciting career with many opportunities and a chance to make a difference, do not let this keep you from pursuing on online degree in forensic science.

Top Online Degree Programs in Electronics

Some of the top degree programs in electronics are Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. Some of the online course work may vary by school.

Bachelor in Electrical Engineering: For this program you will need to complete a variety of courses in engineering, science and computer science. Some of the required courses include, power engineering, electrical machines, network analysis and electronic design of digital circuit in addition to group projects.

Master of Science in Electrical Engineering: If you are looking to broaden your understanding of the complexities of electronics or pursue a career in academia, this is the perfect program for you. Some of the required courses include communication systems, advanced signal processes and system theory. You are also required to research, write and present a thesis paper or project at the end of the program.

Some of the Things You Will Learn

Electromechanical Assembly Technician: This Electronics program provides such classes as electromechanical project, surface mount technology, IPC-A-610C certification, IPC-J-STD-001D certification and IPC/WHMA-A-620 certification plus much more.

Electronics Assembly Technicians: This Electronics program will teach you how to solder wire connections and assemble circuit boards and multi-leaded components. Courses include universal assembly, surface mount technology and IPC-A-610C certification and much more.

Electronics Technician: This Electronics program teaches you the basics of electronic technology. The classes offered for this program are: universal assembly and repair, analog devices and circuits, electronics troubleshooting and digital circuits among others.

Job Outlook

Job Prospects looks promising for applicants with an Online Associate degree in Electronics, certification and related experience. Job opportunities are expected to grow at a slow but steady pace with most job openings becoming available to replace workers who may transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force. In 2006, Electronics Engineers (except those working with computers) held 138,000 U.S. jobs. Four percent job growth is expected through 2016 for this occupation as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary Ranges of Online Electronics Degree Graduate

According to the Bureau Labor Statistics, median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment were $21.72 in May 2006. The middle 50% earned between $17.18 and $26.59. The lowest 10% earned less than $13.43, and the highest 10% earned more than $30.90. In May 2006, median hourly earnings were $23.49 in the Federal Government and $19.92 in building equipment contractors, the industries employing the largest numbers of electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment. Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary electric motor, power tool, and related repairers were $15.80 in May 2006. Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay were $27.60 in May 2006. Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary electronics installers and repairers, motor vehicles were $13.57 in May 2006. Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary electrical and electronics repairers, transportation equipment were $20.72 in May 2006.

Don’t put it off any longer, take control of your career and pursue an online degree in Electronics today – you won’t regret it!

Online degree programs have been designed to fit the busy schedule of working individual to earn a degree at the most comfort home environment and in the most flexible schedule. While many traditional “brick & mortar” universities had made their degree programs available online, more and more prestige online universities that are accredited by accreditation agencies recognized by U.S Department of Education offer various degrees that cover degree level from online associates degree to bachelor, master and doctorate degree and topic from business, computer, engineering, health care & etc. You should able to find one that meets your career requirement.

Advantages of Taking Your Education Online

The key factors that make online degree programs become popular and most accepted by many working individual who are seeking to continue their education either for career advancement or job promotion includes:

1. Freedom to Learn From Your Comfort Environment

You do not need to drive all the way to university to attend the classes. Turn on your computer/laptop and modem that connect you to the university online learning system, you can start your learning right away. Hence, you can choose to enroll into any online degree program offer by your favorite school without the need to consider where the university is located.

2. Reduced Material Costs & Easy Access To Learning Material

One of the e-learning advantages is most of textbook and learning materials are in electronic format and online library is just a finger click away. This will reduced your expenses for book, computer software and other material costs. And as an online student to a university, you can access the university online library from your computer, allows you to have easy access to the learning resources you need.

3. Flexible Learning Environment

Many online courses are self-paced and you can arrange your learning schedule to fit into your working hours. You can always choose to speed up if you have more free time and slow down your learning process if you are busy with your work. You make the call to complete your degree in the duration that fit into your time schedule.

4. Save Money & Time

Time is so important because you need it to build your career to a success level and online degree program allow you to save not just money but also the most valuable time. It saves your time by cutting out commuting, parking, traveling time and saves your money in term of transportation costs, meal and childcare and more.

In Summary

Online degree programs have created a different learning environment where you can gain new knowledge and equip yourself with the required skills that can help in your career move without the need to give up your job.