Making Singapore An Inclusive Society

Making Singapore An Inclusive Society Inclusion is an international agenda. It is practiced in both developed and developing countries in the world. In wealthy developed countries (eg United States, Australia) large body of research has highlighted the benefits of inclusion for all students. Inclusion in many developing countries has provided educational alternative for as many children as possible (Lim, L. Tan, J. 2007). The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes educational opportunities for the worlds children. It provides that children have a right to education (Art. 28) and children with any kind of disability should have special care and support so that they can lead full and independent lives (Art. 23). The Convention was adopted by Singapore on 2 October 1995 (MCYS, 2003). Making Singapore an Inclusive Society Singapore Prime Minister Lee in his maiden 2004 National Day Rally speech clearly stated the intention of his government to build an inclusive society and envisioned Singapore as a place for its people who can contribute and care for one another as one people and one nation regardless of race, religion and background (Lee, 2004). The following month PM Lee called for more efforts to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream society beginning with the integration of students with disabilities into mainstream schools (Teo, 2004 cited by Lim, Thaver Slee, 2008). The Prime Minister continued his promise of building an inclusive society in his second National Day rally speech 2005 and called on everyone to play a part in remaking Singapore as a vibrant, global city that can be proudly called home (Lee, 2005). He also emphasised a first-class education for all (Lee, 2005). Since PM Lees announcements, other ministries supported his vision of a new government by making commitments to make Singapore an inclusive society. Listed below are ministerial speeches from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Ministry of Education (MOE) reiterating the ministrys support to make Singapore an inclusive society. 10 March 2005: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and Senior Minister of State for Trade Industry (MITI) in his speech on No one left behind defined an inclusive society as one giving people with disabilities more opportunities for gainful employment so that they were not excluded and could live like everyone else (Balakrishnan, 2005 point 33). 10 November 2005: Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education (MOE) in his speech on The School as a Caring Community at the International Conference on Inclusive Education affirmed the government support for children with special needs (Gan, 2005). 14 January 2006: Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State, Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) as Guest of Honour presenting bursary awards at the Society for the Physically Disabled (SPD) informed that children with disabilities have been accepted into mainstream schools and disclosed that schools are improving their infrastructure so that their facilities are made accessible to students with physical disabilities (Gan, 2006). 26 June 2006: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and 2nd Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) gave a speech about an inclusive transport system making Singapore an Accessible City and announced the launch of wheelchair-accessible public buses (Balakrishnan, 2006 and LTA, 2006). 2 November 2006: At Singapores 11th parliament opening, President S. R. Nathan reiterated its pledge to build a competitive economy and an inclusive society which leaves no one behind (Nathan, 2006). 26 January 2008: Rear Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education (MOE) in his speech at the SPD Education Programme Awards Presentation spoke on support for an inclusive school system through many helping hands approach, thus making Singapore a more gracious, compassionate and inclusive society (Lui, 2008 point 9). 20 October 2011: In his address at the opening of Singapores 12th Parliament President Tony Tan stressed the importance of achieving inclusive growth where there are opportunities for everyone (Tan, 2011). 20 October 2011: In the same Parliament seating, PM Lee again spoke of an inclusive society as one where everybody benefits from the progress of the nation, has a say, a stake and a sense of belonging that leaves (sic) no one behind (Lee, 2011 point 3-4). With regard to early education, PM Lee said that the government is focused on supporting good quality, affordable pre-school education (Lee, 2011 point 11) and early diagnosis and intervention for preschool children with learning difficulties (Lee, 2011 point 12). 8 November 2011: Mdm Halimah Yacob, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) said that investments in early years education is important for social mobility and achieving inclusive growth. In the speech she outlined three areas of focus in subsidy grant for childcare placement, teacher quality and MCYS training to support implementation of the regulatory early years framework (Yacob, 2011). Singapore adopts the many helping hands approach involving families, communities and the government all playing their part towards an inclusive society (Tan, 2009). In the beginning, special education in Singapore developed haphazardly and was driven by voluntary organisations. Over time the government took over to play a coordinating and monitoring role (Tan, 2009) History of Special Education in Singapore The provision of special education dated back in the 1940s in post-war Singapore by organisations providing charitable services for people with physical and sensory disabilities. One of the earliest centres recorded in 1947 was Trafalgar Home for children with leprosy. The British Red Cross Society set up a home for crippled children in 1949 and included education for the deaf two years later. In 1956 the Association for the Blind set up a school. In the following year the Spastic Childrens Association was formed to focus on children with cerebral palsy. The Singapore Association for Retarded Children, later renamed Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) was formed in 1962. Special education in Singapore has since moved beyond physical and sensory disabilities to include intellectual disability (Quah, 2004 and Poon, Khaw Tan, 2007). The 1950s were turbulent times in the political history of Singapore. Besides the Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs) hospitals also supported children with disability. In 1958 the Singapore Council of Social Services (SCSS) was set up to bring together all organisations and individuals with interest in community service and social welfare. In 1992 SCSS was restructured to become the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) (Tan, 2009). Until 1988 special education was operated by the VWOs and funded by NCSS. The governments stand was that special schools are best run by VWOs as VWOs had a strong sense of mission and their autonomy allowed them greater flexibility to respond quickly to needs and demands (Quah, 2004 and Poon, Khaw Tan, 2007). 1988 was a turning point when the Ministry of Education (MOE) partnered with NCSS in special education. MOE would provide land for schools and financial support at double the cost of educating a primary school student. With NCSS matching the financial contribution, total education cost would be four times the amount for a primary school student (Tan, 2009). Local teacher training in special education started in 1984 at the Institute of Education, presently known as the National Institute of Education (NIE) with a 3-year Certificate course in Special Education. When it was re-organised as NIE in 1991, it launched a 2-year Diploma in Special Education and in 2003, Masters programme in Special Education (Tan, 2009). MOE Support for Special Needs 20 May 2005: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Minister for Education announced the selection of a pioneer batch of 10 primary schools and 4 secondary schools to receive support for students with special needs with the appointment of Special Needs Officer (SNO) in 2006. By 2010 all primary schools will have a trained SNO to support students with dyslexia. 20 primary schools will get support for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) with one to three SNOs and 32 secondary schools will also get one to three SNOs for either ASD or dyslexia or both (Shanmugaratnam, 2005). 2. 24 May 2007: According to MOE, SNOs provide additional support in the class and complement the class teachers who are already supporting students with dyslexia or ASD. (MOE, 2007a) 3. 24 May 2007: MOE stipulates the prerequisite qualification of SNOs. Some SNOs may have relevant working experience in working with children with special needs. Applications are also required to have good interpersonal skills and the passion to work with children with special needs. SNOs will undergo full-time Diploma course in Special Education conducted by the National Institute of Education (NIE). After their one year training with NIE, they will then be deployed to schools (MOE, 2007a). 16 November 2007 saw the inaugural Ministry Of Education-National Council of Social Service Special Education Awards to teachers and Special Education (SPED) schools in recognition of their contribution towards the education of children with special needs (MOE, 2007b). Since then the MOE-NCSS Special Education awards are given every year in November (MOE, 2008, 2009b, 2010b, 2011). 10 February 2009: MOE announced recruitment of Allied Educators (AEDs) who will partner teachers in providing specialised support in counselling, teaching and learning in special education. All AEDs will receive training at the National Institute of Education (NIE) which is fully sponsored (MOE, 2009a). As at January 2010, VWOs are running 20 special education (SPED) schools funded by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). The SPED schools run different programmes to cater to specific disability groups of children (Tan, 2009). 10 March 2010: The MOE press release outlined its support to enhance quality of special education in terms of recognition, resources and curriculum (MOE, 2010a). MCYS Support for Special Needs The Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS) has put in place support for children 6 years and below who have been diagnosed with developmental, intellectual, sensory or physical disabilities. The Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) provides therapy and educational support services to children with special needs. It enhances and maximises the developmental growth potential of these children and minimises the development of secondary disabilities. The programme equips them with fine/gross motor, cognitive, communication, social and self-help skills (MCYS, 2010). The Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) provides referrals by a medical doctor or psychologist to the government-aided EIPIC centres in Singapore for children up to 6 years with developmental, intellectual, sensory or physical disabilities (MCYS, 2010). Public awareness and media coverage Public awareness grew over the years and there have been extensive media coverage, reports, stories and the airing of public views about people with disabilities or special needs. Public awareness is important in changing mind-sets thus promoting an inclusive society. Listed below are titles carried in the local newspapers during 2008 and 2009. Farm gives work experience to special needs adults (26th January 2008, The Straits Times) Growing old gracefully (18th February 2008, Business Times) Four ways Govt can help the disabled (27th February 2008, The Straits Times) FedEx gives disabled an opportunity to sail (18th March 2008, Business Times) Govt helps open more doors to be disabled (12th April 2008, The Straits Times) Kids to get half of $52m ComChest aims to raise (24th April 2008, The Straits Times) Making a difference to disabled children (12th July 2008, The Straits Times) Disability just another hurdle (13th July 2008, The Straits Times) Special gadgets for their special needs (23rd September 2008, Today) Including students with disabilities (23rd October 2008, Today) Are we able to help the disabled? (3rd December 2008, Today) Handicapped students get sporting chance (1st February 2009, The Straits Times) More day care, activity centres for the elderly (6th February 2009, The Straits Times) Work together to help the disabled (15th February 2009, The Straits Times) Enabling the disabled is a moral duty (14th May 2009, The Straits Times) Spore gears up for SILVER TSUNAMI (21st May 2009, The Straits Times) Special needs kids pack NDP funpacks (3rd August 2009, The Straits Times) Help for disabled and elderly just a call away (28th August 2009, The Straits Times) Enabling the disabled (18th September 2009, Today) Govt-backed trust to help care for children with disabilities (30th October 2009, The Straits Times) Open Door for disabled workers (1st November 2009, The Straits Times) Students spread cheer to the terminally ill (14th November 2009, The Straits Times) Special touch making a big difference (15th November 2009, The Straits Times) Special education schools to offer skills certification (21st November 2009, The Straits Times) Special schools urged to engage public (24th November 2009, The Straits Times) More schemes to help the less fortunate (2nd December 2009, The Straits Times) Turning disability into capability (2nd December 2009, The Straits Times) Disabled issues to get airing at Speakers Corner (12th December 2009, The Straits Times) Policy to Practice and Challenges The difference between mainstreaming and inclusion is philosophical (Quah Jones, 2004). Those who advocate mainstreaming holds the view that a child with special needs belongs to a special school setting and earns his way into the regular school setting. In contrast, those who support inclusion believes that the child with special needs begins in the regular school setting and is moved to special school because the appropriate services are not available or provided for in the regular school. Advocates of full inclusion believe that children with disabilities should be integrated into the general school environment regardless of whether they are able to meet the curriculum standards. In Singapore, placement is dependent on the childs abilities and needs. Students with diverse needs are increasingly integrated into regular schools. The most common special education category learning disability could fit nearly anyone having some problems in school. Teachers in the general classroom who are managing childrens behaviours every day are in the best standing and most effective in identifying children who are at risk and in need of intervention (Mercer, Algozzine and Trifiletti, 1988). Teachers are able to identify general skills such as self-help skills, social interaction and communication skills. This is crucial in identifying children with intellectual disabilities (Kemp and Carter, 2005 as cited by Janus et al, 2007). It is not enough that teachers are effective in identifying children at risk. Teachers should be working in contact and collaboration with specialists in special needs education. In Singapore, there are no statutory requirements to provide special services for children with special needs. Voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) have played significant roles in the introduction and development of such services since the 1950s, including early intervention programmes. Early intervention programmes are available and accessible in special schools and hospitals. According to MCYS, referral to EIPIC (Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children) centres is executed and coordinated by the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL) through a form submission by a medical social worker at a hospitals Child Development Unit. In general, the family doctor or general practitioner makes most of the referrals. Children who have mild disabilities that are not apparent until a later age may be missed out and their identification probably made possible only through the teachers at their preschool centres. Preschool teachers along with special school teachers are receiving training at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in special needs education. In fact modules in special needs education are available in teachers training at both pre-service and in-service levels. Teachers play an important role in setting the tone to create an inclusive environment within the classrooms. Janus et al (2007) cite findings of Early, Pianta, Taylor and Cox (2001) that teacher training influences their practices. This view is supported by Stephens Braun (1980) also cited by Janus et al (2007) teachers who take special education courses are more willing to accept children with special needs and are also more confident in their ability to teach special education. Teachers value, beliefs and attitudes regarding diversity and difference can influence their teaching and practices. This in turn can influence the quality of experiences of students. Although students with special needs spend most of their time in their classrooms, success in the support they receive is also influenced by factors outside the classroom but within the school. On important factor is the availability and extent of the support the school has with regard to professionals such as educational psychologists, counsellors and teacher aides. Schools may have support in terms of equipment, books and amenities; however, the extent to which these resources are coordinated within the school can affect outcome. Leadership support in the form of a principal is necessary. Above all, the collaboration between the school and the professionals involved is crucial. Others outside the school that can influence support for students with special needs include the medical professionals, psychiatrists or paediatricians, health professionals, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists. Collaboration of the school with these professionals is important. Conclusion The vision of an inclusive society depends on how inclusive schools are. The move towards integration and inclusion of students with disabilities into mainstream schools is becoming a reality in Singapore. Support for special education increased considerably since PM Lees call for an inclusive society. The MOE has played a more active role in special education, collaborating with special schools to achieve desired learning outcomes and collaborating with VWOs to appoint school management staff (Tan, 2009). There was better integration and more opportunities for partnerships between special and mainstream education resulting in more opportunities of interaction among students with and without disabilities. Education and the future of an inclusive society means teachers play a crucial role. Teachers working with students with disabilities are likely to face issues that affect the social and academic inclusion of these students. They can take stock of the challenges facing them and examine existing practices to improve current school efforts by bringing in additional necessary resources. By raising these issues and asking for help, teachers can work earnestly and make inclusion possible within the mainstream educational system for children with special needs. Special education programmes and services are improving and special education teachers are better trained. Together with the support of government we can look forward to better quality of life for all individuals with special needs and living the reality of Singapore as an inclusive society. References Balakrishnan, V. (2005, March 10) No One Left Behind [Online] Available from: http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/PressRoom/CommitteeofSupplySitting2005Part1NoOn.aspx. [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Balakrishnan, V. 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Lim, L. Tan, J. (2004) Learning and Diversity. In: Lim, L. Quah, M. M. (Eds) Educating learners with diverse abilities. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Lim, L., Thaver, T. Slee, R. (2008) Exploring disability in Singapore: A personal learning journey. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Lee, H. L. (2004, August 20) National Day Rally Speech [Online] Available from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/19374508/National-Day-Rally-Speech [Accessed 30th June 2012]. Lee, H. L. (2005, August 21) National Day Rally Speech [Online] Available from: http://www.singaporeupdate.com/previous2005/220805_primeministersnationaldayrallyspeech2005_more.htm [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Lee, H. L. (2011, October 20) Speech [Online]. Available from: http://www.pmo.gov.sg/content/pmosite/mediacentre/speechesninterviews/primeminister/2011/October/Speech_by_Prime_Minister_Lee_Hsien_Loong_at_the_Debate_on_The_President_Address.html [Accessed 30th June 2012]. Lui, T. Y. (2008, January 26) Speech [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2008/01/26/speech-by-radm-ns-lui-tuck-yew-1.php. [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Mercer, C. D., Algozzine, B. Trifiletti, J. (1988) Early Identification: An analysis of the research. Learning Disability Quarterly, [Online] 11 (3 10th Anniversary Issue), 176-188 Available from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1510762 [Accessed 2nd July 2012]. Ministry of Community, Youth Sports (MCYS) (2003, September 26) UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child [Online] Available from: http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/PressRoom/UNConventionOnTheRightsOfTheChild.aspx [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Ministry of Community, Youth Sports (2010) Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) [Online] Available from: http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/Policies/DisabilitiesPeoplewithDisabilities/EducationforPeoplewithDisabilities.aspx. [Accessed 3rd July 2012]. 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Ministry of Education (2009b) Honouring Special Education Teachers and Schools [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2009/11/honouring-special-education-te-1.php. [Accessed 2nd July 2012]. Ministry of Education (2010) Honouring Special Education Teachers and Schools [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/11/honouring-special-education-teachers-and-schools.php. [Accessed 2nd July 2012]. Ministry of Education (2011) Honouring Special Education Teachers and Schools [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2011/11/honouring-special-education-teachers-schools.php.[Accessed 2nd July 2012]. Ministry of Education (2012a) Special Education in Singapore. [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/special-education/ [Accessed 3rd July 2012]. Ministry of Education (2010b March 10) MOE to provide greater support for special education. [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2010/03/moe-to-provide-greater-support.php. [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Nathan, S. R. (2006, November 2) A Competitive Economy, an Inclusive Society. [Online] Available from: http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/news/speeches/address_by_presidentsrnathanattheopeningofparliament0.html [Accessed 4th July 2012]. Poon, K.K., Khaw, J. Tan, L. S. (2007) Special Needs Support: The Singapore Context. In: Poon, K.K. Khaw, J. (Eds) Supporting students with special needs in mainstream schools: an introduction. Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Quah, M. M. (2004) Special Education in Singapore. In: Lim, L. Quah, M. M. (Eds) Educating learners with diverse abilities. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Quah, M. M. and Jones, K. (2004 Supporting learners with special educational needs in mainstream classrooms. In: Lim, L. Quah, M. M. (Eds) Educating learners with diverse abilities. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Shanmugaratnam, T (2005, May 20) Speech [Online] Available from: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2005/sp20050520_print.htm. [Accessed 2nd July 2012]. Tan, T (2011, October 20) A home we share. A future we build together. [Online] Available from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/68197764/Address-by-President-Tony-Tan-at-the-opening-of-the-12th-Parliament [Accessed 5th July 2012]. Tan, W. S. (2009) Education in Singapore: Special needs. [Online] Singapore: Singapore Infopedia Available from: http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1600_2009-10-31.html. [Accessed 3rd July 2012]. United Nations (n.d.). Convention on the Rights of the Child. [Online] Available from: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/pdf/crc.pdf. [Accessed 1st July 2012]. Yacob, H. (2011, November 8) Asia-Pacific regional conference on early childhood care and development [Online] Available from: http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/PressRoom/APconferenceonearlychildhoodcaredevt.aspx [Accessed 5th July 2012].

How the U.K. Labour Market Has Changed Over The Last 20 Years :: Employment Unemployment Economics Essays

How the U.K. Labour Market Has Changed Over The Last 20 Years The different types of Unemployment There are many different types of unemployment, these are: frictional unemployment, structural unemployment, seasonal unemployment, classical unemployment, and demand deficient unemployment. Frictional unemployment is unemployment for a short duration of time as workers move from one job to another. Over the last 20 years information has improved and people are more aware of the availability of better paid job, promotions etc and hence they may be moving form job to job more often hence increasing temporary frictional employment. Structural unemployment is caused by a lack of capital for goods and services in the economy or a particular sector. As the structure of an economy changes, certain workers may find themselves made redundant as their skills are no longer required, or that the region in which they live does not have enough employment opportunities. An example of this is the British ship building industry, which has contracted to the extent that workers with skills appropriate to this industry either cannot find jobs at all or must migrate to find them. Structural unemployment will be affected by the cost and availability of retraining, which would allow people to acquire skills which will be useful to them in filling the vacancies which are available. The ease of relocation within the country will also have an effect on structural unemployment. As the economy moves according to the business cycle, there are booms and recessions, and this is reflected in output and unemployment over the last 20 years structural unemployment has fluctuated accordingly due to the lack of capital, with recession in the early 1990's and high structural unemployment and booms in recent past with low structural unemployment. The lack of employment at this time is due to the lack of money to invest and expand, and as a result output is greatly reduced. However, nowadays, unlike the past 20 years, credit is now available much more easily for companies through banks and building societies so not as many employees are affected by structural unemployment. Demand deficient unemployment is caused by a lack of demand. Keynes believed that unemployment had more to do with the goods market than the labour market. Low demand in the goods market would mean low overall output, and therefore low demand for labour, over the last 20 years, demand has raised overall hence demand deficient unemployment will reduce. During times of recession there is very little output and not many people are needed in the workforce. This leads to high unemployment levels. This situation arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was a recession. How the U.K. Labour Market Has Changed Over The Last 20 Years :: Employment Unemployment Economics Essays How the U.K. Labour Market Has Changed Over The Last 20 Years The different types of Unemployment There are many different types of unemployment, these are: frictional unemployment, structural unemployment, seasonal unemployment, classical unemployment, and demand deficient unemployment. Frictional unemployment is unemployment for a short duration of time as workers move from one job to another. Over the last 20 years information has improved and people are more aware of the availability of better paid job, promotions etc and hence they may be moving form job to job more often hence increasing temporary frictional employment. Structural unemployment is caused by a lack of capital for goods and services in the economy or a particular sector. As the structure of an economy changes, certain workers may find themselves made redundant as their skills are no longer required, or that the region in which they live does not have enough employment opportunities. An example of this is the British ship building industry, which has contracted to the extent that workers with skills appropriate to this industry either cannot find jobs at all or must migrate to find them. Structural unemployment will be affected by the cost and availability of retraining, which would allow people to acquire skills which will be useful to them in filling the vacancies which are available. The ease of relocation within the country will also have an effect on structural unemployment. As the economy moves according to the business cycle, there are booms and recessions, and this is reflected in output and unemployment over the last 20 years structural unemployment has fluctuated accordingly due to the lack of capital, with recession in the early 1990's and high structural unemployment and booms in recent past with low structural unemployment. The lack of employment at this time is due to the lack of money to invest and expand, and as a result output is greatly reduced. However, nowadays, unlike the past 20 years, credit is now available much more easily for companies through banks and building societies so not as many employees are affected by structural unemployment. Demand deficient unemployment is caused by a lack of demand. Keynes believed that unemployment had more to do with the goods market than the labour market. Low demand in the goods market would mean low overall output, and therefore low demand for labour, over the last 20 years, demand has raised overall hence demand deficient unemployment will reduce. During times of recession there is very little output and not many people are needed in the workforce. This leads to high unemployment levels. This situation arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was a recession.

What Does It Take to be Good Parents? Essay

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I am Chong Cia Ling, the founder of Brainy Montessori. I am so grateful to have such an honour standing here to deliver my speech entitled â€Å"What does it take to be good parents?†. I am sure all the parents here will agree with me that being parents is tough. Bringing up children is a very difficult task. Everyone wishes to be good parents. However, sometimes we could be so discouraged and helpless when we get the feedback that we are not good parents although we have done our upmost to provide the best for our children. What is the cause of that? Today, let us learn how to be good parents together. A parent is said to be a good parent only after seeing how he has brought up his children. They should bring up the children in a very good discipline. However, we need to bear in mind that discipline does not mean that they have to punish their children for every wrong doing. Recently there is a famous video of a Texas judge hitting his teena ge daughter repeatedly with a belt. This father justified his actions as â€Å"discipline.† I beg to differ. According to the video, the father is not disciplining his daughter. He is engaging in an act of punishment intent on hurting, humiliating and controlling her! Well, it is common that children do mistakes. Yet, what a good parent must do is he has to teach him how to differentiate what is good and what is bad. We need to understand that giving punishment especially physical punishment will not help children in a way instead it will create new problems. Indeed, it hurts. For instance, children will become rebellious as they have already got used to the corporal punishment. Eventually, they will develop hatred towards their parents. Deborah Sendek (2011) also claims that physical punishment is ineffective in parenting. It can easily escalate and cross the line to abuse and serious injury, particularly when an instrument is used. Children become emotionally alienated from parent who hits them frequently. Research also shows that physical punishment makes it more likely that children will be defiant and aggressive in the future. These research findings have been endorsed by many prominent organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, Voices for America’s Children, the National PTA, and the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect that advocate against corporal punishment. We cannot deny that children need guidance and discipline but what works? Effective  discipline helps a child to develop self-control by teaching, guiding, modeling and explaining what is wrong and what to do instead. Effective discipline starts with our attitudes about children and their behaviour. Redirection, discipline or punishment must include an explanation of why a behavior is unacceptable and what behavior is expected. Many times a child’s misbehavior is a mistake in judgment. In contrast, we hope our own mistakes serve a s learning opportunities. We need to apply this same rule to children. We must curb our anger and allow time to think about what we want to teach. Positive and proactive discipline strategies work from toddlers to teenagers. In today’s society, parents always have no time for children and thus, they hire maids to take care of children and give them what they want. In this way, parents feel that they have fulfilled their duty but it is not true! According to Duncan, making a child feel cherished is the single most important quality of an effective parent. It is also proved that in child development, kids who feel loved and cherished thrive. Duncan recommends spending time with your children doing what she wants to do. Every child needs to feel a sense of love and parents must love wisely. For example, play your child favourite game and read together. Besides, parents should be like friends to their children. They have to discuss everything and spend quality time with children. Only if then, children can feel the parental love. When children go to school they will see so many others’ parents. They should not a get a feeling that their parents are not taking care of them as his friend’s. Eventually, they will feel rejected and low self-esteem. In this case, parents must be very careful. However, we as parents need to note that every child is unique so it takes a different approach for that child to feel seen and loved. The hard work for us as parents is accepting who our child is and cherishing her for being that person, even while guiding behaviour. Parents need to use a positive lens and celebrate every step in the right direction. One of the ways is to show affection through warm words and physical touch. You will have no idea how a gentle cuddle, a little encouragement, appreciation, approval or even a smile can go a long way to boost the confidence and well-being of your children. For instance, when you must correct a child, do it in love. It can avoid criticism and blaming. It is important to avoid using negative vocabulary like â€Å"bad† because your child may internalize the label, thinking she is unacceptable  instead of just the behaviour. When you love your child wisely, she will learn and love you back. When your child fail the test, analyse the reasons of failing the test with her, encourage her to try harder next time instead of scolding, blaming and hitting. Good parenting is much more than just teaching your children right and wrong, good or bad. It is also about ‘respect’. I am not talking about your children necessarily respecting you. It is about you having respect for them, particularly for their privacy. Always bear in mind that children also have human right. Give them a chance to voice their opinions, listen to their suggestions and give them some freedom. In fact, parents need to respect children’s privacy as you would want them to respect yours. For example, if you teach your child that your room is out of boundaries to them, respect the same with their room. Allow to feel that once they enter their room they can know that no one will look through their drawers or read their diary. By respecting your children, they will be more open and respect you. As children hit adolescence they invariably begin to separate from their parents as a natural part of growing up. Ironically, it is also a time when parents have concerns about their son or daughter’s safety as they venture out more into the world on their own. Undeniably, this is quite a difficult time for most parents. It is a time of change, a time of testing. On one hand you are frustrated because your child is not as close as they once were and you keep pushing and pushing to know more about what going on in their life. You cannot be close, yet you need to be close to keep them safe. Balancing your desire to know all the details with your children’s right for privacy and the respect implied when you acknowledge that right, is a very tricky feat to accomplish indeed. However, it is a balancing act that is well worth the effort, especially for those of you who want to be the best parents that you ca n be. Thus, parents need to bear in mind not to be nosy parents. Do not dig around your teenager’s belongings. Never try to listen in conversations and avoid trying to keep children away from friends or activities out of spite to try to keep them safe. Of course as parents we have to be cautious and watchful but we must use common sense also and give them room to grow, the last thing we want to do is drive our children away from us. Remember what is like for a young boy or girl to be entering that stage in life where new feelings and experiences are happening to them on a daily occurrence. On the other hands, good  parents must be flexible. Having standards does not mean you are rigid. As your child grows from infant to toddler to teen, her needs change along with her body. Kids Health reports that parents should not compare one child to another. Parents nowadays tend to compare their children’s behaviour or progress with other children of the same age. Indeed, they are causing stress for themselves and their children. Comparing your children with others is an ultimately useless activity! I understand that it is hard to resist as we tend to assess our progress in any area of life by checking out how we compare with our peers. But come to think of it, when you were a child in school, you probably compared yourself to your schoolmates. Your teachers may not have graded you nut you knew who the smart kids were and were you ranked in the packing order. Now that you have kids of your own, do you still keep an eye on your peers? Do you use progress and behaviour of their kids as benchmarks to help you assess your own performance as well as your child’s progress? Children develop at different rates. There are early developers, slow bloomers and steady-as-you-go children in every group. So, comparing your child’s results or performance can be completely unrealistic. What does this mean to you? Focus on your child’s improvement and effort. Use your child’s results as the benchmark for his or her progress and development. You can tell your child like this:â€Å"Your spelling is better today than it was a few days ago† instead of getting frustrated at them for not able to score as well as other children. Encourage them to take a step at a time; they will grow up as a fine man one day. Parents, give your child some time. They need you in this learning journey. Besides, children have different talents, interests and strengths. Well, your eight years old child may not be able to ride a bicycle even though your neighbour’s child can. Avoid comparing the two as your child may not care about bicycle anyway. At this point of time, you as a parent should help your child to identify his or her own talents or interests and help them to be exceled in it. Recognize that his or her strengths and interests may be completely different to those of his peers or siblings. Sometimes parents can have unrealistic expectations for their children. We all have hopes and dreams for our kids, but they may not be i n line with their interests and talents. Thus, parents need to keep your expectations for success in line with their abilities and interests. If expectations are too high, kids will  give up. If they are too low, they will usually meet them! Parents should take pride in their children’s performance at school, sport or leisure activities. You should also celebrate their achievements and milestones, such as taking their first steps, scoring their first goal in a game or getting great marks at school. In addition, rules should shift to match the age, needs and development of your children. For instant, you might expect a child of two to throw temper tantrum but not a teen. An effective parent takes cues from her child, whether an infant’s cry or a teenager’s moods to know what will work best in a particular situation. So parents, stay tuned to your child’s evolving needs by keeping involved in her life. Furthermore, parents need to teach emotional intelligence to child. For instance, you teach your child to self-soothe. According to research, little ones do not learn to self-soothe by being left to cry. That just creates an over-active amygdala and panic response later in life. While soothing is a physiological process. For instance, when a baby cries and we soothe him, his body responds by sending out oxytocin and other soothing biochemicals. What you see is that he calms down and later he develops the ability to soothe himself when he is upset. Parents also can give them the message that their full range of feelings is understandable, even while their actions must be limited. Upmost, parents need to listen to them when they have feelings to express. Occasionally this will take the form of words, and it helps to give children kind words for their feelings: â€Å"You’re so mad!† but more often, children just need us to give them the safety of our loving presence while they cry or rage to vent their feelings. Often they will not be able to articulate what they are upset about, and it is not necessary. However, this helps children to learn to accept and process their emotions, so they can move past them rather than having to act on them. What does â€Å"acting out† mean? We act on our feelings rather than simply tolerating them as they sweep through us and dissipate. While you are teaching your child about emotional intelligence, you need to set as a good example too. If you are easily lose tempered, then you cannot blame of your children of throwing temper. They are learning from you! Sometime your emotional unstableness will affect the development of your child. Never argue with your spouse in front of the children. If they are sleeping, argue quietly. Modern divorce rates have children feeling insecure and fearful  when they hear parents bickering. Eventually, children will learn to argue with each other and become a hot tempered person. Show them that when people disagree, they can discuss their differences peacefully. Most of the children will get disappointed when their parents gave empty promise. There are so many cases whereby children do not even believe a single word that their parents said because the parents never put those promises in heart. Please imagine the feeling when someone that you trust and admire most always gives you a false hope. How you need to react? All of you are adults so you may know how to deal with it but hold on, how about our little children? They can be so disappointed, helpless, frustrated and even fall into depression! Some may even become rebellious as they thinking the parents are keep giving excuses of unable to fulfill the promises and never concern about their feelings. So, parents, you should do as what you have promised! Lastly, every parent should accept the truth that everyone is not perfect. Dr. Sears also reminds parents that it is fine to be imperfect as long as you set a good example most of the time. You may did some mistake in bringing up your child. It is not an unforgiving mistake. Learn the lesson and apologise to your child if it is necessary. All in all, in any case, even the most effective parents cannot genetic traits or the outside environment. Trust your instincts as parents but don’t confuse effective parenting with perfection. Practice showing love and flexibility towards yourself, as well as towards your children. Before I end my speech, I would like to wish all the parents the best in this journey of parenthood. Thank you for listening. References Deborah Sendek. (2011). Physical Punishment Doesn’t help, It Hurts. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/09/opinion/sendek-corporal punishment/index.html Don’t Compare Your Kids to Others. Retrieved from http://mums.bodyandsoul.com.au/pregnancy+parenting/parenting+tips/dont+compare+your+kids+to+others,9385 Respecting and Giving Kids Their Privacy. Retrieved from http://www.more4kids.info/632/respecting-kids-privacy/

Drug Abuse And Its Effects On The Increase Of The Drug...

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