Local Government Schools Research Articles

A matrilineal Sufi shaykh in Sri Lanka

This article explores the influence of local concepts of matrilineal kinship and descent through women in the construction of a modern Sufi silsila (an authorized ‘chain’ of spiritual and genealogical ancestry) in Sri Lanka. Makkattar Vappa, a popular Sufi shaykh in the Tamil-speaking eastern region of the island, asserts hereditary maulana (sayyid) status as a member of the Prophet’s household descent group (ahlul bayt) by means of close genealogical linkages to a locally enshrined saint of Yemeni family ancestry traced through several women, including his mother, his father’s mother, and his wife. The kinship system here is Dravidian in structure, but with a matrilineal emphasis that is seen today in the administration of Hindu temples and Muslim mosques by matrilineal clan elders, and in the negotiation of matrilocal marriages based upon women’s pre-mortem acquisition of dowry property in the form of houses and paddy lands. The shaykh in question is himself the successor Kālifā of a Sufi order (tāriqā) based in Androth Island, Lakshadweep, a similarly matrilineal society located off the west coast of India. In his prior career, he was an art and drama teacher in a local government school, and his style of Sufi leadership continues to be pastoral and pedagogical in tone. This, together with a strong base of support from former students, has enabled him to escape the sort of stridently anti-Sufi violence that has erupted in Muslim communities elsewhere in the region. His awareness of anthropological research on matrilineal kinship and marriage patterns in this part of the island may have encouraged him to trace his sayyid silsila through both male and female genealogical connections.

Nutritional Status of Children in Rural setting.

Introduction: The fight against Malnutrition may remain for a long time as long as vast population in developing countries remain within the range of poverty coupled with on-going chaos from political instability in some developing nations. Therefore public health investigation of nutritional status of children is a continuous process that requires several re-assessments especially in volatile environment. Anthropometry is a direct method and the commonest method of assessment of nutritional status in children in these developing nations. Our study therefore assesses the nutritional status of children in rural setting in a developing nation as Nigeria and the influencing factors prevailing for the observed variations; The significant difference between the private and government pupils through their body mass index and other anthropometric parameters. Method: A cross sectional survey of 191 children, aged 6-12 years were selected from local private and government school were used in the study. One of the private schools was randomly selected. The studied variables included; Age, sex of the pupils, religion of their parents, dietary pattern of the pupils and parents socio-economic status and educational background. Interview of pupils and parents was carried out using prepared questionnaire template. Research ethical clearance from the University, schools head, parent consent were obtained. Weight and height of the children were measured. Anthropometric indices were determined: Weight for height, weight for age, height for age and Body Mass Index (BMI). Data was analyzed using Microsoft excel, SPSS version 16 .The chi-square significance of association was determined at Level of significance less than 0.05. Results: The proportion of male student and female students are 50.8% and 49.2% respectively. A large proportion of fathers were Civil servants (12.6%) while most mothers were farmers (17.3%), the proportion of unemployed fathers 10.47% was more than unemployed mothers. 4.7%.However more mothers that had no formal education (28.8%) than the fathers (9.4%). The proportion of female students (51.7%) who were underweight were more than their male (48.3%) counterparts. The proportion of male students (65%) who were overweight was more than the females (35%). Stunting was more prevalent amongst the males than their female counterparts. Collectively prevalence of stunting was 15.7%, while prevalence of severe stunting was 5.23%. Wasting was more prevalent amongst females 56.3% than males 47.4%. Most of the children diet consisted mainly of carbohydrates (98.4%), while occasionally Protein (92.7%) , Fruit and Vegetable (95.8%). Low socio-economical status, low educational background of parents, cultural norm and low protein diet influences the children’s anthropometric parameters negatively and consequently their nutritional status. Other indirect indicators of the nutritional state of the children are the position of the child in the family, the school type attended by the child. Results showed that BMI does not indicate the specific type of under-nutrition compared to weight-height or weight for age. Conclusion: The fight against malnutrition in developing nation by UNICEF therefore should be encourages and supported and public enlightenment campaign should be stepped –up.

Adolescent Girls With Low Dietary Diversity Score Are Predisposed to Iron Deficiency in Southwestern Nigeria

Iron-deficiency anemia is a pervasive public health problem among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary iron intakes of adolescent females using dietary diversity as a proxy in relation to iron status. Purposive sampling procedure was used to select 120 foods and nutrition female students from 6 rural government schools in Ondo West Local Government of Southwestern Nigeria, which was predominantly of Yoruba ethnic group. The students were screened for serum ferritin concentration of less than 12.0 µg/L with normal hemoglobin concentration to determine iron deficiency status. A standardized Food and Agriculture Organization 24-hour diet recall questionnaire was adapted, tested, and used to calculate dietary diversity score. Analyses were done using SPSS version 16. The result indicated that the mean age was 14 ± 1.45 years, 57 (47.5%) adolescent females were iron deficient, and 63 (52.5%) non–iron deficient. Girls in the 16 to 19 years range were significantly more likely to be iron deficient than other groups (odds ratio = 2.81, 95% confidence interval = 1.12-6.54). Mean Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) was 2.6 ± 1.058, which showed a significant difference between the 2 groups ( P = .037). Heme iron source ( P = .032) was consumed lesser than the non-heme iron ( P = .002) by iron-deficient girls. Girls with low DDS were at significantly higher risk (odds ratio = 1.79, 95% confidence interval = 0.50-2.17, P = .006) compared with the high and moderate DDS groups. In conclusion, there was a low intake of dietary iron among adolescent girls. Nutrition education should be intensified among female adolescents to improve their nutritional knowledge.

Between a rock and a hard place: the emerging educational market for the poor in Pakistan

This paper examines the manner in which consumers and providers of education operate within, and how they withdraw from, the educational marketplace in Pakistan. It focuses on the use of exit and voice mechanisms used by households in response to the range of educational provision available from state and non-state providers. The conceptual framework is drawn from the original model of exit, voice and loyalty created by Hirschman in 1970. The paper uses a range of exit, voice and loyalty types to map how households of different socio-economic status make schooling choices when they are faced with a range of educational providers. The evidence shows that the better-off households are benefiting more than the poorer households from the higher quality education provided by low-fee private schools. The poorer households face economic, social and political hierarchies that work against equal access. The implication of our findings regarding the diminished exit and voice mechanisms exercised by poorer households is that these are unlikely to halt further deterioration in the quality of education currently experienced in local government schools.

Survey of Ascaris lumbricoides among pupils of primary school in Jos south local government area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Ascaris lumbricoides was surveyed among pupils of primary schools in Jos south local government. Four schools were visited: National Research Institute Staff Primary School, Rita Primary School, Joseph Primary School and St Andrew Primary School. A total of 471 samples were collected from pupils of these schools and processed using formol-ether concentration technique. Only 1 (0.2%) pupil from St Andrew Primary School was positive for A. lumbricoides. The prevalence of the infection among the age group showed that 1 (0.9%) in the age group (5 to 9) years was positive while the sex distribution showed a prevalence of 1(0.4%) among the male and no positive case was recorded among the females. The overall prevalence of other parasitic infections was 8.3% with hookworm having the highest prevalence of (5.3%), followed by Entamoeba histolytica with (0.6%), and Giardia lamblia (0.5%), while Hymenolepis nana and Taenia species had both a prevalence of (0.2%). Key word: Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm, Taenia, prevalence, primary schools, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Teaching Quality and Decentralization

This paper attempts to assess outcomes of school system decentralization in Poland. National examination results are analyzed using the value-added model of teaching quality. Variation in decentralized spending is related to estimates of achievement growth. Exploring exam results for three consecutive student cohorts, we are able to control for hidden characteristics of local governments when estimating their impact on student progress. Preceding the main analysis, the paper provides detailed description of trends in local government school spending and service provision over the last 15 years. The main conclusion is that while there is some evidence that decentralization changed patterns of school expenditure, there is no evidence that expenditures have any systematic impact on teaching quality. There is also no evidence that higher spending translates to more equally distributed outcomes. It seems that the only non-negligible impact local governments could have on student achievement is through provision of preschool facilities. However, evidence presented in the paper suggests that many local governments decided to limit preschool services, especially in poor rural areas. That could importantly increase educational inequalities.

Teacher’s Perception of the Contribution of ICT to Pupils Performance in Christian Religious Education

This study examined the teacher's perception of the contribution of ICT to the pupil's performance in CRE. The population of the study comprised 200 primary school teachers selected through census from 15 schools in Epe local government, Lagos State, Nigeria. The age of these teachers ranged from 28 to 45 years with the years of experience ranging from 2- 15 years. A modified questionnaire known as Teacher's Perception of ICT Contribution to Pupils Performance with r = 0.75 Cronbach alpha was used to gathered data on the study. Data collected were analysed using percentages and t-test statistical tools. The result indicates that teachers have strong perception that ICT contribute a lot to the performances of the pupils in CRE. Furthermore, the results indicate that teachers perceived differences in the pupils' performance when ICT is used to teach CRE than when it is not used. Moreover, irrespective of gender, teachers have the perception that ICT contribute immensely to the pupil's performance in CRE.

The discursive construction of interpersonal relations in an online community of practice

The research presented in this paper was collected over a one-year period and is drawn from a wider two-year study of student teachers at the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates, in a new Bachelor of Education degree, which prepares young Emirati women for English language teaching positions in local government schools. The study theorized the student teachers as comprising an evolving community of practice and this paper draws on data from online discussion forums to explore the discursive construction of interpersonal relations within this community of practice. In particular the paper draws on critical discourse analysis to examine a range of discursive ‘legitimation’ strategies, through which the student teachers co-constructed community and communication. The paper concludes with a brief consideration of the study's implications that may also have resonance in other contexts where systems of knowledge and forms of communication are being discursively co-constructed.

Teachers’ Attitude and Gender Factor as Determinant of Pupils’ performance in Primary Science

Teachers are regarded as the basic tools in education and curriculumimplementations. The quality of any nation’s education is determined by the qualities of the teachers and their attitude to the profession. This paper seeks to examine the influence of the teachers’ attitude and gender factor on the academic performance of the primary schools pupils. Fifty science teachers were randomly selected from seventy (70) primary schools out of the ninetyseven (97) primary schools in ondo west local Government in ondo state and two hundred pupils were randomly selected and used for the same study. Two instruments were used to collect data, the Teachers’ attitude questionnaire (TAQ) and Primary science achievement test (PSAT) .The research design adopted for this study was survey design. The reliability of the instrument was 0.78 and 0.84 by using crombach alpha and k-21 respectively. Pearson moment product correlation coefficient was used to analyze the instruments. The result indicated that there exists a significant relationship between teachers’ attitude and pupils’ performance in primary science. The result also indicated that there exists no significant relationship between the performance of pupils taught by male and female teachers inprimary science. Recommendations were made on how to promote furtherdevelopment of primary science teaching and learning in Nigeria.Key words: Attitude, Gender, Performance, Nigeria

Forecasting Housing Prices under Different Market Segmentation Assumptions

Three types of market segmentation strategies are available to estimate hedonic housing price models—i.e. no segmentation, segmentation by using statistical clustering methods and segmentation by using a priori information. This research tests the hypothesis of Tiebout theory that individual residential decision-making is determined by equilibrium provision of local public goods in accord with the tastes and preferences of residents, thereby sorting their housing locations into optimal sub-markets. Forecasting accuracies of eight sub-market segmentation strategies and two forecast-combining methods are examined by using housing sales data from Knox County, Tennessee, USA. The results provide empirical support for Tiebout theory of optimal housing sub-market location in that boundaries drawn using a priori information from local government jurisdictions, school districts and expert opinions are more closely aligned with the equilibrium provision of local public goods than boundaries drawn by statistical clustering methods. The advantage of forecast-combining is also demonstrated.

Traumatic Dental Injuries In Nursery School Children From Ile – Ife, Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to determine by age and sex the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries to primary incisor and canines and their distribution according to type in nursery school children from Ile – Ife, a suburban population in the south western part of Nigeria. A cross sectional study was conducted in which a total of 600 children (300 boys, 300 girls) aged 3 – 5 year old attending 13 nursery schools in Ife Central local government were examined. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 23.2% (24% in boys and 22.3% in girls) Boys experienced more injuries than girls but the difference was not statistically significant p> 0.05. The largest percentage of injury was demonstrated by 5 year old children. The most common type of injury was enamel fracture 53.9%, followed by enamel-dentine fracture 19.2% and concussion 17.3%. The maxillary central incisor was the most vulnerable tooth to injuries 76.9%. The study showed a decline in the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries among suburban Nigerian children in Ile – Ife. However, the high prevalence of dental trauma in the nursery school children and its possible complication on permanent dentition showed that health polices need to be implemented with a view to its prevention.

Intergovernmental Grants and Bureaucratic Power

In their role as agenda setters and implementers of political decisions, bureaucrats potentially have the power to influence decisions in their own favor. It is however difficult to empirically test whether bureaucrats actually are involved in such actions. In this paper we suggest and apply a new way of testing the hypothesis that bureaucrats can and do in fact affect policy to their own benefit. Making use of a discontinuity in the Swedish grant system, we estimate causal effects of intergovernmental grants on different types of personnel employed by the local governments. On the margin, we find a large, positive effect of grants on the number of bureaucrats in the central administration, but no effects on the number of personnel in other important sectors run by the local government (child care, schools and elderly care). These results support the view that bureaucrats are able to, and do indeed, affect the allocation of grants within municipalities to support own goals.

Tracing Global-Local Transitions within Early Childhood Curriculum and Practice in India

Taking the view that curriculum and pedagogy are complex processes related to history, politics, economics, culture and knowledge, and influenced by interactions that occur between students, teachers and the larger communities, this article will discuss how curriculum takes shape and is negotiated in some early childhood classrooms in post-colonial urban India. The article draws on empirical and published research, and includes a discussion on the influence of recent local and global forces on teaching and learning, focusing specifically on issues such as: the deep divide between private and public education in India; the challenge of sustaining local government schools in India in the face of the global emphasis placed on knowledge of the English language; the recent increase in the emergence of private schools in low- as well as high-socio-economic-class neighborhoods in India; the more recent neo-colonial influences of western media on children's lives in their homes and schools; and early childhood teachers' perceptions on the transitions between ‘western’ and ‘Indian’ values.

Traumatic Dental Injuries In Nursery School Children From Ile– Ife, Nigeria

The purpose of this study was to determine by age and sex the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries to primary incisor and canines and their distribution according to type in nursery school children from Ile – Ife, a suburban population in the south western part of Nigeria. A cross sectional study was conducted in which a total of 600 children (300 boys, 300 girls) aged 3 – 5 year old attending 13 nursery schools in Ife Central local government were examined. The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries was 23.2% (24% in boys and 22.3% in girls) Boys experienced more injuries than girls but the difference was not statistically significant p> 0.05. The largest percentage of injury was demonstrated by 5 year old children. The most common type of injury was enamel fracture 53.9%, followed by enamel-dentine fracture 19.2% and concussion 17.3%. The maxillary central incisor was the most vulnerable tooth to injuries 76.9%. The study showed a decline in the prevalence of traumatic dental injuries among suburban Nigerian children in Ile – Ife. However, the high prevalence of dental trauma in the nursery school children and its possible complication on permanent dentition showed that health polices need to be implemented with a view to its prevention.

Beyond Antagonism? The Discursive Construction of ‘New’ Teachers in the United Arab Emirates

The UAE, which celebrated independence in 1971, is a rapidly changing environment where aspects of traditional Bedouin culture co‐exist with the immense changes being wrought by the forces of globalization and the wealth brought about by the development of the oil industry. Emirati nationals are a minority within the UAE, comprising approximately 20% of the population, and the majority of the schoolteachers are expatriates drawn from other Arabic speaking countries. Within this context, the Higher Colleges of Technology’s Bachelor of Education degree in Teaching English to Young Learners prepares young UAE national women for English language teaching positions in local government schools. The research presented in this paper is drawn from this two‐year study of student teachers and explores the discursive construction of the students’ systems of knowledge and belief. The paper concludes with a critical consideration of the study’s implications and some possible recommendations for teacher education in the UAE that may also have resonance for teacher education programs in other contexts.

Changing Communities: International Students in Local Government Schools

Although fewer than 10% of international students are in the primary and secondary educational sectors, recent figures show the number of these students to have increased exponentially making Australia a leading player in school education provision along with Britain and the United States. The impact of these changes on local schools and the correspondent negotiation of globalising trends on secondary schools alter the ways that identity and difference are understood and played out and the ways that policy and practice in participating schools can be understood At the same time the terms and conditions that define these demands - particularly as they characterize them as marketable commodities. English language and as global and western education need to spelt out and interrogated. In this paper 1 interrogate the ways that community members within local government schools speak about the impact of fee-paying international students on their school. 1 suggest that these discussions are defined by the material and conceptual relations of identity and difference crisscrossed by the politics of consumption and production.

Responding to disruptive behaviour in schools: Collaboration and capacity building for early intervention

The Disruptive Behaviours project was a partnership between a child and adolescent mental health service, local government school focused youth service, and the education sector, and provided educational material for teachers and families concerning the aetiology and management of disruptive behaviours. Each partner in the project shared the perception that children and adolescents with disruptive behaviour disorders were often misunderstood and a source of stress to those with whom they came into contact. This paper describes an innovative response to increasing understanding and enhancing effective responses in school settings towards these young people. The project provided professional education seminars for primary and secondary schools, and a resource book was prepared and given to schools. Written material was prepared for families both at primary and secondary schools. As the project developed, a shared understanding of the issues evolved in the partnership. The project demonstrates the positive outcomes for schools and agencies of multi-systemic collaboration.

Traumatic Dental Injuries Experience in Suburban Nigerian Adolescents

The aim of this study is to ascertain the prevalence and type of treatment received regarding traumatic dental injuries in Nigerian adolescents. The sample included 1,028 thirteento fifteen year old children attending secondary schools in Ife Central Local Government in Ile Ife , Nigeria. Dental injuries were clinically assessed as follows: 1) uncomplicated crown fracture, 2) complicated crown fracture, 3) crown discoloration, 4) intrusive luxation, 5) extrusive luxation, 6) exarticulation or extraction after trauma and 7) subluxaion. The prevalence of dental injuries was 9.1%. Boys sustained more injuries than girls with a ratio of 2:1. The dental injuries were almost entirely restricted to the maxillary central incisors (75 %). Single tooth injury was predominant in all age groups. The commonest type of injury was uncomplicated crown fracture (57.4%). The commonest cause of injury was fall (42.6%). 10% of the children who had their teeth traumatized attended the dentist and this was found to be statistically significant (p< 0.0001). The observed increase of dental injuries with age indicates accumulated treatment needs due to lack of dental awareness in the population examined. Health care promotions and education at health centres is called for to prevent dental trauma in children.

The homevoter hypothesis: how home values influence local government taxation, school finance, and land-use policies

Just as investors want the companies they hold equity in to do well, homeowners have a financial interest in the success of their communities. If neighbourhood schools are good, if property taxes and crime rates are low, then the value of the homeowner's principal asset - his home - will rise. Thus, as William Fischel shows, homeowners become watchful citizens of local government, not merely to improve their quality of life, but also to counteract the risk to their largest asset, a risk that cannot be diversified. Meanwhile, their vigilance promotes a municipal governance that provides services more efficiently than do the state or national government. Fischel has coined the portmanteau word homevoter to crystallize the connection between homeownership and political involvement. link neatly explains several vexing puzzles, such as why displacement of local taxation by state funds reduces school quality and why local governments are more likely to be efficient providers of environmental amenities. The Homevoter Hypothesis thereby makes a strong case for decentralization of the fiscal and regulatory functions of government.

Social Learning as an Approach to Environmental Education: Lessons from a program focusing on non-indigenous, invasive species

We used a social learning framework to evaluate the results of an extension education program focusing on non-indigenous, invasive species (NIS) in New York State. Sixteen teams of professional staff and volunteers from Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and a land trust participated in a 2-day NIS workshop, following which they worked with local government agencies, schools, industry, and non-profit groups to implement 15 education and 7 management programs. Developing collaborative programs that address local needs is an important aspect of social learning and learning communities in extension education. However, the program lacked other elements of social learning, e.g. educators evaluating and sharing the results of their local efforts. The potential for using social learning theory, which previously has been applied to sustainable agriculture and natural resources management, in environmental education may be viewed in light of motivating factors, benefits, and challenges for participants.