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Night School-Day School 

We all were young once. Many of us still feel that way even though our bodies have a different interpretation.

I believe education or schooling is important for everyone and the extent of schooling in any society is tied to its level of economic development.

Teddy Walker is a successful salesman whose life takes an unexpected turn when he accidentally blows up his place of employment. Forced to attend night school to get his GED, Teddy soon finds himself dealing with a group of misfit students, his former high school nemesis and a feisty teacher who doesn’t think he’s too bright.

According to my most recent studies, the word school is from a Greek root word that means “leisure”.

In ancient Greece, famous teachers such as Socrates, Aristotle and Plato taught aristocratic, upper-class men who had plenty of spare time.

Plato (429-347 BC) was born in fifth-century Athens to a wealthy family. As a young Athenian of his station, he was expected to pursue politics and such worthy matters. Instead Plato decided to follow the path of his mentor, Socrates (470-399 BC) and became a philosopher. In ancient times Athens was home to some of the most extraordinary accomplishments of philosophy, art, and science in human history. Plato was born in a time known as the city’s “Golden Age” in the fifth century BC.

The Spartans were also an ancient Greek civilization that played a significant role in the history of Athens.

I loved the movie! It was riveting and showcased parts of the history of Athens.

The Spartans were also known for their military prowess and legendary discipline, the Spartans were an intimidating force to be reckoned with. They were renowned for their peerless and strict military code of conduct that helped them emerge as a superpower in the surrounding regions. The Spartan way of life was marked by physical strength, mental preparedness, and fearlessness in the face of adversity. Join us on a journey through the fascinating history of the Spartans in ancient Athens.

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Leonidas (GERARD BUTLER) bids farewell to his son Pleistarchos (GIOVANI ANTONIO CIMMINO) and wife Gorgo (LENA HEADEY) as the 300 begin their march north in Warner Bros. Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Virtual Studios action drama 300, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT FOR SALE OR REDISTRIBUTION

Even though the emphasis was placed on Sparta, which was a small city in the rugged mountains of southern Greece and was feared for its military might, we are still able to see the connection to their neighbors in Athens. Based on evidence of the past and clear and continuous events experienced in the present, it has now been widely perceived that both politics and religion are still the most heated topics and note-worthy matters in our society today. Many cultures around the world and their people are passionate about these topics.

The same has been reported to be true in ancient China, where famous philosopher Confucius (K’ung Fu-tzu) was known to have only shared his wisdom with a privileged few.

Speaking of China, guess what I found out? The Musuo is a very small society in China’s Yunnan province, in which women control most property, select their sexual partners, and make most decisions about everyday life. The Musuo appear to be operating with the Matriarchy (“rule of mothers”) type of system. This is a form of social organization in which females dominate males and have only rarely been documented in human history.

I’ve mentioned that interesting fact only because further on I will explain what Patriarchy (“rule of fathers”) is all about and how that has affected equality in our world today.

However, I strongly and passionately believe that neither one of these systems should be the standard or the social-norm in our world today.

Did you know that the limited schooling that takes place in lower-income countries reflects the national culture? The way that country is view by the rest of the world?

In Iran, for example, schooling is closely tied to Islam. Similarly, schooling in Bangladesh (Asia), Zimbabwe (Africa), and Nicaragua (Latin America) has been shaped by the distinctive cultural traditions of these nations.

Unfortunately, all lower-income countries have one trait in common when it comes to schooling. There is not much of it.

Here are the facts- According to World Bank 2011, In the world’s poorest nations (including several in Central America), about one-fourth of all children never get to go to school.

Another fact- World-wide, more than one-third of all children never reach the secondary grades or high school. As a result, about one-sixth of the world’s people cannot read or write.

Research shows that reading and writing skills are widespread in high-income countries, where illiteracy rates generally are below 5 percent.

I’ve also learnt that in much of Latin America, illiteracy is unfortunately more common and one of the consequences are due to limited economic development.

Statistics also shows that in twelve nations-most of them in Africa- illiteracy is the rule rather than the exception.

Many of their people rely on the oral tradition of face-to-face communication rather than the written word.

However, the following map below has more updated information regarding where we are now regarding actual literacy around the world.

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So, based on what you’ve observed, do you agree or disagree and how can we help each other raise our standards?

However, saying all of that, you know what I have come to realize- its even greater odds to be educated if you’re a girl in certain countries.

Many poor families depend on the earnings of their children, and in places like India where child labor has already been outlawed, many children still continue to work in factories-weaving rugs or making hand-crafted items which limits their opportunities for any time or kind of education.

Patriarchy (rule of fathers) is a form of social organization in which males dominate females and is found almost everywhere in the world. This type of system shapes Indian education and most Indians parents are joyful at the birth of a boy because he and his future wife will both contribute income to the family. Whereas it is seen as an economic cost to raising a girl. In their culture, parents must provide a dowry (a gift of wealth to the groom’s family) and after her marriage, a daughter’s work only benefits her husband’s family. Therefore, many Indians see less reason to invest in the schooling of girls.

And by 1918, all states had passed a mandatory education law requiring children to attend school until the age of sixteen or completion of eight grade.

The United States history states that Thomas Jefferson thought the new nation could become democratic only if the people learned to read.

Today, the United States has an outstanding record of higher education for its people.
Education is constantly being promoted in the United States and nearly all American’s dream of higher education and equal opportunities. National surveys show that most people think education is crucial to personal success, and more and more people are starting to believe the dream!

Everyone should have a chance to get an education, and it would be wonderful to receive one that is in line with the personal ability and talent of that individual.

Oh, what a dream that would be!

The University College of the Cayman Islands

Higher Education

However, we all know that is many people’s dream around the world but not the actual reality. And there are also many grown adults who sacrificed for a higher education and still bear the burden of existing student loans. Many of the countries that I have mentioned above and others that were not mention but are definitely in the mix; realize the significance of education and its crucial importance to their economic development and increased equality. So, what’s makes schools, colleges or universities so important? There are several variables.

Cool Reasons to go to School Well, number one’s pretty easy.

  • It’s a good place to meet new people and interact.

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Shallow, rich and socially successful Cher (Alicia Silverstone) is at the top of her Beverly Hills high school’s pecking scale. Seeing herself as a matchmaker, Cher first coaxes two teachers into dating each other. Emboldened by her success, she decides to give hopelessly klutzy new student Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover. When Tai becomes more popular than she is, Cher realizes that her disapproving ex-stepbrother (Paul Rudd) was right about how misguided she was — and falls for him

Now please understand, everyone is different, and some people may require or function more effectively in a different environment.  We are all not the same.

However, according to the definition of Sociology, which is the systematic study of the human society and the world around us, I can see such compounds as a great place to mix and mingle.

  • Second variable in the equation is that schools help to or at least they should help to identify and measure a child’s intelligence or aptitude. See my previous article called: 

An aptitude simply to Live https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream/an-aptitude-simply-to-live

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Alfred Binet

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Binet

Alfred Binet was a psychologist who was commissioned by the French Government to devise an objective method for identifying children who were not doing well in school.

He designed the first comprehensive intelligence test in the early 20th century.

Then later on in 1916, Lewis Terman and his colleagues at Stanford University revised Binet’s test for use in the United States, resulting in the administered test gaining wide acceptance during the 1940s and 1950s.

From there, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was introduced and is still widely used. (Fourth Edition SB-IV).

IQ = MA/CA X 100

I was also intrigued to find out that as time progressed test researchers developed a formula for expressing a child’s intellectual level that made it possible to compare children of different chronological ages (CA), which apparently are expressed in how old in years and months the children are.

This measurement was called the intelligence quotient (IQ) and is defined as follows:
IQ = MA/CA X 100

The computation of IQ made it possible to understand how a child’s intellectual ability compared to that of peers of the same chronological age. However, there were problems with this ratio approach to IQ and now IQ is assessed using the deviation IQ approach. This approach assigns an IQ score by comparing an individual’s test score with the scores of other people of the same age range.

David Wechsler

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David Wechsler (Wechester, 1974) is primarily known for developing this technique and was applied to IQ tests that both he and his colleagues developed. The test for early childhood is the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, or WPPSI.

The test for childhood and adolescence is the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children or WISC and the test for adulthood is the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale or WAIS (“wace”).

An individual who takes any of these tests obtains a score that is compared statically to the scores of other people of the same age. The Wechsler IQ test is widely used although there are many other intelligence tests being used.

IQ is assumed to be normally distributed around an average score of 100, with about 2/3 of the general population scoring between 85 and 115 and almost 96% of the population scoring between 70 and 130. That leaves roughly 2% of the population scoring below 70 and another 2% scoring above 130, which is a popular cutoff point for defining giftedness.

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However as much as we admire or perhaps despise the gifted, we can not and most not leave behind those who need us the most.

Individuals with Disabilities

Many children with disabilities around the world have either been hidden out of shame, misunderstood or mistreated. Nevertheless, in the United States of America, the passing of the 1997 Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA-97), the re-authorization of this act in 2004 (IDEA-04), and the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act in 2002, we can safely say that they are making considerable steps to the needs of their most vulnerable citizens.

Within the Cayman Islands, the Government and the general population has also been working diligently to make improvements were necessary in this regard and I strongly believe this will only facilitate more unity, hope and ambition for the people of the Cayman Islands.

Remember , Influence should never have to stop with our generation or a person’s disability.

The Sunrise Adult Training Center

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His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Martyn Roper toured the Sunrise Adult Training Centre (SRC) in West Bay on Thursday (12 September) and gave a “surprise performance”.

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