Always Learn!

For a significant number of years, college degrees were considered to be something that could only benefit students under the age of twenty-five. Over the years, adults in the workplace began to shatter this mold by going back to school to improve their educational background. Many people found that by going back to school, whether to earn their degree for the first-time or to earn an additional degree, they could improve their position within their respective companies. Whether it was a raise, promotion or added respect from colleagues, virtually every adult that returned to school found that their was some kind of benefit to their added education. For those people who were not currently employed, the additional education still had many benefits. By obtaining some type of additional degree, potential candidates for jobs found that they became much more attractive to employers. In the eyes of employers, a strong educational background is one of the most important credentials a job candidate can bring to the table.

In recent years, the trend of adults going back to school to obtain a degree has not only continued, but has actually dramatically increased. One of the main reasons for this significant increase is the advent of online education. Over the last few years, online degree programs have provided educational opportunities to individuals who otherwise would have never had any options to further their education. Although online education and degrees have become extremely common and popular among middle-aged working adults, there is another demographic group that can benefit from these same programs and degrees. Even though this group is commonly overlooked, the benefits they can receive from online education are just as good as those that working age adults can receive. The demographic that is commonly overlooked when discussing online degrees is retired individuals. Although at first thought this idea may seem a little far fetched, upon further consideration it is relatively simple to see some of the benefits that an online degree can provide to individuals who are retired.

The first, and most obvious, of these benefits is the challenge provided by an online degree program. After the excitement of not needing to wake up each day to go to work wears off, boredom becomes a common problem which affects many retirees. After twenty to forty years of having a busy work schedule each day, not having any responsibilities can truly take a negative toll on retired individuals. An online degree program can help to fight this problem. By signing up for online education, you are committing to a course of study. This study provides a sense of accomplishment, similar to the feeling many retired individuals felt when they completed an important project at their job. However, signing up for an online degree does not take away the sense of freedom that every individual who is retired experiences. Unlike attending a conventional college, an online program of study is extremely flexible. Although an online course does have deadlines, how you handle the course on a day to day basis is completely up to you. This provides you with the freedom to travel, relax or take part in other leisure time activities that are essential to a happy and rewarding retirement.

Although the sense of accomplishment is one of the biggest benefits that an online degree can provide to retired individuals, it is in no way the only one. Though many individuals are initially excited by the prospect of retirement, many people quickly discover that retirement is not the lifestyle for them. For many who wish to return to work, they are forced to continue in the field that they have spent their entire life in. However, an online degree can change this. By obtaining an online degree during retirement, you are opening up new options in the workforce if you ever decide to return. While some retirees find that it can be difficult to be rehired into the workforce, an online degrees is proof that you are completely capable and competent in your ability to return to work.

Whether you are interested in learning a new subject or want to consider returning to the workforce, it is easy to see why an online degree is a wonderful opportunity for retired individuals.

Anthem College is a high tech institute that is located in Phoenix. It is completely an online education college where you are able to work while taking courses. They offer several degree programs for associate and bachelor levels. You will find that these Internet tuition programs are created for a career focus. In other words they want to be able to teach students the skills they need for a career.

The degree programs that online education with Anthem College will offer, includes business, criminal justice, health care, and technology. You will find that they offer programs that last two years if you are enrolled full time. If you are part time or just taking a few classes a semester it may take you a little longer. The best thing about Internet tuition is that it is on your time. Often you don’t have the funds to attend school full time while having a full time job. This can be a strain on most individuals and something usually suffers. So having an Internet tuition program through this special University will allow you to spend the time needed at work while getting the course work for your degree accomplished.

You will find that online education with Anthem College offers financial aid to students. You will be able to apply for Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Loans, and Institutional Loan Programs. Each of these financial aid options will make going to school via the Internet a little easier for those who really want to further their careers, but can’t afford the tuition. You will also find that these types of University Internet courses are competitive with other Internet education schools and regular tuition. This makes it a little easier to make a choice regarding which university will be better for you. Anthem College does not have programs available to residents of Kentucky or Texas.

EDUCATION IN  ZAMBIA

Zambia got independence in 1964, and the country’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda, led the country as a one-party state until 1991, when a multi-party system was introduced. But in reality, Zambia’s democracy is still not working very well. Decisions are primarily made by the ruling party elite, while parliament and district authorities have very little say on matters of planning and budgeting. Theoretically, the citizens have been allowed to influence the planning process through a decentralisation reform, which was launched in 2004, but there is still a great lack of structures that can effectively give citizens a more direct influence on the decision-making processes.

it has been estimated that 34% of seven years old children are denied  admission to primary school each year because of lack of places. More than 600, 000 children between the ages of seven are not in school and the majority are girls.”

Education in Zambia has improved a lot since independence, but a lot more still needs to be done. The growing population from 3,319,538 in 1980 to 10 million people in 2002. It has shown that rapid growth of Zambian citizen has drastically influenced the education sector in Zambia.” The numbers of school places are now no longer sufficient to take in all the children. It’s a big challenge to orphans to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC’s) to access education from time to time as the sector has experienced the disequilibrium. The impact is mainly ignored as its couples itself with economic trends of lack of employment as a source of income to sustain the ongoing school children.

Kabsy Consultancy Services a leading firm academic consultancy firm in Africa has embarked on a programme of helping more African educanalists to realise their full potential. A project was launched in Kabwe, Zambia early October 2009. Kabsy Consultancy services is empowering Zambian companies with development, social work skills and infotech fundamentals. The main aim is in promoting education policy in Zambia and meeting vision 2030.

It’s in this line that the government the republic of Zambia, in 2002 introduced free basic education from grade one to grade seven, so as to allow number of orphans and vulnerable children to access education. Other policy key principles were in decentralization of the education system, building of more schools, and deployment of more teachers who were waiting to be sent in various schools. Improvement of teacher’s allowances, especially housing allowances to teachers working in rural areas setting.

Having implemented the free basic education policy from 2002, what has been the impact on the target group? Studies on the implementation of social policy and its impact on the target group have been done. The reports show that the education system of Zambia has denied access to the orphans and vulnerable children despite introduction free primary education. “The OVC’s’ are still deniable admission in primary school and this forces them to find themselves in community schools. To those that have attended school in available public learning institutions, quality of services being provided still remains very poor. About one third of Zambia’s primary does not go to school. They stay away because school is expensive, or stay away or because they have to work. For those that attend, they drop out rates offering girls in particular after grade 4.

In most rural areas, parent of female children see their daughters as their source of riches. They would rather sell their children, in the name of marriage at an early age in order to lay their hands in the bride price. They do not realize the importance of educating the girl child which is very saddening. There has got to be more awareness made in the rural areas. ”

Civil Society for Poverty Reduction, CSPR (2000: 10) records that, “for those that stay in school, the number of teachers is consistently shrinking, and in rural areas it is easy to find schools with only teachers. Children are often hungry, which reduces learning and development. The schools have little or no funds for books or other learning materials.” In line of the above, it has been observed that there is a need of improving current infrastructure in the country, if development in the education has to be revealed to its maximum potential.

Another factor that hinders the progress of development is HIV/AIDS. This ever-isolating scourge is drawing Zambia back, in many ways. Zambia is suffering from brain drain because most of our education citizens are dying a premature death, which is damaging to Zambia. In addition, the breadwinners of families are being lost and their families left to live in poverty. According to International HIV/AIDS Alliance (2003:6) writes to say; “some children may pull out of school altogether because of fear of getting HIV from their teachers, this is particularly so in rural areas where most children are still be misinformed about HIV/AIDS infection.”

Other side of the picture on HIV/AIDS is that, the children are left homelessly without having anyone to support them and this tend to disorganize a home in the event if the death of a man of the house as the women will not be able to take care of the children without the help of extended family.

According to Mwansa A,C (2004) as reflected in free basic education policy implementation policy implementation assessment, reports that, “ enrolments increased marginally after the introduction of free basic education policy. On the other hand the, applications declined in 2003 especially in rural areas. It would seem that the causal factor was not only major barrier to access. Though the guidelines from the ministry of education did not impose any limit on enrolments, one third of the applicant were turned away , suggesting that are other considerations are equally important in determine access to education. The rate of girls turned away was slightly higher than that of boys. One of the reasons why a third of the applicant re turned away from school is the inadequacy of school infrastructure.”

In view of the analysis presented above, I therefore recommend that, if free basic education policy has to be effectively implemented there is a need of the government to build more infrastructure facilities such s schools, universities, more education colleges. There is also a need of improving teacher’s conditions in terms of housing allowances and salaries, if more graduates have to join the teaching profession.

In the context of poverty and education, the government needs to build more state companies rather than bringing selfish investors, who aim only in making profit and taking t into their respective countries. Companies for Zambian will have a heart for people and hence people will move from being exploited to more empowered with economical resources that will fight poverty, HIV/AIDS and unemployment.

Conclusion.

Social Policy is a system of interrelated principles that are formulated in line with the problem at hand, its aim is in seeing to it that people lives are improved and people re in a state of social and economical dependence. One of such areas is education policies, which re formulated in meeting the needs of people in accessing education for all. However, Zambian education policy has to be clearly articulated and fine tuned so as to realistically meet the needs of the Zambian people.  They must take cognizance of the paucity of national resources, be complotted by professionals such as social workers, and incorporates inputs from grassroots movements.