Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay Example for Free

Black Rook in Rainy Weather Essay I an infrequently lost for words. I like to think of myself as quite an eloquent and articulate speaker and writer, but there are times when I feel neither. It is ironic that the very subject of this poem, a lack of words, or rather a lack of inspiration, is exactly what is holding me back from writing the things I would like to write. Although I know how this poem makes me feel and I know the emotions it conveys, I cannot bring myself to write about them or to speak about them, I simply cannot find the words. Each time I read the poem a rush of thoughts dash through my mind, so quickly that I cannot recollect them in time to consider them in the detail they deserve. This poem deserves consideration, thought, analysis, it deserves appreciation and admiration, because it describes exactly how even the most expressive and eloquent writers are sometimes at a loss for words. Although the poem is a metaphor and is about many things that lie deep beneath the surface of the words, it is beautifully written even in the most literal terms. Plath uses adjectives to describe every object, every movement of the poem, ‘stiff twig’, ‘spotted leaves’. She uses many other poetic devices, such as alliteration in the lines ‘rare, random’, ‘walk wary’, ‘so shine as to seize my senses’ and personification in the lines ‘mute sky’ , ‘minor light may still lean incandescent’. The poet also uses short phrases broken by commas to increase the tempo of the poem and to give it a rushed feeling. However, these poetic devices are not simply used to embellish a purely literal piece of writing. They are used to demonstrate the beauty of the mundane, the magnificence of the ordinary. The poet says ‘I do not expect a miracle or an accident’ which suggests that she is content with the mundane and can see it’s splendour. But as the poem progresses we see that she could not survive on the ordinary, but needed to express herself in her poetry and needed inspiration to do so. Though Plath tries to persuade herself she survive on the ordinary and the imple, it is obvious that desire for inspiration, ‘the angel’, are the only things that can make these mundane situations bearable. She contradicts herself when she states that ‘miracles occur. ’ She contradicts her previous idea that there is beauty in the ordinary and instead describes moments without inspiration being similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ . This suggests that during these periods of time she is not living, but barely surviving. Her entire life depends on the moments of inspiration, ‘for that rare, random descent. ’ She is a poet, and her survival depends on her writing. She can only express herself through her writing, and without it, without her inspiration, she feels nothing. This nothingness, this lack of inspiration is to her far worse than the feelings of depression she felt constantly throughout her life. Her ‘fear of total neutrality’ consumes her and scares her. This ‘fear of neutrality’ refers not only to writing, but also to life in general. If one feels nothing, if life is constantly similar to ‘trekking stubborn through this season of fatigue’ then there is no reason to live in the first place. Life is a constant wait for inspiration, for meaning, for purpose, and often this purpose does not appear. Plath realises, unlike many others, that without purpose, without inspiration, there is no beauty in the mundane. Without ‘that rare, random descent’ of an ‘angel’ there is little reason for life at all. Black Rook in Rainy Weather. (2017, Feb 05).

Discovery of Backchannel Responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discovery of Backchannel Responses - Essay Example You can refer to it further in Eli Hinkel’s study. The reference to Schegloff is for year (1982) and you can use the following reference – Schegloff, E. (1982) Discourse as an interactional achievement: some uses of ‘uh huh’ and other things that come between sentences. In: Tannen, D. eds. (1982) Analyzing Discourse: Text and Talk (Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics). 1st ed. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, p.71-93. Pragmalinguistics refers to the resources for conveying communicative acts and relational or interpersonal meanings. The word is not a mistake and has been used here intentionally. You can refer to it further in Eli Hinkel’s study: "where backchannel responses have found new meaning in social media like Facebook, Twitter and the like. Here they shape interpretation of conversations and convey pleasure, happiness, approval, censure and condemnation, through its various usage†

Element of Literature (theme, character, setting, conflicts, etc Essay

Element of Literature (theme, character, setting, conflicts, etc - Essay Example This paper examines all the similarities between these three works and establishes the commonality between the characters and their presentations. Tragedy has been a theme for playwrights since the beginning of literature, well explored by Greek poets like Sophocles, medieval English writers, and Elizabethan playwrights, of which Shakespeare is prominent. The most prominent cause of the tragedy in these plays would be the tragic hero fighting against his/her impending doom. ‘The tragic hero is divided "between imperative and impulse, between moral ordinance and unruly passion . . . between law and lust" (Heilman 207).’ (Brown, 2009). If we explore the similarities between the two Elizabethan dramas, Macbeth, Hamlet and the ancient Greek tragedy, Oedipus, we find that the protagonists have that fatal flaw which draws them to their downfall and all other elements that make a tragedy. When these protagonists live, they teach us many lessons with the mistakes that they commit in their life. They seem to exist to attain the ultimate goal of death.† We admire the daring, uncompromising spirit of the tragic hero wh ile recognizing that what he gains in intensity of life, he often pays for with its brevity.† (Brown, 2009). Shakespeare’s tragedies â€Å"follow a basic pattern of complication, crisis, and conclusion but with multiple variations.† (Brown, 2009). If we compare and seek similarities between the characters of the three works, we find that as mentioned above, all protagonists unconsciously seek their own fall. Hamlet muses far too much over his father’s death and even when his father has shown him the path of revenge, he fails to kill Claudius when he has the chance. Macbeth on the other hand, blinded easily by ambition and avarice, kills Duncan in haste without pondering over the consequences. Oedipus’s flaw is his colossal ego or Hubris. It does not bring about his misery directly but does lead to

Police Corruption In The United States Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Police Corruption In The United States - Essay Example Police corruption acts are increasing with the passage of time and everyday we comprehend and share our views regarding police unlawful acts, what is published in the newspaper. "In New Orleans, 11 police officers were convicted of accepting nearly $100,000 from undercover agents to protect a cocaine supply warehouse containing 286 pounds of cocaine. The undercover portion of the investigation was terminated when a witness was killed under orders from a New Orleans police officer." (General Accounting Office, Report to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel). Police departments participating in the five-year study were drawn from a pool of more than 4,000 police departments throughout the United States. Only sixty-nine supplied the necessary personality, background, and offense data and met all of the prerequisites for inclusion in the study (each had to administer a personality test to applicants and had to have had at least one incident where a screened officer engaged in a substantiated corrupt act, for example). Overall, the study examined 439 officers who had engaged in corrupt acts (such as bribes and information breaches) and 439 who had not. Police corruption exists in two forms: Internal corruption and External Corruption. Internal corruption refers to all those crimes, which are held within the boundaries of the police department, i.e., corruption that resides among policemen whereas External corruption escorts to those unlawful acts that apprehend police dealings with the public. Example of an Internal crime can be any officer who is involved in drug or cocaine violence along with other officers or staff or any officer who has taken excessive advantage over the authority given to him by harassing one of his colleague or member. A 1998 report by the General Accounting Office states, "The most commonly identified pattern of drug-related police corruption involved small groups of officers who protected and assisted each other in criminal activities, rather than the traditional patterns of non-drug-related police corruption that involved just a few isolated individuals or systemic corruption pervading an entire police department or precinct." (General Accounting Office, Report to the Honorable Charles B. Rangel) When we talk about external corruption, it is obvious to do something with public prosecution and it is a widespread predicament often found in our everyday lives. Example can be any police officer (or civilian) found engaged in the persuasion of common public. Like I have often observed in New York City, some cops take unnecessary advantage of wearing a five star badge uniform. As an example of police corruption, the GAO cites Philadelphia, where "Since 1995, 10 police officers from Philadelphia's 39th District have been charged with planting drugs on suspects, shaking down drug dealers for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and breaking into homes to steal drugs and cash." (General Accoun

Should Offshore Oil Drilling Be Allowed Environmental Sciences Essay

Should Offshore Oil Drilling Be Allowed Environmental Sciences Essay The time has come to put a stop to offshore drilling. Finding renewable resources and alternative energy can help put an end to drilling into our ocean floors and help us become an independent nation. There are an abundance of technological capabilities available in our world today and these should be pursued in depth to not only solve the current crisis, but also to ensure that the same tragedy does not occur again. The technology is here and the time is now. Renewable resources are resources that can be continually reproduced over a short period of time (Renewable Resources). Here are a few examples: wind energy generates electricity by using the wind, wave energy produces electricity by using the power of ocean waves, and bio energy uses biomass (plant materials, landfill or animal waste) to produce heat or electricity. One example of barriers that prevent us from obtaining renewable energy is utility rate structure. Unfavorable utility rate structures have perennially been a barrier to increased deployment of renewable energy technologies. Unless carefully monitored to encourage the development of distributed generation, rate structures can increase the cost of renewable energy (e.g., through stand-by rates, lack of net metering) or completely disallow connection to the electrical grid (EPA). Another difficulty that prevents us from attaining renewable energy is the complexity in obtaining environmental permits for major industrial facilities. Transmission is another concern that prevents us from having renewable resources available. Many renewable resources are located in remote areas that lack ready or cost effective access to allow for transmission to the user. The building of the Alaskan Pipeline cost eight billion dollars for eight hundred miles of pipeline (Thinkquest). It would be much more cost effective to drill for this oil in the ocean where the cost to transport the resource to the coastline and ultimately to the end user will be far less costly. Each year, the annual cost just to run this pipeline is roughly two hundred and ten billion dollars. In addition, the start-up costs alone are so immense that they are essentially unavailable. States that have not established clear utility regulations that enable investments in transmission to be reimbursable or coordinated planning and permitting processes, slow the development of utility scale renewable projects in their territory (EPA). The only problem with things like biofuels and solar energy is, ironically, they still need oil to get up and running. Solar panels require the use of oil during its production, and ethanol has to be processed using the very substance it is supposed to replace (Heigler). The benefits of offshore drilling certainly outweigh the dangers of extracting oil from deep-water drilling off the coast of the United States. Specifically, there are a couple of reasons that support our continued practice of offshore oil drilling. First, it will create jobs that are essential for our country and the economy to thrive as an independent nation. Allowing offshore drilling will also make us less dependent on foreign oil. Yes, our nation is addicted to oil. Another reason to drill is that it provides us with natural gas, alternative fuel and gas and oil that fuel our aircrafts, ships and homes. However, now we are in the twenty-first century and it is time to put our advanced technology to good use. Continuing to drill will create jobs; nevertheless, using alternative energy sources will also create jobs and help preserve our planet at the same time. Offshore drilling creates countless jobs that help sustain our economy. Our stable economy is achieved through a consistent and stable work force that allows our citizens to work and pay for their needs. This economic system of checks and balances perpetuates a stable economy for us all. Offshore drilling alone accounts for such a great number of these jobs; a system that relies on the combined efforts of such a vast array of occupational titles that the number of total jobs currently available is four-thousand, four hundred eleven in the United States alone (Careers). Some examples of jobs that are unique to this field of work are; Drilling Supervisor Jobs, Senior Drilling Engineer, Drilling Business Development Manager, and Field/Mechanical and Equipment Engineers (Careers). These occupations are so unique to this field of work that a myriad of trained oil workers have virtually no useful skill that can be easily transferred to another job. If the oil drilling workers lose their jobs, many would have to be retrained into another line of work since there are no alternative locations to move to for oil drilling work. One of the largest companies currently pursuing the development of oil and gas resources is British Petroleum. This company began as Anglo Persian Oil in the year 1909. In 1954, it became British Petroleum. This companys reach is worldwide. Its revenue in the United States is approximately two hundred forty-six billion, with ninety-two thousand employees (BP). Our reliance on the natural resource of oil and continuously increasing demand for it has driven us to seek out new locations to tap intothe coastal waters that surround the United States. This remarkable feat is one that must be mastered and performed without flaw. British Petroleum has successfully drilled for oil off the coastal waters of the United States for more than three decades, yet their recent tragedy is one that poses such a grave danger to our environment that the result may be irreversible damage to our entire ecosystem. It is not a good proposition to boycott British Petroleum because if that happens, the oil company will not be able to pay claims to the people who have lost everything in the Gulf of Mexico. A boycott would also affect the small business owners who own these stations and further cripple their livelihoods. The only connection these business owners have with British Petroleum is the contract to buy gasoline. To win back customers, theyd like British Petroleums help in reducing the price at the pump (Nola). The disaster in the Gulf of Mexico has damaged the ecosystem, an undetermined amount of land, ocean, animal species and plant life. The production of life that begins in the marshes is now laden with massive amounts of oil. The cycle of life that begins here will be suffocated by the oil and therefore cease to exist. The natural lifecycle of the many animals that reproduce in this region is greatly affected. Innumerable animal species are returning to the Gulf region to breed among the damaging plumes of oil that saturate this once vibrant ecological labyrinth. The newborn offspring will be immediately subject to the hazards of the oil-filled environment and incapable of escaping from it. The food needed to sustain the new life in this region will come from the oil tainted environment and be directly fed to the newborns. The oil that is then ingested can cause poisoning of wildlife. Animals on every level of the food chain are affected as each one feeds on another to continue the cycle of life. The animals that reside in the Gulf of Mexico, life-long inhabitants, each contribute to an immense ecosystem that make up the complex weave of life that, until now has thrived uninterrupted. Thus far, hundreds dead birds, sea turtles, dolphins, fish and starfish have washed up onto the shore. The collective damage to the animal life in this region may not be completely realized for many years. This disaster will permanently alter the lives of countless animals. The newborn animals are immediately subject to exposure of the oil-filled environment and incapable from escaping from it. The direct physical effects on the animals exposed to the oil are lethal. Exposure to the oil can cause animals to suffer impairment of their red blood cells. Further, damage to or suppression of marine mammals immune system can cause bacterial or fungal infections. Oil can also deteriorate the thermal insulation of the animals skin, thus damaging their reproductive system. Injury to the airway or lungs of marine mammals can cause congestion, pneumonia, emphysema, or death by breathing in droplets of oil, fumes or gas. The clean-up has been slow and it appears there is twice as much leakage as what can be cleaned up. British Petroleum is still trying to burn off the oil on the surface of the ocean which is then polluting the air. At this point, every regulatory authority and British Petroleum is not moving fast enough to clean this mess up. They have the technology and the dollars to do this. There is not much progress being made and it has been almost three months. Tar patties from the Gulf oil spill started washing ashore on Front Beach around noon on Monday, a day after the oil first made landfall on the Mississippi mainland in Jackson County (Al.com). Twenty billion will only make a dent in helping these residents regain control of their lives. This tragedy is a true example of what can happen when big business goes well beyond the unwarranted point of trying to cut costs. Their actions repeatedly support this statement. They are not paying the fishermen who are no longer able to work to support their families. They are not paying for mass groups of workers to be trained to assist with clean up, nor providing the few who have received the training briefing the proper respirators to wear. The jobs that were plentiful for residents along the Gulf of Mexico have all been lost recently due to the Federal Governments moratorium on all oil drilling, which was implemented in response to the Deep Water Horizon oil rig. Offshore drilling is one of the biggest sources of financial revenue for the population in and around this geographical region. Residents who have grown to rely exclusively on their steady income from oil drilling are rapidly experiencing such financial loss that their lives have become filled with financial uncertainty and their expectations for achieving employment remains in peril. From the highest paid engineer to the lowest man on the rig, the loss of countless jobs that once were plentiful when the oil was being actively drilled will have a negative impact on their lives as well as our economy. It will trickle down; the economy will get even worse, said Perry Clement, a local who serves as a deck hand on several fishing boats, and is struggling for incom e. Its the delicate balance we have, with the oil and the fishing (Marketwatch). This ban proposed to put a six month seize on all deep water oil drilling in the United States. This decision would stop any new permit approvals for deepwater drilling at more than thirty existing deepwater wells. In addition, the moratorium will further cripple the jobs for immeasurable other independent drillers, equipment makers, hardware stores, manufacturers, and transportation systems that provide direct and sustained support to the effort of drilling for oil. Even with a situation as grave as the Chernobyl accident, we did not halt the production of or rid the world of nuclear power. The governments decision to stop all drilling until we can find out the cause of the disaster and prevent further ones from occurring does not support our overall economy. Offshore drilling will always be a risk, but the nation must move forward and continue to make progress. Today, over eighty percent of world petroleum reserves are state-owned and controlled by countries that have the power to manipulate supply and price with impunity, this fact goes directly to the heart of energy security (Energy Independence). According to most forecasts, oil will remain the top global energy source for the next few decades, even with the ongoing development of natural gas, nuclear, and renewable resources. Today is day 70 of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The latest news is that a federal appeals court in New Orleans will hear the governments appeal of a ruling overturning the deepwater drilling ban in the Gulf of Mexico on July 8. The six-month moratorium was ordered in late May by the Barack Obamas administration after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. A group of offshore petroleum service companies sued, saying the moratorium would inflict long-term economic damage. A federal judge agreed with the companies and barred the government from enforcing the ban. British Petroleum and the Coast Guard sent oil-scooping skimming ships in the Gulf of Mexico back to shore because nasty weather is churning up rough seas and powerful winds. Although Tropical Storm Alex was projected to stay well away from the spill zone before possibly making landfall as a hurricane near the U.S.-Mexico border, its outer edges were causing problems out in the Gulf. Waves were as high as twelve feet Tuesday in some parts of the Gulf (AP). British Petroleum says it will give cash and other help to the owners, operators and suppliers of the gas stations around America that bear its name. They say they have been struggling because of boycotts prompted by the oil spill. John Kleine of the British Petroleum Amoco Marketers Association says outlets will get cash based on volume, with the rates being higher for outlets in the Gulf than for that elsewhere in the country (AP). They also will see reductions in credit card fees and get help with national advertising. While wildlife casualties are many, there were seventy-two pelicans released Tuesday, in Georgia and last week sixty-two pelicans were rehabilitated and released on the Texas coast. About fifty-thousand sea turtle eggs from beaches in the Florida Panhandle and Alabama will be dug up and moved to Floridas Atlantic Coast in hopes of keeping the hatchlings alive. Without this intervention, federal scientists believe, most, if not all, the hatchlings this year would be at high risk of encountering oil and dying. The Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommended that the nests be collected near the end of incubation and taken to Floridas Atlantic Coast for final incubation and release. Hatchlings begin emerging from nests in early to mid-July (Straub). The production of life that begins in the marshes is now encumbered with massive amounts of oil. The cycle of life that begins here will be suffocated by the oil and therefore halt. Damage has been done to coral reefs, sea grass, and mangrove habitats which are breeding areas of many fish and crustaceans. This unique ecosystem is also home to many smaller species such as mussels, crabs, oysters, shrimp and plankton. The direct physical effects on the animals exposed to the oil are lethal. Exposure to the oil can cause animals to suffer impairment of their red blood cells. Further, damage to or suppression of marine mammals immune system can cause bacterial or fungal infections. Oil can also deteriorate the thermal insulation of the animals skin, thus damaging their reproductive system. Injury to the airway or lungs of marine mammals can cause congestion, pneumonia, emphysema, or death by breathing in droplets of oil, fumes or gas. Increasing demands for oil continue to multiply by the day. Extracting oil resources from land have proven costly and inappropriate due to the location and availability. Continued independence of our nation will be achieved through a decline in our reliance on foreign countries which will ultimately create jobs that sustain our economic future. British Petroleum has successfully drilled for oil off the coastal waters of the United States for more than three decades, yet their recent tragedy is one that poses such a grave danger to our environment that the result may be irreversible damage to our entire ecosystem. British Petroleums CEO been transparent in revealing his true feelings about this disaster on numerous occasions. Recently, he stated that we care about the small people. Are the small people he refers to the entrepreneurs who are independently wealthy because they work in harmony with nature, providing a precious food commodity to thousands without ever impeding the natural cycle of life for over a century? He also stated that nobody wants this thing to be over with more than him because he wants his life back. I am certain that the eleven men that died on his oil rig want their lives back.

The Irony in the Title Nothings Changed Essay -- Nothings Changed Po

The Irony in the Title Nothing's Changed In my opinion nothings changed is a tragic and revengeful poem, which reveals the veracity of the way nothing has changed even after apartheid. The poem is set in District six, Cape Town, South Africa and was written by Tatamkhulu Afrika. A man who once witnessed the solace and recreation of district six. There is an ample of irony in the title nothings changed. District six has changed physically but in no other way. For starters in stanza one the man is walking through district six which has been evicted of the ethnic cultures and instead been inhabited by whites. Through this stanza we discovered that district six is kept a shambles â€Å"into trouser cuffs, cans, trodden on.† This means that no one really cares about it anymore. Another factor mentioned are the purple weeds. The color purple is often referred to as dried blood (hence there must have been a massacre). The scattered rubbish and the purple weeds (in this case symbolizing death) are all ironic because during apartheid people were being killed/ beaten and ..

Education Systems Around the World Essay

The United States excels in the creative aspect of schooling whereas Chinese students are much better at receiving direct instruction. Japanese students have very high test scores and a very high university attendance, but in Australia more students go into vocational schools or the workforce after high school. (Noel 99,102,103)The differences of education systems in the United States, China, Japan and Australia have created testable strengths and weaknesses. No country has found a perfect balance but each system has evolved to create workers suited to its respective nation. The United States is predominantly influenced by creativity but not as strongly in math and science. Expansions upon creative thought have brought in new products introduced to the market. (Noel, 36) In U. S. President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address, Obama emphasizes the importance of specialized creative schools and additional funding of the arts in K-12 public schools, which was spelled out in his the â€Å"Reinvestment of Arts Education† Plan. Obama states, â€Å"The first step in winning the future is encouraging American innovation. None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn’t know that something called the internet would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do –– what America does better than anyone else –– is spark the creativity and imagination of our people. But if we want to win the future then we also have to win the race to educate our kids†¦ And so the question is whether all of us –– as citizens, and as parents –– are willing to do what’s necessary to give every child a chance to succeed. † (Noel, 65) The U. S. President sees the specialization, the pronounced freedom of creativity that America has been able to maintain for many years and how they have benefitted from it. The promotion of this frame of mind will allow ideas to surge and new technologies continue to be made. Although America is pleased with all this innovation, the United States consistently test low in both math and science compared to other nations. Notable author, Douglas Noel reports that the average scores of American students in international comparisons have â€Å"†¦often been below the average of developed countries. It the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment 2003, 15 year olds ranked 24th of 38 in mathematics, 19th of 38 in science, 12th of 38 in reading, and 26th of 38 in problem solving. † (Noel 80, 81, 82) With the majority of American students so far behind it is cause for concern as to whether the U. S. will continue to falter and what impact it will have on the future. Part of the problem with high schools is that with such a large country it is going to be that much more difficult to maintain a moderate academic curriculum. This problem was attempted to be solved with the â€Å"No Child Left Behind† Act but it is still inconclusive whether it is effective or not. (Noel, pp. 70) Dr. Schmidt, who oversees the research effort into the TIMSS results, says the actual cause for the failures appears to be weak math and science curricula in U. S. middle schools. He explains, â€Å"The public schools lack focus; instead of concentrating on education, they dabble in social re-engineering†. Not only are public schools the general blame but so are the curricula, the teacher and even the textbooks. But there is some good news; despite the â€Å"bad grades† in comparison to the world the United States makes up for their low-testing high schools with 19 of the top 25 universities in the world. People from around the world come to American Universities to become some of the most influential thinkers in the world. The immigration of intelligent people in the form of students from various other countries is, said by Bill Gates, to be â€Å"†¦our most powerful import. † (Noel 4, 5, 10, 77, 80) Although the United States lacks in math and science it is gung-ho in innovative fields, we see the complete opposite pros and cons experienced in China. The education foundation in China has been reformed since the rise of Deng Xiaoping (1978-89) and made significant progress; however, the large population of China produces great promise as well as great concern. (Chinese Education & Society) Since the end of the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), the education system in China has been geared toward economic modernization. The Great Leap Forward (1958–60) and the Socialist Education Movement (1962–65) sought to end deeply rooted academic elitism, to narrow social and cultural gaps between workers and peasants and between urban and rural populations, and to â€Å"rectify† the tendency of scholars and intellectuals to disdain manual labor. During the Cultural Revolution, universal fostering of social equality was an overriding priority. The post-Mao Zedong Chinese Communist Party leadership viewed education as the foundation of China. The reorientation of educational priorities paralleled Deng Xiaoping’s strategy for economic development. For this reason the Central Government has prioritized basic education as a key field of infrastructure construction and educational development. (Zhang) The Chinese government’s aim for the development of China’s basic education system was to approach or attain the level of moderately-developed countries by 2010, of which has been accomplished. Chinese higher education has continued to evolve. Since the late 1980s, tremendous economic development in China has stimulated reforms in higher education that have resulted in remarkable improvements. (Chinese Education and Society) The UNESCO world higher education report of June 2003 pointed out that the student population of China’s schools of higher learning had doubled in a very short period of time and had become the world’s largest. (Agelasto) In the beginning of the Enlightenment period, European science began to explode with new inventions and ideas. By this time, China had already invented the first compass, printing press and use of gunpowder (which were used for fireworks). (Chinese Education & Society) Today, there is not much to be said in terms of new technology in China. Much of the new tech now comes from the United States and Japan. (Noel, 3) Nonetheless, China does have the advantage (and disadvantage) of an enormous population. Innovative ideas and technology have not been prominent in China’s recent years. (Agelasto) With a population of over one billion people, China needs to find a way to bridge the productivity gap between emerging markets and the developed world; to truly transform themselves into innovative, energetic economies. Professor Xu Jialu, director of the College of Chinese. Language and Culture at Beijing University, told a meeting of university presidents in Hong Kong that China had achieved great success over the past 30 years. Jialu states, â€Å"Our overall economic output, which is fundamental to social advancement, is already ranked third in the world,† he said, â€Å"However, to sustain this extraordinary economic growth, China needs to nurture huge additional numbers of creative and talented people to maintain economic proficiency. † (Xue) China’s history and economy are what have shaped their education systems. China has transcended itself from a richly inventive, educated society to a Communist standard of economic modernization. Now that they have achieved an ideal economy, education will most likely be reformed again to the forefront; just as the tiny island to their East has done – Japan. Japan marvels its education prowess but has Japanese students stressing to meet high standards. Without including the devastating effects of the recent Earthquake-Tsunami incident that occurred in the spring of 2011, Japan has maintained extraordinarily high test results while enjoying a technologically advanced society. Japan continuously ranks the top 5 in international test scores. (Noel, 88) The test scores remain high because their primary and secondary schooling is decidedly efficient. As of 2005, more than 2. 8 million students were enrolled in 726 universities. (Gainey) The influx of students is explained through the emphasis on the importance of University level instruction. The Japanese workforce is now better equipped to manage career-related problems that require higher thought. As with all good things, the advancements have come at a great cost. In Japan, suicide is the leading cause of death among men aged 20-44 and women 15-34. Suicide in Japan is also somewhat romanticized as a traditional way of preserving one’s honor and avoiding shame. (Noel, 76) The National Police Agency informs that suicides in Japan topped 30,000 for the ninth consecutive year in 2006. In their suicide notes, 91 of them mentioned problems at school, an increase of 28. 2 percent from 2005 — the largest number since 1998 when the survey of this category began. (Gainey) With or without suicide notes, police attributed school-related problems to 242 suicides, nine more than in 2005. (Gainey) For many children, school has become a stressful environment to survive in. The social pressures to succeed help many students to succeed but the pressure is too much for others. Many countries strive for educational excellence whereas countries such as Australia are of a more relaxed nature. The educational system in Australia is a radical contrast to its Asian counterparts. Rather than attending a university, vocational training has become the beacon of education for students in Australia. Schooling beyond vocational training is difficult, costly and highly ostracized. (Horin) The training for vocational jobs requires less education than four year degree programs. They are also significantly less expensive – less than half of the cost of any of their Universities. Aussie student enrollment in a bachelor’s degree program spiked at 27% in 2010 while vocational enrollment maintains a continuous rise from 31% in 2000 to 35% in 2010. (Australia’s Guide to Education) This continuous incline of vocational training communicates the direction of progression of Australia’s youth, where the requirement of a bachelor’s degree appears to be unneeded in their society. Unfortunately, reports of low standards of education are on par with uneducated societies. 25% of Australian students do not complete grade 12 in Australia compared to 20 percent in the other 18 comparable countries such as Canada, Ireland, Austria, and Iceland. Scholastic apathy is hurting their workforce because considering the frequency in the number of high school drop outs every year they will see the rise of a serious problem emerging. The students that leave go to find jobs only to find more and more being taken by their fellow dropout colleagues. (Horin)Whether or not Australia is moving to make changes is unclear but once the dip shows itself evermore significant there will likely be public intervention which would be either expand the Australian job market or find a way to keep their students in the classrooms. We see that each country holds its own scholastic emphasis. The United States imports some of the best thinkers in the entire world. As China’s economy rises, its large population of workers stays busy generating revenue to invest more into education for the future. Japan has ranked the elite in scores by making education top priority. Australia currently enjoys significantly fewer educational burdens without much consequence in getting a job. Whether it is the progression of creative thought or early-on vocational training all these countries have their own specific sets of academic values specifically designed to best suit their current endeavors. Works Cited Agelasto, Michael. Higher Education in Post-Mao China. Hong Kong University Press, 1998. ISBN 9622094503. Print. 1 October, 2011. The quality of Chinese education and its advantages and disadvantages in economic prowess and student development. 2. â€Å"Educational Systems in Australia. † Australia’s Guide to Education. Nov. 2006. Web. 25 Sept. 2011. . Includes primary and secondary education in Australia and comparative statistics in contrast to other countries such as the United States. Also talks about vocational training programs. 3. Gainey, Peter. â€Å"The Japanese Education System: Globalisation and International Education. † Advanced Placement Source. EBSCO, Sept. 2002. Publication. 1 Oct. 2011. An overview of Japan’s education system and the impact on its students. Specifies the difficulties of secondary education and above. Horin, Adele. â€Å"Must try harder: Australia’s inequitable education system. † Sydney Morning Herald, The 02 Dec. 2006: 31. Newspaper Source Plus. EBSCO. Web. 17 Oct. 2011. An investigation of Australia’s education system which focuses on the lack of quality of education, including vocational school and international education/vocational training quality. 5. Noel, Douglas. Impact of Social Reform and Education on Sociological Development: a Comparison Of Education Systems Around the World. [S. l. ]: Xlibris, 2010. Print. 25 Sept. 2011. Compares education systems in every major country. Gives insight to literacy statistics, test scores and controversy. Asserts the notion of â€Å"better† or â€Å"needs improvement† comparisons against some countries, the United States, being one of low ratings. 6. â€Å"Various Documents Related to Chinese Education. † Chinese Education & Society 39, no. 6 (November 2006): 45-66. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Database. 25 Sept. 2011. The history of education in China. Over the years, China has had to reform its education system many times due to emperor dynasties, the Japanese invasion of Nanjing and the Communist Revolution. Even in the present many changes are being made. 7. Xue, Xing Hua Da. â€Å"Chinese Education & Society. † Education Research Complete. EBSCO, Nov. 2006. Article publication. 25 Sept. 2011. Chinese education and how it statistically compares to other countries such as the United States and Japan. It also relates to Chinese student frustrations in academic curriculum. Zhang, Yu. â€Å"Private Education in China: Issues and Prospects† Perspectives, Volume 4, No. 4, Dec. 31, 2003. Print. 25, Sept. 2011. The history of China and their education system from Communist China to present day and informs readers its current position in the world economy as a reliable result of Deng Xiopeng’s reformation.