THE PROVISION OF NURSERY EDUCATION IN ENGLAND AND WALES TO 1967 WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NORTH - EAST ENGLAND

‘The Provision of Nursery Education in England and Wales to 1967 with special reference to North-East England’ by John R. Bell The startling title of the Nursery School Association’s ‘Forgotten Two Millions’ (1965) stimulated a determination to trace the origins of this tragedy, and to ascertain the historical struggle involved, both nationally and in my home region of North East England. NSA publications and records of voluntary bodies together with local and national archives helped trace the growth and activities of the nursery school movement from 1923 and, together with the Tyneside Nursery School Association, gave an unbiased account of pioneering work in the region. Material was analysed, described, and evaluated, to explore inherent strength and weaknesses. Theory and practice of prominent educators and thinkers was examined to appraise the attention given to the ‘under fives’ and to concepts of childhood. The progression of the changing role of women in society, changing social and economic conditions in the 19th and 20th centuries and the pioneering work of enlightened philanthropic individuals demonstrated that early years education never existed in a vacuum. The slow ‘stop’/’start’ growth in provision, however, was shown to have reflected the state of local and national finance and, indeed, can still be seen today. Seven nursery schools in contrasting areas of industrial heritage of the North East were chosen as example case-studies, spread over a period of 30 turbulent years. The first was established during WW1 clearly in the vanguard with the McMillans and before the government legislation of 1918. Two were war-time nurseries and illustrated the emergency measures set up in 1942 to provide an essential service for mothers engaged in war work. All provided source material in their chronological, educational histories. The Plowden Report offered a new hope for the future. Any subsequent developments in the care and nurture of ‘under fives’ would therefore depend on the Government‘s political will, its financial allocations and socio-economic challenges, again seen today in the current climate. It is suggested that present day or future participants in any initiative on behalf of the ‘under fives’ may gain inspiration from this research or similar regional studies

Montane lakes (lagoons) of the New England Tablelands Bioregion

The vegetation of montane lagoons of the New England Tablelands Bioregion, New South Wales is examined using flexible UPGMA analysis of frequency scores on all vascular plant taxa, charophytes and one liverworts. Seven communities are described: 1. Hydrocotyle tripartita – Isotoma fluviatilis – Ranunculus inundatus – Lilaeopsis polyantha herbfield; 2. Eleocharis sphacelata – Potamogeton tricarinatus sedgeland; 3. Eleocharis sphacelata – Utricularia australis – Isolepis fluitans, herbfield; 4. Utricularia australis – Nitella sonderi herbfield; 5. Eleocharis sphacelata – Utricularia australis – Ricciocarpus natans sedgeland; 6. Carex gaudichaudiana – Holcus lanatus – Stellaria angustifolia sedgeland; 7. Cyperus sphaeroides – Eleocharis gracilis – Schoenus apogon – Carex gaudichaudiana sedgeland. 58 lagoons were located and identified, only 28% of which are considered to be intact and in good condition. Two threatened species (Aldovandra vesiculosa and Arthaxon hispidus) and three RoTAP-listed taxa were encountered during the survey

The Use of Surface Electromagnetic Waves to Measure Materials Properties

An Elementary Introduction to Surface Electromagnetic Waves (SEW) is Presented. the Emphasis is on Those Features of SEW Which Make Them Useful for Measuring Optical Properties of Thin Layers on Metals. the So-Called Two-Prism Technique for Making Such Measurements is Discussed, Some Preliminary Experimental Results Are Given, and Some Possible Applications Are Presented. © 1975

Small Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) for On-Orbit Satellite Servicing and Resupply

The field of on-orbit servicing of space systems has been studied extensively, and techniques for performing satellite resupply and repair functions have been developed in detail. They are covered extensively in the literature. Based on this background, Microcosm has performed design studies, partly under NASA/MSFC contract, of a small-size, 300 kg-class multi-function Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that can provide servicing and resupply functions for the International Space Station (ISS). It carries the required payload from a launch vehicle upper stage to the Station, and after berthing it supports servicing activities of the ISS crew members. The vehicle has a payload-carrying capability of 350 kg. The current design includes grappling fixtures specifically designed for ISS berthing which can be eliminated for servicing other satellites. The very strict safety requirements involving ISS access were taken into account in the servicing vehicle design. Repeated ISS servicing sorties to be performed by the OTV are of particular interest, to meet tight revisiting schedules. Extended reuse of the same OTV, once in orbit, allows substantial launch and operational cost savings. Propellant requirements for the servicing sorties are very modest, allowing an extended on-orbit life of this vehicle, with at least 3, but more likely 6 to 8 ISS revisits. The OTV discussed here can be utilized for low-cost servicing of other spacecraft as well. The paper discusses the vehicle’s maneuver sequences and propellant requirements, and describes its design features and its interactions with the ISS. The OTV’s total recurring cost is estimated at less than $35 Million. It would nominally be carried by a light-lift launcher, such as Microcosm’s planned Sprite vehicle, at a projected cost of the order of$2.5 Million

ILR Impact Brief - Knowledge, Skills, and Performance: Getting the Most From Team Training

Teams are an integral feature of the American workplace; indeed, more than 80% of the Fortune 500 companies make extensive use of work teams. Action teams, pulled together to carry out a particular time-limited function that requires the specialized expertise of its members, are becoming increasingly common. Researchers have noted that the success of these teams is often thwarted by their lack of information about teamwork in general and their insufficient mastery of basic team competencies. Most organizations train team members for the particular job at hand, so the question arises as to the utility of generic team training. In other words, would imparting knowledge and skills that could be applied in, and adapted to, any number of situations improve outcomes, and if so, what is the mechanism that facilitates this result

The Impact of Task- and Team-Generic Teamwork Skills Training on Team Effectiveness

This study examined the effects of training team members in three task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills: planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. We first examined the degree to which task- and team-generic teamwork skills training impacted team performance on a task unrelated to the content of the training program.We then examined whether the effects of task- and team-generic teamwork skills training on team performance were due to the transfer of skills directly related to planning and task coordination, collaborative problem solving, and communication. Results from 65 four-person project teams indicated that task- and team-generic teamwork skills training led to significantly higher levels of team performance. Results also indicated that the effects of task- and teamgeneric teamwork skills training on team performance were mediated by planning and task coordination and collaborative problem solving behavior. Although communication was positively affected by the task- and team-generic teamwork skills training, it did not mediate the relationship between task- and team-generic teamwork skills training and team performance.Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, as well as possible limitations and directions for future research

Quantifying Compliance Costs for Small Businesses in New Zealand

This paper reports on a small-scale study of the compliance costs of small New Zealand businesses. Participating firms were asked to keep a record of both time spent and expenditure directly incurred over a thirteen-week period. This differs from previous studies that rely on a firm's recall of how much time has been spent on compliance over the previous year. The results suggest that New Zealand small businesses on average spend less time and money on compliance than has been indicated in previous studies. However a number offirms do perceive compliance to be a major issue and in some cases this perception prevents firms from expanding

Exploratory analysis of the determinants of audit engagement resource allocations

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dl_proceedings/1051/thumbnail.jp

Surface Electromagnetic Waves on Layered Systems with Damping

The Dispersion Curves, Propagation Distances, and Poynting Vectors of Surface Electromagnetic Waves Propagating on a System of Cu-Cu2O-Air with Variable Film Thickness Have Been Calculated using the Full Dispersion Realation Including Damping. Double-Dip Structure in the Propagation Distance for Intermediately Thick overlayers, the Shifting of One Dip Below ΣTO, and the Presence of the Other Dip at ΣLO Are Explained in Terms of Features of the Dispersion Curve. the Complete Poynting-Vector Calculations Show that Predictions of Field Bunching at ΣLO Are Probably in Error. © 1975 the American Physical Society

Surface Electromagnetic Waves with Damping. I. Isotropic Media

Surface-Electromagnetic-Wave Dispersion Curves Are Usually Calculated using a Simple Equation Derived from Maxwell\u27s Equations and Boundary Conditions. When Complex Dielectric Functions Are Used for the Two Media, the Component of the Propagation Vector Along the Surface, Kx, Becomes Infinite as the Frequency Approaches the Surface Polariton Frequency Ωs If Ω is Considered Complex and Kx is Real. on the Other Hand, If Kx is Considered Complex and Ω Real, the Dispersion Curves Bend Back Toward Smaller Kx as Ω Approaches Ωs. We Have Previously Demonstrated that Both Types of Behavior Can Be Obtained from Attenuated-Total-Reflection Measurements of Silver. We Now Extend This Result to Other Materials and Show that Dispersion Curves Alone Present an Inadequate Summary of the Data. © 1976 the American Physical Society