Inclusive Education Facilities in Secondary Schools of Pakistan: A Gender Based Comparison

Man is the most civilized and enlightened creation of Allah. Man and women formulate the basic unit of civilization. A comparison about provision of rights and facilities in every field of life has been going on since their creation. Nowadays inclusive education has proved a successful educational system for persons with disabilities. In this study, researchers have tried to explore difference between inclusive education facilities in male and female secondary schools of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. In order to attain this goal the survey technique was used to collect the data from 196 male and female secondary school teachers working in rural and urban secondary schools conveniently selected from five districts viz Okara, Sahiwal, Lahore, Pakpattan and Kasur by a self developed and validated questionnaire i.e. Research Questionnaire about the Condition of Available Inclusive Education Facilities and Opportunities in Secondary Schools of Punjab. For cross validation of data, interview schedule was used to collect data from 17 secondary school students with disabilities. Both the descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the collected data. This study describes that there is no significant difference in inclusive education facilities between male and female secondary schools. Moreover special students denied provision of inclusive education facilities as claimed by the teachers. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations were made

Depression among Students with Congenital and Adventitious Vision Loss

The key purpose of this study was to investigate the depression in students with congenital and adventitious vision loss. The purposive sampling technique was used to select sample. A sample of 81 students with visual impairment (51 with congenital and 30 with adventitious) was selected from different educational institutions of Punjab, Pakistan. An Instrument was developed and validated through expert opinion and piloting on 30 students. The value of Cronbach Alpha was found .88. Data was analyzed by using independent t test and ANOVA on SPSS. Independent sample t-test was used to see the significant difference in depression of students with congenital and adventitious vision loss. Results of t-test showed high significant difference (t= -2.285*) of depression between students with congenital and adventitious vision loss. Adventitiously Visually Impaired students (mean, 65.70) were more depressive than congenitally visually impaired (mean, 58.37). Results also showed no significant difference (-.856) between male and female students with vision loss. But females had high mean of depression (63.31) than males (60.25), it showed females were more depressive than males. To know about the difference of depression among age groups, ANOVA was applied. It showed there is no significant difference (F, .113) of depression among three age groups. As result revealed adventitiously visually impaired are more depressive because of their late onset so they should be needed psychological counseling to cope their depression

Displacement: Placemaking for the Uprooted

Increasing migration to cities in developed countries is an inevitable part of present day’s globalizing society. For those migrating, the process is often a byproduct of war or absence of opportunities in migrants’ native homelands. It is a privilege, a manner of freedom, and a chance at a higher quality of life. As waves of migrants enter foreign countries, various problems arise, exacerbated by rising impressions of detachment from the loss of everything native. Migrants also experience feelings of displacement both physical and psychological. This thesis analyzes how architecture can mediate the process of assimilation into a new geography by creating a sense of place. The argument will assert that idiosyncrasies within the population are catalysts for an enlightened culture. This thesis does not intend to solve the problem of migration, but rather open a conversation about belonging, memory, and hybridity as it applies to the migrant and the built environment. Currently, there is a lack of architectural precedent successfully accommodating migrating populations. To fill this gap, this thesis will propose both a dwelling and a gallery to raise awareness, memorialize the remaining fragments of homelands and construe immigrants’ feelings of deracination to evoke a sense of empathy. The proposal will be situated in Washington D.C. so that it may serve as a model for creating similar forums in this age of mass migration

Financial Autonomy for Unemployed and Disadvantaged Adolescents with Disabilities through Punjab Vocational Training Institutions

The central focus of this quantitative exploration was to know the awareness level of poor and disadvantaged students with disabilities (hearing impaired, visually impaired, physically handicapped and mild mentally challenged) about demand driven skill training provided by Punjab Vocational Training Institutions. A sample of 105 students with disabilities (male and female) enrolled in elementary and secondary level special education schools and centres located in Lahore division were selected through simple random sampling technique. A self developed and validated questionnaire (Cronbach Alpha 0.92) on five point Likert scale was used to elicit their responses. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. ANOVA was employed to find difference in awareness level among the students of four disabilities, t-test was used to find difference on the basis of gender, type of schools (public & private), and locale (urban & rural). No significant mean difference was found on the basis of gender. There was a significant difference on the basis of type of schools and disabilities. Recommendations were made to Government of the Punjab, Punjab Special Education Department, and private sector to increase employability through the enrolment of students with disabilities in Punjab Vocational Training Institutions

Violence Inflicted on Students with Disabilities in Special Education Institutions at Public Sector: A Remedial Inquiry

The central theme of this investigation was to explore types of violence being inflicted on students with disabilities (deaf, blind, mentally retarded and physically handicapped) enrolled at primary grade level in private and public sector Special Education Institutions in Punjab-Pakistan. A sample of randomly selected 5 districts (Lahore, Gujranwala, Okara, Pakpatan, Rawalpindi) out of 36 districts of Punjab was taken. A conveniently available sample of 68 special education teachers (male: 22, female: 46) including 20 Senior Special Education Teachers (SSET) and 48 Junior Special Education Teachers (JSET) was taken to collect data on a self-developed and validated questionnaire with statistically significant reliability index (Cronbach Alpha: 0.85) containing 30 statements on violence on five point Likert type scale (from strongly disagree to strongly agree). The data were collected personally and with the help of research assistants. Data were analyzed on SPSS version 21. Descriptive analysis was run to find frequency distribution of responses, percentages and mean score. Independent sample t-test was employed to find difference in responses of special education teachers on the basis of gender. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was run to find difference in the opinions of special education teachers on the basis of their age, qualifications, and teaching experience. There was statistically substantial variation in the responses of special education teachers based on their qualifications. There was not statistically significant difference among the responses of special education teachers on the basis of their gender, age and teaching experience. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations to Punjab Special Education Department were made

Prevention and control of HPV infection and HPV-related cancers in Colombia- a meeting report.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Prevention and Control Board is an independent multidisciplinary board of international experts that disseminates relevant information on HPV to a broad array of stakeholders and provides guidance on strategic, technical and policy issues in the implementation of HPV control programs. In response to drastic drop of vaccine coverage following the adverse event crisis in Carmen del Bolivar, Colombia, the HPV Prevention and Control Board in collaboration with the Colombian National Cancer Institute and Colombian League Against Cancer convened a meeting in Bogota, Columbia (November 2018). The goal of the meeting was to bring together national and international group of experts to report the disease burden, epidemiology and surveillance of HPV and HPV-related cancers, to discuss the successes and especially the challenges of HPV vaccination and screening in Colombia, as well as the lessons learnt from neighbouring countries. The meeting provided a platform to confer various stakeholder's perspectives, including the role of the Colombian healthcare system and to catalyse various parts of the public health community in Colombia into effective action. The conclusion of the meeting included following suggestions to strengthen HPV prevention and control: 1) Re-introducing school-based vaccine programs, 2) Integrating primary and secondary prevention programs, 3) Developing an innovative crisis communication plan targeting healthcare workers, teachers and general population, 4) Building trust through efficient and timely communication, 5) Building strong relationship with media to ensure a stable vaccination campaign support, and 6) Promoting empathy among healthcare professionals towards patients to build trust and communicate effectively

Improving HPV vaccine uptake in children, adolescents,and young adults - An umbrella review of interventions

HPV causes about 5% of all cancers worldwide. The most common of these cancers is cervical but the virus is also implicated in cancers of the vagina, vulva, anus, penis, head and neck. A significant proportion of the cancers caused by HPV in Europe are in men. The World Health Organization now has a global strategy for the elimination of cervical cancer. Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, published by the European Commission in 2021, contains a ‘flagship’ commitment to HPV vaccination. Both strategies share the goal of a 90% vaccination uptake for girls and the Beating Cancer Plan also wants to see an increasing number of boys vaccinated through gender-neutral programmes in every member state. But vaccination rates in Europe, and elsewhere, currently vary widely. Data for the European region shows that only two countries achieved a 90% uptake of girls receiving all their vaccine doses. While several managed over 70% uptake, other countries had coverage rates of below 50% and at least two currently vaccinate fewer than 10% of girls. An important part of the explanation for sub-optimal vaccination rates is low vaccine confidence among parents and carers as well as young people themselves. This can be caused by insufficient information, a lack of trust in health authorities and vaccine manufacturers, and concerns about vaccine safety. But we know that vaccine confidence can be improved, and vaccine uptake increased if the right policies and programmes are put in place. That is why the European Cancer Organisation’s HPV Action Network commissioned this important review of published evidence. Our expert research team took a detailed look at the existing evidence base, by means of an umbrella review (essentially a systematic review of systematic reviews) and identified a range of interventions that have been shown to make a difference in terms of intention to be vaccinated, and uptake rates for HPV vaccination. Compared to many other cancer prevention strategies – such as tobacco control, reducing alcohol consumption, increasing physical activity or tackling obesity – HPV vaccination is easy-todeliver, has an immediate positive health impact and is highly efficacious. In fact, it is probably the single most effective means of cancer prevention in the medical arsenal. We will therefore share these findings widely and encourage HPV vaccination programmes in Europe and beyond to make the best possible use of this evidence. If we can achieve a 90% vaccination rate across Europe, we know we will succeed in eliminating HPV cancers as a public health problem in the region

Human papillomavirus vaccination in adults: impact, opportunities and challenges - a meeting report.

For more than a decade human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine have been implemented in most high-income countries, and more recently also in several low- and middle-income countries. The vaccines are safe and their impact and effectiveness in preventing HPV vaccine type infection and associated diseases has been thoroughly established. Currently, the primary recommended cohorts for immunisation are adolescents, 9-15 years of age but HPV is an ubiquitous infection that is mainly (but not exclusively) sexually transmitted. Sexually active adults remain susceptible to infection and continued transmission of the virus, representing a reservoir of infection in the population. A recent meeting, conducted by the HPV Prevention and Control Board (HPV-PCB), reviewed the current status of HPV vaccination of adults, discussed limitations, challenges and benefits of HPV vaccination of adults, evaluated the effectiveness of HPV vaccination after treatment of post cervical cancer and precancerous lesions, and discussed the potential impact of adult vaccination on cervical cancer elimination strategies in light of the current and future HPV vaccine shortage. HPV-PCB is an independent multidisciplinary board of international experts that disseminates relevant information on HPV to a broad array of stakeholders and provides guidance on strategic, technical and policy issues in the implementation of HPV prevention and control programs. The HPV-PCB concluded that, given the current data available on adult HPV vaccination and the ongoing vaccine supply constraints, it is too early to implement routine vaccination of adults. Many research gaps need to be filled before we have a better understanding of the efficacy and broader public health impact of HPV vaccination in adult women

Effect of Harassment on the Educational Success of Elementary School Students in District Sialkot, Punjab

Purpose: The major objective of the study was to find the effect of harassment on the educational success of elementary school students in both public and private schools in Punjab. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was quantitative in nature. The study's population included all the students enrolled in Punjab's public and private elementary schools. The sample of the study was 195 students from four primary schools (two public and two private) in the district of Sialkot, Punjab, who were selected randomly. The data was gathered using a self-developed questionnaire with a reliability index of 0.89 (Cronbach's Alpha) that contained 27 items on a three-point Likert type scale (No, To some extent, Yes) based on statements evoking students’ thoughts on harassment. A panel of three professionals in the fields of Gender Studies and Special Education verified the questionnaire. Findings: Major findings revealed that harassment has a negative impact on students' educational success in the private sector in general and in the public sector in particular. Implications/Originality/Value: Government and school administration can take bulling prevention initiatives with a focus on raising awareness of the problem and enforcing sanctions.                                                &nbsp

Review of Single National Curriculum with Perspective of the Education of Children with Visual Impairment at Primary Level in Punjab Pakistan

Purpose: The Single National Curriculum (SNC) is one of the basic items of manifesto of ruling party in Pakistan.  The academic capability of Children with Visual Impairment (CWVI) is usually considered as that of non-disabled students due to their good cognitive skills. Directorate of Special Education Punjab adopted the same curriculum for CWVI. This study is an effort to identify the standards, benchmarks and SLOs which are difficult to accomplish for CWVI. It was a qualitative study by method and curriculum review/document analysis technique was applied to study the SNC. The complete curriculum of seven key learning areas at early childhood level and following six subjects of English, Urdu, Mathematics, General Knowledge, Islamiat and General Science were studied at primary level. The data was retrieved from the website of National Curriculum Council, Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Islamabad, Government of Pakistan. Collected information was coded, major themes were derived and interpreted. Results revealed that a large number of standards, benchmarks and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) were easy to accomplish for CWVI as non-disabled children but many standards, benchmarks and SLOs were not easy to accomplish for CWVI due to their visual limitations and lack of  sufficient need based support. The study recommended that proper adaptations, modifications and accommodations should be made for CWVI especially to attain the geometry, science and geography related standards, benchmarks and SLOs including adaptations proposed by Directorate of Special Education Punjab. Pictorial representations and visual tasks should be substituted with some other learning tasks for CWVI. &nbsp