Evaluation of the Assessment Criteria of English Language at Higher Secondary Level in Pakistan

The present research aimed to explore the weaknesses of the assessment criteria in relevance to the performance of the student in the subject English of grade XI-XII. The research was conducted to analyze the theoretical framework of assessment and practical pattern, practiced in public Examinations. The data have been collected from the handbook of National Curriculum document, 2006, up-to-date papers of the English subject (2007-2010), experts, teachers and students of respective classes. The mixed method approach was used for the interpretation of data. The major issues regarding the nature of assessment and its relevance with curriculum objectives has been studied. Comparison about the content, teaching methods, evaluation and objectives at intermediate level in the opinions of experts, teachers and student was analyzed. A descriptive and qualitative analysis was used. The findings of the study exposed that there is need to improve the quality of assessment to fulfill the desired learning outcomes. Assessment system suffers from multiple deficiencies like rote learning and assessing lower level skills. Methods of assessment have not been shifted from theory to performance in Pakistan. Key Words: Assessment, criteria, desired learning outcomes, Examination, English Language

STUDY OF SERUM IRON,TIBC & SERUM FERRITIN LEVELS IN RURAL WOMEN SUFFERING FROM IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

ABSTRACT- Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder in the world.It affects particularly women of reproductive age and constitutes a major health issue in many developing countries. The aim of the present study is to investigate the levels of Haemoglobin, serum iron, TIBC, serum ferritin in women of reproductive age group suffering from iron deficiency anaemia. There is significant difference in serum iron values among cases & controls with mean serum iron value of 18.6326 ± 6.05080 in cases & 69.0408±23.5248 in controls. There is significant difference in Hb values among cases & controls, with mean Hb value of 11.6184±0.9064,among controls & 6.544±1.5992 in cases. There is significant difference in TIBC values among cases & controls, with mean TIBC value of 447.245+31.3166 among cases & 340.7347 + 30.4451 in controls.There is significant difference in serum ferritin values among cases & controls, with mean serum ferritin value of 13.6747±38.2765 among cases & 61.4241 ± 56.4806 among controls.The normal physiologic iron losses among menstruating women make it inevitable for many women to develop anaemia if they do not receive supplemental iron. In developing countries, anaemia is often aggravated by repeated &and closely spaced pregnancies as well as by intestinal parasites. Well documented consequences of anaemia include diminished learning ability, reduced work capacity increase morbidity from infections and greater risk of death associated with pregnancy &child birth.Serum ferritin is the index of total body iron stores, whose levels predicts the events of iron deficiency anaemia & other infections.Serum ferritin level is decreased in iron deficiency anaemia where as it remains in normal range in some infections & sometimes it may be highly increased in the cases of chronic inflammatory disorders, infections, neoplastic disease & in chronic renal failure, there is a disproportionate increase in serum ferritin levels in relation to iron stores. TIBC is increased in(>420µg/dl) in iron deficiency but these values may fluctuate in a number of common clinical conditions and hence are less reliable indicators of iron store

Aging across worlds: examining intergenerational relationships among older adults in two cities in transition

The successful aging model marked by an emphasis on the self has dominated the gerontological tradition in a majority of the western industrialized countries. However, this narrative of active, socially engaged and consumer centric aging is not a contextually homogenized process as experienced by older adults elsewhere, where a “meaningful decline” defines older adults’ renegotiation with familial relationships, expectations, religion and death. Borrowing social-psychological and gerontological perspectives the current study examined the co-existence of these two contrary models-disengagement and successful aging- in two cities that are in transition Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India) and Saskatoon (Saskatchewan, Canada). Drawing from in-depth interviews this study examined intergenerational relationships and expectations around filial ties, emotional bonds, network ties, cultural ideologies and their contribution in forging the aging identity in these two contexts among older Indians in Ahmedabad and those in the transnational setting. Findings suggest that despite the Asian traditional values and expectations surrounding caregiving and support from adult children older Indians in Saskatoon have reconfigured their expectations and are re-negotiating between the two cultural worlds by embracing the successful aging model. In contrast, a structured dependency in terms of economic support and psychological needs is preserved, legitimized and nurtured in the older adult-adult children relationship in Ahmedabad where older parents contribute to household and grandparenting duties while expecting caregiving, support and respect in exchange. By adopting a comparative perspective, the study demonstrates how everyday life of older adults is constructed, lived and produced and role of cultural forces shaping the experience of growing old.by Jagriti Gangopadhya