Benefits Of Mangroves Forests Environmental Sciences Essay

Benefits Of Mangroves Forests Environmental Sciences Essay The general distribution of mangrove forests are in both tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world with them only being found at latitudes of 25oN and 25oS of the equator and in as high latitudes as 32 oC which is in 117 countries (Barbier Cox 2003) where the sea surface temperature does not get lower then 16oC because they cannot withstand freezing temperatures. According to literature, it is estimated that 75% of the worlds mangrove forests are found in 15 countries (Giri, et al 2011). The proportions of mangrove forests found throughout the world are as follows (Giri et al 2011): Asia: 42% Africa: 21% North/Central America: 15% Oceana: 12% South America: 11% Mangrove forests inhabit tidal areas which include estuaries which receive a somewhat indirect tidal influence and marine shorelines which receive direct tidal influences. The forest is flushed by seawater which is brought in by high tide that inundates the forest floor for an extended period each day and at low tides the water recedes. Due to evapouration, the soil salinity becomes concentrated and raises to high levels (NOAA 2010). Benefits of mangrove forests According to Ronnback (1999) some of the products that can be had from mangrove forests are as follows: Fuel which includes firewood, charcoal and alcohol Construction material such as timber for scaffolds and heavy construction, Beams, poles, flooring, panelling, etc. Fishing: poles for fish traps, fish attracting shelters, fishing floats, fish poison and tannins for net and line preservation Food and beverages: fish, Crustaceans, Molluscs and Other fauna. Vegetables from propagules, fruit and leaves, Tea substitutes,Alcohol,Vinegar and Fermented drinks Household items: Furniture,Glue,Wax,Household utensils, Incense and Matchsticks Textiles and leather: Fur, skins, Synthetic fibres (e.g. rayon),Dye for cloth and Tannins for leather preservation Other products very useful products that can be harvested from mangrove forests are: Fish, shellfish and mangrove roots for aquarium trade Medicines from bark, leaves, fruits and seeds Fodder for cattle, goats and camels Fertilisers Lime Paper Raw material for handicraft Cigarette wrappers Ecosystems services obtain from the mangrove resource are as follows (Ronnback 1999): Acts as a natural sea defence Provides biophysical support for coastal ecosystems Provides biological regulation of ecosystem processes and functions Production of oxygen It functions as a carbon sink so it will have an impact on local and global climate It sustains the livelihood of global communities Heritage, cultural, spiritual and religious values Educational and scientific information Recreation and tourism Statement of the Problem In the years gone by mangrove forests were being increasingly destroyed by persons that are seeking a livelihood or just see the mangroves as a cheap and readily available fuel source. This leads to each one of these so called users to try to exploit this resource to their maximum benefit and cannot be prevented from doing so (free rider problem) because this resource is what we call common property which further contributes to the destruction and degradation of mangroves since there is no defined ownership or responsibilities towards the resource. In recent years many countries especially developing countries have begun to increase their economic activity in pursuit of development from which the pollution negatively affect the mangroves either directly or indirectly. Causes of mangrove degradation and destruction Negative Externalities Firstly, we know that a negative externality occurs when an individual, a group or firm makes a decision that only makes consideration for direct costs of production and not the costs of pollution caused by the consumption of the good and services produced i.e. they make a decision to produce certain goods and services which negatively affect third parties and the environment in the form of pollution whether it be air, water, etc. This pollution in some cases are unregulated which causes market inefficiency because the cost of pollution cause by the consumption of goods and services will not be reflected in the market price proposed (Helbling 2012). In the case of mangroves, there are a number of activities produce negative externalities that affect this ecosystem and cause extensive degradation and destruction. Some of the main ones are as follows (Kathiresan 2012): Agricultural expansion and encroachment e.g. vast expansion of aquaculture farms that produce shrimp in countries such as Honduras, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, et cetera. This is also a result of increase population growth and the demand for food which requires more land to keep up with this demand so in essence its land scarcity that causes the encroachment into the mangrove forests and the land to be converted. Urbanization e.g. in Haiti mangrove mudflats are being cleared to build homes Cutting for timber, fuel and charcoal e.g. in Haiti vast areas of mangrove forests are decertified by poor farmers desperately trying to making a living from charcoal making Prevention of freshwater flow and tidal flow e.g. in Guyana when the Berbice River Bridge was first constructed, it cut off some of the tidal flow of water to a section of the mangrove forest through which it passes which caused part of the forest to start dying off Pollution e.g. in Guyana haphazardly disposed plastic bottles used in the beverage industry end up in the drains and make the way out into the sea and are washed back up on shore and are trapped in the mangrove forests where they accumulate to very large amounts and cause extensive pollution This negative externality problem can also be as a result of unallocated property rights (Schenk 2002). Even Though the mangrove resource common property status would be changed through regulation, the fact remain that the air above the mangroves and the water surrounding them (both surface and ground) are still considered as common property so anyone that are involved in economic activities cannot be told not to pollute the air over the mangrove or not to pollute the surface and ground water resources beneath the mangroves because in actuality no owns them; hence the surrounding resources will collapse as described in the Tragedy of the Commons (Hardin 1968). When the air and water (surface and ground) are polluted they will cause a great amount of degradation and destruction to the mangrove forests which will cause them to reduce in area. This has been so extensive in some areas of the world; those areas which once had mangroves are today completely without because of all the unregulated negative externalities cause by economic activities over the years (Baten 2009). Common Property Common property is basically any resource that is considered shared property or have no specific ownership or property rights and this includes a wide range of natural resources along with the goods and services that can be derived from them (Wade 1987). In many countries the mangrove forests are considered as common property in which a lot of individuals use the mangrove forest as a means of making a livelihood by harvesting its various products such as wild meat, timber, fish, shrimp, et cetera. According to Hardin (1968) in an essay titled The Tragedy of the Commons from which he basically emphasized that every individual using the resource (in this case the mangrove forest) will seek to maximize his/her benefits that are being derived from the forest and as result of this the resource will be doomed to overuse which will cause the ecosystem to become depleted and eventually collapse. This problem is evident in many countries worldwide especially in the third world countries where people consider harvesting the timber from mangrove forest is a cheap and affordable source of energy so this leads to widespread degradation and destruction (Scherr and Yadav 1996). For example in Guyana, mangrove timber was used as a source of fuel in cremation and other religious ceremonies. This was also practiced among the Hindustani community in Suriname. Solutions Negative Externalities The problem of negative externalities can be solved by the parties that are involved and one of the most common ways of doing this is through a political process that is called a tacit agreement. In this system, governments are elected that represent the citizens and to come to compromises in certain interests (Hussain 2011). In the case of the mangroves, what happens is that governments pass laws and regulations to address the negative externalities that affect the mangrove forests e.g. in countries such as Guyana, Fiji, et cetera there has been implementation of mangrove management plans that set standards, targets and processing requirements as it relates to mangroves so that destruction and degradation will be reduced. This is what is known as Command and Control Regulations which also includes environmental taxing reforms (Pigouvian taxes) where each unit of pollution is taxed (Hussain 2011) e.g. environmental tax on plastic bottles used in the beverage industry of Guyana tradable pollution permits or the creation of markets for ecological services similar to those that are used in Europe. Another strategy that can be used is through bargaining in which stakeholders can come together and come to common grounds to bring about and efficient outcome without government intervention which would put stricter sanctions on the use of the mangrove resource and this is known as the Coase Theorem (1960). This was put into practice in Jamaica to reduce the rate of deforestation of the mangrove forests as well as other forest types on lands that are privately owned. Common Property According to Hardin (1968) and others suggested the most likely solution to The Tragedy of the Commons is to impose some form of regulation on the small scale livelihood activities that utilize this natural resource since it would be in the best interest to society for this to be done. This regulation is also needed because if this ecosystem collapses, there will be a great cost that will be bourne by all of society since the many ecosystem services such as coastal protection, erosion protection, et cetera will be lost. In Guyana, the common properties status of mangrove was somewhat eliminated by designation the responsibilities of the mangrove resource to the Guyana Work Services Group (WSG) which have responsibility for sea defences and this include the mangrove resource (Guyana Mangrove Action Project 2011). Regarding the legislation that was needed to make this solution more efficient, a legislative review indicated that mangrove protection to more will be more efficient when loopholes are closed. Fortunately the legislative framework for immediate protection already existed and as it was within the power of the Minister of Agriculture to declare any tree a protected species and this was done (Guyana Mangrove Action Project 2011). On January 29, 2010 the Minister of Agriculture amended to Regulation 17 of the Principal Regulations by the substitution of the following (Guyana Mangrove Action Project 2011): Protected Trees 17. (1) No bullet-wood tree or red, black or white mangrove trees shall be felled without first obtaining the permission in writing of an authorized forest officer not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Forests (GoG 2009) so this effectively listed the mangrove as a special category under the GFCs code of practice. Rangers called mangrove wardens were also trained and hired then stationed in a newly established mangrove management units which has the responsibility to regulate any activities taking place within the mangrove forests. Since the implementation of this plan, there has been a positive response in the acreage of the mangroves forest. There has actually been an increase in the area of mangrove forests on Guyanas coast and this has been possible through revegetation and afforestation programmes (Guyana Mangrove Action Project 2011). There has even been natural mangrove regeneration in areas where there hasnt been any growth in many decades because of the unregulated usage that was previously allowed. Discussion In the solution that was used to curb the negative externalities that affected the mangrove resource what was done is that by implementing the environmental tax on goods and services, the cost of the damage that was done to the resource was internalised into the market prices of the goods and service that were produced by the industries which were negatively affecting the resource directly or indirectly. Hence the cost of the damages done to the mangroves was no longer an external cost and this eliminated this inefficiency that was present beforehand (Pigou 1920). Although Pigouvian taxes are an efficient ways of handling the negative externalities that would affect the mangrove resource because basically the more the tax is raised, the more incentive there will be to reduce the level of negative externalities (Mankiw 1998). However, Carlton and Loury (1980) argued that a pure Pigouvian tax instrument will fail to address this problem over the long run so it must be combined with other instruments such as technology and performance standards. With the solution taken toward the common property problem, the strategy simply just reduced the level of access to the mangrove forest which was done using governmental policies that now restricts the way in which the resource is used i.e. a command and control regulation. This system by itself is inefficient hence so they would have to be combined with an incentive or market based solution in the form of fines for breaching the newly set policies hence individuals and firms will have an incentive to follow the policies in order to avoid having to pay the fines (U.S Environmental Protection Agency 2010). Conclusion In the past because of the open-access or common property nature of the mangrove resource we saw that most of the market benefits where only gained by a few select individuals or firms while the non-consumptive benefits (erosion protection, oxygen production, carbon sequestration, et cetera) which could benefit all of society was only short lived. Now that that resource is regulated we can see that it will stay intact for longer periods of time and we can see society benefiting more from it because the non-consumptive benefits (marginal benefits) would be increased and the marginal cost of the resource to society would be decreased.

Computer networks assignment

Cable Maximum data rate speed cat 5 Single Mode Fiber cable gasps Recommendations Connector Reasons Category e, reasons for purchasing cat depute cable. Cat e cable is the most popular of all http cables, Has a superior bandwidth as compared with cat cable. RAJA 45 connector since it is the standard connector used to connect to a device and also for wall-plate connections. Multi-mode fiber-optic cable Straight tip connector (SC). Commonly used as a backbone, fast, intensity susceptible to eavesdropping.Straight tip connector is commonly used in Ethernet networks that use fiber-optic backbones, more so it is popular for use with multi-mode fiber-optic cable. Network Topology for the office Office 1 Task 2 The same design applies to the other offices. Methods for secure intranet 1. Use intranet based VPN 2. Use of Authentication. Advantages of intranet based VPN They enable secure broadband connections (through cable modems, DSL, etc. ). They can create significant communication saving s in particular when lots of remote users dial-in from outside the local calling area.Secure the connection between the client and ‘SP. Provide unauthorized users from tapping into the intranet. Extended connectivity and lower cost. Altered. Disadvantages of intranet based VPN Are not scalable and are more complex that NAS initiated VPN. The need to manage software on the client machines. NAS-initiated Access VPN connections are restricted to pops that can support VPN. Do not encrypt the connection, between the client and the ISP, but rely on the security of the EST..Advantages of using authentication User id and password is the least expensive authentication method to use. User ids and passwords can be changed anytime at the user's choice, furthermore most users know how to change them. No need to install extra software in the case of using ids and passwords. Token authentication can be used for login and transaction authentication purposes effectively. Biometric authenticati on is difficult to compromise. Disadvantages of Using Authentication d and password authentication is Weak and susceptible to numerous attacks.Token authentication involves additional costs, such as the cost of the token and any replacement fees. Token authentication requires some amount of user training. Security depends on the users' ability to maintain the user ID and password secret. Biometric authentication usually involves cost for support and maintenance. Protocols Intranet VPN protocols Pipes or IP Security is used to secure Internet communications. It's normally used as a security overlay for the other protocols. It's considered the â€Å"standard† VPN protocol, specially for site-to-site VPN.PPTP-Point to point tunneling protocol, a data link protocol that establishes a connection between two networking nodes, it creates the virtual connection across the internet, and provides connection authentication, transmission encryption and compression. LOTT, Layer Two Tunnel ing Protocol, it does not provide encryption and it relies on PPTP protocol to do this. Authentication One way authentication protocol. Mutual way authentication protocol-protocol that enables both the point of origin and the point of termination of a communication link to verify or authenticate each other.Amended-Schroeder Protocol Media required for connecting the offices Internet medium: It acts as a connection medium Router: I. E router to router VPN is used to connect separate offices in various locations. Software-network management software. Internet-To act as medium for connection purposes. Software to enable the devices to communicate and be able to send and receive information. Sips Hardware requirements to connect the Four Offices 2. Switch. 3. Firewall How access can be provided to the company intranets via extranet.Staff access their computers in whatever the location they are, they then provide their ids or swords to the company's website upon which they are verified t o be the genuine staff, after being authenticated through the extranet VPN, they are finally allowed to access the offices, if a user tries to forcefully access the intranet the firewall in between detects and shuts of the intruder. Intranet and extranet Diagrams Task 3 Security issues related to Intranets and extranets Unauthorized Access – An unauthorized person gains access to a company's computer system and access sensitive information.Misuse of user privileges – An employee or supplier authorized to use the system for one purpose misuses it for another purpose other than for what it is should be. Users or telecommuters accessing the corporate intranet from their home can or sometimes expose sensitive data as it is being sent over the wire. Security breaches- at certain times the intranet will experience unusual traffic like spam, pushing, Edward and mallard. Networks attacks- there can be a network attack in form of forceful intrusion into the intranet or extranet .Lack of encryptions – at sometimes confidential information is shown to unauthorized personnel because of the lack of using encryption. Usability problems- omen users will use the intranet improperly through not knowing how to search, retrieve, send and receive information. Weak passwords – some users use weak passwords, they write them down, never change them and in the end forget their content – users are vulnerable to dangerous content like Trojan, worms and viruses that attach on emails.Violations of security policies – some users make an attempt to penetrate the network forcefully and illegally without clearance and permission. Protection From viruses Trojan and other threats 1) Adoption of intrusion detection prevention system in the network to offer retention against network attacks. 2) Deployment of effective email filters and firewalls to block against suspicious traffic from entering the network. 3) Authentication through use of passwords, smar t cards and biometric scanners to overcome unauthorized access in the network. ) Use of intranet monitoring soft wares by companies so as to check and monitor what their employees are doing on the intranet or on their own PC. 5) Strict adherence to the security policies put in place by the company any violations of the security policies should be met with strict consequences. 6) Users on the intranet must remember to always update and maintain their security software on every PC and server on the network to ensure protection. 7) Formal training should be given to new employees who don't know how to use the intranet so that they will know how to perform searches, send and retrieval of information. ) Network administrators should encourage users to use strong or hard to guess passwords as well as not to show their passwords to any other party. 9) Use of SSL Digital certificates to help secure the intranet from lack of encryption. 10) Setting up firewall rules to only allow messages th at come from within the internal server. Recommendations to counter any threats to the network. Use of anti-virus toolkits so as to safeguard the computers on the network, the anti virus toolkits should be updated regularly and used to scan both PC and servers on the networks.Security policy – should be put in place so as to protect the company's resources and information. Physical countermeasures: such as CATV cameras, gratitude's, data backup and recovery systems should be embraced so that the company will be able to monitor and protect its equipments and information safe. Authorization – Access rights and privileges should be given to certain users in the many. Authentication-users and systems must be authenticated; authentication can be through passwords, digital certificates and other methods.Conclusion The network project was a success though it seemed hard; I find that I have acquired some certain skills that I didn't have during the beginning of this module. Am grateful at least that I have managed to do my best in this module. The project was about creating a network that would be used to connect the four offices which currently house about seven computers. Weaknesses One of my weaknesses as displayed in my project is that I did not manage to show a actuarial representation of the various cables, servers and other equipments which would have otherwise enabled me to illustrate my project in a clear and visible manner.In task 1 1 was required to come up with and identify the type of media I will propose for the company, I chose a wired media category e cable as the best option to go for, the cat e cable altogether needs a connector hence I chose the RAJA-45 connector which is the standard that can be used by the cat e cable. I provided the cost of cabling and installing such a cable in a network, the assumption made was that the many did not have any networks and so I included them in the cost and installation section.As for the data speed I gave the maximum speed that can be achieved by a category e cable which is Mbps. L provided recommendations for the category e cable to purchased together with raja-45 connector . In task 2 after researching on the methods that can provide a secure intranet I finally ended up choosing three methods and these are Intranet based VPN, Authentication and Digital signatures, I named a few protocols which are applied in the above methods such as layer two tunneling protocol for the intranet VPN.The media required to connect the offices such as Internet form the service of the hardware that can be used to connect the offices are Routers, switches and firewalls. In task 3 1 gave a listing of the security issues that are prominent with such a network some of them include, network attacks and lack of encryptions such issues can cause a company a great loss as much time will be spent trying to solve the problems which at times are difficult to solve.To protect the workstations in the networ k from attacks from viruses, Trojan and worms I gave the following suggestions, that the company et up strict security policy that the staff should adhere to so as to ensure the resources and information in the company are in safe condition, adoption of intrusion detection and prevention systems in the network to secure the network form any forceful entry into the network.Using methods such as updated antimatter toolkit, the staff can be able to operate under a conducive environment which is free from any malicious software attacks, second thing is that authorization rights and privileges should be given to certain staff or members in the company, so s to prevent information from being accessed by unauthorized user who possess a threat to the company.

Importance Of Looked After Children And Education - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4097 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Economics Essay Type Descriptive essay Tags: Children Essay Did you like this example? This dissertation has used a historical timeline of Governmental changes to policies and laws as a background to describe the evolving importance of looked after children and education. This framework was chosen because of the amount of changes to policy and law and to clarify in more detail how they connected to corresponding law and policy. Prior to the mid 1980s very little research was conducted surrounding looked after children and education (Jackson and Martin, 2002). Essen, Lambert and Head (1976) found that looked after children performed poorly in comparison with the rest of the population DATA. Over the last twenty years, various Governments have focused on the importance for looked after children and their education, and a need to ensure its priority within assessment, schools and the wider environment. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Importance Of Looked After Children And Education" essay for you Create order The aim of this literature review is to discover why the majority of looked after children still do not access tertiary education, even though their deficit in this area has been well known for many years. The dissertation will focus on specific areas for example: Looked after children and education Looked after children and access to tertiary education The role of the social worker with respect to looked after children and their progression through education International comparison Does the nature/ or experience of placement for looked after children have an effect on their likeliness to progress to tertiary education? Finally what social work can do to actively promote education for looked after children. The 1989 Children Act guidance required Local Authorities to provide educational opportunities for looked after children and support, and that this must be included in their care plan (Goddard, 2000). In 1994 the Department of Health and Department of Education additionally stressed the importance of co-operation between schools, social services and Local Authorities. Yet, in 1995 these measures to promote education for looked after children were found to have made little difference (Social services Inspectorate and the Office for Standards in Education, 1995). In response the Government set specific targets for Local Authorities with respect to education alongside a requirement to publish guidance on the education as per that from the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Health, 2000. This ensured all local authorities were working towards the same goal and by the same guidelines. As well as introducing new guidelines for teachers, designated to support looked after children and each looked after child was given a personal education plan (PEP). Another part of the target was to ensure that no placement was given before an educational placement could be secured. The amended Children Act 2004 implemented new duties promoting the educational achievement of looked after children. The schools however are only expected to take a proactive approach to the education of looked after children and coordinating with different departments there is only an expectation. If the school believes it does not have the resources to sup port one looked after child then it will not be rebuked because of it. There have been a number of introductions of legislative policies and guidance for example Improving the educational achievement of looked after children (Department for children, schools and families, 2009) this introduced new key elements involving the education of looked after children introducing a virtual school head whom keeps track of every looked after child to ensure all have appropriate provisions. Care matters: time for a change (2007) was introduced to improve the outcomes of looked after children. This policy addresses the corporate parenting, health, education and social work practice and commission of looked after children services to improve placement choice and stability. Similarly The Children leaving care Act (2000) was introduced to enhance provision for care leavers, For example, giving Local Authorities a duty to ensure they continue to meet the looked after childs needs until 21 years old, and allocate an advisor who would take responsibility for co-ordinating support. This dissertation will consider the reasons why there are still a comparatively small number and proportion of looked after children with good educational outcomes. Generally and more specifically why an even smaller comparative proportion of looked after children enter tertiary education. The dissertation will also consider what social workers can do to promote an education agenda for looked after children. Previous research has shown that looked after children have low educational attainment (Jackson, Ajayi and Quigley, 2005 and Jackson et al, 2002). 6% of looked after children go on to access tertiary education. Several authoritative sources indicate a continuing lack of formal qualifications among children in care, with subsequent prospects for entering higher education less likely. Research has shown (Berridge, 2006) a wide range of reasons why looked after children do not access tertiary education. These reasons vary from child experiences of abuse, the type of placement the child has, attachment problems and poor services given to children who are looked after. McLeod (2008) found that children in local authority care need a positive and sustained relationship with their social worker to promote their well being and emphasise the importance of education and other aspects of the looked after childs life that may have been previously ignored. As such, a social workers role to work w ith a child holistically to ensure all their needs are met, has profound implications for education. The evidence presented here suggests that the education of children looked after by Local Authorities continues to be problematic. This review will also question if becoming a looked after child is inevitably negative in terms of the childs chances to access tertiary education is this was the case then comparatively looked after children in other countries should have the same outcomes. Currently the Governments priority is to narrow the gap between the educational achievements of looked after children and that of their peers. In 2008 14% of looked after children achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE compared to 65.3% of all other children (Department for Children, Schools and Families (2009). New initiatives include public service agreements for example Public Service Agreement 11 aims to narrow the educational achievement gap between children from low income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. This agreement involves aiming for the looked after children to reach 3 national targets. Including to aim for 20% of looked after children get gain 5 GSCEs A*-C, for 55% of looked after children to reach level 4 of key stage 2 in mathematics and 60% to reach key stage 2 in English. Local authorities must now support looked after children enrol in higher education and continue with it by granting bursaries if they desire to continue their education. Universally the evidence presented above suggests that there is a general agreement amongst informed writers that looked after children continue to have poorer educational outcomes than their peers. There are numerous reasons postulated for this deficit, looked after children face problems that their peers do not. Firstly, many have faced great upheaval and consequently some may have behavioural problems compared to the general population affecting the relationship with other children, teachers and therefore affecting their work and relationships within school. Weyts (2004) highlights that looked after children are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"expected to perform lower than their peers so may not be given the same encouragement as others. The major problem facing looked after children with respect to education however would appear to be upheaval caused by change of placements (OSullivan and Westerman, 2007), which may present difficulties in getting used to different schools, friends and teachers all effecting their education and outcomes. Yet with positive placement , and encouraging carers then there is evidence that children may attain good educational outcomes (Jackson, 1998). It may also be the case that the model of welfare adopted at national level, will also impact upon individual outcomes for looked after children, as is evident from some international comparisons (Petrie, Boddy, Cameron, Wigfall and Simon, 2006)). This dissertation will connect the information from the research gathered to answer the research question. Using a best evidence approach to synthesise the data to ensure all aspects of the research question can be answered effectively. Methodology As referred to in my research proposal, this dissertation will adopt a systematic review approach (pg.4 of research proposal). This type of review will provide a synthesis of research on this topic. A systematic review identifies all available literature on a specific topic whilst describing a clear method. Bryman (2008) defines a systematic review as one which summarises concisely all the best evidence that address the research question. An inclusion and exclusion criterion is set to ensure only the best research is used in the review. The research papers will then be critiqued and a best evidence approach method for critiquing the papers will be used. Conclusions will be drawn by combining observations from the review with existing theories and models. A best evidence approach selects literature which has most relevance to the research question. The literature that gives the best answer to the research question and has a good evidence base are the papers more likely to be most effe ctive in answering the research question. This literature review was derived from searches of the following databases via the Leicester University Library website: Sage journals online Intergentaconnect Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA) Oxford University Press E-Journals Social Care online Wiley online library Searches were carried out on each database using the following search terms: Looked after children or children in care Educational outcomes or educational attainment or educational achievement The search will be restricted to cover between 1980 and 2010. This limit was chosen as most research is between this era and to have a wider inclusion limit would impact on the scope of the dissertation. The results will be filtered manually using the following criteria: The relativity to the subject of looked after children and accessing tertiary education Theoretical or empirical research Harvard referencing will also be adopted The looked after children population in the United Kingdom The term looked after was introduced in the Children Act, 1989. Looked after children are those under the age of 18 who are subject to a care order it also includes children who are accommodated voluntarily for over 24 hours. Currently there are approximately 60,900 children who are looked after by local authorities in England (Department for children, schools and families, DCSF (2009). Of this population 57% was male and 43% female. The percentage of looked after children increased when comparing the age of the looked after child. The greater the age group of looked after children the higher the percentage. There was a significant increase from ages 5 to 9 to that of the age group of 10 to 15 increasing from 17% to 41%. From the age group 10 to 15 and 16 over the percentage of looked after children decreases to 21% (See appendix 1) (DCSF, 2009). Statistics from DSCF (2009) show that that main category of need of the looked after child is because of abuse or neglect at 61%, which hasnt changed greatly over the past five years. Other reasons for being in care are; the child having a disability, parental illness, the family is in distress, dysfunction in the family, socially unacceptable behaviour, low income and absent parenting. In 2009 most children in care were of white British origin (74%). 36,200 children were looked after on a care order in 2009. This is a decrease of 2% from the previous years number of 36,900 and a decrease of 10% from 2005 (DCSF, 2009). When children are subject to a care order parental responsibilities are vested in the local authority through the social services department. A care order is a court order made under section 31 of the 1989 Children Act which places a child compulsorily in the care of a designated local authority. The court can only make this order if they are satisfied that a child is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. The local authority assumes parental responsibility as well as the parents for the child. Other reasons why children may be looked after are if there is no responsible adult available to look after the child and if the child is being adopted but is not yet legally adopted by the new permanent family. According to the 1989 Children Act, all local authorities have a statutory duty to promote education and to promote looked after childrens educational achievement. They should consider all the decisions regarding placement they make on behalf of the looked after child to ensure their education is not impinged upon. The local authority must ensure those children looked after are offered everything that children who arent looked after receive, so they perform the role as parent as close as possible. Of those in care , 73% were children looked after in foster placements, 10% in secure units, childrens homes hostels, 7% with parents, 4% placed for adoption, and 5% in other care (this included residential schools and other residential settings) (DCSF, 2009). Considering the types of placements the looked after child has the education of the carers needs to be considered. All individuals involved with placements and giving care to looked after children need to be given a level of education so they are able to fulfil the childs needs and ensure that educational outcomes are to be achieved. Looked after children belong to the children in need group within the UK. When children and families require help their assessment of need becomes the first mechanism. The state should then be involved in supporting the families fulfil their responsibilities as parents. If the state decides that the childs developmental needs are not being met then they should intervene. If the child has experienced significant harm is there is a likelihood of experiencing significant harm then the child should be removed from the family to assess the situation. The Children Act (2004) states that the childs development is the basis of defining need. The main dimensions involve social, physical, intellectual, behavioural and educational. This had then been developed within the looking after children dimensions and includes health, identity, family and social relationships, education, emotional and behavioural development, social presentation and self care skills (DOH, 1995). To understand the definition of what need is involves understanding the standards that should be met. Bradshaw (1972) suggested that there are four dimensions to need these include normative needs which most professionals define for populations, felt needs which include what people say they need, expressed needs including what people want by actions and comparative needs which are those needs established when comparing to another group. This understanding of needs is needed to give the best responses as social workers and other professionals to meet the needs. The underp inning theories which contribute to understanding the needs of a child include Maslows (1968) Hierarchy of Need which includes physiological, social, security, egotistical, and psychological dimensions. Bowlbys (1988) attachment theory also underpins the understanding of need. Attachment theory has become an important part of working with children and practice, it gives understanding of development and the impact that loss or trauma can affect children. Understanding each of these dimensions of a childs life helps in practice when assessing the childs needs and how to respond. Looked after children and education There have been a number of initiatives (SEU, 2003) introduced in the UK which highlight a continuing problem with regard to low educational outcomes for looked after children and young people in comparison to the general population. Basic problems, such as a high rate of exclusion for looked after children have been identified, and are now well known, but have proved difficult to eradicate and continue to cause persistent problems for the looked after children. These include the impact of often regular changes of placement, the possibility that the expectations of teachers or social workers may be lower for looked after children than would be typical for most parents aspirations for their own children. Many children taken into care have a history of family crisis and have experiences of trauma whether through direct abuse or more general dysfunction within the family. The impact of this often affects the looked after childs ability to learn or progress through school without extra support (REF). When children enter the care system it is almost never the plan for them to remain looked after for a protracted period. Social workers are only too aware of the potential negative consequences of time in care (REF) and indeed the majority of children who come into care return to family care swiftly. For some children however, usually those with the most complex problems and intractable family situations, being looked after can become long term. The impact of being looked after however will affect the childs educational attainment no matter what age they are. The latest figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, published in 2009 show that while 66% of looked after children in year 11 from years 2007 to 2008 passed at least one GCSE OR GNVQ 99% of other children achieved this level. In 2007 to 2008 14% of looked after children passed at least 5 GCSEs or GNVQs at grades of A* to C compared to 65% of other children. Primary school results are also low. Key Stage tests at age 7, 11 and 14 (SEU, 2003] for example found that at Key Stage one 57% of looked-after seven year-olds achieved at least level 2 in reading in 2008, compared to 84% of all children. At Key Stage level two 46% of 11 year-old children looked after achieved level 4 in English, compared with 81% of all children. In Key Stage three maths, 33% of looked-after young people achieved level 5, compared to 77% of all children (DCSF, 2009). Looked after children in the United Kingdom may consequently be argued to be a vulnerable group who as a result of the inequality of the education system often face exclusion from society in a more general sense, often extending long after their period of time looked after has come to a conclusion, and throughout their adult lives. Hugh (2009) argues that looked after children tend to be from less affluent families, suggesting correlation between poverty and poor educational outcomes. Hugh (op cit) extends this argument to suggest that social exclusion will affect many areas of looked after childs life, one major concern if having poor educational experience. The SEU (1998) found that those children who miss large amounts of schooling are more likely to be exploited. Harker, Ober, Lawrence, Berridge and Sinclair (2003) further suggested that looked after children are over represented within the group of excluded children, and that many have behavioural and special educational needs likely to affect their progress through education. Research by Daniels, Cole, Sellman, Sutton, Visser and Bedward (2003) found that permanent exclusion from school usually followed a history of behavioural problems. This study found that four out of five of the excluded young people had received two or more fixed term exclusions prior to them being permanently excluded. Research by the SEU (1998) found that children in care were ten times more likely to be excluded from school than other children but also that this discrepancy was widening. Quality Projects Research (2003) found that the majority of excluded children failed to subsequently complete their schooling or receive any educational achievements. The SEU (2003) paper Better Education for Children in Care highlighted five big issues affecting the achievement of looked after children. These included Instability, (frequent changes in placement often also require a change of school). Too many children in care are loosing large amounts of time out of school because of exclusions or as a result of having no secure school place. Comparatively poor home environments for looked after children are also identified as a factor that will affect educational attainment, similarly differences in encouragement and support at home by the carer affects the childs outcomes and these inconsistencies need to be addressed with, the final issue identified as the emotional, physical and mental health of the child in care. As a result it is important for the school, social worker and carer to understand that additional support may be needed for children in care, especially if they are bullied or have experienced numerous changes of relationships and f riendship networks, indicative of a high potential for disrupted attachments (SEU, 2003). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"Education projects was launched in 2003 by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, its aim was to improve educational outcomes for looked after children. Focusing on multi-agency working, Education projects recommended the introduction of local authority training for designated teachers within schools. It also provided funding to be used to develop new educational strategies across local authorities. The Department for Education and Skills then published à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"The Role of the School in Supporting the Education of Children in Public Care (2003) similarly recommending specific initiatives with looked after children involving Personal Education Plans, Attendance and truancy and Transition planning and admission to name but a few. The SEU (2003) highlighted the five problematic areas regarding the educational outcomes of looked after children which have prevented change, or slowed it down (Cocker and Allain, 2008). These five areas included Capacity referring to the vacancy rates within the childrens social care workforce, suggesting limited insight into the specific educational needs of looked after children. Management and leadership with regard to staff at senior levels lack of time and consequent commitment they can offer in this area leading to feelings of powerlessness to affect real change. Limited resources, including for example inconsistencies between areas in the UK and which resources are available to looked after children, affecting the support available to looked after children. Similarly the attitudes of the social workers and professionals who work with looked after children were also deemed to contribute to low expectations of the educational outcomes of looked after children. The final problem highlighted was systems and structure within local authorities impacting on inter agency communication and affecting the work between the agencies, therefore affecting their practice wit h looked after children (SEU, 2003) (Cocker and Allain, 2003). The Every Child Matters (2004) green paper included five outcomes vital for all children, including good health, an opportunity to stay safe, achieve economic well being, enjoy and achieve and make positive contributions towards society. Most recently the white paper Care Matters, time for a change (Department for education and skills, 2007) proposes that looked after children should be given the highest priority in school admissions. The paper for example requires Local Authorities to ensure looked after childrens placements were not changed within year 10 and 11 of school, to prevent the disruption of their education. The paper highlighted again the importance of a designated teacher to work with looked after children to become statutory, whilst also introducing the virtual head teacher within each authority. Their responsibility is to track the progress of the children in the local authority who are attending school and those moved into a different local authority. A designated teacher has responsibility for the looked after children within a school. They are expected to advocate on behalf of the children and young people in care and they should ensure that each has a personal education plan (Department for Educat ion and Skills, 2005). The paper implemented more support for looked after children regarding absences and exclusion. The paper also proposed the providing of a grant of  £500 annually to be used for support for example one to one tutoring. Jackson and Martin (2002) draw attention to problems that looked after children face when trying to find a suitable source of education, whether this is because they need to move due of placement changes or because of previous exclusions from other schools. Most schools need to keep a high level within the league tables in order to ensure funding is continued. With this is mind many are reluctant to take on looked after children. Many schools stated that they did not understand what these children faced and that they did not have the resources to support them (Jackson et al, 2002). Berridge (2006) has identified the gaps of data when accessing statistics. The social processes behind forming the statistics may not straightforward. Interpreting the terms within statistics may cause further problems. Berridge, also highlights pressures from outside groups to get indicators of why looked after children have low educational outcomes. The statistics gathered regarding looked after children have limitations. Firstly 27% of the looked after population who had been in care for over 12 months have a special educational needs statement, compared to 2.7% of the overall population (DCSF, 2009) clearly affecting the performance of a large group of looked after children. Secondly the educational outcomes of looked after children who have been in care more than 12 months are published, there is also the overall results of looked after children. These children may only be in care for a short period because of family problems. Berridge (2006) argues that if we are to use these statistics there needs to be a time period given for social workers and other professionals to be responsible for the looked after child to turn their situation around. Social services cannot be responsible for giving the looked after child a start in life if they have only entered care as an adolescent and have existing educational difficulties.

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