Assesment 3 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Assesment 3 - Coursework Example Hence the informal sector is often excluded. The question can’t be answered unambiguously. Whenever the some goods or services are produced that implies the generation of income and wealth in one hand and on the other hand the producer has to pay the factors. So the cost-benefit analysis will finally let us know whether the wealth is depleted or not. Money is the most accepted medium of exchange. This is the primary and unique function of money. Money, as a medium of exchange, has facilitated the transactions greatly. At the absence of money there would be direct barter of goods and services. There are many difficulties. For example a transaction requires a double coincidence of wants. To find out such situation it requires time and transaction cost. But if there is a common medium of exchange any body would convert his good or service into the medium and later on purchase his required commodity by that. Moreover there are some goods which are indivisible into small units. That difficulty can be recovered by converting into money which is divisible. Money customarily serves as a measure of value or unit of account to express the values of good or services. It is used as a measuring scale. In such a way the absolute prices of each goods are measured. Once the absolute price of each commodity is obtained the relative price of one commodity in terms of other can be easily measured. Otherwise in the absence of money, in a n commodity space we have to remember n!/2!*(n-2)! Number of relative prices. So the usage of money eases the calculation of absolute and relative prices. Due to the capacity of money to act as a medium of exchange and measure of value, money is commonly used as a standard of deferred payment. This applies to payments of interest, rent, salaries, pensions etc. In terms of money these payments are settled. Large fluctuations in the value of money (due to inflation or deflation) weaken the base of

Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay

Marketing Plan For Cadbury Marketing Essay Cadbury is the icon of the British confectionary industry, with a heritage which dates back to 1824. Since then, Cadbury has expanded its business throughout the world, through both organic and acquisition led growth. Today Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company, operating in over 60 countries. Cadbury has an outstanding portfolio of Chocolate, Gum and Candy brands. In 2008, Cadbury enjoyed a 10.5% market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue of GBP5.4 billion. The company employs about 50,000 people and work with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers globally. Cadbury manufactures markets and sells unique brands which give pleasure to millions of people around the world every day. Cadburys Vision is to be the biggest and best confectionary company in the world. One of Cadburys Strategic goals for 2009 to 2011 is to increase market share of the global confectionery market, with revenue growths of 4% to 6% annually. Cadbury believes that the confectionery business still has significant unused potential. By exploiting the strengths of its innovative products/brands, it believes it can continue to grow its market share and returns, and achieve its Vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision The Vision into action (VIA) plan embodies all aspects of our strategy. Our governing objective is to deliver superior shareowner returns by realizing our vision to be the worlds biggest and best confectionery company. Cadburys Philosophy Cadburys philosophy of Vision into Action (VIA), a strategic plan for 2008 to 2011 is an example of how business strategy is translated to a Marketing plan to deliver positive impact to its revenue and margin performance. Cadburys growth ambition is based on the following:- Strengths of its brands and market position Increased investment in Innovation, Marketing Sales Greater exposure to faster growing categories (e.g. gum) and markets (e.g. emerging markets) 1.2 Product, Market Operational Characteristics Cadbury is a leading global confectionery company with an outstanding portfolio of chocolate, gum and candy brands. Cadbury created few famous brands like Cadbury, Trident and Halls. Flakes Green Blacks Halls Hollywood Stimorol Eclairs Cadbury featured brands are: Cadbury featured brand: Bubbaloo Cadbury Crà ¨me Egg Cadbury Dairy Milk Clorets Dentyne Born in 1824 when John Cadbury opened a shop in Birmingham selling cocoa and chocolate. Since then Cadbury have expanded their business throughout the world by a program of organic and acquisition led growth. On 7 May 2008, the separation of the confectionery and Americas Beverages businesses was completed creating Cadbury plc with a vision to be the worlds BIGGEST and BEST confectionery company. Cadbury operates in over 60 countries and worked with around 35,000 direct and indirect suppliers. Cadbury have employ around 50,000 employees all over the world. Cadbury plc  is managed by the Cadbury plc Board of Directors which delegates day-to-day management to the Chief Executives Committee (CEC). Cadbury business is segmented to four main regions and they are:- America Britain, Ireland, Middle East and Africa Europe Asia Pacific Cadburys Values Cadbury team is performance driven, values led. Throughout changing times, our constant values have inspired us to be pioneers in business and in corporate responsibility. They help ensure we are proud of our company and are critical to our core purpose of creating brands people love. Cadburys values are: Performance, Quality, Respect, Integrity and Responsibility to social, economic and the environment Our Business Principles  are our code of conduct and also take account of global and local cultural and legal standards. They confirm our commitment to the highest standards of ethics and business conduct. 02. Task One 2.1 Marketing Planning Principals Analysis of the Market Being in the confectionery business and dealing with consumers, Cadbury has always been a market and consumer focused organization. It consistently conducts market studies to determine the positioning of its brands, in current, new and future markets. This forms the foundation of the Marketing Plan. Setting the Marketing Objectives In order to deliver growth, Cadbury conducts many marketing programs for its brands every year. Each marketing program is accompanied with a Marketing Plan. Each marketing plan has clearly defined objectives for the project team to deliver. Establishing the Strategies Tactics Based on the market analysis and set objectives, each Marketing Plan will contain strategies and tactics which will be necessary in delivering the desired outcome. Developing an Action Plan This is one of Cadburys key philosophies, making things happen. Therefore, every Marketing Plan in Cadbury has specific actions to be implemented by a person responsible, and within set time targets. Monitoring of Progress In Cadbury, every Marketing Plan is monitored monthly by the Senior Management Team of the respective SBU, to track the progress of the plan, as well as to make any necessary improvements or changes. Resource Financial Management Once a marketing program has been approved by the Senior Management Team of Cadbury, the necessary resources will be provided in order to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. As in the case of providing the necessary resources, Cadbury also provides an appropriate financial budget for the project to deliver the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. Measuring Success Cadbury continuously measures the success of each of its marketing projects, and compares the results achieved vs. the objectives set in the Marketing Plan. 2.2 Marketing Audit / Situational Analysis 2.2.1 Market Environment Conducts a complete external marketing audit which includes both the macro and micro environment of the confectionary industry and how these may have an impact on Cadburys Chocolate, Gum and Candy businesses. From this audit, the company will be able to identify the key issues impacting each business, and how the business can develop an effective plan with tactics and strategies to tackle these issues and ultimately achieve the Marketing Objectives. 2.2.1.2 Macro Environment Macro factors are factors that we totally have no or extremely little control off. It is not just looking at a segment of the industry, but the effects these factors have on the whole industry. An example of an audit tool is the PESTEL analysis, which identifies the opportunities and threats of the external environment, which then helps the Company to develop appropriate plans. Political Being in a confectionary industry, political factors have little impact on Cadburys business as chocolates, gums and candies are well established consumer products, and available everywhere. There are no political factors which restricts consumers from purchasing these products. However, in Singapore, the Government has banned the sale of gum, as it is seen as a nuisance to the environment. Therefore, in the UK, Cadburys businesses have no impact politically. Economic The state of the economy has an impact to most businesses. The credit crunch and slow down of economic growth, as we are currently experiencing, does effect consumer buying power, and hence Cadburys businesses. However, the reduction in interest rates does help consumers, as it creates consumer spending, and hence Cadburys businesses may have minimal impact. Social In terms of social factors, there are many consumer groups which voices their own opinions and sometimes this have a major impact on regulations and legislations. Consumer businesses are highly impacted by social factors. As an example, Cadburys chocolate business may be impacted by health reasons, such as sugar and obesity, which will influence the sugar and ingredient content of its product, and ultimately the formulation and taste. The introduction of sugar free gums and dark chocolates are good examples of how the gum and chocolate industry has evolved over the past 2 decades. Technological The increase use of internet has impacted businesses worldwide. Consumers are more aware of product offerings, have greater access to information and knowledge about products and can make more educated choices of products. The internet has also brought consumers closer to companies such as Cadbury, who now have faster feedback from consumers about their products. All of this has both positive and negative impact to Cadburys businesses. Advancement in manufacturing technology has also influenced the confectionery industry in terms of cost of production, shapes, sizes, packaging etc. All of these do affect Cadburys businesses in many ways. Environmental As the world experiences greater environmental challenges, such as global warming, environmental legislations do impact Cadburys manufacturing, product and packaging. As a responsible company, Cadbury practices a zero discharge to the environment, which increases the companys manufacturing costs. It also uses bio-degradable packaging material, which is a requirement in the EU. Legal The confectionery industry is a highly regulated industry. In each country, as in the UK, it is governed by legislations and monitored by the Food and Drug authorities. Influences from Environmental and Social groups, may introduce changes in legislations, which in turn impacts the confectionery business. As an example, the use of artificial colors, additives deemed to increase hyperactivity in children, has forced Cadbury and other confectionery companies to find alternatives, at higher costs. The increasing manufacturing standards for food products have also impacted Cadburys businesses. Tighter standards means higher costs to manufacturers. Whilst this is good for society, it has a negative impact to Cadburys businesses. 2.2.1.2 Micro Environment Analysis of the micro environment is equally important. These are the issues relating specifically within the organization and it is crucial that we clearly understand this in order to plan and develop the marketing plan. There are 6 factors and we use a simple tool SPICC Supplier The Supplier is important to any business, as they can either support or destroy value. In the case of Cadbury, due to its economy of scale, and long standing partnerships with suppliers, it is able to obtain good support from its suppliers. This provides Cadbury with the necessary competitive advantage it requires. Public In general the consumer and public at large tend to support a well established and responsible company such as Cadbury. However, there will always be minority groups who voice their concerns about products and companies, and these have to be handled with sensitivity. Intermediaries The retailers and stores tend to have less power to negotiate when it is dealing with a company as big and well known as Cadbury. Every store wants to have the Cadbury brands on their shelves and would tend to agree with terms offered by Cadbury due to the pull of consumers this brand brings to their shop. Customers Customers do play a big part on the success of a company or its brands. As there are many choices in the market, the customer determines the value of a brand. 2.2.2 Industry Analysis Porters Five Forces is very useful in this analysis; Treat of Substitutes Bargaining power of Buyer Rivalry Bargaining power of Supplier Threat of new Entrants Each of Porter Five Forces model contributes to the competitive environment in an industry: Threat of new Entrants With the confectionery industry showing good growth potential, new players may enter the market to get a small market share of a very large industry. However, due to high entry barriers, such as establishing a renowned Brand, as well as high manufacturing standards, the threat of new entrants remains low for the confectionery industry. Threat of Substitutes With new entrants in the market, a group of existing or new competitor may introduce new products/brands, for the chocolate sector, claiming the same consumer satisfaction, but at lower costs, e.g. Ice-creams, puddings which claim to be cheaper and healthier. The threat of substitutes is moderately high for the chocolate sector. Bargaining power of Suppliers As a long established player in the confectionery industry, Cadbury has the economics of scale to bargain for low cost raw materials. It works with the best suppliers in the world in order to ensure consistent quality and low cost materials. Therefore, the bargaining power of Cadburys suppliers is relatively low. Bargaining Power of Buyers In todays world consumers have many choices, due to the intense rivalry in the confectionery industry. However, Cadbury has a number of established brands which command a relatively stronger pull, hence the bargaining power of buyers (eg wholesalers and supermarkets, B2B) is low but the bargaining power of the consumer is moderately high. (B2C) Rivalry among Existing firms The confectionery industry is a crowded, with many players. Some are well established players, such as Nestle and Mars, who have equally strong brands as Cadburys. Some have carved out sectors, e.g. in-house brands of Tesco, Marks Spenser and Sainsbury. There are also many small players who have good positions in small sectors of the industry. Hence the rivalry among existing players is moderately high. However, Cadburys well established brands do provide some level of edge in the industry. 2.2.3 SWOT Analysis There are factors within a company which affect the internal environment and these should be addressed. Being a global leader in the chocolate business, the product, Brand and Corporate image, service, value of the product and quality is inseparable. Therefore an audit of the internal environment is also important. The SWOT analysis is a useful method in determining the key issues of a company, and will the company to develop a plan to mitigate threats and focus on opportunities. SWOT analysis of Cadbury Strengths Well established company since 1824 Global brands and innovative products One of the top 4 leading confectionery companies in the world Only focuses on confectionary products. Products available in almost all distribution Channels. Financially strong, with continued revenue And profit growth annually. Weaknesses Too many products and brands Highly dependent on confectionery market High cost base when compared to some Smaller confectionery companies. Relatively small presence in emerging Markets. Opportunities Entry into new markets (e.g. India China) with its established Brands. Ability to introduce new product extensions in existing markets using its established Brands Acquisitions of other confectionery companies. Threats New legislations and regulations which may increase costs Social impact from consumer groups on health related issues New entrants into the confectionery industry Products could be easily copied by competitors (carbon copy) 2.2.4 Value Chain Analysis Support Activities Firm Infrastructure Formation: Includes general management, planning management, finance, legal, accounting, quality management, public affairs, etc . Human Resource Management Personal activities: All activities that links with recruiting, development (training, education), retention and compensation of employees, manager, etc . Technology Development R D, etc : Include the technology development to support the value chain activities, i.e., Process automation, Research Development, design and redesign, etc. Procurement Purchasing inputs: The role of purchasing inputs i.e., procurement of raw materials, machines, spare parts, servicing, buildings, etc . Primary Activities Inbound Logistics Receiving inputs : Activities that associates with receiving, storing, transportation scheduling, inventory control Operations Building the product/ providing the service : Includes packaging, assembly, machining, maintenance, testing, activities that transform the final input into final product Outbound Logistics Distributing the product to buyers : Activities that involved the finished product to get to the customers; warehouse, orders, transportation, distribution, etc Marketing Sales Pre-sale support : Activities associated with getting buyers to purchase the product including channel selection, promotion, advertising selling, pricing, retail management, etc Customer Service Post-sale support : the activities that maintain enhance the products value, including customer support, repair services, installation, training, spare parts management, upgrading, etc Task 02 3.1 Marketing Objectives As the business still has significant untapped potential both in terms of top line growth and returns. By exploiting the strength of our leadership positions to continue to grow their market share and significantly increase the margins and returns, cadbury aim to achieve their vision of becoming the biggest and best confectionery company in the world. Vision into Action (VIA) plan for 2008 to 2011 aligns the energies and efforts of the teams around the world behind a number of priorities which will make the most impact on our revenue and margin performance. In order to generate superior returns for our shareowners, our VIA will deliver six financial targets. These are set out in our financial performance scorecard below: Organic revenue growth of 4% 6% every year Total confectionery share gain Mid-teens trading margins by 2011 Strong dividend growth An efficient balance sheet Growth in Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) To achieve these financial goals, have a growth and efficiency strategy which aligns behind our focus on fewer, faster, bigger and better. This focus is being applied to all aspects of our business. Corporate objective: Achieve sales of min. GBP25 Mil in 2009 UK Market Achieve sales of GBP80Mil in 20011, UK Market Functional objective: To increase 6% by end 2009 Operational objective: Achieve min of 80% consumer awareness of CCE Twisted within 12 months of launch Marketing Products, price, place promo, people, process, physical evidence Director Or CEO 3.2 Strategy The strategy for any marketing project is the key to the success of the project. It should map out what needs to be done, targeting which consumers, and providing them with what value, through the product offered. 3.2.1 Segmentation of Market Cadbury segments the UK Chocolate market based on Geography, Demographics and Psychographics to identify the target market segments for their Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Geography Cadbury geographically segments the UK chocolate market by:- Urban market (Cities) e.g. London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, etc Suburb markets (Towns) e.g. Barnstable, Abingdon, Stamford Others (Villages) e.g. Sawston The company identifies the size of the chocolate market, per capita consumption, growth trends, as well as analyses each segment in terms of Cadburys market share, Cream Egg lovers and chocolate bar consumption. This will provide Cadbury the necessary information to target the right market for Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted. Demographic Demographic segmentation allows Cadbury to understand the chocolate market by age, gender, income group, etc. This allows Cadbury to identify which groups are the chocolate lovers, which group prefers Cream Eggs, which group prefers bar chocolates, etc. Psychographic Psychographic segmentation is based on consumer lifestyle, attitudes and motives. Cadbury segments the UK chocolate market, based on consumers who prefer branded goods, those who prefer taste, texture or shapes. By doing this, the company is able to identify the target segment which will best suit the Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted product. 3.2.2 Targeting the market After establishing the market segmentation, the next step is to evaluate each segment and choose which possible segments should the company target and offer Cadbury Cream Egg Twisted in order to meet its marketing objectives. Based on the segmentation analysis, Cadbury is targeting the following groups:- All locations around UK, with greater focus on urban markets. Across all channels, especially super and hyper markets, and convenient stores, where the chocolate consumption per capita is high. Children, teenagers and females, who are seen to be lovers of Cadbury Chocolate bar lovers, the group which Cadbury is hoping to switch from traditional bars to the Cadbury 3.2.3 Positioning Cadbury Cadbury is having broader ranges targeting many segments. Youth segment should position as Love and entertainment. Teenagers can attract through adventure aspiration. Childrens mind goes to various tastes and small gifts they are getting. Therefore should do the positioning accordingly. 3.2.4 BCG Matrix The BCG or Boston Consulting Matrix is a tool used to analyze the portfolio of a company. It classifies business units or product ranges into four categories based on a matrix of market growth rate and market share position. The market growth rate determines the attractiveness of the industry and the relative market share shows the competitive position of the business. Below is the BCG Matrix. Details about the 4 categories are as follows:- Cash Cows business units that have large market share in a mature, slow growing industry. Cash cows require little investment and generate cash that can be used to invest in other business units. Stars- business units that have large market shares in a fast growing industries stars may generate cash, but because the market is growing rapidly they require investment to maintain their lead. If successful, a star will become a cash cow when its industry matures. Question Marks business units that have small market shares in high growth markets. These business units require resources to grow market share, but whether they will succeed and become stars is unknown. Dogs business units that have small market shares in mature industries. A dog may not require substantial cash but it ties up capital that could better be deployed elsewhere. Unless a dog has some other strategic purpose it should be liquidated if it has little prospect for it to gain market share. In summary, the BCG matrix provides a framework for allocating resources among business units within a company, and it will be useful for us to review the portfolio of our Chocolate Business. 3.3 Marketing Mix The marketing mix is a combination of critical factors that make up the marketing strategy for a product, which helps the company to successfully achieve the set marketing objectives. 3.3.1 Product Cadbury UK emphasizes on the need for strong brand image, and therefore all the decisions they make with regards to its products are in line with the brand image. The product and packaging are designed to project and communicate the brand image reflecting Cadbury as who they are. The product reflects the innovation, high quality and nutritional value it provides to its customers, whilst the packaging clearly reflects the familiar purple corporate brand color and corporate brand logo, associated with reliability and quality. Cadbury maintains the original Cream features and taste, which is a well loved product. Uses no artificial colorants or banned additives, and meets all EU food standards. Product is in a twisted bar form to attract chocolate bar lovers. Personality of the Brand is fun and novel to target the young trendy and female market segment. Specially lovers Packaging is colorful, to attract the children, teenage and young adult market. 3.3.2 Price Pricing of products is key in reflecting the image of a brand. This is why Cadbury carefully considers the image of the product, the value it offers to the consumer and who is the target consumer, before it determines the price of any of its products. It is obvious that different Cadbury products, targeted at different segments of the market are priced differently. The decision on pricing does have an impact to the brand. For example Cadbury offers its bar chocolates at a premium price compared to Tescos or Sainsbury bar chocolates, for the mass market. Cadbury also sells some of its high end products to reflect a luxury image, and can command good premiums, example Cadbury Milk Tray, Cadbury Roses and Green Blacks. The price of a product is also dependent on customers perception of the brand which Cadbury takes into account before it prices its products. However, with the current economic scenario, Cadbury gives special deals, for example Cadbury Dairy Milk bars 20% more (means big ger size) at the same selling price without reducing the price and affecting the brand image. Cadbury priced to competitive price GBP per gram it is cheaper than the Cream, which allows differentiation. 3.3.3 Placement Cadbury chooses carefully the distribution channels it places its products based on the brand image of the products. For example for its Cadbury Dairy Milk bar range of products, because it is targeted to the mass consumer, this range of products are accessible across all channels, in all super and hypermarkets, chain retail outlets, other convenience stores and even in the mom and pop shops. For the premium products, eg Green Blacks brand, Cadbury carefully places them at high end outlet, such as Selfridges and Airports. Cadbury will be available across all distribution channels in the UK market. Focus will be in Hyper and Supermarkets as well as convenient stores, at prominent locations within the stores. Greater visibility will be provided at urban segments (both cities and towns). 3.3.4 Promotion Depending on the brand image, the target consumer and market, Cadbury carefully chooses its communication strategy to meet the objectives of increasing awareness and ultimately pulling the consumer to purchase its products. Every promotional activity has its own strategy and this can can vary from increasing brand awareness, maintaining the brand value, educate consumers about a new product, increasing seasonal purchases, or campaigns such as choose Cadbury to highlight the positive emotional value of the brand. However, due to the current economic downturn, Cadbury carefully selects its promotional activities; such that it has maximum returns for its promotional spend. With the advent of the electronic media, Cadbury has created a number of websites for its popular brands for consumer/members to be active. These websites have education information, games, good associates such as purple goes green, cocoa partnership and fair-trade. Cadbury has recently agreed to partnership with the 2012 Olympic, which will give its brands, global recognition. Websites are www.cadbury.co.uk, www.cadburycremeegg.co.uk. www.aglassandahalffullproduction.com, etc. Above the line promotion via TV, Radio and print media. Advertising will focus on target groups, e.g. children, teenagers, young adults and females. Below the line activities will be carried out at urban markets at high traffic outlets, such as Hyper and Supermarket concourses. Special standees will be appropriately designed to portray the fun and novel personality of the product, and placed in major outlets. Task 03 4.1 Key Issues faced by Cadbury and Implications to the Marketing Plan Key Issues Implication to the Marketing Plan The economic slowdown and credit crunch Possibility that the market will shrink Competition will be intensive driving prices to be more competitive. Pressure from consumer groups on health related issues Need to have more PR with consumer groups Need to educate consumers on ingredients used in products Higher legislations and standards for industry To support this in order to create higher barriers to entry for new entrants into the industry Too many products and brands To implement a rationalization program to weed out older and low margin brands Consumer awareness to create pull To conduct effective AP programs to bring awareness to consumers. Conduct market research to establish consumer needs and trends Growing in a challenging market Introduce new products in existing markets using established Brands Introduce existing Brands in new markets Understanding the Competition Conduct market research to determine level and position of competitors in the market 4.2 McKenzies 7S Framework The McKenzies 7S framework is a value based management model, which looks at all the key elements which make up an organization, and it enables us to evaluate the effectiveness of our Marketing organization. An effective organization achieves a fit between all these 7 key elements, and should any element change, it affects all other elements and hence the organization as a whole. The McKenzies 7S framework is made up of hard and soft elements. Hard elements are those which are easily identifiable and visible, whilst the Soft elements are those which are less visible and are below the surface. Most organizations tend to focus on the hard elements, and ignore the soft ones, which tends to be an ineffective way of diagnosing and solving an organization issue. The 7S framework is a useful tool used to analyze the current state of an organization. Below is a pictorial view of the McKenzies 7S framework showing the Hard elements (green) and Soft elements (yellow) Hard Elements Strategy plans for the allocation of a firms scarce resources over time to reach identified goals. Structure the way the organizations units relate to each other; centralized, functional divisions (top-down); decentralized (the trend in larger organizations), matrix, network, holding etc. Systems the procedures, processes routines that characteri

Personal Narrative - Christmas Memory Essay -- Personal Narrative Essa

I think Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe because of the special atmosphere that you can feel everywhere, in shops, restaurants , pubs and even streets, where you can hear the magical carols, or maybe it's because of its religious background, but what I can tell you for sure is that I can't think of anything more exciting than the image of the entire family preparing the Christmas Tree or fixing the Christmas dishes. When I think of Christmas the first thing that pops into my mind is the delicious Chocolate Cake that only my grandma knows how to prepare. Perhaps this is the reason why, every year, my family and me try to spend our holiday at our grandma's place. So, every year, we all step into the car and try not to think at the long road that we have in f...

Curriculum Implication

This section firstly examines curriculum as a mediator of dominance and hegemony, exploring ideological issues in the selection and structuring of knowledge and in pedagogic practice. Secondly we focus on the issue of representation of subaltern groups, culture and ideologies. The concept of curriculum is used here to designate the experiences pupils have under the guidance of the school. Most issues in this area are predicated upon the assumption that appropriate school experiences can indeed make a significant difference to learning and lives of SC/ST children. Content of curriculum and internal operations are thus key issues that need to be addressed. Also very important are related areas of pedagogic methods, assessment and evaluation. In India, curriculum and the content of education have been central to the processes of reproduction of caste, class, cultural and patriarchal domination-subordination. In post independence educational policy, modification of content supposedly aimed at indigenization resulted in Brahmanisation as a key defining feature of the curriculum. Brahmanisation has been evident in the emphasis on (1) ‘pure’ language, (2) literature and other â€Å"knowledge† of society, history, polity, religion and culture that is produced by higher castes which reflects Brahmanical world view and experiences and Brahmanical perspectives on Indian society, history and culture, and (3) high caste, cultural and religious symbols, linguistic and social competencies, modes of life and behaviour. Furthermore, the overarching stress has been on eulogizing mental as against manual labour. The heavily gendered nature of school curricular content was evident in that women’s specialised knowledge and skills systems found no place in it or in the general curricular discourse. Rather they were used for devaluation and stereotyping of the female sex in curriculum. Curriculum is thus urban elite male-centric and bereft of the country’s rich cultural diversity. There has been a corresponding devaluation of â€Å"lesser† dialects, cultures, traditions, and folklore of dalits and adivasis as also of peasantry. The second defining feature of the curriculum on the other hand, was its ‘colonial’ character which privileged western modernization. The ideology however was adopted in truncated, superficial ways – the emphasis being on the incorporation of knowledge of Western science and technology, viz. that of the â€Å"hard Western sciences†, the English language and Western styles of life. The pursuance of liberal, democratic socialist values even though enshrined in the Indian constitution was largely notional in the curriculum. Curricular structure and culture of the colonial model has remained unchanged. The defining features of the structure are: full time attendance of age specific groups in teacher supervised classrooms for the study of graded curricula. Full day schools, compulsory attendance, unconducively long time–span of classes and vacations, served as deterrents, being ill suited to educating SC/ST children, especially in the initial years when access was just being opened up and availed. Poor and SC/ST households depended on children for domestic work or other productive work whether or not to supplement household earnings. Today, things have changed substantially and large numbers of parents are prepared to forego children’s labour and send them to school. However school organisation and curricula have not been sensitive as yet to fundamentally different economic situations, life aims and social circumstances of children belonging to poorer strata households or communities in the shaping of the school structure. Culturally, school norms of attendance, discipline, homework, tests and exams, and cognitively ethnocentric demands of concentration on nd memorisation of the content of the text by `rote’, all prove problematic for SC/ST children. Furthermore, the curriculum itself as a tool of cultural dominance and hegemony has an alienating and intimidating impact. Curriculum and the Scheduled Castes: For the Scheduled Castes who have sought education as a mechanism to transform as well as enter â€Å"mainstream† (read dominant) society, the central questions are of representation of their knowledge and culture and the critiquing of dominant knowledge and value systems of their lived reality and of social relationships based on dominance/subordination and exclusion. Dominant forms of inequality and hierarchy are made invisible in the discourse on common nationhood and common and equal citizenship, which the school curriculum propagates. But for the Scheduled Castes the heart of the matter is structural oppression, not cultural difference. Thus understandings of oppressive aspects of our traditional and contemporary structures, the historical construction of groups and communities are made invisible by the curriculum and not subjects of key curricular importance. Krishna Kumar’s studies have focussed attention on how the dominant groups’ ideas about education and the educated get reflected in the curriculum. Following the curriculum, Indian texts uphold symbols of the traditional, male dominated feudal society and its obsolete cultural values and norms. However, that the value content of education is out of tune with the reality of the changing, dynamic India is a matter of choice – a choice consciously or unconsciously made by those selecting textbook material from the available body of literature and by those creating it. Worthwhile knowledge is that which is linked to the values and lifestyles of dominant groups. Ilaiah has vividly described how knowledge and language are rooted in and structured around productive processes of lower castes and around socio-cultural surroundings of their habitat. This knowledge and skill based vocabulary, which is very highly developed, finds no place in the school curriculum. Nor do stories, music and songs, values, skills, knowledge, traditions, cultural and religious practices. Contemporary dalit literature is similarly disregarded. Lives, values and norms of upper caste Hindus which are strange and alienating for the lower castes, continue to be dominantly present. To quote from Ilaiah, â€Å"right from early school Upto College, our Telugu textbooks were packed with these Hindu stories. Kalidasa was as alien to us as the name of Shakespeare. The language of textbooks was not the one that our communities spoke. Even the basic words were different. Textbook Telugu was Brahmin Telugu, whereas we were used to a production-based communicative Telugu. It is not merely a difference of dialect; there is a difference in the very language itself†. The dominance of epistemology and content of the politically powerful intellectual classes makes curricular knowledge ideologically loaded. While Gandhi, Tagore and Krishnamurti – all from the high castes – have received national attention as indigenous educational philosophers, education has not incorporated the anti-caste-patriarchy and anti-hegemonic discourses of Phule, Ambedkar, Periyar or Iyotheedas. Curriculum does not reflect upon the historical significance of caste, gender and tribe, nor of the challenges posed to it by dalit epistemology, knowledge and protest. This should have been done through literature and social science curricula. Phule saw education as a potent weapon in the struggle for revolutionary social transformation. For him, the purpose and content of education were radically different from both Brahmanical and colonial models of education. His ideal was an education that would bring an awareness among lower castes of oppressive social relations and their hegemonic moral and belief systems that pervaded their consciousness†¦. an education that would instill western secular values, encourage critical thought and bring about mental emancipation. It would fulfil practical needs but would be broad based enough to inspire a social and cultural revolution from below. During the course of the long struggle of dalit liberation, Ambedkar developed an ideology that incorporated a critique and reinterpretation of India’s cultural heritage, a rich philosophy drawn from a wide range of social thought and an action programme which lay an equal stress on social and cultural revolution as it did on the economic and political one. Like Phule, he defined the purpose of education in terms of mental awakening and reation of a social and moral conscience. Education was also a means of overcoming inferior status and state of mind, of wresting power from the powerful. Thus, the Ambedkarian agenda for education included: (a) creation of capacities for rational and critical thinking, (b) socialization into a new humanistic culture and ideology, (c) development of capacities and qualities necessary for entry and leadership in modern avenues of work and politics, and (d) inculcation of self-respect and aspirations to respectable lifestyles in which demeaning traditional practices would have no place. Clearly Phule-Ambedkarian ideology went way beyond narrow modernization and technocratic impulses. It gave pre-eminence to ideology and values, Western in origin but critically adapted towards emancipation of India’s downtrodden. Ilaiah, in fact, argues that these values are equally indigenous, constitutive of lived-in realities of dalit bahujans. Dalit and non-Brahman leaders drew on western philosophical traditions to build an ideology and praxis of revolutionary transformation of the Hindu social order. It aimed at establishing a socialist social order underpinned by a new morality, based on values of liberty, equality, fraternity and rationality. School curriculum in India failed to reflect these expressions of new moral order. It does not need any great study to show that the national or state school curricula or teacher education curricula were never guided by these radical visions. The Scheduled Castes and their issues and problems have remained peripheral to the curriculum and their representation if at all has been weak and distorted. Curriculum and the Scheduled Tribes: Like the SC, curriculum does not acknowledge cultural rights of the Scheduled Tribes who are denied their own culture and history. School curriculum fails to take account of tribal cultures as autonomous knowledge systems with their own epistemology, transmission, innovation and power. Kundu gives the example of children being set to write essays on the circus, or being trained to write letters through mock missives to the police asking them to take action on disturbance by loudspeakers during exams. While adivasi children may know a great deal about animals, they are unlikely to have ever seen a circus; where the police are usually feared as oppressors and electricity is erratic, if at all available, enlisting police support in keeping noise decibels down is a most unlikely situation Not only are the knowledge and linguistic and /or cognitive abilities that Scheduled Tribe children possess ignored – e. g. the capacity to compose and sing spontaneously, to think in riddles and metaphors and their intimate knowledge of their environment – but schooling also actively encourages a sense of inferiority about Scheduled Tribe cultures. Like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes rarely feature in textbooks, and when they do, it is usually in positions servile to upper caste characters; or as ‘strange’ and ‘backward’ exotica. The ‘cultural discontinuity’ between school and home draws attention to the rigidity of school organization and the emphasis on discipline and punishment in contrast with socialization practices and the lives of children, as reasons for non-attendance. Sujatha cites the case of community schools in Andhra where there was closer interaction with parents, weekly holiday was in tune with the local weekly bazaar, and school holidays coincided with tribal festivals. The school was observed to show positive results. The Language Question: Despite several policy documents and a constitutional provision (350A) recognizing that linguistic minorities should be educated in their mother tongue at primary level, there is practically no education in Scheduled Tribe languages. This includes even those like Santhali, Bhili, Gondi or Oraon which are spoken by over a million people. Although states in India were organized on linguistic grounds, political powerlessness of Scheduled Tribes prevented the formation of states based on tribal languages. They are confined to minority status within large states and are compelled to learn the state language in school. Primary teachers are predominantly from non-ST communities. And despite the pedagogic significance of initial instruction in the mother tongue, teachers do not bother to learn the tribal language even after several years of posting. The general picture at primary level is often one of mutual incomprehension between ST students and their non-ST teachers. Several studies have pointed to the significance of the language question at the primary levels. Quite apart from the pedagogic problems this creates – such as destroying the child’s self esteem, and reducing the possibilities of successful learning in later years, the denigration of Scheduled Tribe languages amounts to denigration of Scheduled Tribe worldviews and knowledge. The education system with its insistence on a common language as a means of achieving a common nationhood has been instrumental in the destruction of tribal language, culture and identity. Even outside the school, educated youth often speak to each other in the language of the school, perhaps to mark themselves off from their ‘uneducated peers’. Several languages, especially those spoken by small numbers, are dying out. Loss of a language means the loss of a certain way of knowing the world. Experiences of schooling of tribal children in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have revealed the displacement of Bundelkhandi, Gondi and Warli by Sanskritised Hindi, Telugu and Marathi respectively. Depending on levels of cultural absorption and adaptation however, several Scheduled Tribes may not look to schools to teach in their home language. Indeed, for many Scheduled Tribe parents, the main advantage of schooling is that it gives access to the new languages, new occupations and a new life and enables interaction with the non-tribal world. But wherever Scheduled Tribes have been politically mobilised to celebrate Scheduled Tribe identity, they have been more clear and open in their demand for education in indigenous languages. The Alienating Impact of School Regimen: The school regimen of timing, discipline, hierarchy is especially alien to tribal children socialized in a world where individuality is respected from early on, and where parent-child interactions are relatively egalitarian. Kundu points out those testing procedures too are based on urban middle class values – the competitiveness and system of rewards that examinations represent is often culturally anomalous to Scheduled Tribe children who are brought up in an atmosphere of sharing. Furthermore, learning among ST children is usually intimately connected to the work process – children learn the names and medicinal uses of many plants and trees while accompanying their parents on foraging trips in the forest. When children are away at school, especially when they are sent to residential schools, they lose connection with this world of labour and their capacity to learn from it. Several studies have attested the alienating effects of language, school structure and ethos. Implications of Recent Hindu Cultural Nationalist Influences on Curriculum In the recent past a serious concern has been the ‘Hinduisation’ of the curriculum, its adverse implications for all children but most particularly to religious minorities and SC/ST. A deliberate policy move towards Hinduisation of the school which occurred at the behest of neo-right national government’s policy meant its specific framing within Vedic values and thought. However, even prior to that when there was no overt intent of curriculum or text to be grounded in dominant religious culture, the fact that most educational action teachers are Hindu made curriculum Hinduised. It influenced the manner in which annual days or other school events are celebrated. Breaking a coconut and lighting incense at the base of the flag pole on Republic or Independence Day is common practice. Additionally, distinctive Scheduled Tribe names are changed to standard Hindu names.

Summer Holiday

Describe how you have spent summer (or long school) vacations during the past two years. Few years ago, we took a vacation to my grandmother’s place. It was a long exhausting journey to our destination I remember traveling in that crowded bus and from then on I don’t remember how I got from that bus to my grandmother’s home. I just recall sleeping through out the entire journey. The very next morning we decided to leave for a nearby waterfall. I took the responsibility to pack our snacks and dry fruits.We left around 8 o’clock in the morning. It was sunny and humid, so we decided to just rest and start out early the following morning. We went on the jeep, which was named by the local as â€Å"Moon Car†. The bumpy roads and the strong wind made us feel that we were dancing with the breeze. We were very close to the downstream of the fall when we saw a man preparing to do his bungee jump. The man had dropped his coat over the side of the hill and we a ll watched as it fell and swirled around in the whirlpool.After that we went to â€Å"Subholong†, it is one of the small villages in the south eastern region of Bangladesh which has its own waterfall. When the boat reached close to the bottom of the falls everyone could feel the power of the falls by the incredible mist and loud roar of Subholong fall. The incredible history of my ancestors related to this falls came to life when I actually viewed them with my own eyes. Neither novel could possibly give an understanding of the vastness of the falls nor could it bring to life the remarkable history behind this amazing wonder of nature.After the boat ride, we met the village’s chairman; he had a very fast Chakma accent. He helped us decide what attractions were worthwhile. After visiting the place and the fall we decided to make our way to my grandmother’s place. It was my father who stopped us not to leave that place but unfortunately except me no one gave ears t o his words. Ultimately my father and I were left behind in that place. The chairman of that village gave us a small room in his bamboo house to spend our night.One cannot fully comprehend the fall’s true beauty. The moon’s light reflected various-colored lights which illuminate the fall. The lights change every few minutes fading in and out, softening the effect of the water. A photograph could capture only a small portion of Subholong Fall. A simple snapshot could never capture the rushing sound of the water pouring over and splashing into the basin below. To fully take in the sights and sounds of the falls, one would have to visit it by one’s own will.Although many photographers and artist have tried to capture the essence of this fall’s beauty, but no picture could possibly do its justice. A simple description of this fall might not justify its natural beauty. However, childhood imaginations and simple visit could never render true the spectacular dis play that Subholong Fall offers. I am pleased to say that I am among the many that have traveled to see this amazing spectacle which nature has given to us.