Spending on K-12 Public Education: The Lebanese Case

The purpose of this paper was to examine the public spending on education in Lebanon, in order to make recommendations for executives to strategize this sector. This is a desk review paper that uses secondary resources, using rigorous criteria for document selection. The paper overviews the importance of spending on education and its relationship with the overall quality of education. It highlights the different factors affecting public spending peculiar to the Lebanese context, the various challenges confronting the Lebanese K-12 public education sector, and the spending of Lebanon on it. It provides recommendations for stakeholders and policy-makers on areas that require more attention in terms of spending.

Natural Phenomena and Youth Conflicts

The study conducted exploratively from an analytical desk review perspective sought to establish climate change-induced conflicts on the youths in Zimbabwe and how they may be addressed. This is against a background where most studies around climate change often fail to focus on its effects on the youth and how it drives the latter to engage in conflicts. Data was drawn from both archival material and policy documents. The study was guided by a concept of human security, which looks at climate change as a threat to the youth, resulting in conflicts. The study established what it calls climate conflicts. It also noted that climate change does not lead to conflicts. Rather it is the result of climate change complimented by other factors that the risk of climate-induced conflicts by youths may arise. It also concluded that all the climate change effects cascade to youths' opportunities for jobs and development.

Menstrual Equity Initiatives at USA Universities: A Multiple Case Study of Common Obstacles and Enabling Factors

Background: In recent years there has been growing momentum in the USA around addressing issues of “menstrual equity” and “period poverty,” including a proliferation of university-level initiatives seeking to provide access to free menstrual products. This multiple case study examined four such efforts at a diversity of tertiary institutions to identify the factors that facilitated or impeded success.Methods: We conducted a qualitative multiple case study, including a desk review and key informant interviews with student and administrative actors from universities with free menstrual product initiatives. We sought to identify key learning regarding common challenges and obstacles, enabling factors which supported success and sustainability, and practical learning for future initiatives. From the desk review, four schools (n = 4) were purposively selected to represent a range of geographic regions, student population size, and university type. Purposive sampling was used to identify students and administrators engaged in the menstrual equity initiatives on each campus (n = 20; 4–6 per school). Data from the desk review and interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Key themes included (1) the critical role of champions, (2) the importance of social and financial support, (3) challenges diffusing menstrual equity from pilot to scale, and (4) recommendations for future initiatives. University initiatives varied greatly in terms of their scope, funding, and implementation strategy.Conclusion: This multiple case study provides valuable insights regarding the facilitating factors and obstacles faced by initiatives providing free menstrual products at universities. To date, these initiatives have proven successful across the four case studies; however, in most cases, the scope of the initiatives was constrained by limited resources and sustainability concerns. Future campus menstrual equity strategies would benefit from cross-institutional learning and dialogue highlighting design and implementation successes and challenges.

ANALYSIS OF THE VIABILITY OF LIFESTYLE AUDIT AS AN ANTI-CORRUPTION TOOL IN KENYA

Purpose: The main objective of this paper was to assess whether lifestyle audit as an anti-corruption tool is viable. Methodology: The study was based on a desk review of existing studies and documented statistics. Further, legal framework and case laws were cited. A narrative analysis was performed and at this point the information was interpreted by comparing the results with the results of other empirical studies. This information was interpreted using the “stories in the stories” and linked to the existing literature. Results: The study found that lifestyle audit is a viable tool for fighting corruption. However, there are challenges in the legal framework, particularly on the implementation. The study noted that the viability of lifestyle audits depends on judicial interpretation, political will and more importantly addressing of the current software and hardware issues existing in the current legal framework. Recommendation: The study calls for political will to ensure the Lifestyle Audit Bill 2019 is not watered down by judicial interpretation. It further recommends that the political will should be accompanied by executive action to fight corruption through wealth declaration.

Child Labor and Poverty Reduction in Vietnam: Issues and Policy Implications

There is a relationship between child labor and poverty. The unaffordable financial state of households is the main reason to force children to become workers at an early age. One of the main points to respond to eliminating and preventing child labor is how to reduce poverty. Accordingly, many legal tools are designed and applied, such as forming regulations in finance supports and vocational training programs. This study provided practical evidence on the link between child labor and poverty in Vietnam as well as analysis on which legal measures the Vietnamese Government has done to tackle child labor based on the poverty approach. It was followed by some recommendations to eliminate child labor, especially in the context that negative impacts of COVID-19 pandemic push children to fall into poverty again and force them to continue to work in early-stage in most countries, including Vietnam. The study used a qualitative approach, including on desk review and a second-date analysis on regulations on child labor and poverty reduction policies in Vietnam. This study found that there existed a gap between policies on poverty to reduce child labor and practices. Comprehensive approaches in making policies, as well as law enforcement, are the core reasons. The gap should be overcome by providing unified action plans with an effective governmental authority system. KEYWORDS: Child Labor, Children Rights, Poverty Reduction.

SERVQUAL Model Application on Assessing Quality of Deposit Service: Case Study from Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam - Hai Ba Trung Branch

This paper is aimed at analyzing the customers’ expectations and perceptions of deposit service quality at a specific bank branch in Vietnam, as service quality has been considered as an essential factor for success and acknowledgement in the banking field. The data are combined between secondary data of the bank branch and desk review data, and primary data collected from 200 clients in 4 months in 2019, with 25 questions developed from SERVQUAL model, justified for banking sector. The SERVQUAL research model is applied. The main findings are: all measurements of SERVQUAL including Reliability, Tangible, Assurance, Responsiveness, and Empathy have significant impacts on customer satisfaction. While Responsiveness is the factor that impact on customers’ satisfaction the greatest, Assurance is acknowledged as the dimension which impact on customers’ satisfaction the least. This study shows a support to the overall understanding about service quality in the banking field. Besides, it gives useful information to assist commercial banks in management, such as focusing on service quality and improving the customers’ satisfaction. Keywords: Assurance, Customers’ satisfactions, Deposit Service Quality, Responsiveness, SERVQUAL.

Situational Analysis of Forensic Mental Health in Bangladesh

Forensic Mental Health in Bangladesh is an unattended domain of mental health services. With about 17% of the population suffering from mental disorders per year and more than 80 thousand prisoners in the country, there have not been any studies to look into forensic mental health situations. This research has given an overview of the health and legal systems through qualitative research focusing on a desk review and key informant interviews. Findings show that though there are guidelines in the law and regulatory codes in the judicial systems, implementing those guidelines is not seen in many cases. There are several areas in the health system in terms of capacity, service and resources which needs to be addressed by the government for supporting the healthcare providers, lawyers, judges and mentally ill or disabled people. Our study also portrayed the current referral mechanisms connecting both legal and health systems while addressing different cases of forensic mental health. Finally, discussing the implications of the findings, we presented recommendations from our study and other literature.

Relationship between students’ discipline and academic performance in secondary schools in Rwanda

The students’ discipline plays a significant role in the improvement of academic performance. However, any lack of students’ discipline, significantly affect negatively the level of students’ discipline. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish the relationship between students’ discipline and academic performance in secondary schools in Rwanda for advanced level studying-French-English Kinyarwanda in Rusizi district. The study adopted correlation research design while structured questionnaires, interview guide and desk review were used as data collection instruments. The target population was 283 respondents. The sample size was 166 obtained by the use of Yamane formula. The sample was obtained by the use of simple random and stratified sampling techniques. Questionnaire, interview guide and desk review were used to collect the data. The findings revealed that there is a statistical significant high degree of positive relationship between students’ discipline and academic performance. It was revealed that regular class attendance, respect of school rules and regulation and being given punishment among students create a positive change in students’ academic performance. The study recommended that the government should design effective policies and discipline guidelines. The head teachers should ensure the suitability of a set of rules and regulations in the least performing schools and there is a need to ensure students punishment management and adequate administration of school rules and regulations. Students should respect and comply with school rules and regulations through punctuality, demand of permission, constant attendance, doing homework at time, respect to teaching staff and school management personnel. Keywords: Students’ performance, students’ discipline, secondary schools, Rwanda

Methodological considerations of clinical research with Deaf adults in Kenya

Clinical research with adults who are Deaf in Kenya is nascent and with a loose array of methodological considerations detailed by various authors (Kakiri, 2019). Indeed, Deaf clinical research considerations are necessary for viable outcomes. A desk review of Deaf studies found that there are certain global sets of principles on ethical research and clinical practice considerations with Deaf populations. The document analysis method was used in this literature review, revealing the need for modifications to the standard protocol including the use of a visual-spatial language (Kenyan Sign Language) rather than a spoken language (English), as well as coding and procedural variations from the standardized protocol to fully accommodate Deaf culture. The use of Deaf research assistants or/and the researcher’s reflexivity as a Hearing signing researcher are certain key component of field research considerations. Since the Deaf are a marginalized sub-set of the population, paradigmatic as well as methodological considerations are recommended for effective clinical research in Kenya.