Assessment of the Socio-economic determinants of school children dropouts in rural areas of district Peshawar, Pakistan

Children dropping out from schools is one of common phenomena in the modern world. Different demographic, socio-economic, psychological, school based, and community factors are responsible for the number of children school dropout across the globe. Using convenient sampling technique, through questionnaire and interview methods primary data was collected from 400 household heads whose children were dropped out from schools in rural areas of district Peshawar during last five years. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire and interviews were conducted to obtain the required data. Results of the study reveal that, in case of boys, more than 60% of the respondents were of the view that poverty is the main reason for children's school dropout. In the case of girls school dropouts, 45% left studies incomplete because of poor financial position. Other determinants such as father education, mother education, school distance, illiterate community, the parental perception was also considered more or less responsible for school dropout of the children. This study recommends that government should provide free education along with monetary incentives to those household heads who do not send their children to schools due to financial constraints.

The great polarized game in the Indian Ocean: Options for US, China and Pakistan

Indian Ocean (IO) has occupied an overlapping space of political concern and maritime security due to increasing geo-strategic importance in the region. A competition has been noticed amongst key littoral states in the IO, particularly among United States, India and China. In this competing game, United States is found to be proactively supporting India to expand its influence on IO. On the other hand, China is developing trade and military relationship with other countries including Pakistan to demonstrate leverage on the IO region. This paper sheds light into this great polarized game and its implications for Pakistan. The study uses secondary data and adopts a critical approach largely based upon ‘realist’ paradigm to analyse and understand the role of the aforementioned key actors in the political developments of the region The study reveals that both India and China, are competing ferociously and forming alliances (India with USA and China with Pakistan) to establish regional hegemony. This competition, in turn, has greatly politically polarized the region and threatened peace and stability. In this context, Pakistan needs to carefully develop its strategy which will serve its aspiration to have a positive peaceful image in the global politics and serve strategic national interest.

Japan's priorities in Taiwan: Its impacts on Japanese relations with America and China

America-Japan partnership is now at the core of the America-led defence system in the East Asia. The unresolved state of Taiwan is already one of the worst security conditions in the region in the terms of this partnership. It may contribute to a big confrontation of one or both countries with China. The broader Taiwan-Japan-China-America ties usually regard Taiwan and Japan as the least influential combination imaginable. Despite this fact, the depth of engagement, hard to categorize and with great potential to affect stability and security in the field, is reversed from this tertiary regional connection. Therefore, Japan's major goal to balance the power with Taiwan is to preserve and develop constructive de-facto state-to-state ties between the liberal and democratic powers of similar consciousness, both of which are scared of the Chinese control. This paper discusses the specific ties between Japan and Taiwan in conjunction with Japanese domestic priorities and analyses the repercussions for America-Japan cooperation in the future. Especially about Japan, the American and Taiwanese governments should identify areas of difference early on and resolve emerging issues within the alliance's auspices.

Japan's priorities in Taiwan: Its impacts on Japanese relations with America and China

America-Japan partnership is now at the core of the America-led defence system in the East Asia. The unresolved state of Taiwan is already one of the worst security conditions in the region in the terms of this partnership. It may contribute to a big confrontation of one or both countries with China. The broader Taiwan-Japan-China-America ties usually regard Taiwan and Japan as the least influential combination imaginable. Despite this fact, the depth of engagement, hard to categorize and with great potential to affect stability and security in the field, is reversed from this tertiary regional connection. Therefore, Japan's major goal to balance the power with Taiwan is to preserve and develop constructive de-facto state-to-state ties between the liberal and democratic powers of similar consciousness, both of which are scared of the Chinese control. This paper discusses the specific ties between Japan and Taiwan in conjunction with Japanese domestic priorities and analyses the repercussions for America-Japan cooperation in the future. Especially about Japan, the American and Taiwanese governments should identify areas of difference early on and resolve emerging issues within the alliance's auspices.

Impact of foreign remittances on school enrolment and educational expenditures in district Peshawar, Pakistan

This study aims to identify the effects of foreign remittances on school enrolment and the educational expenditures of children in the Peshawar district. Primary data were acquired by simple random sampling and a questionnaire. Correspondingly, the logit approach and Heckman selection theory were utilized to examine school enrolment and educational expenses. The marginal effects were evaluated to determine the co-efficient. The study's findings indicate that Per Capita Remittances (PCRM) have a highly substantial and beneficial effect on children's school attendance, with a (10.8%) point increase in school enrolment for every 100 rupees rises in Per Capita Remittances (PCRM). Suppose a household's Per Capita Income (PCIM) improves by one hundred rupees, the probability of children enrolling in school increases by (0.17). The results indicate that PCRM and educational costs per kid are significantly and positively correlated. Educational spending per child increases by 12.01 rupees for every 100 rupees rise in family remittances per capita, whereas every 100 rupees increase in per capita income increases educational expenditure per kid by (8.38 PKR). Which leads to an 8.38 % marginal propensity to spend on child education.

The use of technology for online classes during the global pandemic: Challenges encountered by the schoolteachers in Pakistan

The lockdown after COVID-19 outbreak not only harmed the economy but also shut down all educational activity, resulting in a significant gap in learning and understanding among students worldwide. This mixed method study was conducted to know the media used by the teachers to teach online classes and challenges faced by the teachers' during online teaching in pandemic, which has hampered continued/online education due to interviews from the ten government teachers. Data was transcribed, coding was done, and five themes were analysed. The study showed that teachers mostly use WhatsApp and zoom meeting for online classes. Skype, Voov meeting and smart school is also use as a media for online teaching and learning purpose. Qualitative data revealed that teachers faced numerous problems during online classes, the biggest obstacle was the lack of electric power and low internet speed, along with that the parents and students’ non-serious behaviour also affects the online education system. along with that lack of proper online forum, adversely affect the students’ concepts, knowledge, and communication with their teachers while using the internet as a learning tool. Teachers are overburdened due to the large number of online classes being offered, affecting the quality of education.

Pakistan’s emerging regional politico-economic role in the SCO

Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is presently a Eurasian politico-economic bloc having two South Asian members, Pakistan and India. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prospective role of Pakistan in the SCO with qualitative study based on interviews. On June 2017, Pakistan was granted permanent membership in the SCO during its 16th Heads of State Summit in Astana. By associating itself as a permanent member, summit allows Pakistan to contribute to regional development alongside other key regional players, Russia and China and India. The study gave four findings that how multilateralism was having a calming effect on a regional conflict, Pakistan embracing independence from isolation through Trans-Afghanistan gas pipeline. Through CPEC, Pakistan was offering the SCO member countries an economic hallway. And how the Eurasian politico-economic ambitions to reach the warm waters of the Arabian Sea was perceived as hampering the Western economic interests, thereby offering a major impediment to Pakistan’s emerging role in the SCO. Moreover, SCO participation will help enhance Pakistan's worldwide socio-economic objectives. This study examines the socio-politico and economic aspirations of Pakistan and benefit due to ties with SCO member countries.

Protection of civilians in the law of war: A case study of Myanmar

The paper is aimed to analyses the Law of War violation in Myanmar. Current communal conflicts in Myanmar among Buddhists and Muslims have cast a pall over the country's transition to democracy. The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, has been disproportionately affected by the recent round of violence. The Rohingya have been subjected to many human rights violations, which has drawn international attention to the situation. Because the Myanmar government does not recognize Rohingya as a separate ethnic group, they are effectively stateless. Rohingya claim to be indigenous people of Myanmar, despite the government's statements that they came from Bangladesh. The research concludes that as positive as the recent political change has been, the Rohingya's future development does not appear bright. International human rights organizations are urging the global community to pressure Myanmar's administration to amend the Citizenship Law, which effectively makes the Rohingya homeless. The end of this article will give a solution for the Myanmar conflict and protect the Muslim minorities.

An assessment of selected traditional leaders from the Sarkin Musulmi Abubakar Atiku family and their domains in Africa

This paper briefly discussed some of the Atikawa who had been on their rightful thrones and their domains. This was achieved via literature review and interviews with key informants. This paper explained that Caliph Abubakar Atiku had contributed immensely to the development and progress of the Sokoto Caliphate during the jihad of Shehu Usman Danfodiyo. It was found that Caliph Abdurrahman Atiku reigned 1891-1902, the last direct grandchild of Shehu to be on the throne. Attahuiru (the son of Ahmad) reigned in 1902-1903 and was the one who fought the final battle with the British. His descendants are presently holding a Sultanate throne in Maiyurno, Sudan. Some of his disciples spread to Makkah, Mali, and many other parts of the world. His time allowed the Shehu's jihad to reach international space. Maiturare (son of Amadu) became sultan in 1915-1924 and was the most successful after the invasion of the Sokoto Caliphate by the British. He was preceded by his son, Muhammadu Tambari, who left the throne in 1931. Apart from Sultanate, the descendants of Atiku had built many towns and villages and managed them to greatness.

DNA and historical evidence indicate many colonial French Canadians were of Sephardic Jewish ancestry

The Spanish Inquisition in 1492 resulted in the deaths of thousands of Spanish Jews and the exile of around 150,000. The Huguenots and Acadians who settled in Colonial French Canada are assumed to be of Christian faith and ancestry. To support this hypothesis, the researcher uses a novel combination of methods drawn from historical records and artifacts, genealogies and DNA testing. In recent years, this combination of methods has led to the discovery that several of the Plymouth Colony settlers, Central Appalachian Colonial settlers, and Roanoke Colony settlers were of Sephardic Jewish origin. Thus, using the new methodology of ancestral DNA tracing, the researcher document that the majority of Huguenot and Acadian colonists in French Canada were of Sephardic Jewish ancestry. They are most likely descended from Sephardic Jews who fled to France from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 1300s and early 1500s. The researcher additionally propose that some members of both groups continued to practice Judaism in the new world, thus becoming secret Jews or crypto-Jews. The researcher also finds evidence of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry in both groups.