Corporate Analysis Of Bhp Billiton Management Essay

Corporate Analysis Of Bhp Billiton Management Essay BHP Billiton is a global leader in the resources industry. Formed from a merger between BHP and Billiton, it brings together an exceptional mix of quality, low-cost resource assets, complemented by a strong management team determined to operate the assets in an efficient manner. BHP Billiton commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant at the cost of A$1.4 billion 35 km East of the Ravensthorpe. The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5,000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. The plant was officially opened in 2008, after massive cost blow outs and delays. Production was expected to total 50,000 tonnes of nickel per year. In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at the Ravensthorpe nickel mine indefinitely, due the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis. Nickel prices, having reached a high of US$50,000 per tonne in May 2007, had fallen to under $11,000 per tonne by the time of the mines closure. Our report focuses on the strategic decisions which led BHP Billiton to invest in the Ravensthorpe nickel project. An analysis has been conducted on the mines operation starting from the business strategy adopted by BHP Billiton down to the operational decisions at the site level. We intend to predict scenarios which might have resulted in mines closure despite a strikingly detailed front loaded design. Scope of the report Our analysis is based entirely upon the information available on internet. The primary sources include BHP Billitons annual communications, industry analysis reports from leading researchers, news paper and magazine articles. The investigation focuses mainly on strategic decisions at different levels. No attempt has been made to analyze the companys performance in other sectors of its business. This report is taken up only as an academic project and no attempt has been made to judge the performance of any of the stakeholders involved in the project. Chapter 1: Corporate analysis of BHP Billiton Introduction BHP Billiton Group (BHP Billiton) is a diversified natural resources group engaged in mineral exploration and production. The groups primary focus areas include oil and gas, aluminum, copper, nickel, iron ore, manganese, metallurgical coal, and energy coal, with additional exposures to uranium, gold, zinc, lead, silver, and diamonds. BHP Billiton comprises BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc. The group has a global presence with more than 100 operations in 25 countries. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and employs about 41,000 people. BHP Billiton-History BHP Billiton Group was formed in 2001 with the merger of Australian firm BHP and British firm Billiton. BHP BHP was founded in 1885. The company grew to become a global natural resources company, with a diversified commodity suite that included minerals, oil, gas, and steel. In 1899, BHP leased an iron ore mine at Iron Knob in South Australia. The company forayed into steel making in 1915, commissioning its first steelworks at Newcastle, New South Wales. After World War I, BHP continued to diversify, forming a shipping fleet, as well as acquiring coal mines and additional reserves of iron ore and limestone. Furthermore, BHP acquired companies that manufactured finished steel products. BHP expanded its steel production in 1935 by acquiring Australian Iron and Steel and its Port Kembla steelworks. A few years later, BHP established blast furnace and shipbuilding facilities at Whyalla, South Australia. In 1967, BHP entered the petroleum industry with a major oil discovery in Bass Strait, off the southeastern coast of Australia.Through the 1970s and 1980s, BHP enhanced its offshore operations by acquiring Utah International, comprising coal mines in New Mexico and Queensland, as well as discovering copper in Chile. In the 1990s, BHP acquired several companies, opened new mines, commenced new petroleum production, and strengthened its steel operations. Billiton Billiton was formed in 1860. It became a global mining company with a portfolio of mining and metals assets. In 1860, the company acquired the concession to a tin-rich island in the Indonesian archipelago near Sumatra. The island was called Billiton (now Belitung). Billiton initially ventured into tin and lead smelting in The Netherlands, followed by bauxite mining in Indonesia and Suriname, in the 1940s. In 1970, the Royal Dutch/Shell group of companies acquired Billiton. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, Billiton experienced considerable growth. In 1997, Billiton became a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. BHP and Billiton merged to form BHP Billiton Group (BHP Billiton) in 2001. In the same year, the group announced its intentions to establish an energy business to complement its mining activities. In 2002, BHP Steel commenced trading on the Australian Stock Exchange as a separate listed company after the de-merger was approved by shareholders and the courts. Business Description BHP Billiton operates nine customer sector groups (CSGs) aligned with the commodities which it extracts and markets. They are base metals, petroleum, iron ore, energy coal, aluminum, stainless steel materials, metallurgical coal, manganese, and diamonds and specialty products. Figure 1: Customer Sector Groups(CSG) at BHP Billiton Ltd The base metals CSG produces copper, silver, lead, uranium, and zinc. It provides copper, lead, and zinc concentrates to smelters worldwide. The petroleum CSG comprises oil and natural gas exploration, production, and development in Australia, the US, Algeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Pakistan, and the Gulf of Mexico. It also conducts an international exploration and development program as well as markets crude oil, condensate, liquefied petroleum gases, natural gas, and liquefied natural gas to customers globally. The iron ore CSG is one of the leading suppliers of seaborne iron ore globally. Its operations comprise Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) business and a 50% interest in the Samarco joint venture with Vale in Brazil. BHP Billitons energy coal CSG produces, markets, and exports thermal coal (steaming coal). The group operates three sets of assets: a group of mines and associated infrastructure collectively known as BHP Billiton Energy Coal South Africa (BECSA), New Mexico Coal operations in the US, and Hunter Valley Energy Coal operations in New South Wales, Australia. The aluminum CSG is engaged in the production of aluminum, bauxite, and alumina. It has four aluminum smelters in South Africa, Mozambique, and Brazil; and three alumina refineries and three bauxite mining operations in Australia, Suriname, and Brazil. BHP Billiton is one of the largest producers of primary aluminum. The stainless steel materials CSG supplies a variety of nickel products to the global steel industry. In addition, it also supplies nickel and cobalt to other markets including the specialty alloy, foundry, chemicals, and refractory material industries. The segment produces nickel and cobalt at Yabulu and Nickle West in Australia and Cerro Matoso in Columbia. BHP Billitons manganese operations produce a combination of ores, alloys, and metal from sites in South Africa and Australia. The group owns and manages all of its manganese mining assets and alloy plants through 60-40 joint ventures with an Anglo-American joint venture known as Samancor Manganese. The diamonds and specialty products CSG comprises the businesses of diamonds and titanium minerals, and the exploration and development of a potash business. The groups Ekati Diamond Mine, of which it owns 80%, is located in the Canadian Northwest Territories and produces over 3million carats of rough diamonds annually. SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Strong market position Diversified revenue stream Centralized marketing activities Safety concerns at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations Opportunities Threats Expansion of potash operations in Canada Consolidation of Western Australian iron ore assets of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Proposed joint venture with PT Adaro Energy for Indonesian coal project Reduction in demand from China Environmental issues Intense competition Strengths Strong market position BHP Billiton enjoys a dominant position in the metal and mining industry. The group has a global presence with more than 100 operations in 25 countries. The groups CSG organization structure has enabled the group to own and operate significantly profitable mineral resources across the globe. BHP Billitons strong presence and leadership position in a number of significant markets gives the group a substantial competitive advantage and also increases its cross selling opportunities. Diversified revenue stream BHP Billitons revenue stream is diversified in terms of business lines and geographies. The group generates revenues through nine business segments. In FY2009, the iron ore segment accounted for 20.5% of the total revenues, metallurgical coal accounted for 16.6%, petroleum 14.6%, base metals 14.6%, and energy coal 13.4%. Aluminium accounted for 8.5% of the total revenues in FY2009, manganese accounted for 5.2%, and stainless steel materials 4.8% The diamonds and specialty products segment accounted for the remaining 1.8% of the revenues in FY2009. The groups diversified business lines give it competitive advantage over its competitors by insulating the group against adverse market conditions in any one of the metal markets. Further, its worldwide presence reduces exposure to economic conditions or political stability in any single country or region. Centralized marketing activities The customer-centric marketing operations of BHP Billiton are centralized in Singapore, The Hague and Antwerp. The Singapore office focuses on the Asian energy market, base metals, stainless steel materials and carbon steelmaking raw materials. The Hague office focuses on aluminium, petroleum, energy marketing and freight, while the Antwerp office serves diamonds customers globally. These three marketing offices incorporate all the functions encompassing product marketing and distribution from the point of production to final customer delivery. In addition, specialized marketers are located in 20 regional offices worldwide. The groups centralized marketing operations increase the efficiency of the marketing activities with each office managing end to end marketing activities of certain CSGs. Therefore, efficient logistics capability and expertise in trading and transaction structuring through centralized marketing activities enhance the groups product offerings. Weaknesses Safety concerns at Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations The group has been facing safety issues at its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations. There were five fatalities at the groups operations in the Pilbara from July 2008 to April 2009. Addressing the concerns BHP Billiton Iron Ore announced some actions that include reducing site access, improving contractor management, enhancing existing strategies to prevent excess working hours, moving rail operations from the Mine Safety and Inspection Act to the Rail Safety Act, enhancing traffic management standards and suspending all non-essential work outside daylight hours. It had also ordered an extensive independent expert investigation of safety systems at all WAIOs operations. Such incidents could negatively impact the groups reputation or license to operate. Opportunities Expansion of potash operations in Canada Building a strong potash resource position is one of the key strategies of BHP Billiton. The group has been pursuing opportunities to acquire operations that are a strategic fit with its potash operations in Canada and are aligned with its strategy of developing Tier 1, long life, low-cost, expandable assets. The rising demand for fertilizers coupled with the capital-intensive nature of greenfield potash developments makes potash a viable addition to the groups portfolio. Consolidation of Western Australian iron ore (WAIO) assets of BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto signed a non-binding agreement to establish a production joint venture covering the entirety of both companies Western Australian iron ore (WAIO) assets, in June 2009. The joint venture would combine adjacent mines into single operations and reduce costs through shorter rail hauls and more efficient allocations of port capacity. In addition, it will blend opportunities which will maximize product recovery and provide further operating efficiencies. It will also optimize future growth opportunities through the development of consolidated, larger and more capital efficient expansion projects. These will result in substantial synergies for both the groups. The net present value of these unique production and development synergies is expected to be in excess of $10 billion. Proposed joint venture with PT Adaro Energy for Indonesian coal project BHP Billiton entered into binding agreements to create a new joint venture for its Indonesian Coal Project (ICP) with a subsidiary of PT Adaro Energy TBK (Adaro), in March 2010. Adaro will acquire a 25% interest in the ICP joint venture. BHP Billiton holds the remaining 75%. The ICP covers seven Coal Contracts of Work located in East and Central Kalimantan in Indonesia. Adaro is Indonesias second largest thermal coal producer and has operations near the ICP.Through this joint venture, the group can leverage the expertise of a strong local player for the successful development of the metallurgical coal interests in Indonesia. Threats Reduction in demand from China The global commodity market is driven by Chinese demand and a slowdown in the Chinese economy could adversely affect the prices of commodities. China is a significant consumer of commodities like iron ore and copper. Chinas demand for these commodities has been driving global materials demand over the past decade. Though the increase in commodity demand is a significant business opportunity to the group, BHP Billitons exposure to Chinas economic fortunes and economic policies has increased. China contributed 19.7% ($9.9 billion) to the groups total revenues in FY2009. Environmental issues BHP Billiton is one of the major producers of energy-related products such as energy coal, oil, gas, liquefied natural gas, and uranium. Energy is also a significant input in the groups mining and processing operations. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuel-based energy consumption contribute to global warming, greenhouse effects, and climate change. Many governments have introduced regulatory changes to address the impacts of climate change. BHP Billitons petroleum assets in the UK are currently subject to the EU ETS. To address climate change, the Australian Government has announced the introduction of a national emissions trading scheme by 2010 and a mandatory renewable energy target of 20% by the year 2020. In other regions, the current and emerging climate change regulation could affect energy prices, and demand and margins for carbon intensive products. The compliance costs and in some cases remedial costs could increase the groups operational costs which in turn could affect its operating margins. Consequently, these regulatory mechanisms could adversely impact the cost, production and financial performance of the groups operations. Intense competition BHP Billiton faces intense competition in the metals and mining industry. The metals and mining industry tends towards concentration. Within each segment, large multinational companies dominate. Moreover, this is a cyclical industry, which suggests that the current high growth rate is unlikely to be sustained. Industry margins are susceptible to changes in raw material prices, with iron ore prices expected to rise in the next few years, and the industry is also vulnerable to rises in the price of energy, one of its main costs. The group faces competition from Newmont Mining, a US based gold producer and Xstrata, a UK-based natural resources company with presence in coal, copper, zinc, alloys, and other businesses. The group also faces competition from UK-based ThyssenKrupp. Intense competition in the industry could lead to loss of market share and put pressure on the groups margins. Chapter 2: Prospective Analysis of Ravensthorpe Nickel mine Ravensthorpe Ravensthorpe Nickel mine is located 35 Km from the town of Ravensthorpe. The mine is a combination of three ore bodies located close to the surface in the form of limonite and saprolite deposits of Nickel and Cobalt. The three ore bodies have a proven reserve of 125.3Mt at 0.73% nickel and 0.032% cobalt, and a probable reserve 137.9Mt at 0.57% nickel and 0.026% cobalt, giving a total of 263.3Mt at 0.65% Ni and 0.029% Co. The reserves ensured a project life of 21 years[1]. BHP Billiton commenced a feasibility study in 2002 into opening a nickel and cobalt mine and processing plant. The project was approved in 2004 and construction commenced shortly afterward. The project involved open-pit mining from three nickel deposits, and a hydrometallurgical process plant to produce up to 50,000t of contained nickel and 1,400t of contained cobalt per annum in a mixed hydroxide intermediate product (MHP) for further processing at BHP Billitons Yabulu Nickel Refinery in Queensland[1]. The plant known as the Ravensthorpe Nickel Project was commissioned in late 2007 with first production occurring in October and the first 5000 tonnes being produced by December 2007. What made Ravensthorpe Nickel Project particularly attractive? Market Price of Nickel Figure 1 shows the Nickel price distribution over a 4 year period from 2000 to 2004. As seen, the price of Nickel showed a steady upward trend over the 4 year period. With then metals market still in boom coupled with the heavy demand from China, the Nickel price would have been a major driver for BHP Billiton to move ahead with the project at Ravensthorpe.Nickel Price_2000to2004.jpg 1. http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/bhp-ravensthorpe/ accessed on 20-5-2010 Yabulu Refinery at Townville, Queensland QNI Yabulu Refinery is located 25 kilometres northwest of Townsville. The ore is shipped to the Port of Townsville where QNI has its own materials handling facility, and then transported by rail to Yabulu Refinery.Yabulu has an annual processing capacity of around 3.6 million wet tonnes of lateritic ore. Its annual production in 2003 was 31,200 tonnes of nickel and 1900 tonnes of cobalt. The refinery is one of the largest nickel/cobalt processing plants in the world and a leader in nickel hydrometallurgy.Yabulu Refinery carries-out two major functions ore processing and ore refining to produce products for sale in the global market [1]. Chinese growth story Needless to say that Chinese growth has been driving most of the Worlds demand markets. Steel being a primary component of construction, Chinas thrust for Steel has been essentially insatiable over the past decade. Chart 1 below shows the Steel suppliers distribution of China. As seen, 90% of the imports come from Asia. Nickel forms an important component of stainless steel manufacturing and the location of Ravensthorpe and Yabulu refineries provided a strategic advantage to BHP Billiton. Distribution of chinese stainless steel suppliers.jpg Chart : Chinas Steel supplier distribution 1. The Ravensthorpe Nickel Project and Yabulu refinery expansion Overview 2004, BHP Billiton. PESTEL Framework Analysis of Ravensthorpe BHP Billiton Ltd Political Support from Government of Western Australia Economic Market price of Nickel Cost price of production of Nickel from Ravensthorpe Available cost of capital for BHP Billiton Profitability from the mine over a long term Social Establishment of infrastructure for the town of Ravensthorpe to attract skilled staff Maintaining good relations with the local communities Technological Combination of Pressure acid leach and atmospheric leach extraction techniques to optimize Nickel extraction Environmental NA Legal NA A PESTEL analysis is used to analyze the macro environment of a firm. Factors contributing for Ravensthorpes success have been tabulated in the table 1. As seen, the economic and social factors form the key drivers for BHP Billiton. The firm is focused to gain a significant market share in Nickel business and the strategic advantage of Ravensthorpe acts as a silver lining for this market. Though the Pressure leach and atmospheric leach have been tried and tested in Zinc industry, the application of that process in Ravensthorpe will provide BHP Billiton with a strategic advantage to cut down on Yabulus processing costs. PESTEL analysis has revealed that economy of production and strategic location of Ravensthorpe form key drivers for BHP Billiton in Nickel industry and will help the firm focus on attaining its market share in Nickel industry. 5 force analysis Michaels 5 force analysis is a very powerful tool which helps in analysing the environment of an industry. It depicts the levels of competition, attractiveness of the industry and also details pertaining to suppliers, buyer and substitutes. Analysing a competitive environment is a systematic examination of all the levels of the environment: Figure : 5 Forces of a Competitive Environment Threat of competition Competition is very high in the Nickel industry as there is very low product differentiation among the various rivals. The focus of major companies has been to be competitive on the basis of their unit price and the profits they make, because of the fact that only the company that can be cheapest in the market place can survive. BHP Billiton over the years has developed a successful reputation which gives it a clear edge over the others. The chart below gives an idea about the competitors in the market. The chart or graph is scaled based on the amount of nickel extracted. It is also clear that the top 5 organisations produce 70% of world nickel production. By considering a broader scenario it is possible to analyse the companies in terms of the strategic space occupies in the global market. The more crowded a spot become the competition becomes cut throat. NORILSK VALE INCO XSTRATA BHP BILLITON JINCHUAN COST LOW LOW HIGH HIGH Performance CUSTOMER BARGAINING POWER Information is widely available to the customers and thus has made the customers quite powerful and in the end, the customer is the only person who puts money into the supply chain. In todays world it is very hard to find an entity called loyal customer as the customers frequently shift loyalty based on circumstances making life harder for companies. Customers normally refers to the global demand for nickel. If the demand is high then the profitability would be high orelse vice versa. As a result it leads to : Lack of differentiation in the market Cut throat competition Low switching costs Supplier Bargaining Power In the nickel industry, the companies have their own nickel mines. The outputs are processed to produce the respective nickel products as a result of which the supply chain reduces the unit cost and culminates the suppliers bargaining power. Supplier here refers to the supply of raw materials for the production of nickel products. Threat of substitution: In most cases, substitutes for nickel would result in increased cost or a tradeoff in performance of the product. Aluminium, coated steels, plain chromium steels, and plastics are some of the substitutes which can replace nickel in some places but not effectively. Nickel-free specialty steels are used instead of stainless steel in some cases but have proven to be expensive.As long as there is high demand for stainless steel there would be demand for nickel as it is a major constituent. As a result of this, the threat of substitution is low. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS For maintaining the profitability, a company needs to develop economies of scale. Increased competition makes it difficult for new entrants to achieve the levels of economies of scale for sustainable and viable operation in a market. High capital required for the setting up of the industry also prevents investment. Thereby resulting in destructive rivalry among the competitors. Infrastructure setup cost- High Rapid change in technology High entry barriers. The following chart depicts the results of the 5 force analysis: Chapter 3: What went wrong at Ravensthorpe? Methodology of analysis An analysis of the company reports over the last 3 years of the mines establishment will be reviewed and excerpts from the same will be used to come up with the reason for closure of the mine.

Nursing Image

Common perspective sees nurses as ‘secondary’ profession in the medical treatment environment. However, the public is often unaware of the significance of the profession toward daily activities of the medical system. Recent articles and researches revealed increasing roles of nurses. An article by Patricia Foster and J.M Whitworth, for example, revealed the importance of nursing profession in telemedicine and care for child abuse. Advances of communication technology have created a system that enables trained nurses to play a significant role in the psychological investigation of abused children (Foster & Whitworth, 2005). Another study suggested that nurses are also playing a significant part in the issue of medical waste. The International Council for Nurses has agreed to socialize a new standard that encourage nursing organization to educate nurses in terms of medical waste awareness (â€Å"Medical Waste,† 2005). Despite being seen as secondary role, the profession is still ‘positively valued’ by most aspects of the society. General image of a nurse is still largely positive as seen in several popular Hollywood motion pictures. As movies is in fact, the quickest way to determine a society’s perspective toward a certain character or profession, it is reasonable to use popular movies in order to assess the present image of nurses and their roles in common medical treatment process. Within this short elaboration, we will assess the image and roles of nurses, from the movie, Pearl Harbor. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Assessment Within the movie, Pearl Harbor, the nurses are seen as one of the mail roles. Their presence is shown from the beginning of the movie, but their active roles are presented in a special segment of the movie, showing dramatic scenes. The movie displays that the nurse profession requires professionalism and intelligence as well as mental strength in certain times and conditions. There were times that the nurses need to perform unorthodox treatment method in order to cope with the suppressing conditions. As shown in the motion picture, adaptation and creativity to face unexpected circumstances are necessary to provide the best care for patients. Sometimes, they work together with non-medical personnel because the lack of sufficient number of available nurses. Within the special segment of the movie, the nurses are shown to assume control of the situation. This is logical due to the emergence of the event that took place. However, they kept their places under orders from the doctors, to preserve medical order and good coordination between the medical personnel. The doctors are shown to have more authority and do most of the talking. Nevertheless there are circumstances where young and inexperienced doctor require experienced nurses to guide and support them. In the absence of available doctors, the nurses are shown to take charge of the medical treatment process. Nurses are shown to be in various age in the movie. However, there is no significant scene that presents the image of nurses are men. Most (or all) of the nurse characters are female. There is a strong image that nurses are commonly female, single and physically attractive. This image is shown in the beginning of the movie. However, feminist should not be alarmed, because as the movie proceed to the dramatic scenes, the nurses are shown to be women of character that inspire the value of humanism and passionate to provide service toward others. I have also captured the difference of values between nurses and other profession within the movie. Soldiers are shown to be a lot more aggressive, dominant and careless compare to nurses. These images are perhaps reasonable because their profession demands them to be bold and somewhat careless. The nurses on the other hand, are shown to be careful, organized, highly stable, non-violence human beings that dedicate their lives to the care of others, instead of creating any form of harm. The profession of nurses could be identified with intelligent and confident characters, but hardly ever ambitious. The nurses in this motion picture are shown to help manage the medical treatment process. Some nurses are shown to be capable, despite their lack of experience in handling such circumstances. Some others ‘crack’ under pressure, which is -under the circumstances-, understandable. The nurses are shown to support each other medically as well as mentally. In one of the scenes, the movie even displayed that a nurse is trusted by the head doctor to choose between those salvageable and those cannot be saved. I am not sure about the possibility of this event to take place in real life, but the scene does display the significant role of nurses in medical emergency. Reference Foster, Patricia., & Whitworth, J M. (2005). The Role of Nurses in Telemedicine and Child Abuse. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/506916?rss Medical Waste: Role of Nurses and Nursing. n.d. Retrieved September 26, 2005 from http://www.icn.ch/psmedwaste.htm Nursing Image A memorable and attractive nurse image is found in the movie â€Å"The English Patient† in the face of Hana, a young French-Canadian nurse skillfully played by Juliette Binoche. Hana is one of the central images of the plot, appearing in ‘present’ part of the film that intersperses present with reminiscences of the past. She does an exceptional job tending to the ‘English patient’ who is surviving only thanks to her determination, perseverance and commitment. She both performs her professional duties towards the patient and develops a personal attitude towards the mutilated man left in her care. Hana seems to be in love with her patient who is far from sexually attractive with his maimed body, perhaps as extrapolation of her caring attitude towards him. Hana is put in a difficult situation, tending to the patient all alone at the time of the war. Her experience shows that a nurse’s job can at times be extremely challenging as nurses have to follow their patients through the most difficult of times and deliver care equally in the time of peace and war. Hana’s job involves many things – she delivers professional care to the patient, washing his wounds and giving him morphine, reads aloud to him, but also fixes the villa and does the gardening. Hana is left alone with her patient – there are no other medical professionals in the vicinity, and she is the sole decision-maker in her professional actions, which underscores the importance of her nursing role. Hana is a really likeable character, mainly because of her personal character and her determination to patient care. She is only twenty when the war starts and makes her mature in the shortest possible time. She is so determined to her work that she cuts her hair after three days in the war and pledges to skip looking in the mirror until it ends. This shows how much her nursing means to her as she is ready to get rid of what made her feminine attraction to be able to deliver quality care to her patients. However, Hana is not devoid of natural women’s desires: she gets attracted to men, exemplified in her relations with Kip, who later becomes her lover, and the English patient himself who she admires secretly as a man who suffered his wounds in the cruel and heroic warfare. Hana’s relationship with the English patient is a complex cobweb of professional commitment and the burgeoning love of the young woman for a man she sees as ideal. Hana is young and attractive, and the viewer takes her infatuation with men as a natural order of things, because it does not seem to interfere with her professionalism. Thus, Hana demonstrates the values of service to others and humanism, since she does not limit her care to professional interactions, but is ready to take the patient as a human being. She maintains his belief in the favorable outcome of the treatment and makes him feel that he should make an effort to survive, since it is personally important to her. There is not much in the movie to depict Hana’s understanding of scholarship or achievement, though. Maybe the reason is that Hana just happened to become a nurse because she wanted to make a contribution to her nation in the time of the war and does not see her future as connected with nursing career. Rather, Hana attends to her duties with a Christian attitude that intertwines the requirements of the nursing profession with the religious beliefs. She talks of her patient as a saint and compares his bones to those of Christ. This religious background clearly serves as an important motivator for Hana, inspiring her in her nursing activities. Hana wins recognition with the surrounding people thanks to her role in providing care. Eventually, she succeeds in building a little world around herself that unites the thief Caravaggio, the English patient, the Indian ‘sapper’ Kip, and herself. All these people find consolation in their association with a lovable woman who also has a caring and affectionate character. Hana wins the affection of the viewer, too, by being thoroughly professional and at the same time deeply humane. Bibliography The English Patient. Dir. Anthony Minghella. 1996.

Common Core State Standards Essay

Is a girl in your neighborhood being taught the same things as a boy in another neighborhood? Is a graduating senior in Baton Rouge as prepared to get a job as a graduating senior in Minneapolis? The answer to these questions is â€Å"no,† and rightfully so. All children are unique. A student with autism or dyslexia should not be taught the same way as students who have no learning disabilities. Indiana, which adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), is now eliminating those standards because, the state asserts, Common Core â€Å"takes control of educational content and standards away from parents, taxpayers, local school districts, and states† (Volsky). The Indiana legislators want to write new standards, which are governed locally, not at the federal level. NEED A TRANSITION? Forty-five American states, the District of Columbia, four territories, and the Department of Defense Education Activity have adopted the CCSS (Common Core State Standards Initiative). These standards were designed by a group of teachers, school chiefs, administrators, and other experts. The CCSS are suggested targets in English Language Arts and Mathematics that set the skills a student should possess in order to proceed to the next level of education. There is no clear divide on the standards between Republicans and Democrats; both have expressed their concerns. But, the controversy reached its peak when the Obama administration slowly started to support the CCSS (Bidwell). Proponents of the CCSS argue that the standards ensure that all students will have the same set of skills, the standards will make sure all students are college ready, and that the standards are a new state-led effort instead of a federal effort. I believe that all states should abolish the CCSS because children with disabilities should not be expected to learn the same way as advanced students, the CCSS takes away from the tradition and individuality of independent/parochial schools, and the problem in education is not standards but poverty. The CCSS have not made success easy for students with learning disabilities. According to the CCSS, students with disabilities â€Å"must be challenged to excel within the general curriculum† (Herbert 10). In addition to students with disabilities, students without disabilities learn different things in different ways, mature at different rates, and have different talents and goals. There is no reason for states to have standards that require students to learn the same things at the same time, and learn them the same way (McClusky). The CCSS â€Å"moves all kids largely in lock-step, processing them like soulless widgets† (McClusky). In a recent discussion, Drexel University and University of Pennsylvania special education student teachers expressed their frustrations in trying to teach special-ed students within the confines of the CCSS (Beals 2). The CCSS are supposed to boost national achievement levels, but by restricting these students to subject matter beyond thei r cognitive abilities, the standards are ultimately lowering student achievements. The CCSS also take away from the tradition and individuality of independent/parochial schools. Parochial schools are private schools that are affiliated with some religious organization and whose curriculum includes religion along with all major subjects. As a graduate of Catholic schools, I believe it is important that the traditions and religion classes be kept alive in these schools. The standards were approved without consideration of how they would affect Catholic schools (Strauss 4). The Catholic education is geared at preparing students for a life of spirit, truth, and faith in God, all of which are never mentioned in the CCSS. Adopting the standards into Catholic schools will essentially diminish them of their tradition to help children not only obtain an education but to develop their faith. As an education major, I have observed many Catholic schools. On the walls, on the boards, and in the hallways, there are examples of prayer and religion everywhere. Taking this away wou ld be taking away the identity of these students. This will ultimately lead to the some students being ashamed of their religion. Another issue that arises is the involvement of the federal government. Independent and parochial schools are independent in their finances and governance and in most cases rely on tuition for funding. The CCSS are state-led efforts but, because these  schools are free from state and federal government financing and guidance, they will not be able to afford the implementation of the CCSS. One of the reasons people believe CCSS are needed is because of the idea that America’s school system has low national test scores. This is not because the current standards are not working; the real issue is poverty. The reason for low-test scores is that about 23% of American students live in poverty. Finland, which has the highest-ranking test scores, has only 5% of students living in poverty (Krashen 37). Poverty stricken children in Queens, NY that have a lack of health care, food insecurity, and lack of library access will not succeed as well as a student going to a school in the Upper East Side of New York City. For example, studies show that food-insecure children are more likely to have slow language development, and problems in social behavior and emotional control (Krashen 38). This results in missed schools days, causing students to repeat grades, which leads to low achievement scores. Instead of spending money on implementing the standards, schools need to spend t he funds on sufficient food programs, improved health care (including more school nurses), and more money going towards libraries in lower-income schools. Some in favor of the CCSS believe that the standards will ensure that all students, no matter what race, gender, or state they are in, will have the same set of skills when graduating to each new grade level (Gardner and Powell 50). Although this is a great notion in theory, the idea that every single student in America will know the exact same things is a major overgeneralization. Even with the CCSS, children with disabilities are physically and mentally incapable of learning the same things at the same rate as a student in advanced or gifted programs. The CCSS have also increased the rigor of the curriculum students are learning. Therefore, students who are already struggling to not fall behind will struggle even further causing the students, parents, and teachers to suffer. In addition to underachieving students, overachieving students will also be negatively affected by the standards. Children who learn faster than others, or who are naturally smarter than their peers will be for ced to learn at the same pace as students who are not as gifted. This will result in students being bored  and losing all interest in school. If every single child in America had the same cognitive abilities, the CCSS would be the answer; but they are not. Other proponents believe that the CCSS will make sure all students graduating from high school are college ready. The problem with this is, America has too many over educated students; the professional work force does not have enough jobs for American students when they graduate. If all students are college ready, no one will want to work at grocery stores, fast food restaurants, mechanic shops, etc. If every student gets a degree and starts work in the professional world, the economy will eventually fail. There will be no farmers to produce groceries; there will be no waitresses; there will be no janitors or cleaning services. In order for this country’s economy to produce money, there needs to be people who do not earn college degrees. One major reason people are supporting the CCSS is because they are state-led instead of being dictated by the federal government. The federal government is largely imposing the CCSS. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, both of which do not represent states, created the standards. The hasty adoption by most states was federal action. To compete for a part of the $4.35 billion Race to the Top (ADD DEFINITION) reward, a federal government led education effort, states had to adopt the CCSS (McCluskey). When the CCSS came about, the Obama administration only gave states two options: adopt the CCSS or make sure a state university certified a student as college ready. Also, the U.S. Department of Education funded two programs that created the national tests that coincide with the CCSS (McCluskey). With all of this federal involvement, the CCSS is no longer a state-led effort. It is a â€Å"one-size-fits-all† program that ignores the nee ds of the individual states. The reason to oppose the CCSS is not because of the content, some of which is great, the reason is that the CCSS lacks most qualities needed to be considered authoritative, or to even be considered standards. Sadly, the CCSS is generating in America’s education system severe and lasting damage that would take decades to reverse. The CCSS is bad for states, teachers,  students, parents, and anyone associated with the education process. Now, ask yourself these questions again. Is a girl in your neighborhood being taught the same things as a boy in another neighborhood? Is a graduating senior in Baton Rouge as prepared to get a job as a graduating senior in Minneapolis? Still, the answer is â€Å"no†. Do you believe me now that this is a good answer? Works Cited Bidwell, Allie. â€Å"The History Of Common Core State Standards.† U.S. News Digital Weekly 6.9 (2014): 7. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Common Core State Standards Initiative., 2012. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. Herbert, Marion. â€Å"Common Core’s Implications For Special Ed Students.† District Administration 47.2 (2011): 10.Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Krashen, Stephen. â€Å"THE COMMON CORE. (Cover Story).† Knowledge Quest 42.3 (2014): 36-45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2014. McCluskey, Neal. â€Å"No Child Is Standard.† Reading Today 31.2 (2013): 30. Academic SearchComplete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014. Strauss, Valerie. â€Å"Catholic scholars blast Common Core in letter to U.S. bishops.† Washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Feb. 2014.

Jane Eyre Character Analysis - 1402 Words

In her novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte BrontÃ'‘ depicts the characters of Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason as being negatively perceived by society, as they are both treated unfairly and are seemingly undesirable and disregarded. Looked down upon by society, they are made to feel suppressed and as if their thoughts do not matter. Such feelings of oppression seem to drive both Jane and Bertha to madness; Bertha seems to embody the inner rage that Jane tries to control within herself throughout the novel. Through drawing parallels between Jane and Bertha, BrontÃ'‘ highlights the oppression commonly faced by women in Victorian society and seems to suggest that the constant subjugation that they face causes them to turn to rage and madness as a form of†¦show more content†¦She is viewed as inadequate and unpleasant, not living up to the standards to which she is held. Similarly, Bertha faces oppression and suffocation in her life at Thornfield, with a similar negative perception by soc iety. She is forced to stay in her room on the third floor throughout her days while having no contact with the outside world, only having the opportunity to leave when Grace Poole falls asleep. Jane describes Bertha’s laugh to be â€Å"mirthless† and â€Å"suppressed†, highlighting Bertha’s disdain at her constant state of entrapment (BrontÃ'‘ 107, 147). Bertha is also referred to as a â€Å"lunatic†, demonstrating how, similar to Jane, she is viewed as useless and crazy and is therefore unwanted by society (BrontÃ'‘ 295). Sandra Gilbert asserts that the problems faced by Jane and Bertha are â€Å"symptomatic of difficulties Everywoman in a patriarchal society must meet and overcome† (Gilbert 1). Through exploring how Jane and Bertha are comparably oppressed in their respective settings, BrontÃ'‘ appears to suggest that Victorian women were often suffocated by the restraints of society. BrontÃ'‘ depicts society’s perception o f Jane and Bertha in an analogous manner. Both characters are often described as feral animals—while at Gateshead, Jane is called a â€Å"bad animal† by John Reed, while also being compared to a â€Å"mad cat†Show MoreRelatedJane Eyre Character Analysis950 Words   |  4 PagesJane Eyre is one of many characters in literature that readers can show true empathy to. She is an honorable woman, humble and courageous, kind but strong-willed. While many stories rely on imperfect lead protagonists who fail in order to relate to the downtrodden nature of the human condition, Jane is altogether different. She appeals to the nobler parts of one’s self, a part that is equally common to everyone, but by which one is rarely reminded of. 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The protagonist of the novel would generallyRead MoreUse of Gothic Elements in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre1729 Words   |  7 PagesUSE OF GOTHIC ELEMENTS IN CHARLOTTE BRONTES ‘JANE EYRE Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre was published in the middle of the nineteenth century. Bronte was greatly influenced by the Gothic novels that were in fashion before the time of Jane Eyre. The Gothic novel was popularised in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and was defined by its use of suspense, supernatural elements, and desolate locations to generate a gloomy or chilling mood. The protagonist of the novel would generally