Should a voucher system be used We should make punishments to introduce choice and competition between schools? for corruption and bribery A voucher system is an alternative method of funding education. Instead of tax revenue being distributed to state-run schools, parents are issued directly with vouchers, which can be spent on education in any school, either privately or publicly run. Now systems of voucher funding are in place in several American states and European municipalities. But is that worthy to run this kind of educational system? These are such arguments to keep this system going. Corruption is operationally defined as the misuse of entrusted power for private gain. Facilitation payments, where a bribe is paid to receive preferential treatment for something that the receiver is required to do by law. Corruption affects people's lives in a multitude of ways. In the worst cases, corruption costs people’s lives. In countless other cases, it costs their freedom, health, or money. It is becoming an international problem due to increasing level of globalization and international trade. So, how do you think about this corruption and bribery problem? Let’s take a look. State-educational provision is failing, despite increasing investment in it. Children are locked into bad schools, particularly in inner-city and underprivileged areas. Parents must be given the opportunity to escape from bad state education systems if educational standards are to improve. Bad schools must be allowed to close and good schools expand. There is no point pumping money into fundamentally unsound schools. Evidence that education can be provided more efficiently by the private sector than the State-run schools, because State-run schools are more expensive per head than private equivalents. Without incentives, schools will not improve. That’s been proven. Vouchers introduce market forces into the education system. Schools have to attract pupils in order to attract funds and are thus forced to provide attractive and effective services as the result. Vouchers not only encourage efficiency, they also promote innovation and specialization. As schools work to attract particular kinds of pupils, variety and choice within the education system is increased. By having such points above, it is necessary to expand our educational system to have this voucher system run. more strict In every society there will be those who try to "beat the system" and if the society has moral or political vulnerabilities, there will be more of them. Bribery cannot be justified because it is a serious crime, which undermines the principles of democracy and leads to economic harm as well as social tension by keeping the poorest. Many officials practice corruption to recoup the cost of buying their position, which perpetuates corruption and puts their interests ahead of those of society. International standards on prosecution of companies who bribe foreign officials may encourage positive changes in national legislation as well, thus eliminating legal flaws to combat corruption. At this point, the national problem about the law will be helped by international law standards. In different cultures the lines between the acceptable and unacceptable are drawn differently. However, there are limits in all societies, beyond which an action becomes corrupt and unacceptable. The abuse of power for private gain and the siphoning off of public or common resources to private pockets should be illegal and unacceptable in all cultures and societies. Realizing that both corruption and bribery have the bad impact to our society, so it is important to strict the regulation against those things, acts through the law enforcement. Supposed the government is responsible for heading this way. Sir_Danoe for SMAK IPEKA Sunter 1 NO SMOKING FOR TEACHERS AT SCHOOL In my subjective opinion teachers should not smoke at school. Well at least, there are several reasons why I strongly disagree if teachers do smoking at school. Firstly, ‘No Smoking’ regulation applied for students will not be effective at all. People say that teachers are as models. Therefore, they should give good examples for their students, especially in behavior. Moreover, Indonesian people belong to a society who have paternalistic behavior pattern. Indonesian youngsters always imitate what older people do. So it useless is prohibiting students from smoking at school while their teachers satisfactorily inhale their favorite cigarette smoke. Secondly, smoking makes classrooms and school environment dirty. Most of teachers who smoke carelessly throw away the cigarette ashes and ends everywhere. They scatter on the table, on the floor, in the glasses, on pots, and at the school yard. This makes the school environment messy and uncomfortable place to study. Thirdly, passive smokers become the victims of active smokers. Smoke coming out from cigarettes can dangerously affect the people around. Teachers should bear in mind that their students inhale poisonous smoke while they enjoy the taste of their cigarettes. As a matter of fact, people who do not smoke become victims of smokers at school. Lastly, smoking makes nasty smell. For smokers cigarettes they love have nice smell. In fact, cigarettes end left by their colleagues who smoke. In classroom students have to fan cigarette smoke to get rid of the annoying smell. Considering for the moral/ethic, healthy, and environmental reasons, I believe that teachers must not always smoke at school. Sir_Danoe for SMAK IPEKA Sunter 2 Assignments: 15A Sentosa Street Kota Banyan QUESTIONS: 1. What does the writing intend to? 8 May 2008 2. What is the issue raised by the writer? The Zoo Director Roamingham Zoo 1 Wild Street Freetown 30780 3. What is the writer’s argument that animals should be free to run in the wild and not be kept in zoos? Dear Sir, I am concerned about the animals kept in the zoos. I think all the zoos in the world should be shut down because they are a terrible place for animals to live in. Animals should be free to run in the wild and not 4. What does the writer think about elephants and penguins which live in enclosures with concrete floors? 5. What physical effect do animals that live in enclosure get? be kept in zoos. It is very disturbing to see animals crammed up inside cages too small for them. The enclosures are not very exciting either. They do not 6. What is the writer’s point of view about animals which are given food? like the place where the animals come from or can be comfortable in. for instance; animals like tigers, elephants and penguins live in enclosures or cages with 7. What is the writer’s recommendation on the closure of zoos? concrete floors. Animals get bored in their enclosures or cages as they have nothing to do. They are so distressed; they walk up and down the same path or round and round inside cages day after day looking dreadfully sad. BECAUSE WHEREAS ALTHOUGH CONSEQUENTLY THUS HENCE Animals in captivity cannot behave as they would in the wild. It is unnatural for wild animals to have food given to them. Animals kept in zoos are deprived of their natural behavior of chasing other animals for food. Some animals are in danger of becoming extinct. As zoo animals are not living in their natural environment, many of them have difficulty in reproduction. Even when their young are born, they do not always survive. This causes an even greater risk of some animals of becoming extinct. I believe you wouldn’t want your family to be locked in a cage for the rest of their lives. Therefore, please do something about the zoo animals – set the animals free! Yours Faithfully, Yvonne Lee Fill in the blanks with suitable connectors! I think there is too much homework for the students to cope with nowadays. As they saying goes “all work no play makes Jack a dull boy.” It is important that we have a well balanced school life. We must have time to study, to play, and to relax. It is unfair that we are loaded with too much homework (1) _______________ it is equally important for us to set aside sufficient time for relaxing. I do agree it is important to have homework like English and Math, (2) _______________ for other homework like research, I do not think it is essential. In my opinion, I don’t agree that every student should have the same amount of work (3) __________ they are in the same class. (4) ____________, homework should be given in accordance with their academic capabilities. (5) _____________, I do think that the amount of homework should increase when the students reach universities. (6) ______________, I appeal to the Sir_Danoe for SMAK IPEKA Sunter 3 authority’s concern to reconsider reviewing the policy on homework for students who are still below the tertiary education level. DIFFERENT CHORES During the school holiday, kids on skateboards are seen everywhere. They can be found at shopping malls, busy roads (4) _______________ car parks. They create a lot of nuisance in the public areas. RELAXING (5) ______________, I recommend that, for the EQUALLY HOUSE CONSISTS PROCESS safety purpose, skateboard should be banned. NOT ALLOWED Complete the passage by using your own words! Title: Fill in the blanks with suitable connectors! Most people think that cooking meals, for family, is a woman’s job. Man sits around, enjoying or (1) _____________ himself at home, while woman slogs in the kitchen. THE NEGATIVE EFFECT OF ROCK MUSIC Thesis: Good music should give some advantages for people. For example, the music of Mozart can Yet my family is (2) _______________. Both my increase someone intelligence or pop music can parents are good cooks. On weekdays my father is reassure someone’s feeling. However, it is different busy with his office work but on every Sunday or with the rock music. holiday, he makes effort to cook for the family and also does the house (3) _______________ for my mother. He will do the (4) _______________ from Arguments: Many controversies have sprung around this kind of music. Those who can not tolerate with rock planning, shopping, cooking to washing. On that day, my mother is (5) _______________ to enter the kitchen and my father will prepare all the three meals each (6) ________________ of music consider it as a negative influence on young people. There are those who do not approve of the way rockers dress and behave. Some go further and various tasty dishes. I think every boy should learn the art of cooking accuse rock of Satanism. For example, Ozzy and (7) _______________ keeping. In this way, man Osbourne, a famous rock star, often bit the head off and woman can (8) _______________ share works in small animals and drank their blood on stage. Many the family. people considered such acts affiliated with Satanism. There are also occasions where teens commit suicide after going to such a concert or listening to THEREFORE BECAUSE MOREOVER AND the music. Such cases strengthened the conviction of many people that rock music, such as heavy metal, THUS underground music is truly a bad influence. Fill in the blanks with suitable connectors! Recommendation: In my opinion, skating is a very dangerous sport (1) _____________ because kids on skateboard never watch where they are going. When they skate on the road, they don’t bother the oncoming traffic and (2) _____________ accident happens. (3) I feel that we must concern with our young generation. I am appealing the music and entertainment promoters not to invite rockers or give rock concerts, for rocks concerts usually present wild impacts on young generation. ______________, the skaters are never concern about the safety of the pedestrians. Sometimes pedestrians are knocked down by reckless skaters. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam Sir_Danoe for SMAK IPEKA Sunter 4 Assignment for Composition 1. Some people think that a hacker is a bad guy, but some think he is not. So, how do you think about this issue? 2. Some people say that it is okay for students use mobile phone at school, some say it is not. So, how do you think about this issue? Example for the lay out: I think it is (good/no good) for students to __________ My reasons are as follows. Firstly, ___________ Secondly, ______________ Finally, ______________ Thus, I strongly recommend that _____________ Sir_Danoe for SMAK IPEKA Sunter 5