Equity and ‘No Fee’ Schools in South Africa: Challenges and Prospects

Despite almost 20 years of democratic governance in South Africa, there is growing evidence that equitable access to quality education remains elusive for the majority of its children. In 2007, the Department of Education declared 40 per cent of schools in the country to be ‘no fee’ schools and, by 2011, 60 per cent of all schools had been designated as such. This article examines the introduction and the effects to date of the no fee schools policy, and assesses the progress of South Africa's undoubtedly pro‐poor education policies towards promoting equality in education and, above all, achieving equity of access to resource allocation. It discusses the main challenges and issues relating to the implementation of the no fee policy at provincial and school levels while also considering the efficacy of existing equitable funding instruments, and concludes with suggestions for how more effective and equitable access to quality education can be realized.     

Visceral adiposity index is associated with premature ejaculation inversely: a cross-sectional study

Objective: Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a novel indicator for the assessment of visceral obesity. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between VAI and premature ejaculation (PE).

Materials and method: A total of 300 men were included in the study. Hundred and fifty men with PE and 150 men without PE (control). All men were evaluated for PE by premature ejaculation diagnostic tool (PEDT). VAI levels were calculated using body mass index (BMI), high density lipoprotein and triglyceride (TG) levels.

Results: Mean age of the study groups was 34.3?±?5.2 (30–60) years and the mean age of the controls were 35.9?±?5.3 (30–60) years. The men with PE had lower BMI, TG levels, waist circumference (WC) and higher high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Mean VAI level was 4.13?±?0.7 in study group and 5.72?±?1.6 in control group, respectively. VAI levels were statistically higher in men without PE (p?Discussion: Our cross-sectional study demonstrated a negative correlation between VAI and PE. VAI is superior index for the evaluation and calculation the relationship between obesity and PE.     

Power comparison of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test under ranked set sampling and simple random sampling

Many studies have been used to compare the power of several goodness-of-fit (GOF) tests under simple random sampling (SRS) and ranked set sampling (RSS). In our study, a different design procedure and ranking process in RSS are thoroughly investigated. A simulation study is conducted to compare the power of the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test under SRS and RSS with different sets and cycle sizes for several distributions. Level-2 sampling design and partially rank-ordered sets are used. Also, we benefited from auxiliary variables in the ranking process. Finally, results are presented with tables and figures. Under these conditions we show that the RSS has better performance against the SRS in finite population.     

The beta generalized linear exponential distribution

In this paper, a new five-parameter lifetime distribution called beta generalized linear exponential distribution (BGLED) is introduced. It includes at least 17 popular sub-models as special cases such as the beta linear exponential, the beta generalized exponential, and the exponentiated generalized linear distributions. Mathematical and statistical properties of the proposed distribution are discussed in details. In particular, explicit expression for the density function, moments, asymptotics distributions for sample extreme statistics, and other statistical measures are obtained. The estimation of the parameters by the method of maximum-likelihood is discussed and the finite sample properties of the maximum-likelihood estimators (MLEs) are investigated numerically. A real data set is used to demonstrate its superior performance fit over several existing popular lifetime models.     

中国经济增长的整体预测——基于月度扩散指数的实证

利用39个宏观经济指标构建中国月度扩散指数,分析了各扩散指数的特征,并利用动态因素模型预测中国2009年4季度至2010年3季度的GDP增长率,取得了较好的预测效果。实证结果表明,基于扩散指数的动态因素模型,具有提高模型自由度、降低多重共线性、综合大量信息、保证预测精确性等优势,对于宏观经济预测分析和决策具有一定的作用。     

差序格局下绩效评价公平与员工绩效关系研究

运用参照认知理论,探讨差序格局下员工绩效评价公平感知对工作绩效的特殊作用机理。以本土企业39个工作组274名员工为研究对象,结合个体感知差异和组织差序氛围两个层面的影响因素,运用线性阶层模型检验二者跨层次交互作用对员工绩效的影响,同时对组织为削弱偏私主义而强化绩效评价公平的努力效果进行检验。研究结果表明,与西方经典理论不同的是,绩效评价公平感知正向影响任务绩效仅在低差序氛围下才显著,因而淡化差序氛围的影响、降低主管在绩效评价中的主导权有助于提升公平感知对任务绩效的预测力;正规化与程序公平、分配公平的交互作用对任务绩效有负向影响,揭示出绩效评价的本土实践存在一个公平悖论,即不实行刚性化评价难以消除黑箱操作,而实行刚性化评价又容易落入买椟还珠陷阱;正规化与互动公平的交互作用对任务绩效有正向影响,说明注重情理交融、增强规则的张力有助于提高绩效评价的有效性。     

Western Liberal Democracy: The Struggle of Muslims for Freedom,Equality and Dignity

The increasingly multicultural fabric of Western liberal democracies has given rise to the issue of the presence of Muslim minorities in the West, as rising hatred and hostility toward Islam and Muslims in the West undermine the three guiding principles of freedom, equality and dignity that underpin the foundation of liberal democracy, human rights and multiculturalism. Today, Muslims in the West struggle for freedom, equality and dignity to ensure their ethnocultural survival and full and equal participation within the mainstream society. Therefore, it would be quite correct to say that the endurance of liberal democracy, human rights and multiculturalism built on the Western civilization depends on the eradication of Western Islamophobia.     

克里斯蒂娜·罗塞蒂《小妖精集市》中的女性主义声音

克里斯蒂娜.罗塞蒂是英国维多利亚时期一位重要的女诗人,《小妖精集市》被认为是她最负盛名的一首儿童诗歌。通过对诗歌文本的细读,我们发现《小妖精集市》的字里行间隐含着克里斯蒂娜的女性主义情怀和声音。     

基于利率市场化下我国城市商业银行发展的SWOT分析

2013年7月20日,央行决定全面放开金融机构贷款利率管制,这一举措表明我国利率改革进入了一个更高的层次。城市商业银行作为80年代城市信用社改制后的产物,运用其自身优势,近几年发展迅猛。本文基于利率市场化冲击下,对我国城市商业银行进行了SWOT分析,并在此基础上提出了相应的解决方法。