Tuesday, January 28, 2020

State-funded faith schools

State-funded faith schools This paper will look at the way in which state-funded faith schools came into being in the United Kingdom. It will argue that government educational policy and its immigration and integration policies play a key role in determining the need for the provision of state faith schools. The state funding of faith schools has a long history in the United Kingdom. The National Society of the Church of England founded 17,000 schools to offer education to the poor between 1811 and1860. (DfES, p.2) The state funding of these schools began in 1870 when Church and other voluntary institutions began to receive funds to supplement and assist them in their educational provision. (Cush, p.435) As at January 2008, of the 20,587 maintained primary and secondary schools in the UK, 6,827 have a religious character and of these nine are Muslim. (Bolton, 2009,Table 1) There are three types of schools with religious character in the UK maintained, academies and independent schools with the state providing funding for the first two. Maintained schools are either: voluntary controlled which means the Local Education Authority provides all the funding in return for control mostly over religious education and governance (most Church of England schools are voluntary controlled); and voluntary aided where the state provides 90% of the funding for more control over religious education and governance (most other denominations fall into this category, especially Roman Catholic schools). (Cush p. 435-436). Christian and Jewish faith schools were the only faith schools receiving state funding until 1998 when the Islamia Schools Trust, after a battle of 12 years, was awarded voluntary aide d status for its schools. Whilst there are only nine state funded Muslim schools, there are over 100 Muslim schools in Britain. These independent schools tend to co-ordinate their efforts through the Association of Muslim Schools. On November 11th, 2007 during Prime Ministers Questions, the government stated that regarding education it is committed to a diverse system of schools driven by parental needs and aspirations; that the Government does not have targets for faith schools but remains committed to supporting the establishment of new schools by a range of providers. (Bolton, 2009, p.14) Reaffirming the Governments position on faith schools, Ed Balls, the then Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families said on January 9th, 2008: It is not the policy of the Government or my Department to promote more faith schools. We have no policy to expand their numbers. That should be a matter for local communities. (Bolton, 2009, p.16) The drive for some members of the Muslim community towards their own faith schools needs to be understood in light of the backdrop of Muslim migration into the UK, their subsequent integration and recent world events. The first Muslims arriving from South Asia in the 1950s were semi-skilled or unskilled labourers. They had a tendency to stay insulated from the wider community this being as much a function of their own choice as a response to the racism and social exclusion they were experiencing. (Hefner, p.227) Subsequent open immigration policies of the 1970s allowed their families to follow and now 75% of all Muslims in the UK are from South Asia. According to the 2001 census, the approximately 1.6 million British Muslims make up roughly 3% of the population. (Hefner, p. 227) In the UK, Muslim has become synonymous with Pakistani. Third generation British-born Muslim families no longer think of themselves as immigrants, although what it means to be a British Muslim is still a concept being negotiated. Our identities are defined as much by our own understanding of our histories as by how we think others perceive us. In recent years, the identity of Muslims has been tied up with world events and striking representations in the media. Since September 11th, 2001, Muslims have been bombarded by an overwhelmingly hostile media and a government apparently intent on impinging on the liberties and human rights of its Muslim citizens. Salma Hafejee described an event that evoked not uncommon feelings in her 21 year old son. Speaking on a film for Our Lives, a project which explored the insights and experiences of Muslim women in Bradford, she told the story of a weekend visit her son took to Barcelona. Coincidently, on the weekend of his trip there had been a series of arrests made in Barcelona in connection with what h ad been described as terrorist activities. On his return home, her son was met by police and questioned for several hours. She said he had always felt British and believed that his British passport would protect him, but for the first time he felt an alien in his own home. (Speak-it, 2009) One can well imagine that this experience and the constant barrage of negative images relating to his faith in the media must have been bewildering. Naturally surrounded by such hostility and otherised in this way, a community would have a tendency to close ranks and look inward for comfort, protection and security. This situation can be seen as some justification for why the Muslim community turned to Muslim schools to preserve their communal identity and Muslim practices. The Education Reform Act 1988 states that schools should promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and in society Some Muslims were beginning to question whether a non-Muslim schooling environment would be able to adequately fulfil that need for their children. The Education Act of 1944 made religion the only subject it was compulsory to teach in school, but the teaching of religion is relatively superficial, meaning that from the perspective of those for whom a religious ethos is important, mainstream schools are unable to provide the spiritual and religious dimension adequately. How governments deal with the provision of religion does seem to have some bearing on the educational choices of parents. An examination of Belgium and The Netherlands shows that when the government provision of religious education is high, the demand for religious schools is muted. In Belgium, 4% of the population is Muslim primarily of Turkish or Moroccan descent. Since 1975, it has been the law to provide Islamic instruction in state schools on the same basis as other religions are taught. The first, and only, state funded Islamic primary school opened in 1989 and seems to be linked to the inability of two municipalities to appoint officially recognised teachers and thereby their refusal to provide Islamic instruction. In The Netherlands, 6% of the population is Muslim and also primarily of Turkish or Moroccan descent. The state does not have a policy for the specific provision of Islamic instruction and there are 45 Islamic schools in The Netherlands. (Merry, 2005) In the UK, the lack of adequate provision of religious education in mainstream state schools, the hostility of the media, the government and the public to their faith and community, and the recorded underachievement of Pakistanis in mainstream schools combine to form a powerful motivator for Muslim parents to take over control of the education of their child. Given the UK governments expansive rhetoric about promoting and supporting Britain to be a multi-cultural society, and its stated commitment to a diverse system of schools driven by parental needs and aspirations, the support of Muslim state funded schools is an easy stretch. But an agreed definition of a multicultural society seems woefully lacking. The government has a policy of promoting multiculturalism but if it is unable to define what a multicultural society could look like, how does it know that the policies it is promoting are effective to meeting this end? Todays multicultural Britain has many faces dependent largely on ethnicity, geography and social class, which in turn is one of the determinants of educational achievement. Is multicultural simply the acknowledgment of diversity in our society or is it an engagement with that diversity to create a society that is pluralistic? Does it mean that we are all free to live in our own sub-worlds without interface with the wider community or does it mean that we are encouraged to engage with each other? Where is the thread that binds us as citizens if we live entirely culturally independent lives? This was a question that was raised by Ray Honeyford more than twenty years ago and it is still a question that warrants addressing thoughtfully today. In 1982 Bradford Council issued guidelines for its aim in education. These included: preparing children for a life in a multicultural society; countering racism and the inequalities of discrimination; developing the strengths of cultural and linguistic diversity; and responding to the needs of minority groups. Ray Honeyford was a headteacher in a Bradford middle school and he was concerned that the educational policies he was expected to implement were unworkable. He argued that the 20% of Bradfords Islamic immigrant population had intentions to remain in Britain. For their sake and for the sake of others, they should participate fully in British life, and that in order to do so effectively their education needed to stress the primacy of the English language, and British culture, history and traditions. (Dalrymple, 2002) In 1984, Honeyford wrote an article that was rejected by The Times Educational Supplement before being published by the far right Salisbury Review. The fact that it was this publication that was the first method of transmission connoted a lot to its readers and no doubt would have influenced the subsequent interpretation of the article itself. In Education and Race an Alternative view Honeyford (2006) suggested that the perversion of language (he had a Masters in linguist ics) around race and cultural issues had made it impossible to speak honestly about the concerns and realities that our increasingly diverse society was throwing up. He highlighted that lumping together all non-whites into one category that was black created a dichotomy of anti-white solidarity. What we, today, call other-ing. His primary concern was the impact of an imposed multicultural mindset on the education of his students. British law obliges a parent to ensure that his or her child is registered and attends school regularly. He argued that the tendency for Asian families to take their children out of school and send them to the sub-continent for months at a time was not only illegal but had obvious negative educational effects. The Department of Education and Science turned a blind eye leaving headteachers, like Honeyford, to comply with an attendance policy based on the parents country of origin. He found this indefensible and cast it as an officially sanctioned policy of r acial discrimination. (Honeyford, 2006) Honeyford further highlighted that the absence of English as a primary language of instruction at the school left the ethnic white minority students in his schools educationally disadvantaged. His broader concern was how the functioning of inner cities with its production of ethnic ghettos, and multi-racial educational policies could produce an integrated and harmonious society. He concluded: I suspect that these elements, far from helping to produce harmony, are, in reality, operating to produce a sense of fragmentation and discord. And I am no longer convinced that the British genius for compromise, for muddling though, and for good natured tolerance will be sufficient to resolve the inevitable tensions. (Honeyford, 2006) Post-publication, Honeyford endured a protracted and bitter campaign against him leading to his eventual early retirement. The vitriolic response to his assertions for better and more integrative education did not raise the government action. Issues raised by the Honeyford Affair continue to be debated more than two decades later. Honeyfords tough and courageous questioning of issues that the government was too uncomfortable to raise and try and work through have left a lasting vacuum on integration and the harmonious and multicultural world we reasonably aspire to. In light of these affairs, the debate on faith schools which predominantly relates to maintained schools leads us first to ask what the aim and purpose of education is. Is education intended to provide us with skills for employment, in which case it is driven by a practical measurable output? Or is in intended for, as Aristotle called it, human flourishing? And are these two necessarily mutually exclusive? If education is deemed a human right, then what role does the child play in determining the education that he receives? These questions dont seem to have been directly touched upon by those debating the desirability of faith schools. Given the faith school debate touches on areas of education, politics and religion it is unlikely to be a dispassionate one. Most of the debate is opinion- rather than evidence-based (Cush p.440) and writers on the issue repeatedly bemoan the lack of empirical evidence to substantiate claims from either side. As Muslims are becoming acutely aware of their minority status, the drive towards Islamic schools is as much a response to the attack on their identity as it is about the ethos of education. According to Heffner and Zaman (2007, p. 228) In recent years, the issue of Islamic education has been a vital part of the debate about what it means to be a British Muslim today and an important terrain in the negotiation of identity, citizenship and co-existence. Mainstream education tends to view the world though an Anglo-Saxon lens and achievements are Europeanised. The study of the contributions made by Muslim scholars over the centuries in many subject areas is a boost to self-esteem and those calling for Muslim schools are looking for a change in the way the world is viewed. The mission statement of the Islamia Trust Schools states that it strive[s] to provide the best education in a secure Islamic environment through the knowledge and application of the Quran and Sunnah. (Islamia) What this requires is a reconception of the way in which any subject can be taught, negotiating as it must through the Quran and the Sunnah. The argument being made is that Muslim children are becoming de-Islamised (Khan-Cheema, p.83) and that mainstream schools are failing to provide an ethos in which all, not just secular, aspects of a childs life are catered for. Concern for the lack of single sex provision in the mainstream for girls is also voiced as a co ncern and a reason for requiring the provision of Muslim schools. The academic underachievement of Pakistanis in mainstream schools is well recognised, but their achievement in faith schools is well above average (Bolton, 2009). The direct connection linking improved academic results and faith schools should be made cautiously as academic achievement is also liked to the economic and social class of the family. The case against Muslim faith schools is a compelling one. Those fighting this position say that these schools are a breeding ground for fundamentalist and intolerant religious views that are not inclusive of the majority. They propagate segregation and voluntary apartheid and create ghettos which exclude other races and faiths, thus creating social division. With Islam almost universally cast as a threat to world order this raises questions relating to citizenship and loyalty. Those in this camp may draw some of their inspiration from the position Honeyford took on the need to integrate rather than segregate more than 2 decades ago. Why would, and how could, an immigrant who lands in the UK who is able to create for himself an environment that reflects culturally, socially, and educationally the one which he left, have any opportunity to build loyalty to his host country. Clearly the governments position on what a multicultural Britain would look like needs to be debated much more openly if only so we can try and understand how we will get there. A laissez-faire each-to-his own policy cannot surely provide the way forward. The questions Honeyford asked more than 20 years ago, distasteful as they were, are questions we might need to ask again today. References Bolton, Paul Gillie, Christine (2009). Faith schools: admissions and performance. House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/SG/4405 Cush, Denise (2005). Review: The Faith Schools Debate. British Journal of Sociology and Education, Vol.26, No.3 (Jul.,2005), pp. 435-442 Department for Children, Schools and Families (DfES). Faith in the System: The role of schools with a religious character in English education and society. Hefner, Robert W. Zaman, Muhammad Q. (2007) Schooling Islam: The culture and politics of Modern Muslim Education. Princeton University Press. Hewer, Chris (2001). Schools for Muslims. Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 27, No. 4, The State, Schools and Religion (Dec.,) 2001), pp.515-527 Hewitt, Ibrahim (1996). The Case for Muslim Schools in Issues in Islamic Education. The Muslim Educational Trust, London. Hussain, Imitiaz, A. (2003), Migration and Settlement: A Historical Perspective of Loyalty and Belonging in British Muslims: Loyalty and Belonging, ed Mohammad Siddique Seddon, Dilwar Hussain, Nadeem Malik. The Islamic Foundation, Leicestershire. Khan-Cheema, Muhammad, A. (1996). British Muslims in State Schools: a positive way forward in Issues in Islamic Education. The Muslim Educational Trust, London. Lawson, Ibrahim (2005). Leading Islamic Schools in the UK: A challenge for us all. National College for School Leadership. Merry, Michael S. Driessen, Geert (2005). Islamic Schooling in Three Western Countries: Policy and Procedure. Comparative Education, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Nov., 2005), pp. 411-432 Parker, Stephen (2005/2006). Review: In Good Faith: Schools, Religion and Public Funding. Journal of Law and Religion, Vol. 21, No. 1 (2005/2006), pp. 217-219 Speak-it Productions (2009). Film Our Lives Project http://www.youtube.com/ourlivesproject#p/u/4/lFnuhPijzXM

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Stress Essays -- essays research papers

Stress Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing surroundings. It has physical and emotional effects on us and can make good or bad feelings. As a good influence, stress can help motivate us to do something, or help us through the day. As a bad influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression (overall, make you feel really crappy), which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomachs, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion (or demotion), or a new relationship, we experience stress as we change our lives to cater to this. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hurt us depending on how we react to it. The circumstances that cause stress are called stressors. Stressors vary in harshness and duration. For example, the responsibility of caring for a sick parent may be an ongoing source of major stress, whereas getting stuck in a traffic jam may cause mild, short-term stress. Some events, such as the death of a loved one, are stressful for everyone. But in other situations, individuals may respond differently to the same event—what a stressor is for one person may not be stressor for another. For example, a student who is unprepared for a chemistry test and anticipates a bad grade may feel stress, on the other hand a classmate who stud...

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Drugs in Schools Essay

It is said that the majority of high school students have witnessed illegal drugs being used in their schools, illegal drugs being sold, illegal drugs in the possession of students, students high on drugs and students that are drunk. Parents think that until they get rid the schools of drugs, students will not bring good grades and achieve high marks. In schools in Newfoundland and Labrador, drugs are a huge issue. Smoking weed has become as regular as smoking a cigarette. The youth are even selling marijuana amongst themselves. All kinds of drugs are being used such as crystal meth, pot and ecstasy. In America, 60% of high school students and 30% or middle school students returned to school this year where illegal drugs are used, kept and sold. Many reports found that drug abuse will increase and will add $41 billion to the cost of elementary and secondary education this year for class disruption and violence, special education and tutoring. Parents say that drugs have infested schools and threatened students and their ability to learn and develop their talents. If parents would feel strongly about drugs in schools, we would have drug-free schools. It seems that more and more high school students are using drugs every year. Mostly, 10.5% of the youth that come for treatment are kids who started using drugs before the age of eleven. The media says that it is the parents, school board and the authorities to be held responsible for this because they never asked for drug-free schools.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Human s Problems And Issues - 1562 Words

Human’s problems and issues in this real world are required spectacular potential solutions that is created by design thinkers. Design thinking is the process of examining and defining the world from multiple perspectives using the distinct feature of design thinking. Thus, this leads to develop and create new methods that meet the consumer’s requirements and needs. Steve Jobs is one of the most successful entrepreneur in the world that has provoked various solutions to the customers throughout analysing the critical problems and considering all the opinion of the customers using empathy. This is demonstrated in 2001 when he announced the new Apple device iPod. Therefore, Jobs’ success is based on his ability to initiate empathy which is one of the design thinker’s feature that guided him to have an obvious connection and awareness of consumer’s issues, also evaluate and choose what is the valuable demands. Design thinking is a phenomenon that enables humans to draw, think and explore distinct and challengeable new aspects which obtain people’s desirable necessity and discover what they like and dislike in their lives. Therefore, it is one of the most essential tools that have been used by design tinkers to solve market problems and facilitate all business process. According to Herbert Simon in the Sciences of the Artificial (1969), Design thinking is â€Å"transformation of existing conditions into preferred ones† which means it is the capability to learn more about theShow MoreRelatedWorking With A Human Service Professional889 Words   |  4 PagesGary s surroundings have affected his conduct and basic leadership amid his puberty a considerable measure. The reality his mom is a smashed and has various sweethearts does not help Gary in particular. Gary s choices in life stem from decisions his folks made, even more so the decisions his mom has made, and is presently mak ing. 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The book studies a wide array of ethical issues including abortion, sex, race, ability, infanticide, politicalRead MoreEnvironmental Issues Essay1260 Words   |  6 Pagesthe advance of humans could be potentially fatal at the same time? What about a disease that was considered amp;#8220;dead;, resurfacing and killing unsuspecting people? What about the fact that we as human beings are ruining the only place for us to live, the earth? These questions sound outrageous, right? Wrong, these issues are considered environmental problems that we will soon face. These issues are very serious and many people have no idea that they even exist. To have problems and not even

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Crime, Violence and Masculinity - 1541 Words

Can the nation-state and culture combine forces to reduce interpersonal violence in the West? Violence is a difficult term to define, but for the purposes of this assignment violence can be defined as a crime or the threat to commit a crime by one person upon another person, and that usually that has negative physical or emotional effects upon the victim. Violence in Western society has been increasing steadily and has become a major concern for many nations. Increasingly, much of the violence is committed by male children and teenagers. Crimes by young people are no longer just misdemeanors, but they now include the major felonies of rape, robbery and homicide. The rise in violent crime in the last few decades has been accompanied†¦show more content†¦By the age of 18, the average American television viewer has witnessed over 32,000 murders and 40,000 attempted murders on television alone (American Psychological Association). These statistics do not include such violence seen in movies or heard in music. To witness such an amount of violence is clearly unreal istic and exploitative. Violence is being used by television programs as a superficial way of grabbing and holding an audiences attention. Producers of television programs that show violence must take the responsibility of showing a realistic amount of violence on their shows. That is, they must not use gratuitous violence to appeal to male viewers, or else the violent crime rate in the United States will rise. The federal government in the US has taken the initiative to curb not only the amount of violence that can be shown by one program, but also the level of violence that can be shown and to what audiences. By limiting the amount of violence shown on television before 10pm, the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, is trying to make sure that children are not exposed to the levels of gratuitous violence intended for more mature audiences. As early as the 1960s, studies reported that watching television can make children more aggressive. In fact, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the National Institute of Mental Health have all linkedShow MoreRelated Crime, Violence and Masculinity Essay1519 Words   |  7 Pagesreduce interpersonal violence in the West? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Violence is a difficult term to define, but for the purposes of this assignment violence can be defined as a crime or the threat to commit a crime by one person upon another person, and that usually that has negative physical or emotional effects upon the victim. Violence in Western society has been increasing steadily and has become a major concern for many nations. Increasingly, much of the violence is committed by male childrenRead MoreIntroduction In this paper, I argue that while sexual violence is arguably the monopoly of men, it1000 Words   |  4 Pagesargue that while sexual violence is arguably the monopoly of men, it is culturally cultivated rather than biologically determined. Consistent with the concept of Hegemonic Masculinity which theorises male domination of other males and subordination of females (Connell, 2005), I assert that rape is particularly rampant in societies where sexual violence is an effective means of attaining this status quo. Thus when rape is institutionalised in the context of war where masculinity is measured by the abilityRead MoreMasculinity in the Russian Mafia1677 Words   |  7 Pagesthe view of hegemonic masculinity as a a static, unified concept. 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According to his ex-wife, Mateen had a history of violence in relationships (para. 16). His mental stability was questioned and his religiouss affiliations were unclear, but on a call with 9-1-1 on the day of the shooting, Mateen declared allegiance to the leader of ISIS (para. 3, 13, 16). The shootingRead MoreMass Shootings And Its Effects On Society1523 Words   |  7 Pagesendured the horrific violence. Mass shootings are nothing new, however, they seem to be occurring more often and are becoming more and more violent. The three leading factors to mass shootings are problematic masculinity, mental illness, and gun control. Mass shootings in the U.S have many different causes as to why they occur. USA Today mentions that breakups, estrangements and family related problems make up the majority of mass killings. Although, many seem to blame gun violence and mental illnesses

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Of Mice and Men - 961 Words

Dreams vs. Reality The world is a deadly, unforgiving and often ironic place where people become all consumed by their surroundings. There are many occasions around the world in which people only care about themselves; for example on Black Friday people get pushed, hurt or even trampled because someone is trying to get the best deals before they are all gone. People have a tendency to lose sight of their goals and dreams. Mentally, people struggle to maintain their sanity in this game of life that has no set of rules. In the book Of Mice and Men, this story portrays the inequality between people’s dreams and what can actually be accomplished. John Steinbeck, the author Of Mice and Men, utilizes his general themes of friendship and†¦show more content†¦He is bullying Lennie because he jealous of the companionship between George and Lennie. He tries to hurt Lennie with lies of George deserting him, trying to make him see what it feels like to be so alone. Crooks envies their friendship ; it shows when he says: â€Å"George can tell you screwy things, and it don’t matter. It’s just the talking. It’s just bein with another guy† (Steinbeck 67). Crooks is lonely, and he is trying to make himself feel better by putting Lennie in the same position as he is. Crooks’ American dream was not achieved nor moved back, he didn’t really have one. He just was living at the ranch and he would always get picked on because of his skin color and his disability. He wanted racial equality, but that was so unlikely to happen, Crooks refused to even hope for it. Because he had nothing to hope for, he is a grouchy, negative man with nothing to live for. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck uses the themes of friendship and loneliness between characters to illustrate the â€Å"American Dream.† The characters: George and Lennie, Candy and the Old Dog, and Crooks are used to demonstrate how relationships work, and also the harsh differences between dreams and reality. In the end George decided to end Lennie’s life so that the other workers would not torture him and then kill him later. Finally, reality was stronger than all of theirShow MoreRelatedOf Mice and Men1242 Words   |  5 PagesOf Mice and Men Thomas Hobbes in his Leviathan states that, in the state of nature mans life is nasty, brutish and short. In depression era America, no greater truth could be said. There were millions unemployed, largely unskilled and living on the margins of society. The lowest of the low were the migrant labourers travelling from place to place trying to scratch a living. They often had to travel illegally by freight car with all its consequent dangers. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Case Study Solution about Astro Incorporated Financial Investments

Questions: Case I Astro Incorporated Financial Investments Astro Incorporated ("the Company" or "Astro"), incorporated in Delaware, is principally engaged in the manufacture and sale of clothing. The Company has three lines of business: (1) outerwear, (2) t-shirts, and (3) tank tops. Astro was extremely successful in its early years when it partnered with colleges and universities to create outerwear, t-shirts, and tank tops for athletes, students, and alumni. This partnership also enabled Astro to hire a group of college graduates with a proven track record and a passion for investing in the stock market. Together, Astro and these graduates created a new investment department in 2014. Astro management set aside a portion of the previous years' profits for the investment department to invest in equity and debt securities for the Company. Astro has six investments remaining in the department's portfolio as of December 31, 2014. Astro classified all equity and debt securities as either available for sale or held to maturity under the Company's investment policy. The accounting department is preparing financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and the auditors have asked Astro whether any of its investments are other-than-temporarily impaired. The CFO of Astro needs to present the investment department's financial results at the next operating committee meeting so the committee can decide whether to continue the investment program and if so, determine the amount of funds that should be allocated. In looking at the accounting records provided by the accounting department, the CFO is beginning to question the investment department's expertise because all investments have declined in value relative to each investment's original purchase price. The accounting manager compiled the following information about each of the investments in order to determine whether the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired as of December 31, 2014. 1. Astro purchased 11 shares of Happy New Year Co. stock on January 3, 2014, at $20 a share to celebrate the new year and classified its investment as available for sale. In March, the share price dropped to $15, and from April through November the price remained steady between $14.75 and $15.25 per share. On December 31, 2014, the price was $15. Astro management does not believe the decline in price to be permanent and has asserted that it does not intend to sell this investment in2. On November 11, 2014, Astro purchased notes of Beary Beary. As of December 31, 2014, the amortized cost of the debt security is $95 and the fair value is $88. Although Astro's investment committee established a policy requiring the sale of this security when the fair value declines below $90, Astro still held the investment on December 31, 2014.3. On September 20, 2014, Astro purchased bonds issued by Buy-A-Lot Company with an amortized cost of $100 and a fair value of $88 as of December 31, 2014. In D ecember, SP upgraded the credit rating of Buy-A-Lot Company from BBB to BBB+. Management has asserted it does not intend to sell this investment in the future.4. On March 25, 2014, Astro bought 50 shares of March Madness Incorporated stock at $100 a share, classifying its investment as available for sale. In August, the price of the stock decreased to $70, and from September through November, the stock price fluctuated between $65 and $75. As of December 31, 2014, the price of the stock was $72. On January 31, 2015, the date the Company's financial statements are issued, the price of the stock went up to $75.5. Astro purchased bonds issued by Tohoku Toys on February 9, 2014. The bonds have an amortized cost of $25 and a fair value of $5 as of December 31, 2014. Tohoku Toys is going through a restructuring because it was significantly affected by a severe earthquake in April 2014. Astro does not believe that the restructuring will ultimately be successful. 6. Astro holds a debt secur ity issued by Chatterbox with an amortized cost of $100 and a fair value of $90 as of December 31, 2014. The present value of the cash flows Astro expects to receive, taking into consideration the credit quality of Chatterbox, discounted at the security's original effective interest rate is $92 as of December 31, 2014. Astro intends to sell this security. Required: A For the following investments, determine if Astro should record an other-than- temporary impairment as of December 31, 2014, and if so, for what amount:a. Happy New Year Co.b. Beary Beary.c. Buy-A-Lot Company.B. Assuming Astro has determined its investment in March Madness Incorporated stock is other-than-temporarily impaired, how much should be recorded as an impairment charge as of December 31, 2014? (show calculation)C. Assume the same facts as in 2 above, but that Astro has not yet determined whether an impairment exists or the amount of any possible impairment. For March Madness Incorporated, would Astro still conclude that the investment is other-than-temporarily impaired, and would the impairment charge as of December 31, 2014, be different if the stock price at issuance of the financial statements (i.e., as of January 31, 2015) was $95 and not $75?D. For Tohoku Toys, determine if Astro should record an other-thantemporary impairment as of December 31, 2014.E. For Chatterbo x, what amount should be recorded as the other-than-temporary impairment as of December 31, 2014? Does the answer change if Astro does not intend to sell the security and it is not more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security? Answers: A. Happy New Year Co. stock: as per the Accounting Standards Codification 320, when the decision of whether the equity security is temporarily impaired or not, the following has to be taken into account: Whether its fair value is below cost Whether this fall in the fair value has been in existence of a longer period of time The financial position of the issuer has deteriorate dover time and it has been experiencing problems The issuer is facing the issue of going concern and the same has been stated in the auditors report. The fall in the value is due to some of the specific reason The dividends have bene reduced or eliminated The changes in the tax laws, regulations or the other governmental policies have impacted the issuer Keeping in mind the above stated points, the shares of the company have a fair value that is lower than what they were purchased for and the fall has been in place for quite some time now. Also, there is no specific reason for the fall, therefore, the investment will be treated as to be other than temporarily impaired. Beary Bear debt security: as per the ASC 320, any debt security whose fair value is lesser than its amortized cost is said to have been impaired. For the entity to impair its investment, it has to consider whether it has the intention to sell the asset. For determine that, it has to consider all the available evidence such as the following: The entity or its agent has approved the sale of the security The entity directed it to sell the security The security is the part of the securities of the entity and has identified the same for sale The security is sold shortly after the date of the balance sheet. In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists and the amortized to be impaired will be Fair value minus the amortized value of the debt security. Therefore the notes of Beary should have been sold but were not, therefore the fall in the value will be treated as the other than temporary impairment. (IAS 320, 2015) Buy a lot company: (FASB 325) Debt Security is defined as the security that represents the creditor relationship with the entity. And will include all the following: Preferred stock is expected to be redeemed by the issuer or at the option of the investor S. Treasury securities S. government agency securities Municipal securities Corporate bonds Convertible debt Commercial paper All securitized debt instruments, such as collateralized mortgage obligations and real estate mortgage investment conduits Interest-only and principal-only strips. (Law resource, 2015) As per the ASC 320, any debt security whose fair value is lesser than its amortized cost is said to have been impaired. For the entity to impair its investment, it has to consider whether it has the intention to sell the asset. For determine that, it has to consider all the available evidence such as the following: The entity or its agent has approved the sale of the security The entity directed it to sell the security The security is the part of the securities of the entity and has identified the same for sale The security is sold soon after the date of the balance sheet In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists equal to the difference between the fair value and the amortized cost of the debt security. Therefore the bonds of Buy a lothave been asserted to as not being held for investment, therefore the fall in the value will be treated as the other than temporary impairment. B. The following is the calculation of the impairment charge: $(100-72)50 = $1,400 This is in light of the FASB 325, In case the intention of the entity to sell does not exist, then the factors like the requiring the entity to sell the security and the probability of the factors that occur during the anticipated recovery period will be taken into account. If the entity does not sell the security, then it is more likely that it will be required to sell an impaired debt security, then other than temporary impairment exists equal to the difference between the fair value and the amortized cost of the debt security. C. The revaluation is done as on the date of the balance sheet which is December 31 and even if the price of the stock has risen after it but fallen as on the next balance sheet date, there is an impairment loss. Hence, the calculation will be as under: $(100-72)50 = $1,400 D. As per the Accounting Standards Codification 320, when the decision of whether the equity security is temporarily impaired or not, the following has to be taken into account: Whether its fair value is below cost Whether this fall in the fair value has been in existence of a longer period of time The financial position of the issuer has deteriorate dover time and it has been experiencing problems The issuer is facing the issue of going concern and the same has been stated in the auditors report. The fall in the value is due to some of the specific reason The dividends have bene reduced or eliminated The changes in the tax laws, regulations or the other governmental policies have impacted the issuer Keeping in mind the above stated points, the price of bonds of Tohoku Toys fell due to the natural disaster that took place. Therefore, the investment will be treated as being temporarily impaired. E. The amount to be recorded must be $(100-90). In case, the business decides to sell the securityor it is more likely than not that it will be forced to do so before, then there will be a recovery of the amortized cost of the security and the loss of the earnings must be recognised. But in case, the business does not intend to sell the security and it is more likely than not that it will not have to do so, then a separate impairment will have to be made for the credit loss. Once the impairment is done, the amount becomes the new amortized cost ($90) and then no upward recording in the price can be done. Hence, the security can in no case be recorded as impairment at $92. The amount of $(92-90) can only be treated as the interest income. (Accounting tools, 2015) References: Accountingtools.com, (2015). The other-than-temporary impairmentconcept - Questions Answers - Accounting Tools. [Online] Available at: https://www.accountingtools.com/questions-and-answers/the-other-than-temporary-impairment-concept.html [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015]. Law.resource.org, (2015). 325 Investments Other. [Online] Available at: https://law.resource.org/pub/us/code/bean/fasb.html/fasb.325.2011.html [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015]. www.iasplus.com, (2015). IAS 320. [Online] Available at: https://www.iasplus.com/en/publications/us/financial-reporting-alerts/2013/fra-13- [Accessed 2 Mar. 2015].