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Deal that caused Rs4.8 bn loss Lt-Gen Javed Qazi passes the buck to ex-finance minister
ISLAMABAD: Former Railways Minister and ex-DG ISI Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi had tried to shift his responsibility to former Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz in a multi-billion rupee scam of leasing out 141 acres of prime land of Pakistan Railways (PR) in the heart of Lahore to a Malaysian firm (Royal Palm & Golf club).
It has also been revealed that within three months of inking the deal, the same executive committee enhanced the total area of land from 103 acres to 141 acres, brought down annual land usage charges from Rs52.43 to only Rs4 per square yard, and above all increased the lease period from 33 to 49 years. The revised deal alone caused a loss of Rs4.82 billion to PR, thanks to three top military generals who were at that time at the helm of railways affairs.
The report prepared after two years of hard work by the parliament's special committee comprising of 20 MNAs has been placed before the National Assembly (NA) with the recommendations to put three army generals-General Qazi, General Saeed Zafar and General Hamid Hassan Butt and former secretary Railways Khursheed Ahmed Khan and four other officials of the Railways Ministry on trial after confiscating their properties to recover the financial losses to the tune of Rs25 billion, which according to the findings of the special committee were lost in the this faulty deal struck in 2001 during the reign of Pervez Musharraf. The parliamentary committee has recommended scrapping of the faulty contract with the present management of the Royal Palms Lahore, and said that if fresh auction of the land was conducted, it might fetch Rs40 billion and give a new lease of life to the PR facing a colossal loss of Rs32 billion.
This correspondent called Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, but he did not give his version. The special parliamentary committee to probe this scam was formed in April 2008 by Speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza after a resolution was moved in this connection. MNA Nadeem Afzal Chann was appointed its Chairman with members from all the parties sitting in the NA.
According to the report the committee summoned Javed Ashraf Qazi and enquired about government policy to verify the credentials of the overseas parties interested in some projects in Pakistan and whether credentials of the party in case were got verified through Board of Investment, Commercial Attache, Pakistan's Honorary and Commercial Consulates and whether or not this was done in case of the Malaysian firm in question. He was further asked whether official channels were used by the Ministry of Railways before doling out PR land in Lahore to a foreign party.
According to the report General Qazi replied that the ex-finance minister was contacted who told him that it was a genuine party and recommended to welcome its investment. He shocked the committee by telling that all this was verbal and there was nothing in black and white. The committee has observed that in the estimation of the Gen Qazi this had completed the process of verification.
When a bureaucrat close to the then finance minister was contacted, he said, on the condition of not being named, that he had worked with many finance ministers and it is totally wrong to say that the deal was made by a minister on the verbal verification by another minister. He said all ministers and secretaries are bound to follow rules and laws while concluding any deal. He said the former railway minister had just shifted his own responsibility to the former finance minister. He said even if the former finance minister had recommended the party, the former railways minister should have ignored it and followed the rules. He said it was just an attempt to involve the former finance minister in the scam.
The report has also pointed out the post haste in which the deal was signed. According to the official record, on April 20, 2001 Mr Waseem from Directorate of Railways Lahore wrote a letter No DM-1 C-0013 addressed to Mr Khalid Naqi and contained the bids of parties for a 33-year lease of the land. Mr Naqi prepared an approval of the bids and brought this letter along with all relevant record to Islamabad on the same day where members of the Executive Committee of PR had been waiting for him. This letter mentioned licensing fee as Rs2.5 million, land uses charges Rs21.6 million to be increased by 15 per cent every three years. The Executive Committee accorded its approval on the same date.
But the deal was revised and land usage charges were reduced from Rs52.43 per square yard to Rs4 per sq yard besides increasing area from 103 acres to 141 acres and period of lease from 33 years to 49 years, thus giving huge benefit to the foreign firm at the cost of public interest. Phase two was also introduced in the second approval which was not mentioned anywhere before not even in the advertisement. The PR administration could not answer as to why the second approval was given and that too completely disadvantageous to public interest. The railways administration could not provide minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee in which the second approval was given and when and where it was held.
The committee also observed that the advertisement was simple and non-professional for a golf course of international standards. The advertisement did not mention the lease period, criteria for interested parties or ask for any business plan. It was silent on whether the companies or consortium should be registered. It did not ask if any foreign investor was interested. To all intents and purposes there was nothing in the advertisement except that 103 acres of land was to be leased and office telephone numbers of Mr Shafique Ullah were given as contact numbers. The committee observed that this was a dodgy advertisement as no relevant information about experience and economic health nor conditions for qualifying to run a golf course were asked. However, one thing was added that PR management was not only looking for lease/rentals but also for joint ventures. This advertisement had provided almost similar details, however a sentence was added which was seeking experience in financing, development and management of golf course with recreational facilities, here they added "and/or 5 star hotel."
The report said, that there is no mention of construction of hotel in three advertisements. It was not clear as to how this small addition was converted into a full-fledged proposal for a hotel and the second phase of the project later on.
The committee report said during meeting in a response to a question regarding mechanism adopted to verify the experience of the said party, Gen Hamid Hassan Butt had replied that he himself was a golfer and that there were some highly experienced people. Upon insistence by the committee regarding the pre requisite, General Hassan Butt replied that the "taste of the pudding is in the eating."
Thus, the then railways administration did not follow any officially prescribed procedure for the verification of the documents submitted by the successful bidder. The same question was replied by Rizwan Bhatti, Director Marketing in these words: "Golf course is in excellent shape which is a proof in itself that the party selected for the purpose was capable of doing it successfully." This clearly established that no required procedures were followed to deal with this multi billion deal in a professional and transparent manner.
This correspondent called Lt Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi, but he did not give his version. The special parliamentary committee to probe this scam was formed in April 2008 by Speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza after a resolution was moved in this connection. MNA Nadeem Afzal Chann was appointed its
Chairman with members from all the parties sitting in the NA.


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AccessAble. Your Accessibility Guide.
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Management Offices
Pendigo Way, Birmingham, B40 1PU
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You are on COVID-19 Information. Skip to the next section.
The information in this section was taken in November 2020.
Outside of lockdown, times vary in different areas across Resorts World. Opening times are subject to change due to changing COVID-19 restrictions.
Some brands within Resorts World have also had to alter opening times from time to time due to staff availability. For the latest opening hours please click here.
There are no changes to the Blue Badge parking arrangements or the entrance to the building.
An external queuing system is in place at busy times managed by security guards. Signs clearly ask guests to keep a safe social distance and floor markers are in place help to stay 2m apart.
Guests can enter and exit the building at the usual points. However, there is a one-way system in place so at each of these points certain doors are dedicated to entering and other doors to exiting. These are clearly marked.
There is at least one additional member of security or staff at the entrance during busy times.
Additional hand sanitising stations have been installed at the entrances, exits and throughout the centre.
There are changing capacity numbers depending on what is open, this is to ensure social distancing.
A clearly marked one-way system is in place throughout the building to assist with social distancing and signage on digital screens is used to remind guests to follow the one-way system and keep a safe social distance.
The following signage is in place; arrows on the floor to indicate one-way system, markers on the floor to indicate where to queue outside individual shops and posters and digital screens to remind people to remain at a safe social distance.
Protective screens have been introduced for the Guest Services reception (in the Atrium), Genting Hotel reception and individual shops.
The lifts around the building have clearly marked maximum capacities but are still operational both up and down.
Toilet facilities are open throughout the building (other than the toilets inside Cineworld which is temporarily closed), but cubicle numbers are restricted to allow for social distancing.
The changing rooms are available with capacity limits for spa guests to change in, but the showers are currently closed.
All guests are required to wear facemasks and they are reminded of this by signage at the entrance and throughout the Resort, as well as by our security and guest facing teams.
Track and trace is in use. All restaurants and leisure venues within Resorts World require guests to either give their details or sign in with the NHS track and trace QR code. Guests are also able to check in with the NHS track and trace QR code as they enter the building.
For more information about the measures in place for Covid-19 please click here (new tab) .
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By Road View
Resorts World Birmingham is located within the NEC Complex to the east of Birmingham, just 5 minutes from the M42 Junction 6, and the A45. From the M42 and A45 please follow the signs towards the NEC.
There are 2 car parks available for Resorts World Birmingham: Multi-storey Car Park and Car Park South 2 Overflow Parking. The Multi-storey Car Park is located at the rear of Resorts World Birmingham. The entrance is located on South Car Park Road, off Pendigo Way. For directions to Resorts World Birmingham Multi-storey Car Park please use the postcode: B40 1NT.
By Bus View
There is not a bus stop within 150 metres of the venue.
The nearest bus stop is Birmingham International Station, approximately 950m from the venue.
For more information on buses in the West Midlands please click here (opens new tab).
By Train View
The nearest Railway Station is Birmingham International.
Resorts World Birmingham is approximately a 11 minute (0.5 miles) walk from Birmingham International station which connects you to all major cities in the UK.
For more information on National Rail please click here (opens new tab).
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There is a member of staff available for help and assistance.
Staff do not receive disability awareness/equality training.
There is not a member of staff trained in British Sign Language.
Staff do not receive deaf awareness training.
British Sign Language interpreters cannot be provided on request.
The alternative formats documents can be provided in include; large print on request.
There is an assistance dog toilet or toileting area at the venue/nearby.
The assistance dog toilet or toileting area is located on the grass areas surrounding the venue.
Water bowls for assistance dogs are available.
There are mobility aids available.
The mobility aids available include wheelchairs and mobility scooter.
To obtain mobility aids please contact the guest services team.
All mobility aids are available at the guest services desk, located on the ground floor of the building.
You are on Parking. Skip to the next section.
There are two car parks located around Resorts World Birmingham.
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham – Multi-storey Car Park please click here (opens in new tab)
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - Car Park South 2 Overflow Parking please click here (opens in new tab).
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Monday 10:00 - 17:00.
Tuesday 10:00 - 17:00.
Wednesday 10:00 - 17:00.
Thursday 10:00 - 17:00.
Friday 10:00 - 17:00.
Saturday Closed.
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Escalator(s) View
Escalators can be used to access other floors.
The escalator(s) is/are located in the atrium, at the front of the building.
Signs indicating the location of the escalators are not available from the entrance.
The escalators go both up and down.
The floors which are accessible by escalator(s) are LG, G, 1 and 2.
The escalator(s) steps are not clearly marked.
The foot and head of the escalator(s) are not clearly marked.
The lighting levels at the escalator(s) are good.
Comments View
The escalators are clearly visible from the main entrance on the lower ground floor only.
The location of the escalators is clearly marked on the site plans located throughout the building.
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There is a lift for public use.
The lift is located in the atrium, at the front of the building.
Signs indicating the location of the lift are not available from the entrance.
The lift is a standard lift.
A member of staff does not need to be notified for use of the lift.
The floors which are accessible by this lift are LG, G, 1 and 2.
Clear signs indicating the facilities on each floor are provided on lift lobby landings.
There is a clear level manoeuvring space of 150cm × 150cm in front of the lift.
Lift doors do contrast visually with lift lobby walls.
The external controls for the lift are not within 90cm - 110cm from the floor.
The colour contrast between the external lift controls and the control plate is good.
The colour contrast between the external lift control plate and the wall is good.
The clear door width is 120cm (3ft 11in).
The dimensions of the lift are 141cm x 200cm (4ft 8in x 6ft 7in).
There are no separate entry and exit doors in the lift.
There is not a mirror to aid reversing out of the lift.
There is a list of floor services available within the lift.
The lift does have a visual floor indicator.
The lift does have an audible announcer.
The internal controls for the lift are within 90cm - 120cm from the floor.
There is a hearing loop system.
The lift does not have Braille markings.
The lift does have tactile markings.
The lighting levels in the lift are good.
There is a/are similar lift(s) available.
The lift is clearly visible from the main entrance on the lower ground floor only.
The location of the lift is clearly marked on the site plans located throughout the building.
You are on Management Offices. Skip to the next section.
The Management Offices entrance is located on the second floor of Resorts World Birmingham.
The entrance is located next to Santai Spa.
There is step free access to the Management Offices via lift.
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This information is for the entrance located on the second floor of Resorts World Birmingham, in the atrium.
The entrance area/door is clearly signed.
There is step-free access at this entrance.
The entrance door(s) does/do contrast visually with its immediate surroundings.
The main door(s) open(s) away from you (push).
The door(s) is/are double width.
The door(s) may be difficult to open.
The width of the door opening is 173cm.
There is a second set of doors.
The door(s) open(s) towards you (pull).
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Reception View
The reception point is located ahead as you enter the Management Offices.
The reception point is approximately 2m (2yd 7in) from the Management Offices entrance.
The reception area/desk is clearly visible from the entrance.
There is step-free access to the reception point.
There is a clear unobstructed route to the reception point.
There are no windows, TVs, glazed screens or mirrors behind the reception point which could adversely affect the ability of someone to lip read.
The counter is placed in front of a plain background.
The lighting levels at the reception point are good.
There is sufficient space to write or sign documents on the counter.
There is not a lowered section of the counter.
The counter is staffed.
Clipboards can be provided to anyone who is unable to use the desk.
There is a hearing assistance system at the reception point.
The type of system is a portable loop.
The hearing assistance system is not signed.
Staff are trained to use the hearing system.
Signs and universally accepted symbols or pictograms, indicating lifts, stairs, WCs, circulation routes and other parts of the building are not provided in the reception area.
The type of flooring in the reception area is carpet.
Reception Seating Area View
There is a waiting area close to the reception point.
Access to the waiting area is unobstructed.
There is sufficient space for a wheelchair user to use the waiting area.
The portable hearing assistance loop is available from the guest services desk on the ground floor.
You are on Accessible Toilet(s). Skip to the next section.
The nearest accessible toilet(s) is/are located on the ground floor.
You are on Standard Toilet(s). Skip to the next section.
The nearest standard toilet(s) is/are located on the ground floor.
You are on Resorts World Birmingham. Skip to the next section.
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - Lower Ground please click here (opens in new tab)
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - Ground Floor please click here (opens in new tab)
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - First Floor please click here (opens in new tab)
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - Second Floor please click here (opens in new tab)
For more information about Resorts World Birmingham - Toilet Facilities please click here (opens in new tab).
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The panda is omnivorous. While bamboo represents 99% of their diet they have also been known to eat fish, pikas, rodents, vines, irises, crocus, mushrooms and rice grass. The panda assumes a sitting position to eat. Their unique forepaws have an enlarged wristbone that they can flex like a thumb. This allows them to direct bamboo stalks to their mouths where they strip off bites with their incisor teeth.
Pandas digest about 20% of what they eat. (Cattle, for example, digest 60% of their intake) To compensate for their low quality diet pandas select only the most nutritious parts of the bamboo, they eat rapidly and they eat a lot. About 12 hours each day are spent feeding and they consume 12-15% of their body weight each day. During this time they consume between 23 and 36 pounds of bamboo shoots and leaves. They have been known to consume as much as 84 pounds of "new" bamboo shoots at one sitting. Special adaptations for digestion include large molars. 25 species of bamboo are eaten by pandas in the wild. Captive pandas will eat only 9 of these. Only a few bamboo species are widespread at the high altitudes pandas now inhabit: Fargesia spathacea, Sinarundinaria chungii, Sinarundinaria nitida, and Sinarundinaria fangiana.
Bamboo leaves contain the highest protein levels, stems have less. Because of the synchronous flowering, death and regeneration of all bamboo species, pandas must have a least 2 different species available in their range to avoid starvation.
Throughout most of the year pandas have a water imbalance because their feces eliminate more water than the food brings in. They usually drink at least once each day.


Targeting the Congress for its opposition to the piece of legislation, he said that party, when it was in power, did not pay "attention of the pain of our brothers and sisters".
JAMMU: Making a strong pitch for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Sunday his government would stand with the children of "Maa Bharti" who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Addressing a rally in Vijaypur in Jammu region, Modi said "there are many children of Maa Bharti who have faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh...We will stand with those who were part of India at one time, but got separated from us" due to the Partition in 1947.
"But we have brought the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill with a commitment... If they are discriminated on the basis of faith, the country will stand up with them," the prime minister said.
He also referred to the Kartarpur Corridor issue to target the Congress.
"The previous governments had the tendency to ignore the necessities and sentiments of the country. You are well aware of that. Take Kartarpur corridor issue for instance. Had they paid attention, then the land of Guru Nanak Dev would have been a part of India," Modi said, referring to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur in Pakistan where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak had settled.
Modi addressed public meetings in Leh and Vijaypur in Jammu, after inaugurating several development projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the BJP-led government at the Centre was dedicated to the causes of Kashmiri Pandits, who had to abandon their homes in Kashmir Valley in the wake of spread of terrorism.
"They had to leave their homeland, the pain that they had to undergo, I have never said this but their pain is within me too," Modi said.


Chase Ink Review: Is It Right for Your Small Business?
Are you starting a business? Or maybe your business is booming and you need a new line of credit. If you're looking for a credit card that will give you more spending power and let you earn great rewards, look no further. Business credit card users have their own set of needs. They need tools to track and file spending, to issue and keep tabs on employee cards, and the ability to earn rewards for common purchases like cell phone service and office supplies. Chase offers dedicated business credit cards, Ink Business Cash and Ink Business Preferred for different types of cardholders. In this article, we'll look at their pros and cons, and see which card makes sense for your business.
The Rewards: With the Ink Business Cash Credit Card, you earn a whopping 5% cash back on up to $25,000 a year on purchases at office supply stores as well as on internet, cable, and phone services. Need to go on a road trip or wine and dine a client? You earn 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants (up to $25,000 spent on combined purchases). All other purchases earn 1% cash back on all other purchases and there is no limit on how much you can earn. You can redeem earnings for cash back, gift cards, and other rewards through Chase Ultimate Rewards, Chase's rewards platform. There is also a sign-up bonus – earn $500 bonus cash after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months of the account opening.
The Rewards: Cardholders earn three points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases for the year in the following categories: travel, shipping, internet, cable and phone, and advertising with social media sites and search engines. All other purchases earn one point per dollar with no limits on earnings. Points can be redeemed for travel, cash back, and gift cards. When cardholders redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards, points are worth 25% more. For example, if you redeem your 80,000 bonus points through Chase Ultimate Rewards, these points are worth $1,000. In order to earn the bonus points, cardholders must spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of the account opening.
Fees: $95 annual fee, no foreign transaction fee, no additional fees for employee cards.
These two credit cards come with great benefits including zero liability protection, fraud protection, purchase protection, travel and emergency assistance services, auto rental collision damage waiver, and extended warranty protection. One feature that is unique to the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is cell phone protection. This card offers up to $600 per claim in cell phone protection against covered theft or damage for cardholders and employees listed on a monthly cell phone bill paid by the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card.
Which Card Is Right for Your Small Business?
When looking for a business credit card, it's important to consider whether it will meet your business' needs. Are the rewards you'll earn from spending — which you may do often — enough to offset the annual fee? If so, will you make your payments on time to avoid interest charges?
Chase Ink Business Cash is ideal for business users with modest spending needs and a preference for cash back over travel rewards. Chase Ink Business Preferred favors travelers by offering trip cancellation/trip interruption insurance and no foreign transaction fees (unlike Ink Business Cash). Of course, a drawback to the Ink Plus card is the $95 annual fee.
In the end, the typical Ink Business Cash cardholder is more likely to be a small business owner who doesn't travel that often. An Ink Business Preferred user is more of a business traveler who will value the lack of foreign transaction fees and ability to earn travel rewards.
Both credit cards require excellent credit in order to qualify, which is generally considered a mid-700s FICO score and above. This is why it's a good idea to check your credit before you apply. By knowing where you stand, you can focus your search on credit cards for which you're more likely to be approved. You can view two of your credit scores on Credit.com. Checking your scores will not harm them in any way.
Keep in mind, business credit cards may be exempt from many of the consumer protections that regular credit cards have under the CARD Act. We advise reading the fine print and knowing your obligations as a primary account holder. It's a good idea to make your payments on time and monitor your financial accounts regularly to be sure the account information is being reported accurately.
At publishing time, the Chase Ink Business Cash, Chase Ink Business Preferred, and Chase Ink Unlimited credit cards are offered through Credit.com product pages, and Credit.com is compensated if our users apply and ultimately sign up for these cards. However, these relationships do not result in any preferential editorial treatment. This content is not provided by the card issuers. Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuers.
Note: It's important to remember that interest rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products frequently change. As a result, rates, fees and terms for credit cards, loans and other financial products cited in these articles may have changed since the date of publication. Please be sure to verify current rates, fees and terms with credit card issuers, banks or other financial institutions directly. This content is not provided by the card issuer(s). Any opinions expressed are those of Credit.com alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the issuer(s).
This article has been updated. It was originally published on September 3, 2015.


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12 Natural Pest Control Strategies: Pros and Cons
October 10, 2019 By: connex
Creepy crawlies.
Vermin.
Bugs.
Whatever you call them, it's no secret that pests are everywhere, invading our homes, gardens, picnics, and stealing our peace and quiet. One minute you're watching a quiet documentary about gardening, the next you're dealing with an ant infestation.
And there are times when, for whatever reason, you need to deal with pests naturally, without the use of chemicals.
This presents a problem for most people. When it comes to dealing with pests, most people simply get some form of pesticide, which works quite effectively. But dealing with pests naturally isn't quite so easy.
That's where we help you separate real natural pest control methods from myths.
In this post, we're going to discuss 11 methods for dealing with pests naturally, and the effectiveness of those methods based on the viewpoint of professional exterminators.
By the end, you'll have a clear strategy for creating a pleasant, as close to pest-free environment as possible.
Ready? Let's get started.
Method #1: Create Natural Barriers
Hundreds of years ago, kings built great walls to keep invading enemies at bay. You can adopt a similar strategy in your battle against the creepy crawlies.
Perhaps the most effective way of dealing with pests is to keep them out altogether. By creating barriers using natural ingredients, you keep pests where they belong and keep your home and garden pristine.
Garlic works as an insecticide for a variety of insects, including everything from mosquitoes to Colorado potato beetles. Simply grind it up, mix it with water, and apply it anywhere that insects might enter your home. As a bonus, your house will consistently smell like crushed garlic.
Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, bone meal, talcum powder, and chalk also work as barriers to insects. You'll need to experiment a bit to determine which substance works best to repel which insects, as different insects are averse to different substances.
You can also use plants to create barriers around your home. Spearmint, peppermint, and pennyroyal are effective at repelling ants and aphids. Mint and basil planted around doorways and under windows will keep flies away and make your house smell like a delightful greenhouse.
If you've got a snail problem, use sand, copper, lime, or even ashes to keep them away. And if you've got ants sneaking into your house via cracks and crevices, put a dash of lemon on them and send the ants running.
All of the natural ingredients listed above do repel insects. However, they would only last a few days at best, requiring you to constantly reapply them. In other words, there is no residual with these products that keeps the bugs at bay for a long period of time.
Plus repelling insects won't get rid of them. It would be like treating the symptoms and not the disease. One MUST find the source of the problem and eliminate it at the source for true, long term insect elimination.
Method #2: Soapy Death
Much like small children, most insects, such as mites, aphids, whiteflies, and beetles, don't do well with soap. When covered in soapy water, they suffocate, dying a somewhat slow, but very clean death.
To make an effective soap spray insecticide, mix 1.5 teaspoons of liquid soap with 1 quart of water and then spray directly on insects, as well as places where insects tend to collect. The spray can be applied as necessary, though it's recommended that it primarily be used in the evenings or early morning, not in the heat of the day.
Soapy water can kill many insects like fleas, aphids, etc. Unfortunately, the heat of the day will evaporate it in a matter of hours, making it ineffective in the long run against most issues.
Like the ingredients used to create barriers, there is no residual to allow it to continue working. And though soapy water is an effective product to use against aphids, it's not effective for clearing up most insects like fleas. Soap can suffocate and kill fleas, but will not effectively eliminate infestations inside a structure.
Method #3: Oily Death
When applied to human skin, oil simply makes it greasy, much like a teenager's hormonal skin. To insects, however, oil is a death blow. A hit of oil can quickly kill aphids, mites, thrips, and other insects that pester you.
To create a simple oil insecticide, mix 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of soap and then shake it thoroughly. Then add 2 teaspoons of the oil/water mix to 1 quart of water and spray directly on insects or on affected areas. Like soapy water, the oil coats their bodies in a suffocating sheen, causing them die relatively quickly.
Oils work the same way that soaps work. But just like soap, you have to apply it directly to the insects to have any effectiveness. This is an effective method if you're treating a small area for a minor issue.
Method #4: Citrus Attack
Not a fan of oranges? Neither are spiders. In fact, they don't like citrus of any kind. The sight of lemon or grapefruit sends them scurrying back to their dark holes.
To make a simple citrus spider repellant, simply mix water and unsweetened citrus juice. Then wipe down your countertops, walls, or any other place where spiders tend to appear.
While it's true that spiders don't like citrus, it will only repel them to other areas of the home. Additionally, constantly wiping down countertops, walls, etc. involves a significant amount of time and effort. It would leave no residual and make everything sticky. In addition, you could cause an entirely new issue with insects that do like citrus.
Method #5: Kill The Queen
Few things are worse than accidentally stepping into a fire ant hill and suddenly being attacked by a swarm of generally angry fire ants (you did step directly into their home after all). Thankfully, there is a way you can get rid of fire ants relatively easily: assassinate the queen.
We know, it sounds dramatic, but it's actually quite simple.
Spread some grits on the fire ant hill. The worker ants, being loyal to their queen, will carry the grits back to her so that she can eat them. When it rains, the queen will drink the water and the grits inside her stomach will expand. When they expand, she'll die, leaving the colony without a queen. Once she's a distant memory, the remaining worker ants will die off, leaving that spot ant-free.
When the ants take the grits to the colony, the queen will indeed digest the grit, then when she gets a drink, the grit will expand killing her.
Having said that, grits are only effective if they don't get wet from rain, morning dew, high humidity, or any other water source. If they get wet before they get to the queen, they will expand prematurely.
Additionally, the grits could also have an unintended side-effect. You may attract other vermin and insects causing a whole new issue.
The most effective way to eliminate ants is water-resistant granular ant bait.
Method #6: Roach Elimination
Is there anything worse than roaches? They are the very definition of creepy, crawly, generally disgusting insects. But roaches have an unexpected Achilles heal — a weakness that is their ultimate undoing.
They have a sweet tooth.
Mix equal parts powdered sugar and baking soda and you suddenly have an effective roach killer. Simply put the mix wherever you see roaches and watch them eat themselves to death.
Another effective, natural way to eliminate roaches is to use boric acid. (Note: Boric acid should never be consumed by humans.) The roaches will ingest the acid, bringing about their demise.
Roaches can develop "cross-resistance" which can eventually make them immune to your homemade bait and actually make them worse.
Most pest professionals will use more than one type of bait with different active ingredients and different matrices of inert ingredients. Also, homemade baits can be very messy and ineffective if not properly mixed.
After roaches eat a roach bait, they will go back to their nest and die at the nest. They are cannibalistic, so when the other roaches in the nest digest the dead one, it will transfer to the other roaches and kill them as well. You need enough time for the roach to make it back to the nest. If your bait is too strong or too weak, it won't be as effective.
Method #7: Destroy The Scent With Vinegar
Ants rely heavily on scent to communicate with each other. When they discover food (or any other item of interest), they release chemicals that create a scent trail. Often times, this scent trail leads directly from their nest to a location in your home, such as food on the floor.
But you can fight fire with fire, creating a trail of your own that destroys the ant's scent trail. Use a solution of half vinegar, half water to wipe down all surfaces where you see ants. This will wipe out the scent trail that the ants use to navigate, eventually forcing them out of your home.
Eliminating the "scent" or pheromone trail can be achieved by these methods but again that is not taking care of the issue. That's like putting up a road closed sign. They will just detour and start a new trail. You must find and eliminate the nest for true results.
Method #8: Cloves Over Mothballs
Mothballs may be effective at repelling moths, but the simple fact is they stink. Literally. A much more effective repellant is cloves, which drives the moths away and creates a delightful aroma.
Another effective way of dealing with moths is to fill a small basin with water and then hang some form of light over it. Moths are attracted to light like adrenaline junkies are attracted to bungee jumping. The moths will bump into the light, fall into the water, and drown. Put a dash of soap in the water to break the surface tension and ensure they actually down into the water as opposed to sitting on the top of it.
Both cloves and mothballs are effective repellents for moths, but repelling them only moves them to a different area. Again, treating the source is the best solution and will get rid of the moths so there is no need for cloves or mothballs.
Method #9: Drive Away The Fleas With Rosemary
Who's a good boy? Your pet when they don't have fleas. And they're doubly good when they smell good and don't have fleas. So how can you achieve this? Grind up some rosemary and sprinkle it onto both your pet and his bedding. You'll send the fleas running and have a pet that smells absolutely delightful.
Rosemary is a repellent that will move fleas but not take care of the source problem. If you drive the fleas away from your pet, they will find a blood meal elsewhere. This meal is usually the pets owners. We doubt this is a desirable alternative to save Muffy!
Method #10: Let Fruitflies Drink Themselves To Death
Fruit flies can't resist a good wine. If that wine happens to be a Chardonnay? Forget about it. They can't stay away. To capture and kill fruit flies, fill a small container with Chardonnay and mix in a small drop of soap. This attracts the fruit files and then ultimately captures and drowns them.
We have to admit, drowning in wine doesn't seem like a bad way to go.
Using wine to kill fruit flies will only take care of the adults. The most effective way to handle fruit flies is to find the source and eliminate the source. I know we sound like a broken record, but we know how to get rid of bugs for the long haul.
Method #11: Create Your Own Fly Traps
If you want don't want to use flypaper, you can create your own natural fly traps in several ways. First, put something sweet, such as mango peels, in the bottom of a bottle. Driven by their greed, the flies will go into the bottle. To their horror, they will find themselves unable to get out of the bottle.
Another simple way to kill flies is to boil water, corn syrup, and sugar together. This will create an extremely sticky mixture. Spread the mixture of doom onto a paper and suddenly you have your own flypaper. The flies will land on the paper and find themselves stuck fast.
Flytraps only take care of the adults and you need to find the source and attack them at the larval stage for true results. All maggots and flies will originate from decaying organic matter, and unless you find the source, the problems will persist in most situations.
What's clear is that while many natural pest control methods work in one fashion or another, to truly solve the problem you need to employ a pest control professional.
If you need help dealing with your pests, contact Dave's Pest Control today.
Article republished with author's permission.
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"No, it is not fatalistic. I just try to alleviate a burden from people's shoulders. I think we should pursue other goals, and I am not sure – contrary to what most philosophers say – I am not sure that happiness is the main goal in life. It's a goal, of course – one of the main goals. In the name of happiness you can fall down in slavery, just to satisfy your material needs. Looking for happiness is like looking for a goal which is receding on the horizon as you try to reach it.


In wake of the global recession that has captured the world's attention over the past few moons; the decisive mandate of the Indian electorate in favor of the Indian National Congress earlier this year was seen as a portent of redemption for the Indian economy. Though a 6% growth is hardly a cause for alarm at a time when the western world is battling shrinking economies, investors had nevertheless pinned their hopes on Pranab Mukherjee's black bag to open and set in motion the process clearing the tailback of delayed reforms the government had been unable to pass in its first term, largely due to reliance on the support of India's communist parties.
Tejas: With the albatross of the Left no longer tied around their neck, why do you think has the government still deterred from a more radical disinvestment policy?
VR: The government has not deterred, it has, rather, dithered on disinvestment. However one needs to put this into current context. The current reality is that markets are down and disinvestment may not bring adequate returns for the government. Also, there is not much of an ideological difference between the Congress and the Communists in some sense. Congress generally tends to follow the middle path on issues like reform or the protecting the social sector. BJP on the other hand, was a little more active on this issue especially under Arun Shourie - though even they do not have much of results to show for and there was much controversy over their policies, subsequently.
Usually, Congress does not pursue any objective ruthlessly. If they will face pressure from some quarters, they will go slow and not steam roll. Take the Indian Airlines bailout for instance. So I would say that while the government not disinvesting currently is understandable in the economic sense, it may be sending the wrong signals. It should not be bailing out inefficient PSUs. They should rather be given some time, say 3 years, with an ultimatum- perform or perish. Globally, such tactics have worked wonders for public sector enterprises and I see no reason why it should not do so in India as well.
A related issue is that of public private partnership. PPP is a new animal for us. We are not fully equipped in terms of capacity to get the best out of it. This would require a tremendous amount of increase in the governance cap capacity which we currently lack.
Tejas: What are your comments on the government's current disinvestment policies?
VR: On the question of disinvestment in general, I am of the view that even profit making PSUs should be put on the roster for privatization. There is no correlation between profit and efficiency. You may be simply making profits because of a monopoly position. However, the man on the street may not understand this. The government needs to communicate its moves in the correct fashion. The people who get adversely affected by a privatization exercise is not very large. The share of the public sector in the organized workforce is not very large (less than 10%) and organized workforce itself is not very large. But these parties are vocal. Hence, the government should communicate the cost of inefficiency to the masses and set performance benchmarks.
What has happened India so far is privatization by neglect - the governments wait till the financial liability has turned into a political liability i.e. once the public acquires distaste for the organization, and undertake privatization only at such a juncture. The time difference between the two is not much, but the time of action works as an indicator of political will.
Tejas: With India running the danger of losing its investment grade (according to S&P), the widening of central government's deficit to 6.8%, in addition to the red-ink of state governments and various borrowings reported "below-the-line", there are multiple causes for alarm. Under such circumstances, is the government stretching its purse strings a little too far?
VR: Fiscal deficit is not bad per se. It depends on what you spend public money on. NREGA is giving the government bang for buck in terms of publicity for its social sector initiatives. Moreover, this spending does not necessarily have inflationary spill-over effects. Moreover, in Keynesian terms, the inflationary argument is not valid because of the existence of unemployed resources. The government is aware of this and is using the same to its advantage.
Though we are far from the epicenter of recession, we are suffering from the harmonic effects of global depression resulting in deceleration of growth. A little bit of a push from the government is definitely necessary but it is important where you put the money. If the expenditure ends up increasing the supply of goods and services in the economy then there will be no inflation but if you are simply increasing cash, then there is inflation.
Tejas: Has the government's spending been in the right quarters?
VR: You can't solve many problems by simply throwing money at it. You will have to first improve the governance structure, which is a nuts and bolts sort of an issue.
One major contributor to the increase in fiscal deficit has been the Pay Commission, a lot of which was unnecessary. Though I am all for the Singapore Model of paying bureaucrats well, comparable to the private sector, but there is no need to increase pay for the middle and lower bureaucracy. This is especially true since their services are highly substitutable and can be outsourced to the unorganized sector at a much lower cost.
Tejas: It has been stated in the Budget that the RBI would mop up half of the Rs 400,000 crore fresh government debt that will be issued. While this would certainly aid in keeping the interest rates down, is it not a setback to the movement towards having an independent monetary policy?
VR: Yes, it is definitely a setback. But we should have seen this coming. A leading indicator was the appointment of D. Subbarao as the RBI governor, who was considered less independent (from the government) than many of his predecessors. However you have to realize that if the government will borrow, then the borrowing will have to be financed from somewhere. In a country like ours, RBI remains the first, and perhaps the only, resort for any such borrowing, at least for the time being. Though this inhibits the independence of monetary policy, there is no other way to finance the government borrowing.
Tejas: The government has received accolades for keeping the roll-out of the Goods and Services tax (GST) on track. What challenges do you see in further implementation of this new tax regime?
VR: GST is a federal tax. While the government's performance so far is commendable, it will require much more than economic sense and political will to implement the GST completely. Its implementation represents a ceding if control from state to the centre and is more a political than economic move. The states will want to hold on to whatever little tax powers they have, by the skin of their teeth and the centre will need to tackle this issue if nationwide success of the tax is to be made a reality.
Tejas: Is the UPA government displaying some sort of an ideological confusion by increasing the outlay on the social sectors on one hand and abolishing the surcharge on income tax in the other?
VR: I think the move of reducing taxes has been driven by the general belief in the Laffer's curve i.e. if you reduce the tax rate you can increase compliance and hence increase the tax revenues overall. Also I would say that the removal of surcharges is a step in the right direction. The country's tax structure should be as simple as possible. A complex tax regime only benefits the Chartered Accountants.
Tejas: By staying mum on the front of market oriented reforms, has the UPA government failed to fully capitalize on the clear mandate that it has been given by the electorate or is the UPA government focusing too much on doling out sops which it believes were responsible for electoral victory?
VR: Yes and No. If you ask me, I do not believe that UPA government will be pursuing Thatcherite policies. Tories did not benefit from those and neither did the Labour by taking a right wing stand. We, more than any other country, need to act to reduce the percentage of poor people in the nation.
Having said that, I'm not really sure about whether the government's approach is as direct as the intentions are noble. The way to do it is the use of greater and more number of incentives in the public sector. Professionals should replace bureaucrats. Currently we are imprisoned in a dole-out and bail-out economy mind set. This needs to change.
Tejas: According to you, what are a few things that are desirable and have been missed by the Finance Minister in this budget?
VR: I do not necessarily agree with the judgment that this budget is a disappointment, which seemed to have been the market's initial reaction. You need to realize that the budget is always scrutinized by only those that are adversely affected by it.
Traditionally, Indian budgets have been the story of disconnect between substance and show, between popularity and intrinsic ability to steer the economy. Contrast Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram: While Chidambaram's budget has often been hailed as the dream budget, it was Singh's budget that led to much more long-standing reforms.
However, if I were to point out some areas of improvement, first is the question of privatization. As I said earlier, there is no need to go for disinvestment now when the markets are down. But signals in this direction could have been given to indicate the government's intentions. Secondly, what is missing in the budget is that it gives no direction. The Centre's role is only so much; states also have to be a part of any government policy. However signals to the states are missing - how should the states go about implementing the policies that involve their participation, their fiscal responsibilities et al. What we perhaps need is a comprehensive 5 year program, outlining the roles of the centre as well as the states.
While judging the budget as a failure or a disappointment is too strong a reaction, given the dynamics of the world economy and state of the markets at the time of the budget introduction, the UPA government has missed the bus in terms of using this as an opportunity to showcase its intentions about reforms and efficiency-driven disinvestment and privatization, without being tied down by nagging voices from its erstwhile coalition partners.
The active partnership of states is quintessential to ensure successful implementation of federal policies such as the GST among others. Moreover, the role of states needs to be chalked out distinctly and their policies aligned with that of the centre.
Though the traditionally week-kneed Congress has shown resolve in pushing ahead many pro-poor reforms, a lot of the work still needs to be done and in that respect, this budget has given positive signals. It is therefore a mixed budget. What will be of important is how the UPA government goes about operationalizing the plans announced in the budget. Only then will we know its true import.
Professor V. Ranganthan is the Reserve Bank of India Chair Professor on Infrastructure in the Economics & Social Sciences area at Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. An FPM from IIM Ahmedabad, Professor Ranganathan also possesses a Bachelor of Technology degree in Electronics and Telecommunication from IIT Madras. His areas of research include Energy, Environmental Economics, Electricity Reforms, Privatization and Regulation, Infrastructure, Project Finance and Industrial Organization. He has also been involved in numerous live consulting projects. Professor Ranganathan also sits on various infrastructure and academic committees and has won many awards including the Fulbright Scholarship from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Prior to joining IIM Bangalore, Professor Ranganathan worked with NTPC, Lucas TVS and L&T.
Doling sops for political gains?


text:
Q: Advantage of LDAP over RDBMS? I have an application with a backend as database.
The application is sort of PUB-SUB model where users post changes to the application and other peers subscribe to those changes. These changes may happen very frequently or periodically and all the changes have to be written to database.
Now, I am being asked to find the possibility of replacing this RDBMS with LDAP. Probably they want unified DB for all applications but anyways I have to find the advantage/disadvantages of both approaches.
I cannot directly compare RDBMS a with LDAP as I have almost no idea of LDAP though I tried to get some.
I understand that LDAP is designed for directory access and is optimized for Read access, so it is write once and read many. I have read that frequent writes will reduce the performance of LDAP server as each write will result a trigger to indexing process.
Just to give a scenario in regards with indexing in LDAP, my table will have few columns say 2 viz. Name and Desc. Now in LDAP I suppose this would become two attributes as Name and Desc. In my scenario it's Desc which will be frequently updated. I assume Name will be indexed so even if Desc is changing frequently it won't trigger indexing process.
I point is worth mentioning that the database will be hosted on some cloud platform.
I tried to find out the differences but nothing conclusive I could find out.

A: LDAP is a protocol, REST is a service based on the HTTP (protocol). So when the LDAP server shall not be exposed to the internet, how do you want to get the data from it? As LDAP is the protocol you would need direct access to the LDAP-server. Its like a database server that you would not expose directly to the internet. You would build an interface to encapsulate it. and that might as well be a REST interface.
I'd try to get the point actos that one is the transfer protocol and a storage backend and the ither is the public interface to its data. It's a bit like why is mysql better than a webinterface. You'd never make the mysql-server publicly available but encapsulate its protocol into an application.
REST is an interface. It doesn't matter how you orgsnize your data behind that interface. When you decide that you want to organize it differently you can do so without the consumer of your API noticing any change. And you can provide different versions of your API depending on improvements of your service.
LDAP on the other hand is an implementation. You can't change the way your data is handled without the consumer noticing it. So there's no way to rearrange your backend without affecting the consumer.
With REST you can therefore change the backend from MySQL to PostgreSQL even to LDAP without notice which you won't be able with LDAP.
Hope that helps

A: Now that we finally know what you're actually asking, which has nothing to do with your title, the body of your question, or REST, the simple answer is that there is no particular reason to believe that an LDAP server will perform significantly better than an RDBMS in this application, with two riders:

*

*it may not even be feasible, due to the schema issue, and

*if it is feasible it may not be semantically suitable, due to the lack of ACID properties, lack of JOINs, and the other issues mentioned in comments.

I will state that this is one of the worst formulated questions I have seen here for some considerable time, and the difficulty of extracting the actual question was extreme.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Петро́ Олексі́йович Сліпчу́к (* — †) — український письменник-сатирик, байкар і журналіст родом із Житомирщини.

Біографія
Народився 6 (19) січня 1914 року в с. Мінини (зараз Радомишльського району). Член редакції журналу «Україна».

Творчість
Збірки гумору та сатири:
 «Байки» (1944),
 «Колоски та будяки» (1957),
 «Мальований стовп» (1964),
 «Юшка з перцем» (1967),
 «Вінок байок» (1973) та ін.

Література

 Молодико В. Славні грона мінинського сміхослова.

Українські письменники
Українські байкарі
Уродженці Радомишльського району

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I am delighted to confirm that all pupils will return to Gracemount High School wef Wednesday 17 August. We look forward to welcoming all our pupils to the school, in particular our new S1.
I wanted to contact you directly before pupils returned to remind you of a number of very important issues.
Throughout last session the school was in the process of reviewing and implementing changes to our behaviour policy, known as Better Relationships, Better Learning, Better Behaviour.
The policy is being implemented in four phases. Phase 1 and 2 were successfully implemented last session and we have witnessed significant improvements in the targeted areas. Phase 3, Protecting Learning, was due to be implemented on 18 April. However due to the school closure this will now be implemented on Monday 22 August 2016. Phase 4 will be put out for consultation this session and will be due to be implemented by January 2017.
Full details of our behaviour policy can be found on the school website www.gracemounthighschool.co.uk under the "documents" tab. A brief summary is detailed below.
Values postcards have been introduced to motivate pupils and encourage staff to recognise positive behaviour across the school. All teaching staff are asked to issue a minimum of 10 values postcards each month.
1. Bronze Awards - award issued by the Guidance teacher and letter/text sent home.
3. Gold Awards issued by the HT and letter sent home. Pupil will also qualify for an end of term year group trip.
Every values postcard is also worth 1 house point.
• A bronze award is worth 10 house points.
• A Silver award is worth 20 house points.
• A gold award is worth 30 house points.
Pupils in each year group with most postcards (merit points) in each value will also win our Value awards at the Celebration Evening and an overall winner will be announced on the evening.
1 house point is awarded every time a pupil arrives at school on time in the morning – they must be in their registration class for the 8.32am bell. Every day registration teachers will count the total points from their class and all of these will be added at the end of the week.
Each class in every house will be totalled and each week we will have an Attendance House Champion announced by the House Captain.
We will combine attendance and behaviour points to get an overall house winner for the week.
This will be announced on Monday morning by the winning House Captain.
At the end of the academic year there will be a house champion – pupils in that house will be given the chance to participate in an afternoon event.
To protect learning in the classrooms Snapchat is banned from all school devices – iPads. This will be tracked by Mr Gordon – app installs will be checked electronically - and random checks will be made.
Registration teachers are asked to check pupil iPads once every week.
Pupils found with Snapchat will have all app and camera functions removed from their school device and may even have their iPad removed. Teachers who discover Snapchat will remove the iPad and hand over to a member of SLT.
Late coming is defined as when you are not in class by 1.37pm - (third bell).
Any pupil late after lunch will be placed on 'below expectation detention' which will happen at the start of lunchtime the next day for 15 minutes – room PSE 2.
If a pupil is late back after lunch they will be signed in by Mrs Hurd who will issue a below expectation detention slip.
A text will be sent home to inform parents of late coming and the detention for the following day.
If any pupil arrives late to class the teacher will check if they have the below expectation detention slip. If not, they are sent to the School Office to collect a 'below expectation detention slip' before returning to their class.
As the name 'Protecting Learning' suggests, we are focusing on protecting learning in our classrooms to ensure teachers have the optimum opportunity to deliver high quality learning experiences and pupils have every opportunity to learn in a safe, productive and respectful environment.
We have aimed to simplify our approach to managing classroom behaviour whilst raising our expectations and being absolutely clear on the consequences of poor behaviour in class.
We understand that being consistent and fair is vital for this next phase and it is important for pupils and parents/carers to trust the teachers in the school and their judgment. We have worked hard together to develop this approach which we feel will raise expectations across the school and improve learning and teaching in the classroom.
1st step - 1 verbal warning – formally worded (to include the words "formal warning"). This makes it very clear to the pupil that a warning has been issued.
2nd step – the pupil will be asked to step outside the classroom for a short period of time if behaviour/effort/engagement does not improve. They will be spoken to by the teacher and reminded of their responsibilities as part of the class.
3rd step – On Call.
If the incident is deemed to be "high level" (see behaviour codes) the teacher can go straight to step 3 where they consider it appropriate.
When a pupil is placed on call, the parent/carer will be notified by either text or phone. The pupil will then be expected to follow the on call rota and attend their on-call class.
Any pupil who has been placed on-call will have disrupted the learning and teaching in the classroom. Therefore an on call will result in a protecting learning detention and we expect this detention to be completed the same day after school. We are further distinguishing between low level (15 minute detention) and high level (25 minute detention). If a pupil has two on calls in one day they will complete a 40 minute detention after school and if they receive 3 on calls in one day they will not only complete a 40 minute detention after school but will also not attend classes the following day. Parents will be contacted in person by the relevant Depute Head Teacher to discuss our concerns.
We appreciate that issuing detentions alone does not change behaviour. They do however act as a deterrent for a number of pupils. This has been demonstrated by a 70% improvement in reducing late coming after lunch by simply issuing detentions for late coming – phase 2. Your support is vital to the success of this initiative and I have been delighted with your response and support to date.
• Lack of or incorrect equipment.
Where there are continuing concerns in a classroom a teacher may choose to place a pupil on Supported Intervention. This will result in the pupil being removed from class for an agreed period of time. They will be issued work and expected to go to another class. Our Behaviour Support Officer (Mrs Hurd) will ensure the pupil is supported. A meeting with the Curricular Leader, class teacher and pupil will take place to reaffirm expectations before the pupil returns to class. Parents/carers will be informed by phone/text/email if this strategy is to be implemented.
Mrs Sinclair, Mr Hutchison and I are committed to ensuring we support effective learning and teaching. It is our intention to increase our presence in classes and we will work with all staff to identify classes which require additional support. We will be visiting these classes, at the request of the teacher, to support learning and teaching.
If we are to ensure every young person reaches or even exceeds their potential, attendance in class is crucial in order to learn. Too many pupils choose to spend time out of class and as a result we are implementing a system where a pupil will be issued a card by the class teacher before being allowed out of class. Any pupil out of class must show their card at the request of any member of staff. Failure to do so will result in an immediate referral to a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Pupils with toilet cards and/or emergency INSPIRE cards will not be affected. These pupils will need to ensure that they carry their card at all times.
Our focus will always be to support our pupils to learn and to make the right choices. We recognise that some pupils require more support than others and we will do everything we can to support all our pupils and encourage them to get it right.
We do not wish to be at odds with pupils or parent/carers but we intend to ensure that we protect learning in our classrooms and I very much hope you will support us on our journey to make Gracemount High School an outstanding school.
1. It helps to encourage good behaviour.
2. It promotes a sense of belonging to the school.
3. It reduces any stigma attached to clothing in the school.
4. It has a positive effect on the learning environment.
5. It enables staff to immediately identify visitors to the school and enhances security.
All students should wear their school tie visibly with a plain, collared blue shirt/blouse. Ties are available to purchase from the School Office for £5. Our new S1 pupils will be provided with a tie. Students should also wear plain black footwear, black jumper/top and black trousers/black skirt. Students will be asked to remove any outdoor jackets and tops in class which are not black. I would ask for your support in helping us to promote our School Dress Code.
We are keen to work in partnership with pupils and parents. We believe that if all our students follow our Dress Code, it will help make Gracemount High School a better school.
Pupils who fail to adhere to our Dress code will be issued with a pink uniform slip. Once a pupil has 5 instances of not complying, contact will be made with home.
I very much look forward to the forthcoming session and to working with you to ensure we do everything possible to help our young people become successful.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions/queries or would like to meet with me to discuss any matter related to the school.