Educational System in Nigeria - 2857 Words

The educational System of Nigeria OVERVIEW Education in Nigeria is the shared responsibility of the federal, state and local governments. The Federal Ministry of Education plays a dominant role in regulating the education sector, engaging in policy formation and ensuring quality control. However, the federal government is more directly involved with tertiary education than it is with school education, which is largely the responsibility of state (secondary) and local (primary) governments. The education sector is divided into three sub-sectors: basic (nine years), post-basic/senior secondary (three years), and tertiary (four to seven years, depending on the major or course of study). Education in Nigeria is provided by public and private†¦show more content†¦In 2008, the primary to secondary transition rate was 44 percent, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) EdData Profile. Under the new Universal Basic Education (UBE) system of 9-3-4, which replaced the former universal primary education scheme of 6-3-3-4, students attend six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary, thus nine years of compulsory and uninterrupted schooling. This is followed by three years of senior secondary schooling. Until 2006 entry to junior secondary education was based on the Common Entrance Examination, but entry is now automatic. The Junior Secondary School Certificate is awarded at the end of junior secondary school. Students who pass the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE) at the credit level (see the grading system below) in not less than six subjects may proceed to senior secondary school (grade 10) at either the same institution, or they may transfer to another institution of their choice. Core subjects at the junior secondary level include: English, French, science, technology, Nigerian language (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba), mathematics, and social studies. Students may also choose to study a number of elective subjects. A prevocational stream is also available to studentsShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of Educational Management Information System to Student of Computer Science in Nigeria Higher Institution of Learning4518 Words   |  19 PagesInformation systems From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Not to be confused with Informing science. Information systems (IS) is the study of complementary networks of hardware and software (see information technology) that people and organizations use to collect, filter, process, create, and distribute data.[1][2][3][4][5] The study bridges business and computer science using the theoretical foundations of information and computation to study various business modelsRead MoreEducation Is A Lifespan Process And Is Acquisition Of Skill And Knowledge939 Words   |  4 PagesEducation in Nigeria formally commences from 2 years of Kindergarten, 6 years of elementary, 3 year of junior secondary, 3 years of senior secondary school, and 4 years finally college and/or university. This system of education is introduced with the prime aim of ensuring that Nigerians of school age get the most out of formal education and hence well equipped to contribute positively to the community. Education is a lifespan process and is acquisition of skill and knowledge. Education accordingRead MoreCauses Of Unemployment And Its Effects On The Health Of A Country s Economy1350 Words   |  6 Pagescriteria used to diagnose the health of a country’s economy health. It is a big challenge the country Nigeria has battled with for years now and has maintained a rising trend over the years. The standard of living of Nigerians deteriorate more every passing day, week, month, and year due to the rapidly increasing rate of unemployment in Nigeria. There are various causes of unemployment in Nigeria such as; Low standard of education, corruption, lack of steady power supply, high rate of tribalism,Read MoreApplication Of Information And Communication Technology1677 Words   |  7 Pagesand Kpangban, 2010). Goshit (2006) found out that most schools, both private and public, do not offer ICT training programmes. The Federal Government of Nigeria, in the National Policy on Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004), recognizes the prominent function of ICTs in the modern world, and has integrated ICTs into education in Nigeria. The plan was to establish training schools and diffuse computer education innovation initially to all secondary schools, and then to primary schools. UnfortunatelyRead MoreNigeria Is The Chronic Level Of Corruption1566 Words   |  7 Pages STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Nigeria is a country of promise that is hampered by a series of huge challenges. One of the most pervasive and destructive issues facing Nigeria is the chronic level of corruption. Africa’s most populous country with over 170 million people, modern Nigeria emerged from British colonialism gaining full independence in 1960. After many years of military rule, a 1999 constitution heralded a move to a civilian democratic government which has been in place ever since. (Africa:NigeriaRead MoreEssay on Poverty in Nigeria901 Words   |  4 PagesNigeria, with its prodigous oil and natural gas reserves, has the potential to be one of the most affluent places on the planet, were it not for the rampant corruption that defines it. Instead, it is the 20th poorest country in the world1. Much like the guanxi of China, Nigeria practices prebendalism—the use of high-level positions to gain personal wealth. In other words, people exchange money for political favors, which of course creates a greedy and corrupt society. The extent of this fraudulencyRead MoreEffects of Divorce on the Academic Achievement of a Child959 Words   |  4 PagesNigeria: Effects of Divorce On Children s Education By Gimba Abdullahi Liman, 15 June 2012 Related Topics * Nigeria Nigeria: Malabu Oil - How Shell, ENI Brokere... * Children Tanzania: Child Mortality Cases Decline Ads by Google * Need a Cheap Divorce Now? Let us help you find the CheapestDivorce Lawyer for your needs. www.PriceNet.co.za/Lawyers * Investec Rhino Lifeline Investec amp; Dr Fowlds Aim to RaiseAwareness of the Rhino Crisis. www.RhinoLifeline.co.za DivorceRead MoreWhy Did The Teacher Stay Back?792 Words   |  4 Pagesworld(timeshighereducation.com). Preview This sector which is one of the basics needed to meet up with the new generation’s updates is not well rooted in Africa. The problems that the education system in Africa faces is lecturers’ weaknesses, government failures, learning environment, and crises. The problems that the educational sector in Africa faces. First Main Point: Lecturers’ Weaknesses: Most of the lectures lack good service and communication skills required to teach their student. Poor relationshipsRead MoreSources Of Income For Individuals Developing Countries1498 Words   |  6 Pagesthe development of the migrant s country of origin (Ratha 2003, World Bank 2008). In view of its importance at both household and macroeconomic levels, this study intends to examine the connection between migrant remittances and economic growth in Nigeria. It is imperative because most recipients spend the money on education and their general well beings. Other recipients invested their remitted funds in small and medium scale businesses which have tremendous impacts on the economic growth. 1.2 STATEMENTRead MoreThe Learning And Use Of The Foreign Language1692 Words   |  7 Pagesof French. With the knowledge of French, Nigeria and her Francophone neighbors would be able to work together locally and internationally. This however can only be achieved if there is communicative proficiency on the part of the citizens. Without this, Nigeria will be linguistically, politically, educationally and socially isolated from her francophone neighbors. This realization informed certain provisions guiding language study in Nigeria education system. The learning and use of the foreign

AIDS and Children Free Essays

HIV/AIDS is relatively a new disease, and was first recognized in the year 1980, following an outbreak of the opportunistic infection Pneumocystis carnii pneumonia in a group of New York homosexuals.   The incidences of Kaposi’s sarcoma (a malignancy of the blood vessels) were also observed to occur more than 50 times in young homosexuals. Gradually, it was observed that the condition was an infectious disease, and tended to spread wherever infected blood/semen was involved including blood transfusion, intravenous drug usage and unprotected sexual activity (whether homosexual or heterosexual). We will write a custom essay sample on AIDS and Children or any similar topic only for you Order Now The condition was gradually observed to affect the immune system, causing a huge number of opportunistic infections and malignancies.   By the year 1982, AIDS was also observed in several children belonging to New York, San Francisco, Miami and New Jersey. The condition was relatively unknown before the 1980’s and following this, it became one of the most common and deadly infectious diseases.   Although, HIV/AIDS began in a developed nation which could handle the ill-effects of the disease, it slowly began to spread to developing and poor nations, and the effect on such individuals is even more devastating (Mandell, 2005 Borkowsky, 2004). HIV/AIDS has not only been a problem in the reproductive age group, but has also caused serious problems in the pediatric age groups.   In the US, more than 9300 children (as on December 2002) have been affected with the disease.   The number of cases of individuals affected with the disease is still on the rise. There may be several differences in the opportunistic infections, malignancies and symptoms that occur in children and adults.   In children, HIV/AIDS can either spread through vertical transmission (from infected mother to child) and from other means (including child sexual abuse, IV drug abuse, infected blood transfusion, etc). If we look at vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS, the disease can be transmitted by three different methods, which occur at three different times: – prenatally it is transmitted across the placenta from the infected maternal blood, during delivery it may be transmitted from contaminated material secretions and after delivery it may occur due to consumption of contaminated breast milk. Some of the factors that play an important role in the transmission of HIV/AIDS from infected mother to child include the severity of the infection of the mother, the material viral load, trauma to the child during delivery, the mode and the duration of breastfeeding. Children below the age of 13 years can develop lymphoid interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary lymphoid hyperplasia and recurrent bacterial infections.   The risk of a serious drop in the CD T4 lymphocytes below 200 is less in children compared to adults.   In children with HIV/AIDS, the CD T4 cell count can play a major role in determining the prognosis of the disease. Children usually have a rise in the number of lymphocytes.   This may be observed in normal children and infants.   If the CD4 count in children affected with HIV/AIDS drops down, it can suggest a serious impairment.   Children suffering from HIV/AIDS may also develop a serious form of pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and can develop serious respiratory problems. This condition may also be fatal if proper preventive measures and treatment are not followed (CDC, 1996, Mandell, 2005 Borkowsky, 2004). Another problem that can be frequently observed in children who develop HIV/AIDS from infected mothers (vertical transmission) is the chances of co-infection with other STD’s including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, etc.   These conditions are transmitted in a similar manner (mainly IV drug usage, unprotected sex, blood transfusion, vertical transmission, etc). Often when a person is infected with HCV, the infection takes a long time to develop and progress (about 20 years).   However, in co infection with HIV, there may be an acceleration of both the conditions often leading to severe disease in the infant or childhood stage of life. When the mother is co-infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C infection, the chances of the child getting infected with HIV is much higher than if the mother is infected with HIV alone.   In cases of infection with HIV, the infection spread in 16 % of the cases, whereas in co-infection cases, it spread 26 % of the total number of cases (England, 2006). The Problem 1. Incidences of HIV/AIDS in children The exact incidences of HIV/AIDS in children may be far more than anticipated.   On December 31, 2002, more than 9300 children were reported to suffer from AIDS.   A majority of these cases are due to infection from the infected mother. In a study conducted in 1997 in the US, more than 91 % of the cases were due to infection from the mother to the child, 2 % were due to transfusion of infected blood and 8 % developed the condition due to an undetermined risk.   1 of the children who was a part of the study had a clotting disorder. Most of the children who were infected with HIV/AIDS had parents who were using IV drugs.   In most cases, the mother practiced unprotected sex.   There is a lot of racial differences in the rates of HIV/AIDS.   Individuals belonging to minority and weaker sections of the population are at a higher risk of acquiring the infection compared to the mainstream population. There is a tendency that children across the various racial groups would have the same incidence rates of HIV/AIDS as their mothers.   In a study conducted, it was found that 63 % of the children affected with HIV/AIDS were African-Americans and 26% were Hispanics.   18 % belonged to the White groups and 1 % was from the other racial groups. Out of every 100, 000 children in the US who developed HIV/AIDS, 6.4 % were Blacks, 2.3 % were Hispanics, 0.4 % were Whites and 0.7 % were other racial groups.   In most HIV affected children, the disease is diagnosed at the age of 18 months. In most children affected with HIV (about 80 % of all cases), AIDS develops by the age of 5 years.   Most cases of HIV/AIDS was recorded in New York (1900 cases), followed by Florida (1200 cases), New Jersey, California and Texas.   Between the years 1984 to 1992, there was a rise in the incidence of HIV/AIDS due to the ignorance of the disease from various populations including Blacks and homosexual groups. In the year 1992, the number of HIV/AIDS cases were as high as 905, which declined to 663 in 1995 (a drop in about 27%) mostly attributed to greater awareness and education.   However, across varies ethnic and racial groups, greater amount improvements occurred in the Whites (39 % drop), followed by Black (26 % drop) and Hispanic (25 % drops). Another reason for this drop had been the sudden discovery of the effect of Zidovudine (an antiretroviral drug) in helping to reduce the vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS from infected mother to child.   In 1994, a series of clinical trials effectively demonstrated that the disease vertical transmission could be reduced by about 65 % if Zidovudine was given early during the pregnancy of the infected woman. Hence, recommendations were raised for mandatory testing, counseling and ARV therapy for pregnant women.   Following more active implementation of this program following 1995, the number of HIV/AIDS cases due to vertical transmission dropped to 92 in 2002.   This was a significant drop, cutting the incidence rates by 10 times within a span of ten years (Mandell, 2005, Yogev, 2004, CDC, 1996, CDC, 2008). How to cite AIDS and Children, Papers

Outline Spy Essay Example

Outline Spy Essay SPIES Paul Janeczko is the author of The Dark Games, which is about sharing the truth about the loyal and the treacherous as well as about the technological advances that are changing the rules of gathering intelligence. The main purpose of him writing this book is to share the duties and characteristics of a real spy like Virginia Hall, Benedict Arnold and Aldrich Ames. This book collects stories of spies and agents that have worked both for and against America , from the formation of the United States in the Colonial Era to the more modern day spy Stories.Virginia Hall was one of the most successful woman spies who followed the footsteps of her elder sister who served before her. she is a really adaptable person who always moved from one place to another due to what she wanted to accomplish in her life. She had to be adaptable because she was going places and wouldn’t stay at a place due to the projects she was assigned to do because she was to be moving from country to coun try, state to state for different training and operation. If she wasn’t adaptable,she wouldn’t be able to communicate to thing and people around her.While on a hunting trip in turkey, she accidentally shot herself in the foot which had to be amputated from below the knee so therefore she was given a wooden leg. Although it kept her from working for the state department as she wanted she was able to adjust quickly to it and was determined to make a contribution. While others may have worried that Hall’s limp would make her too recognizable to be effective in the field, she learned to compensate by wearing long coats and walking with long strides.For her diligent and productive work in france, she was awarded the Distinguished service cross, the U. S military’s second most revered honored woman. Benedict Arnold was an early American hero of the Revolutionary War who later became one of the most infamous traitors in U. S. history after he switched sides and fought for the British. He had tremendous physical bravery and was a brilliant and cunning military commander. He also had a deep sense of personal responsibility, having personally raised his siblings.Arnold was also tremendously ambitious, and expected his extraordinarily successful military career to be acknowledged and rewarded. Arnold was extremely contentious and head strong, which caused him no end of conflict within the Continental Army and with Congress. He was profoundly concerned with his reputation and the way others treated him, sometimes rightly and sometimes wrongly believing that he was being conspired against and libeled. He was also exceptionally proud, perceiving slights from all directions and holding grudges for years.At the outbreak of the war, Arnold participated in the capture of the British garrison of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. In 1776, he hindered a British invasion of New York at the Battle of Lake Champlain. The following year, he played a crucial role in bringing about the surrender of British General John Burgoynes army at Saratoga. Yet Arnold never received the recognition he thought he deserved. In 1779, he entered into secret negotiations with the British, agreeing to turn over the U. S. post at West Point in return for money and a command in the British army.The plot was discovered, but Arnold escaped to British lines. His name has since become synonymous with the word â€Å"traitor† Aldrich Hazen Ames (born May 26, 1941) is a former Central Intelligence Agency counter-intelligence officer and analyst, who, in 1994, was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and Russia. In his CIA work, Aldrich Ames demonstrated the inconsistent performance typical of many thrill-seekers. He displayed what the CIA Inspector Generals report on this case called selective enthusiasm.According to this report: With the passage of time, Ames increasingly demonstrated zeal only for those few tasks that captured his imagination while ignoring elements of his job that were of little personal interest to him. In his espionage activity, Aldrich Ames ignored risks by conspicuous spending of his illegal income, carrying large packages of money across international borders, and leaving evidence of his espionage on his home computer and hidden elsewhere in his home. To conclude, Being a spy is just like a dramatic novel which interweaves many key and themes along with reoccurring motifs and extended metaphors.

Drafting an Obscenity and Profanity Policy for Schools

Drafting an Obscenity and Profanity Policy for Schools Obscenity and profanity have become significant issues that schools must get a handle on. Profanity especially has become a problem in part because students hear their parents using words that are unacceptable at school and model what they do. Furthermore, pop culture has made it a more acceptable practice.   The entertainment industry, especially music, movies, and television glamorizes the use of obscenities and profanity.   Sadly, students are using profane words at a younger and younger age. Schools must have a strong policy to deter students from being profane or obscene primarily because they are often vulgar in nature, the use of these types of words/materials often leads to distractions, and can occasionally lead to fights or altercations. Educating our students is critical in eliminating or reducing the problem as is the case for almost any social issue. Students must be taught that there are other alternatives to using obscenities and profanity during school.   They must be taught that school is the wrong time and wrong place to practice the use of expletive language.   Some parents may allow their children to use profanity in the home, but they need to know that it will not be allowed or tolerated in school. They need to know that using inappropriate language is a choice. They can control their choices at school, or they will be held accountable. Many students are offended when other students use inappropriate language.   They are not exposed to it in their home and do not make it a regular part of their vernacular. It is especially important for schools to teach older students to be respectful and mindful of younger students.   Schools must adopt a zero tolerance stance when older students are knowingly using inappropriate language around younger students. Schools should have an expectation for all students to be respectful of one another.   Cursing in any form can be offensive and disrespectful to many students. If nothing else, all students should refrain from this practice because of this.  Ã‚   Getting a handle on the issue of obscenity and profanity will be an uphill and continuous battle.   Schools wanting to improve this area must draft a tough policy, educate their students on the policy, and then follow through with the assigned consequences no matter the context.   Once students see that you are cracking down on the issue, most will alter their vocabulary and comply because they do not want to be in trouble.   Obscenity and Profanity Policy Obscene materials including, but not limited to illustrations (drawings, painting, photographs, etc.) and oral or written materials (books, letters, poems, tapes, CDs, videos, etc.) which are commercially or student produced are prohibited. Profanity including, but not limited to, gestures, symbols, verbal, written, etc. is prohibited during school and at all school sponsored activities. There is one word that is strictly prohibited. The â€Å"F† word will not be tolerated under any circumstance. Any student who uses the â€Å"F† word in any context will automatically be suspended out of school for three days. All other forms of inappropriate language are highly discouraged. Students must choose their words carefully and consciously.   Students caught using obscenities or profanities will be subject to the following disciplinary code. 1st Offense - Verbal reprimand. Notice issued to parents.2nd Offense - 3 detention times.3rd Offense - 3 days in-school placementSubsequent Offenses - 3 days out-of-school suspension.

Definition and Examples of Science Writing

Definition and Examples of Science Writing The term science writing refers to  writing about a scientific subject matter, often in a non-technical manner for an audience of non-scientists (a form of journalism or creative nonfiction). Also called popular science writing.  (Definition No. 1) Science writing may also refer to writing that reports scientific observations and results in a manner governed by specific conventions (a form of technical writing). More commonly known as scientific writing. (Definition No. 2) Examples and Observations Because science writing is intended to be entertaining  enough to capture the continued interest  of potential readers, its style is much less somber than the usual scientific writing [i.e., definition No. 2, above]. The use of slang, puns, and other word plays on the English language  are accepted and even encouraged. . . .Distinguishing between science writing and scientific writing is reasonable of Science Writing: Stripped for Parts:  Sustaining a dead body until its organs can be harvested is a tricky process requiring the latest in medical technology. But its also a distinct anachronism in an era when medicine is becoming less and less invasive. Fixing blocked coronary arteries, which not long ago required prying a patients chest open with a saw and spreader, can now be accomplished with a tiny stent delivered to the heart on a slender wire threaded up the leg. Exploratory surgery has given way to robot cameras and high-resolution imaging. Already, we are eyeing the tan talizing summit of gene therapy, where diseases are cured even before they do damage. Compared with such microscale cures, transplants- which consist of salvaging entire organs from a heart-beating cadaver and sewing them into a different body- seem crudely mechanical, even medieval. On Explaining Science The question is not should you explain a concept or process, but how can you do so in a way that is clear and so readable that it is simply part of the story? Use explanatory strategies such as ... - People who study what makes an explanation successful have found that while giving examples is helpful, giving nonexamples is even better.Nonexamples are examples of what something is not. Often, that kind of example will help clarify what the thing is. If you were trying to explain groundwater, for instance, you might say that, while the term seems to suggest an actual body of water, such as a lake or an underground river, that would be an inaccurate image. Groundwater is not a body of water in the traditional sense; rather, as Katherine Rowan, communications professor, points out, it is water moving slowly but relentlessly through cracks and crevices in the ground below us...Be acutely aware of your readers beliefs. You might write that chance is the best explanation of a disease cluster; but this could be counterproductive if your readers reject chance as an explanation for anything. If you are aware that readers beliefs may collide with an explanation you give, you may be able to write in a way that doesnt cause these readers to block their minds to the science you explain. The Lighter Side of Science Writing In this paragraph I will state the main claim that the research makes, making appropriate use of scare quotes to ensure that its clear that I have no opinion about this research whatsoever. In this paragraph, I will briefly (because no paragraph should be more than one line) state which existing scientific ideas this new research challenges. If the research is about a potential cure or a solution to a problem, this paragraph will describe how it will raise hopes for a group of sufferers or victims. This paragraph elaborates on the claim, adding weasel-words like the scientists say to shift responsibility for establishing the likely truth or accuracy of the research findings on to absolutely anybody else but me, the journalist. ... Sources (Janice R. Matthews and Robert W. Matthews,  Successful Scientific Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide for the Biological and  Medical Sciences, 4th ed.  Cambridge University Press, 2014) (Jennifer Kahn, Stripped for Parts. Wired.  Ã‚  March 2003. Reprinted in The Best American Science Writing 2004, edited by Dava Sobel. HarperCollins, 2004) (Sharon Dunwoody, On Explaining Science. A Field Guide for Science Writers, 2nd ed., ed. by Deborah Blum, Mary Knudson, and Robin Marantz Henig. Oxford University  Press, 2006) (Martin Robbins, This Is a News Website Article About a Scientific Paper. The Guardian, September 27, 2010)

Service Quality Improvement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Quality Improvement - Essay Example According to Sheth & Kellstadt (1992), a normative model of service quality improvement is built on the concept of continuous improvement. The company that I have been working in has been using this kind of approach to address its issues of quality improvement. This is because the key objective of the company is to achieve sustained improvements in its services delivery. Therefore, throughout my career, I have had an opportunity to experience a situation in which this model was applied. Moreover, I have been able to experience some of the benefits of this kind of a model when used to improve service quality as well as some of its shortfalls. This benefits and shorts could form a very good basis for my evaluation in this paper. Normative model of service improvement is divided into stages. The stages include management commitment, employee commitment and participation, employee education and training, communication, assessment and modification, outcomes and targets, and integration (H ernon & Whitman, 2001). These stages are interconnected in an intertwined manner. This means that a stage does not necessarily result to its next stage. However, each stage is independent of the other. The company that I am working in has been undertaking almost all the above stages in its approach to service quality improvement. Some of these stages in service quality improvement have been very conspicuous. This makes them to be easy to identify even to the people who are not top managers. However, some are inconspicuous thus can only be identified by top managers. Sheth & Kellstadt (1992) also identifies this approach of service quality improvement as both multi-disciplinary and requires individuals with different functions in the company. This is because it requires efforts of managers belonging to different disciplines. Moreover, it involves employees with varying roles in the company. In the company I work with, service quality work has not been the work of the marketing department only. In every case that the company has attempted to improve its quality of service, all the departments have been required to play almost equal roles. This is because the company believed that improvement in quality of its services could only come from an improvement in the effectiveness of every department in the company. Benefits of the model to service quality improvements The most essential component of any organization is its management since it controls all the decisions made in the organization in its various operation stages. Use of a normative model for service quality improvement by the organization I work with has enhanced the participation and commitment of the management team to the process of improving quality of services. This is because it has been requiring every manager to show his commitment to the process. Moreover,

The long term effects of drug abuse on the unborn fetus of a pregnant Dissertation

The long term effects of drug abuse on the unborn fetus of a pregnant mother - Dissertation Example It is believed that drug abuse by pregnant mothers causes maladaptive behaviors stemming from Axis II diagnosis including (but not limited to) bipolar disorders, borderline personality disorders, schizophrenia, conduct disorders, antisocial and learning disorders. Introduction Substance abuse is linked to a number of different physical and mental defects in the offspring of abusers. A large volume of research exists on the phenomenon and its various dimensions. The physical and mental disabilities endowed to the fetus of substance abusers are complex and have thus been categorized into various systems for closer examination. This research will largely be concerned with a systematic study of long term effects on the fetuses of substance abusers based on Axis II diagnosis alone. A large amount of rich material both of a qualitative and quantitative nature exists for the current research area. The current research will rely on the examination of existing literature since it has both qua ntitative findings and quantitative findings. This will allow the current research to utilize qualitative methods in order to derive qualitative findings that are supported by quantitative results. The current research could have been geared for a pure mixed methods research but the shortage of time and resources precludes any such methods. In order to investigate fetuses that are born from substance abusing mothers, a large sample set and an adequate amount of time is required. The typical time required for such research would be at least a few years since the born child would only display Axis II disorders when they reach their early learning years. However, the shortage of time and the lack of access to a large sample set ready to participate in quantitative research require that the current research be geared towards qualitative methods alone. As mentioned before, the provision of both qualitative and quantitative results also supports the contention that a comprehensive literat ure review would suffice for the current research. Background to Drug Abuse during Pregnancy Drug abuse refers to the consumption of drugs without direct medical advice or supervision. It is widely believed that drug abuse relates to the recreational abuse of mood altering substances but the use of any drugs for performance enhancement is also essentially drug abuse. Based on this classification, drug abuse involves drugs that are mood altering, performance enhancing as well as psychoactive in character. The use of any forms of drugs, whether legal or illegal, is considered as drug abuse as long as there is no medical justification for their use (Ksir & Ray, 2002). Another major feature of drug abuse is the dependence created by drug use. Drug abusers or substance abusers require continuous consumption of the subject drug in order to satisfy their body’s urges. The number of drugs being abused around the world is too large to be discussed within the framework of this research alone. However, the most common feature displayed by all used drugs is the tendency of the user to rely excessively on the subject drug for mood altering or performance enhancement purposes (Barrett, Meisner, & Stewart, 2008). The dependency of the drug abuser on the drugs causes the greatest problems during pregnancy because the drug abuser is unable to