How Long Are the SAT Subject Tests

How Long Are the SAT Subject Tests SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The SAT subject tests are all one hour in length and are all multiple choice. However, they differ in features, format, and the time pressure you will feel depending on where your academic strengths and weaknesses lie. Let's discuss the differences among the subject tests and how you can beat the time pressure. First, let's consider the unique features of the test. Unique Features There are 21 different subject tests (I'm counting Biology E and Biology M as two separate tests). Of these tests, the language, biology, math, and chemistry tests have some special features, as explained below. Language Subject Tests Some language tests include a Listening component. Listening tests are always given in the first hour on test day, so you can only take one Listening test per test date. French, German, and Spanish have non-Listening and Listening options. Chinese, Korean, and Japanese can only be taken as Listening tests. Language Subject Tests are also the only Subject Tests with four answer choices per question. All other Subject Tests have five answer choices per question. Biology Subject Tests If you choose to take the Biology subject test, you have the option of Biology E or Biology M. While they share 60 core questions, each has an additional 20 questions with an ecological or a molecular focus. Learn more about which concentration makes sense for you by taking a look at some practice questions. Math Subject Test There are two math subject tests, Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 requires two years of algebra and one year of geometry. Level 2 requires the same plus some understanding of trigonometry and pre-calculus. Level 2 also requires more extensive use of (and comfort with) a graphing calculator. Chemistry Subject Tests The chemistry test has a separate section on the bubble sheet for you to answer 5 special questions. These questions will ask you to compare two statements by balancing equations or making predictions about chemical reactions. The other tests are relatively straightforward in their format. Since all of them are one hour, a better question than, "How long are SAT subject tests?" would be "How many questions are on SAT subject tests?" This is where the answer gets a little more complicated. How Many Questions Are On Each Subject Test? Subject # of questions Literature ~60 US History 90 World History 95 Math Level 12 50 Bio E/M 80 Chemistry 85 Physics 75 French and German 85 (~85 with listening, 35% are listening) Spanish 85 (~85 with listening, 40% are listening Hebrew 85 Italian 80-85 Latin 70-75 Chinese with Listening 85 (33% are Listening) Japanese and Korean with Listening 80 (35% are listening) There isn't a huge amount of variation in the number of questions per SAT subject test time- the Literature test is the one that stands out as having significantly fewer questions. Don't assume this means it's easier, though! The Literature test involves close reading of passages, which takes up some of your valuable 60 minutes of test-taking. Now that you know how many questions are on each test, how can you use this information to maximize your time management under these strictly timed conditions? Tips on Timing Time Yourself When You Prep As you can see in the above chart, almost all of the tests have more questions than minutes. This means you are expected to spend less than a minute on each question. The best way to master the material and perfect your pacing is to practice under simulated timed conditions. Sit down for exactly one hour with a practice test, and don't give yourself extra time. Record how you do and see if you can beat your score each time you practice. You'll almost certainly see improvement as you get more familiar with the test. Use Questions From Real Tests College Board offers useful practice material here. You can learn about the content of each individual test and practice with questions taken from real tests administered in the past. Using high quality, relevant prep materials is the only way to prep effectively for the real thing. Move Quickly and Efficiently The strict timing of these tests allows no room for lengthy consideration or debate. If a question completely stumps you, don't waste valuable time on it. Mark it, skip it, and come back to it at the end with fresh eyes, or simply to make a guess and fill in a letter on the bubble sheet. You might get lucky and get the point! If you're skipping questions, leave a small amount of time at the end to revisit them or fill in the bubble sheet with guesses. Understand Your Ideal Testing Style Will taking three tests in one morning energize or exhaust you? Will you be able to focus on two or three subjects in one sitting, or will fatigue prevent you from performing well? The subject tests start between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning. You'll get a five minute break between each test. Some students get an adrenaline rush jumping from one subject test to another. Others might have trouble shifting gears between subjects. Again, practicing under simulated conditions may help you figure out your testing style and whether you should take several subject tests on one date or space them out. Not only will timing yourself help create the conditions of the real test, but finding friends and peers to practice with will also resemble the experience of testing beside others. Guessing Strategies for SAT Subject Tests Unlike the general SAT, for SAT Subject Tests you lose a fraction of a point for each question you answer incorrectly. Here's how scoring works for Subject Tests (all the Subject Tests except the foreign language tests have five answer choices. Foreign languages tests have four answer choices): You get 1 point for each correct answer. A fraction of a point is subtracted for wrong answers: 1/4 point is subtracted for five-choice questions. 1/3 point is subtracted for four-choice questions. 1/2 point is subtracted for three-choice questions. No points are deducted for questions left blank. If your final score is a fraction, it's rounded to the nearest whole number - 1/2 or more is rounded up; less than 1/2 is rounded down. What does this mean for you? Too many random guesses could bring down your score, so you have to be smart on when to guess on a question (and risk a point deduction) and when to leave a question blank (with no change of getting it right). Here are some strategies to follow: If You Can't Eliminate Any Answer Choices If you're really stumped on a multiple-choice question and can't eliminate any of the options, don’t guess yet. Skip the question for now and return to it after you've finished the rest of the exam. What if you still can’t eliminate any answer choices? Then leave the question blank. Don’t blindly guess without eliminating any answers. Without eliminating any of your answer choices, you have a high chance of losing points by choosing the wrong answer. Here's the math: on a question with five answer choices, you have a 20% chance of selecting the right answer by guessing blindly. If you guess on five questions, odds are you will get four questions wrong and one right, or zero points total! This is why there is a wrong answer penalty on SAT Subject Tests it makes blind guessing pointless (literally). But because of how randomness works, you might end up guessing incorrectly on more questions than expectedmbsp;leaving you with a net negative number of points. If You Can Eliminate Only One Answer Choice It may make sense to guess here. Cross off the answer choice that you know is incorrect, and take a look at the rest of the answer choices to see if you can narrow down your options further. In this situation, you'll likely gain more points than you lose by guessing. If you guess randomly on 16 questions where you can eliminate one answer choice for each (with five answer choices to start), you will gain a full point on average (4 - (.25 x 12) = 1). It's not huge, but compared with leaving all those questions blank and getting nothing, that’s a pretty good deal. But remember, this advice assumes purely random guessing, which is rare. A certain answer might be appealing to you for whatever reason, so you will go for that choice instead of taking a truly random guess. Test makers often try to make incorrect answers look more appealing so students are more likely to get tricked and choose them. When taking these factors into account, your chance of guessing correctly after eliminating one answer choice is actually less than 25 percent. In the example above, if you were to get even three questions right rather than four and 13 wrong rather than 12 you would be losing a quarter of a point (3 - (.25 x 13) = -0.25). If you do decide to guess in this situation, pick an answer as much at random as possible, rather than getting mired in the wording of each choice. For example, you may choose to always "A" on questions you're guessing on (unless that's the choice you've eliminated) to make your guesses as random as possible. If You Can Eliminate Two or More Answer Choices Now we’re talking! Even with the tricky wording of SAT questions, your chances of choosing the correct answer are high enough here that it may be appropriate to guess. Say you have a set of 15 questions where you guess after eliminating two choices (leaving you with three answer choices per question). With random guessing, this gives you a net total of 2.5 points (five questions correct, 10 incorrect; 5 - (0.25 x 10) = 2.5). Even if you don’t do quite that well and end up getting one more question wrong and one less right, that still gives you 4 - (0.25 x ) = 1.25 points earned. Of the answer choices you have left in this scenario, try to guess randomly. It can still be risky to guess here because we're assuming that all the answer choices you eliminated are definitely incorrect. However, if you have done your homework on the SAT and are familiar with strategies for eliminating incorrect answers, you should be good to go. Additional Note: If you take a practice test, I would recommend marking all the questions you guessed on so that you can later evaluate the success of your guessing strategies. This will also prevent you from just ignoring questions you got right by chance, which you should still revisit if you don't understand the material. Summary While these tests seem to have a lot of questions in a short amount of time, you'll definitely be able to get to all of them if you study effectively. Prep with high quality materials and train yourself in time management and pacing, the same way you would as an athlete. Taking two or three subject tests in one day may sound tough, but a lot of students actually get into a highly focused zone and feed off the energy of the challenge. Be strategic about how you schedule your tests, but remember you can always take the subject tests again if need be- most colleges will take your highest scores. Click here to learn about when you should take the SAT Subject Tests in and around the general SAT and all your other tests and finals. What's Next? Now that you're familiar with the length of the subject tests, how can you decide which subject tests to take? This article will help you choose which subject test is best for you. Are you also taking the SAT? Just like with the subject tests, it's vital to know the format and timing of the SAT. Click here to learn about the SAT and how you can manage your time during this long test. Also, check out our famous guide to how you can score a perfect SAT score. Are you more interested in the ACT? Read about how long it is and how you can pace yourself throughout the different sections. Then read about what a good ACT score for you is. Need a little extra help prepping for your Subject Tests? We have the industry's leading SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Built by Harvard grads and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so that you get the most effective prep possible. Learn more about our Subject Test products below:

The Greek Island Crete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Greek Island Crete - Essay Example The Islands contains rich folk traditions and cultural heritage despite economic growth, globalization and tourism. The famous dances are still conducted at every opportunity in most celebrations. Crete boasts of exceptional artistic phenomena such as poetry, embroidery, jewelry and Cretan music which are played with the violin, lyre and laouto (Duke, pg.89). The major diet consists of cuisine made of extra virgin olive oil, vegetables and legumes. The economic state of the island mainly depended on farming and stock breeding but has changed to incorporate tourism. Most of the agricultural goods produced include potatoes, grapes, oranges and olives. Other forms of industry active in the island include packaging and shipping industries as well as real estate. The region boasts of temperate climatic conditions with snow on the mountains thus making visits better in autumn and spring (Georgiou, pg.56). The flora is rich in herbs and pharmaceutical plants like thyme and labdanum and a variety of flowers like tulips and orchids. It also has varied fauna like wild goats, tree frogs and

Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example government has used the oil wealth of the country for the benefit of its people and it has put a lot of investment not only in infrastructure but also in education (Khatib, 2011). In fact, it can be said that some of the infrastructure in Saudi Arabia is better developed than that in the United States. The cities of this country are also very well planned and built and these are designed in very modern architecture. It is actually a breathtaking site when one approaches a Saudi Arabian city from a distance; it is truly an image of a beautiful oasis in the desert. This country has a very extensive social welfare system that caters for all its citizens and one could dare argue that the Saudi Arabian social welfare system actually functions better than the one in the United States (Wiley, 1999). Many in the United States believe that since Saudi Arabia is a traditionalist society, it does not have the necessary development to be in the modern world. The American image of Saudi Arabia is one of nomadic Arab tribesmen moving from place to place in the desert with nothing better to do than breed religious fanatics (Kamran, 2000). This image of Saudi Arabia is a very bad stereotype of the people of this state because most of the population of this country stopped their nomadic lifestyle more than half a century ago and in fact, many today live in the urban areas. The people of Saudi Arabia have adopted many of the ways of the Western world and this include the use of cars to travel instead of camels, many wear Western clothing (especially the men), and most of all, they live in houses which have been built in the modern style. The popular opinion in the United States is that Saudi Arabia is an extremely fanatical society when it comes to religion (Harris, 2003). This image only applies to a few of the people in this society because the majorities are surprisingly very liberal in matters concerning religion. Moreover, they only appear to be fanatical because of their

Team Communication and Problem Solving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Communication and Problem Solving - Essay Example al. 1999 and Mabey et. al., 1998, amongst others) as decision makers are unable to be objective and rational in the real world. The 'administrative' or 'bureaucratic' model "questions whether managers are capable of making rational decisions" (Fulop & Lindstead, 1999. p. 299) and bases decision making on the actual behavior of the decision-maker. Simon (1960, in Fulop & Lindstead, 1999:308) recognises cognitive limits to human rationality and that "the decision making is likely to be influenced by non-rational, emotive and unconscious elements in human thinking". Incomplete information, time limits and group pressures are "thought to limit the optimising behavior so central to the rational model" (op. cite.). As a result, decision-making is the product of 'bounded rationality' and 'disjointed incrementalism', which results in 'satisficing', where the best decision is made within the confines of imperfect information and 'mutual partisan adjustment' between parties. In the 'bureaucratic' model this process is then institutionalised for future problem solving. The 'garbage-can' model suggests that "decisions are really problems looking for solutions" (Fulop & Lindstead, 1999:299), emphasises both the "role of chance decisions and the concept of strategy as a stream of decisions" (Leonard, et. al.

Malaysia Administration System

Malaysia Administration System Introduction Malaysia, Malaysia (Malaysia) for short, is one of the Southeast Asia by thirteen states and three federal systems composed of district federal countries. Kuala Lumpur, the federal government is located in the city. August 31, 1957 (Ding You years) independence. Western half is located in the Malay Peninsula, often referred to as the west, the north Thailand, and south across the Johor strait, as opposed to a Singapore and Indonesias Riau islands; The eastern half is often referred to as the east horse, south Kalimantan, Indonesia. As early as the 6th century BC, and now the Malaysian region to establish a Kedah kingdom. 14 real Malacca kingdom centered in Malacca, the unification of most of the Malay Peninsula. 1511 Portugal conquered the Malacca. World War II, the United Kingdom, such as the Penang Malay maharaja 9 merges it to federal, Singapore as an independent British colony. Federated Malay States in 1957 independence, the Federated Malay States in 1963 with Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah merged to form Malaysia. 1965 Singapore quit forming the current Malaysia. The members of the British Commonwealth, the non-aligned movement and members of the organization of the Islamic conference, is also one of the founding of the association of Southeast Asian nations countries. Mainly involved in military action defense alliance with the five countries and the United Nations peacekeeping operations. Administrative structure in Malaysia 2.1 The legislative branch 2.1.1 at the federal level YDPA Malaysian Supreme Head of State as head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces and Islamic leaders from the nine hereditary rulers of the meeting in accordance with the candidacy of Sudan Sudan Aging’s age and became drawn up the list, the highest elected a seniority Sudanese head of state, a term of five years. Supreme Head of State is the head of state has the legal status of the Federal Constitution and the Act of Parliament expressly bar out of his country representative for Malaysia, the highest legislative and executive decision-makers. Senate A total of 69 members of the Malaysian Senate, where 26 is indirectly elected by the state legislature elections in 13 states, in addition to the 44 heads of state from the federal government to the highest recommended for appointment. Senators must be over 30 years of the Federation of Malaysia citizen, a total term of three years, regardless of whether the continuous average term renewable only once. House of representative A total of 193 members must be at least 21 years of age and shall not serve on the Members. Under the five-year term of office of members must be regular and comprehensive re-election, Mr. Election, when voters in the constituency Members voting seats, mining relative majority decision made it past the post voting. Known as â€Å"YANG BERHORMAT†. Responsible by Congress in Malaysia, the task of amending the law and repeal, directly under the Aging of Malaysia. 2.1.2 at the state level Rules Heads of state leaders is highest, according to the countrys constitution, the head of state has the right to recommend the principles of action, as well as the rules and the powers to appoint and YDB YDN, for the appointment of the Minister of State has certain rights. You can refuse the request and agreed to dissolve the legislature of each state, but for the requirements of the rulers of the Council, to be met, the head of the Malaysian Islamic religion give respect and satisfaction. State legislative assembly 13 states, each state has its own legislative assembly, every member is elected by the people themselves, this tradition has been maintained for five years, the election over the age of 21 people, they were known as YANG BERHORMAT Council is responsible for the drafting of the legislation, and debate on them, but a person cannot be at the same time a representative number of constituency, representing a district only. 2.2 The Executive branch 2.2.1 at the federal level YDPA YDPA 2.1.1 has been discussed in the above Council of the rules Council of the rules is made up of nine rulers in Malaysia and four appointed head of the state under the federal constitution 38 provisions of the Council, the main functions of the parliament every 5 years is selected in the nine hereditary ruler supreme head of state and deputy supreme head of state, but only the hereditary ruler has the supreme head of state of the right to vote and the right to vote. Other features include a duty to protect the legal status of the Malay and Islam; Involving Islam problem on a nationwide scale for final decisions; In addition, the ruler has the supreme legislative power, the highest judicial power and administrative power, but in actual operation, he must consult the opinions of the prime minister. Prime minister Malaysias prime minister was the leader of the administrative organ in Malaysia. In Malaysia to clarify in the constitution, the supreme head of state must appoint a congressional majority support members of the House of Commons as prime minister. 1. From the parliaments lower House of Commons 2. Be born in Malaysia citizens Cabinet Malaysias cabinet is the Malaysian government administrative department, the cabinet led by the prime minister and the cabinet minister report to congress on a regular basis. Cabinet members must be elected by congress, which was given the highest approval rating of MPS in the house of Commons will be elevated to the prime minister, then according to the list submitted by prime minister elected cabinet ministers and deputy ministers, cabinet ministers in a cabinet meeting every Wednesday on a regular basis. 2.2.2 at the state level Rules/YDN Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in the country. Its symbolic head of state rulers called Malaysia (Yang Di-Pertuan Agong), namely the Agong, by seven Malay States Johor, Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Pahang, Tengah House Sultan (Sultan), plus serious side Raja Negeri Sembilan and Perlis served in rotation, either every 5 years. Four other states in the state by the symbolic head of state (Yang Di-Pertuan Negeri) rule. State executive council State cabinet-is headed by minter bear.States that do not have a sultan-is headed by chief minister.Peninsular-state executive council.Sabah-cabinet, Sarawak-supreme council.Responsible for forming various state policies, Implement them and acts as advisor to the ruler.Members of state cabinet head certain portfolios.Practices collective responsibility. Malaysia consists of 13 states and 3 Federal Territories. Federal; Territories: Kuala Lumpur, Island of Labuan, Putrajaya 2.3 Judiciary Malaysias legal and judicial system is complex, Malaysias judicial system is exquisite and meticulous, and it is rooted in the cultural diversity of the colonial history and things. Malaysias judicial system involves many aspects of the legal system in Malaysia; Malaysia ruled by the British for a long time, belong to common law legal system. Criminal justice is an important part of Malaysias judicial system, based on the defendant equality against the judgment of the illegal interrogation officer leading way on the basis of. This system includes three components, namely the court, the prosecuting authority and defense agencies. Its the highest law as the United States constitution of Malaysia. Malaysian court structure can be divided into two parts, namely the Supreme Court and lower court. Lower courts consist of judgment court and district court, but it is the things both impartiality-or otherwise-of the higher court, an appellate court and the federal court. The federal courts pr edecessor was the Supreme Court; it is the highest in the Malaysian legal system of institution and the final court of appeal. The appeals court to Malaysias operation from June 24, 1994 began to take effect. The special court was set up in 1993.Special court will trial all rulers and supreme head of state of civil action. The courts presided over by the federal court, and the other four members, namely what horse two impartiality-or otherwise-of justice and two judges appointed by the Malay rulers conference. A member of the federal court for federal court justices, long appeals courtyard, Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak justice and seven other federal court judges.At present there are 10 in Malaysia the appeals court judge (not including the appeal yard long).The Malayan impartiality-or otherwise-of has 47 judge, Sabah and Sarawak impartiality-or otherwise-of ten judges. In the lower court, there are 60 district court judges, of which 52 in the west, Sabah and Sarawak each four. Judgment court judge has 151, including 122 in the west, ma 10 in Sabah, 18 in Sarawak and 1 in Fujian federal territories.The federal court is the judicial Malaysias supreme leader. The federal court, the appeal judges, west horse yard long, Malaya, federal court judges, the appeals court judge and impartiality-or otherwise-of the judge is the supreme head of state in refer to the advice of the prime minister appointed after meeting and consulting the Malay rulers. 3.0 Explain your country system china The judicial organs of China including the court, procurator ate, public security organs (including the state security organs) and judicial administrative organs and their leading lawyer organization, notary organ, re-education through labor authorities, etc. The peoples court is an organ of the state trial; the peoples procurator ate is the national legal supervision organs; the public security organ is the public security organ, is responsible for the investigation of criminal cases, detention or pre-qualification and arrests. Has the nature of the public security organ of a state security organ; Main responsibility is to management of the judicial administrative organs of the prisons and labor camps, lawyers, notarization, peoples mediation and legal publicity and education, etc. Judicial organization refers to the lawyers, notarization, and the arbitration organization. The latter is not the judicial organs, are essential in the judicial system and links. 4.0 Comparison with Malaysia Malaysia government and society: Constitutional monarchy (a constitutional monarchy is divided into dual monarchy and a parliamentary monarchy, Malaysia belong to parliament monarchy). Rulers meeting by the Johor, Pahang, Selangor, Mei LAN, knight, Deng jail floor, Kelantan, Kedah, glass city nine states of hereditary Sudan and Malacca , Penang, sand, the more, the Shaba of four states of heads of state. Its function is highest in nine hereditary Sudan in turn elected head of state and deputy supreme head of state; Review and promulgated by the national laws and regulations ;Has the final decisions on Islam problem on a nationwide scale; Review involved ethnic Malays and Sabah, sand the privileged status of indigenous peoples and other major problems. Without the consent of the meeting, and shall not by any law rulers of privileged status. China government and society: National nature: the peoples democratic dictatorship of socialist countries. The socialist system is the basic system of the Peoples Republic of China. The socialist system by any organization or individual is prohibited destruction. â€Å"After Hong Kong and Macao return, because of historical reasons, the implementation of one country, two systems, namely in mainland China practices the socialist system and capitalist system in Hong Kong and Macao shall, because civil war failed to unify Taiwan, presently for the system of capitalism, return also suitable for the one country, two systems, still practice the system of capitalism. Government: the peoples congress system. PRC in article 2 of regulation: all power in the Peoples Republic of China belongs to the people. The people exercise state power of authority is the National Peoples Congress and local peoples congresses at various levels. The people in accordance with the law, through various channels and forms, management of state affairs, manage economic and cultural undertakings and social affairs management. 5.0 Conclusion Malaysias special political economic and cultural background as well as for its unique geographical position, one of the world famous. Malaysia pursues an independent foreign policy, neutral and nonaligned. Priority to the development of foreign policy cornerstone for the association of south-east Asian nationsASEAN), relations with ASEAN countries. Great importance to developing relations with power. Is a member of the commonwealth, and its member states more exchanges? With the establishment of diplomatic ties in 131 countries. 6.0 Reference list Websites Malaysia History and society, [online] available at: mailto:http://www.cicir.ac.cn/chinese/newsView.aspx?nid=2946, Accessed on 25th NOV 2014 China History and society, [online], available at: mailto:http://www.npc.gov.cn/pc/11_4/2007-12/05/content_1620424.htm, Accessed on 6th DEC 2014 Word count: 2037

Height and Weight Data on High School Children Essay -- Data Handling

Missing Some Graphs Handling Data Coursework Introduction This is based on fictional data on a school called Mayfield high school. I will be comparing two variables I have chosen to compare the relationship between the height and weight of the pupils in the school. It will be involving the following year groups seven, eight and nine. The data that I have been given to me is a secondary source, which was provided to me by teacher which was from the internet. The data has provided me with each pupils name, age, year group, height, hair and eye color, and the distance from home to school, traveling method, number of brothers and sisters and KS2 results. The aim of this investigation is to find out a relationship between two variables, the two variables which I have chose to investigate are height and weight. Hypotheses To test my first hypothesis i.e. as pupils get older the boys and girls get heavier and taller. I will carry out a stratified sample of 60 boys and girls. The reason why I will do a sample is because it will show the different proportions of people in each year group and gender. Therefore my data will be representative of Mayfield High School. Once I have collected the data I will then organize the heights and weights of the girls and boys in a grouped frequency table. I will then use this table to find the mean, mode, median of the results of the heights and weights of these males and females. I will then construct a cumulative frequency graph to find and locate the median, lower quartile and upper quartile. This will then be used to draw a box plot for the heights and weights of male and females. This data will be used to help me to conclude my first hypothesis. To test hypothesis two i.e. girls in y... ... that overall my hypothesis is correct. This is shown in the graphs of the data showing the boys and girls in year eight, nine and eleven. However in the graphs showing year seven and ten proves that my hypothesis is wrong. Also my last graph shows an overall outlook of the whole population I had sampled and it shows a very positive correlation of the taller you are the heavier you are. To conclude my coursework I have learnt that all of my hypotheses are correct. My first hypothesis was the older you are the heavier you weigh. My second hypothesis was the girls in year seven are taller and heavier then boys in year seven. My last hypothesis is the taller you are the heavier you are. From investigating these I have learnt that the older you are the heavier you are, year seven girls are heavier and taller then boys and the taller you are the heavier you are.

Ethno Religious Crisis in Nigeria: Causes and Remedy.

ETHNO RELIGIOUS CRISIS IN NIGERIA: CAUSES AND REMEDY. BY MUHAMMAD GAMBO ISGOGO HASSAN ADAMU MAKUKU UMAR HAMIDU ALIYU ABSTRACT Introduction Nigeria is no doubt a populous nation of over 88 million (1991 population census) but as at now Nigeria’s population is estimated to be above 120 million people of diverse ethnic groups and many religions. Its people are differently distributed in the 36 states that made up the nation. In addition to this, the nation is blessed with many economic potentialities which help in the movement of the various peoples through the process of economic inter-dependence. Though abounds with human and natural resources, the country has since independence witnessed a number of inter and intra ethnic and religious crisis which continue to be an impediment to its overall development. The causes of conflicts between and within ethnic and religious groups could be seen in a number of factors, such as ways of propagating the religions, mistrust and suspicion between the followers of the various religious and ethnic groups, selfishness ignorance and intolerance amongst the two groups. References are made in the holy books, such as the Glorious Qu’ran and the Holy Bible on their teachings showing how if fully adhered to, the nation will be in peace. In this respect, the prevailing crisis might not be un- connected with the deviation of the teachings of these religions by their followers. In the paper, causes of these crises are discussed and some suggestions are provided which if properly implemented will serve as remedies to both ethnic and religious crisis in the nation. Ethnic Crisis In Nigeria. In the words of Eleazu â€Å"the people of Nigeria are many and varied†1. Actually, a nation with a population of over 120 million people now and about 391 different ethnic groups2 with divergent socio-political, economic, cultural and religious backgrounds could be termed a nation of many and varied peoples. With this heterogametic nature. Nigeria has thus, become a melting pot where social conflicts and especially of ethnic nature are bound to occur. Causes of ethnic crisis in Nigeria are many comprising of both long and short term factors. There had been in the past for example, serious inter-ethnic rivalry to secure slaves for both domestic use and trans-Atlantic slave trade and secondly, there were wars of expanding the territories of the various states, kingdoms and empires that made up what is today Nigeria. These wars were the predominant activities of the various ethnic groups which became a factor of bitter relationship amongst them in the past. This situation of enmity between the various ethnic groups was according to Ryder From the 18th century onwards when the slave trade supplied weapons that made these conflicts more destructive. Internally, a sharpening of divisions within societies is well attested3. These wars caused serious insecurity so that many old towns were relocated in mountainous areas or mass defensive walls were constructed to avoid the intrusion of enemies. It is worth noting that these earlier conflicts were sponsored by the European slavers. In this way one could say, the seed for such conflicts was planted right in the period before colonial rule. Slave trade on its own was an inhuman act and therefore a terrorist act. In the colonial period, the colonial system of dividing what is today Nigeria into three administrative units had contributed greatly in shaping the present day relationship of suspicion, fear and mistrust among the divergent ethnic groups in the country. The administrative units were:-Lagos colony, Southern Protectorate and Northern protectorate, in this arrangement, the north was excluded from the central administration. This exclusion was to later have a serious implication on the relationship between the people of the north and those of the South, (East and West). The implication became more pronounced when in 1914, the three administrative units were amalgamated. This action was marked by mutual suspicion and sometimes open conflict between the diversed ethnic groups. One could say at this juncture that, this suspicion and fear still shapes the relationship between the peoples of these various corners of the country. This is also the genesis of the subsequent crisis of ethnic nature in Nigeria. Today, Nigerians feel insecure in the regions other than their own. The sectional feeling further manifests itself clearly in the unhealthy competition in all aspects of the government between the peoples of the North, West and East. Tensions between these peoples become more and more intensified with each trying to protect its sectional interest. On this note, Awolowo, cited in Ekeh, P. P. and Osaghae, E. E. eds blamed the British: For dividing the North from the South so thoroughly and effectively that the two were divergently and almost irreconcilably oriented4 With Federalism which was instituted to primarily to avoid one ethnic group dominating others and also protecting the interests of the minorities, the nation was once again split into regions, each with its autonomous power. In this political arrangement also, it was observed that: The colonial administrators have passed on to the Nigerian wards the prejudices which had enabled them think and act in the belief that this informal federation was a marriage of convenience between incompatibles 5. With this impression in the minds of Nigerian peoples, it becomes very difficult for them to work harmoniously together without such tribal conflicts. Each of the tribes of the country today works only for the interest of its people and not the nation, thus in these blind competitions of each trying to dominate the other, conflicts of ethnic nature always occur. Clear testimony to this was that the political parties of the first Republic were regionally organized; Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC), was for the North, Action Group (AG) was for the West (Yoruba) while National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) was for the East (Igbo). Equally the major parties of the second republic were only the reincarnation of those of the first republic, National Party of Nigeria (NPN) for example replicated the NPC, United Party of Nigeria (UPN) was the AG incarnate while the National Peoples Party (NPP) replicated the NCNC. Each of these worked tirelessly to protect the interest of its geopolitical zone, and in so doing, conflicts occur. A case to mention here was the coup and counter coup of January and July 1966 which came about as a result of the heedless pride, greed, selfishness and shortcomings of the members of these three regions. The wound inflicted by the Nigerian civil war did not heal properly as there are still moves for secession in the country. Minority issues in Nigeria are also seen as one important phenomenon which causes ethnic conflicts in the country. These minority tribes were once neglected in the socio-political and economic affairs of the country. Nigeria was seen and regarded as the home of only three tribes; Hausa/Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba. But later even Arthur Richard cited in Ekeh, P. P and Osaghae, E. E confirmed that: It is only accident of British suzerainty which has made Nigeria one country or one nation socially, economically and even politically, there are deep differences between the major ethnic groups. They do not speak the same language and they have highly divergent customs and ways of life and they represent stages of culture. 6 From the 1950s till date, the reality of Nigerian problem started to unfold. Many minority ethnic groups began to feature in the sharp competitions in the entire aspects of government. This is done through the formation of their own political parties and associations in order to out do the activities of major ethnic groups whom they regard and see as threats to their economic and political aspirations. This suspicion and fear by the minority tribes over the major tribes remain a prominent feature in the Nigerian socio-political and economic activities and have in no small measure helped in intensifying ethnic crisis in the country. The desire to harness and utilize the God given economic potentials distributed in all parts of the country made the movements and permanent settlement of different tribes in different regions of the country inevitable. Socio-political and economic relations that follow, crisis of leadership result in serious clashes between many tribes. In 2002 for example, there was a serious conflict between the Yoruba and Hausa over the leadership of a cattle market in Bodija, Ibadan and in Jos, the conflict is still on between the Hausa and some tribes over who has the legal right of chieftaincy. Cases of this nature are numerous and too many to be mentioned here. One can also still see the traces of the British administration in Nigeria on the issue of sectionalism. It is worth mentioning that after forty four (44) years of independence and despite several calls for national unity, associations of purely tribal interest are established in the country. In the West, there is the Ooduwa Peoples’ Congress (OPC) for purely Yoruba people, in the East, there is the Ohaneze (Ndi Igbo) purely for Igbo people, while in the North, there is Arewa Consultative Forum for the northern peoples. It should be noted that all these associations have been established to directly and openly protect the interests of their respective peoples. Where their interests clash, it results to conflicts. Many ethnic crises in Nigeria are as a result of the activities of these associations. It is very disheartening to add that these tribal associations and other purely tribally motivated movements are directly supported and sponsored by top serving and retired government personalities. These supports only help in fueling crisis of ethnic nature in the country. Worst still, is that security and law enforcement agents always take sides when performing any national assignment of peace keeping. These agents openly support their people even if they are the offenders. This issue is no doubt causing further ethnic crisis and even escalating the existing ones. One cannot also delink this problem of ethnic crisis with the activities of the â€Å"area boys† who emerge suddenly as the result of the growing unemployment in the country. These groups of unemployed, misguided, disgruntled and unpatriotic teenagers unnecessarily cause commotions and misunderstanding under the pretext of tribal issues to enable them loot and steal private and public property. Area boyism is therefore a force to reckon with in causing tribal conflicts in the country. But it is worth mentioning here that some of the activities of these area boys are mostly engineered and sponsored by the selfish, greedy and unpatriotic politicians who by all means and at all cost wan to win election or cause unnecessary commotions. Under the pretext of tribalism, they therefore incite such crises in the country. Wrong and exaggerated information by the press and the media houses sometimes form the background for tribal conflicts in the country. Such exaggerated news will only spark up some ethnic groups to avenge on some innocent victims. Almizan of 16th Zulkida 1420 for example reported that over 2000 Hausa people were killed by the Igbo in the East to avenge the killings of Igbo in Kaduna7. The Igbo took this action because the nation was erroneously informed of the Kaduna crisis by the Today Newspaper of 21/2/2000. ollowing this, other major towns in the country started brewing with tension. No one can quantify the extent of damages caused by these ethnic crises in Nigeria. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost leaving behind them so many orphans and widows, many were maimed and wounded, private and public property worth millions of naira were damaged. Also the tribes of Nigeria are left in a terrible sta te of perpetual psychological insecurity and fear especially those settling in a region other than their own. In this way, the spirit of national cohesion which is the bedrock of peace and stability still remain a dream, Nigerians therefore remain in either cold war or open war with one another. Religious Crisis In Nigeria (Causes) The causes of religious crisis in Nigeria seem to have been an event that occurs as a surprise to all concerned citizens of the nation. The crisis are mostly centered on religion though with some hidden motives. Religion which is often used as cover up is considered as one of the major causes of the crisis in Nigeria. Definition of Religion. Religion according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as â€Å"one of the systems of faith that are based on the belief in the existence of a particular God or gods: Jewish religion, Christian Religion, Islamic religion and other world religions8. It is also defined as, a particular interest or influence that is very important in one’s life 9. Christianity is the belief in Christ, the man that Christians believe is the son of God and on those teachings the Christian religion is based. The prayer book 1998 states: the Christian faith is based on the belief in one God summarized in what is popularly known as Nicene Creed thus reads: We believe in one God, the father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the father, through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man†¦. 0 Islam as a religion is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender and obedience to the laws of Allah. Islam is to enter into peace and Muslim is one who makes his peace wit Allah and man’s peace wit Allah implies complete submission to his will and peace wit man is not only to refrain from evil, injury to another man but also o do good to him. Christianity and Islam as religions of peace pre ach peace and co existence among their adherents. The Bible says in the Book of Prophet Isaiah 9:6 Proclaimed Jesus Christ as â€Å"the prince of peace†12. It will be absurd to see the followers of this prince of peace breaching the peace that was announced. Based on Islamic peace teaching, Al-Ezzati observed, that: The task of guiding the misled to virtuous behavior and persuading them to stop doing wrong (Al-amir bil-al-ma-rouf wa-al-nahy anil-munkar) is laid on every Muslim and this is why every Muslim is supposed to preach righteousness and decency13 . Religious crisis in Nigeria seems to be as a result of digression from the teachings of both religions. Prophet Isa (Jesus) (AS) displayed a good model and requested all his followers to emulate. In the New Testament, the apostle Paul in his admonition to the Romans in chapter 12:9, 10 & 18 charged them: Let love be without dissimulation, abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. If it is possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men14. In Galatians 5:22 peaceful co-existence is described as one of the Christian virtues. The teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have shown in theory and practice too, the right of neighbours both Muslims and non-Muslims, in a Hadith which states: Whosoever happens to be such that his (or her) neighbours do not feel secured of being afflicted from his evils, will not be admitted into paradise15. Another Hadith states : By Allah he has not acquired Iman (faith) and by Allah he has not acquired Iman. So it was said â€Å"who is that person O ye messenger of Allah: He said, that one whose neighbours do not feel safe from the evil in him or (her). Bukhari narrated 16. The above traditions teach harmonious relationship that is to be encouraged by both followers of the two faiths especially the Muslims. To buttress further from the Christian side, the Holy Bible, in Peter 3:11 says: Let him eschew evil, and do good, let him seek peace and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil 17. If such teachings are emulated by both Muslims and non-Muslims of the world, and Nigeria in particular, there will be no religious crisis. Most if not all of the crisis occurred out of ignorance. The present society tends to neglect all the above teachings and behave recklessly as explained above. Umar Ibn Khattab the second caliph said when sending troops to the battle field. Destroy not fruit trees, nor fertile fields in your path, be just and spare the feelings of the vanquished, respect all religious persons who live in hermitage or convents, and spare their edifice18. Ezzati further explains how caliph Umar protected the people of the Book. The killings, destructions being done in the process of fighting each other is not religious. In one of Jesus’ last sermons to his disciples in John 14:27, He said: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you19. As mentioned above, the religious crisis in Nigeria are mostly manifested out of none adherence to the teachings of all the religions, since all the Holy books like the Qur’an and the Bible teaches peaceful co-existence of the people. The Qur’an openly states in chapter 2: verse 190 Fight for the sake of those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. Allah does not love aggressors20. It is therefore not true to say that the Muslim leaders or Christians of Nigeria are ignorant of such verses and the relationship that existed at the early state, which is supposed to be emulated by the present society. Qur’an 2:256 states: There should be no compulsion in religion21. Another verse states 109:6 Unto you your religion and unto me my religion22. The above verses shows that many religions could co-exist in harmony without conflict since followers of every religion are enjoined to stick to their religions. For example, in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), some religions existed side by side with Islam, and the prophet himself accorded much respect to the followers of these religions. The Qur’an is full of teachings in which no doubt about it, a guidance to those who are pious, who fear Allah and very much abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden, and performance of good deeds which He has ordained. Several crises occurred in many parts of Nigeria from the initial stage as tribal and later turned to religious crisis. But the question is, were all these actually religious crisis, if they were, were the forerunners of these crises ignorant of such teachings of the glorious Qur’an and The Bible? One may likely say that such crisis were not religious as such, since the holy prophet states in one of his traditions that the blood of a brother Muslim is only lawful in three ways: 1. When a Muslim kills a Muslim brother, he will be killed. 2. When he commits apostasy (Ridda) and warned to repent, if he refused, he will be killed. 3. When a married man or married woman commits adultery he or she will be killed. Again the messenger of Allah (P. B. U. H) said: A thief will not commit theft at the time he/she commits it while he is still a Mumin and drunkard will no drink at the time he/she drinks while he/she is still a mumin, and the armed robber will not commit robbery of the precious thing, with people watching him at the time he commits robbery while he is still a mumin23. The above Hadith illustrated the situation in Nigeria about those who call themselves religious and yet engage in such irreligious crisis. As pointed out above, the immediate causes of which can therefore be attributed to: A. Pretensious ignorance of followers of the dominant religions in their religious tenets coupled with lack of proper adherence to the teachings of their religions. B. Due to Lack of Allah’s consciousness ethno – religious crisis arising from economic consideration from the leaders of Nigeria, many of the crisis are economically ignited, e. g. with all Nigeria’s oil wealth, what has been done to alleviate the sufferings of the majority masses. In such a case, uprisings occur in the name of religious crisis where the frustrated Nigerians will take laws into their hands in the name of protecting the interest of their various religions. Though Muslims cite example of a hadith which says: If one sees an abomination he should correct it with his hand and if that is not possible, he should correct it with his tongue and if that is not possible he should hate it in his heart, the later being the weakest degree of faith24. The above Hadith shows the level of correction to be embarked upon by any good Muslim, not the correction through destruction as it is done in Nigeria. This is the correction that is done, not with the loss of lives or destruction of public property C. Although Nigeria is a secular state, yet some top government officials   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  take biased decisions in favour of their religions, especially on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  employment and other government affairs. This action always provokes   the followers of other religions which consequently result to crisis in the name of religion. An example is that of complains by Christians about the Arabic inscriptions in the Nigerian currency, while on the other hand the Muslims too complain about Friday not being work-free day just like their Christian  counterparts enjoy Sundays as work free day. D. Misunderstanding of the concept of shariah: Some Muslims and non Muslims in the country are ignorant of the entire   concept of shariah and therefore, see it as an instrument of oppression   and abuse of human rights. With this erroneous conception of shariah,   some Muslims and non Muslims oppose its implementation openly and   in so doing conflicts of religious nature occur. To this end, remedy to these problems must be sought in order to      create a peaceful social environment for the overall development of our   country, Nigeria. Suggestions As Remedies For Ethno-Religious Crisis In Nigeria. We have seen that the socio-political history of Nigeria has been bedeviled with series of conflicts especially of ethnic and religious nature. These conflicts are also varied, sometimes within a given religion or between religions, so also is the case with ethnic crisis. These crisis are seriously hindering the nation towards achieving one of its desired objectives of unity and stability which is the basic pre-requisite for any meaningful development. Below are a number of suggestions which would serve as remedies to the frequent ethnic and religious crisis in the country. 1. The method of imparting to the Nigerian citizenry the spirit of patriotism should be revisited. Nigerians should be fully acquainted with the ethics of patriotism. They should be made to take the nation first before any sectional interest. 2. Followers of both religions should value and adhere strictly to the teachings of their faiths since all religions are peace-loving, the spirit of tolerance ad cooperation will be developed so that Nigerians can work with one another peacefully. . The basic aim of the Federal Character Commission should be observed with all sense of seriousness. The aim is : â€Å"to give every citizen of Nigeria a sense of belonging to the nation notwithstanding the diversities of ethnic origin, culture, language or religion which may exist and which it is their desireto nourish, harness to the enrichment of the federal Republic of Nige ria†. If this aim is fully implemented, all Nigerians irrespective of language, religions or sex will have a sense of belonging and fuller participation in all government affairs without discrimination. In this way the feeling of one tribe or religion dominating the other will be discarded. 4. Formation of associations of purely tribal nature should be out rightly discouraged. 5. Inter-faiths Mediation Centers should be developed at all levels of government. 6. Law enforcement and security agents should be re-oriented on the importance of being neutral when putting down crisis of any nature in the country. 7. Standards should be set for preaching on all religions. In this way rampant preaching by the scholars of various religions could be controlled. 8. The supreme bodies of various religions in the country should enforce the law guiding the adherence of their belief system. Muslims for example should be made to apply Shari’ah. In the same vein application of ecclesial law should be encourage . In this way conflicts within and between religions would be reduced. 9. Media houses and the press should always be fair in their reports, especially when it involves crisis of ethnic and religious nature. 10. As some of the crisis are caused deliberately by area boys and certain movements, this is actually reflecting the economic situation of the country. Effort should be done to reduce the activities of area boyism through employment and equitable distribution of the nation’s wealth. 11. There should be total war against the debilitating problems of ignorance, poverty and disease, therefore promoting the well being of the individuals that make up the nation. Notes And References 1. Eleazu, U. â€Å"History and Geography of Nigeria† in Eleazu U. Ed. Nigeria: The first 25 years, Lagos Heinemann. 1985 -p3 2. Abdul Basir, A. A. & Bala, U. K, â€Å"In search of Lingua Franca/National Language Towards Sustainable Democracy for Nation Building†. A seminar paper presented at the 1st national Conference organized by School of Arts & Social Sciences, F. C. E. Kontagora. From 26th – 30th April. 2004, p- 1 3. Ryder, A. F. C. â€Å"The Trans-Atlantic slave Trade† in Obaro, I. Ed. Groundwork of Nigerian History, Ibadan, Heinemann. 1980. p150 4. Ekeh, P. P. and Osaghae, E. E. (eds) Federal Character and Federalism in Nigeria, Ibadan, Heinemann. 1989;   p 337 5. Ibid, p337 6. Ibid, p340 7. Al-mizan of 16th Zulkida, 1420; Similarly see all the publications of Almizan and other Kaduna based Newspapers published within the period of the Kaduna crisis, I. . from 20th February, 2000. 8. Hornby, A. S. Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary of Current English, 6th Ed. New York. 2000. p 900 9. Ibid pp. 900 10. The Holy Bible: Authorized King James Version, U. S. A. World Publishing. Ioma falls Ioma 50126 p. 165 11. Edmund, P. Christianity in Northern Nigeria. 2nd Ed. Zaria, Gaskiya Corporation. 1976, p131. 12. Ibid,p. 13 1. 13. Ezzati, A. An introduction to the History of the spread of Islam, Lagos, Islamic Publication Bureau. 1979. p 4. 14. Ibid, p 116 15. Idris, I. G. The need of a Muslim (Bugyatul-Muslimina) English translation, Kauran Wali Islamic Publishers, Kaduna. 1979. p 49. 16. Ibid pp 49 17. Ibid in Peter 3:11 18. Ezzati, A. 1979 p. 5. 19. Authorized King James Version, John 14:27 pp. 78 20. King Fahd Complex The noble Qur’an, English Translation of the meanings and commentary. (1419 A. H). 2:190 21 Ibid, 2:256 22Ibid, 109: 6 23. Abdur Rahman, I. Doi. Shariah: The Islamic Law, Ta Ha Publications, London, 1984 p 355/6 24Idris, I. G. 1979. p. 50.