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And From the World in Brief... PHILIPPINES Ninety per cent of all Filipinos who took the Public Service entrance exam failed, according to the Civil Service Commission. The Commission said just 6,334 of the 62,389 individuals who took the examination passed, but gave no explanation for the large failure rate. The tests covered vocabulary, grammar, paragraph organisation, reading comprehension, analogy, logic, numerical reasoning, the Philippine Constitution and the Code of Conduct for Public Servants. Those who pass the test become eligible to work in the Public Service. UNITED KINGDOM A survey conducted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has identified libraries as among the services “most vulnerable” to spending cuts. The BBC said services such as libraries and nurseries faced cuts as Councils battled falling revenues and higher demand. The survey found “arts and leisure services will be most vulnerable to cuts while homelessness, children’s social services and planning are likely to be more protected.” PORTUGAL The Portuguese Government has refused to back down from austerity measures that include a freeze on PS wages despite a nationwide strike by Public Servants. The strike led to some school classes being cancelled, medical offices being closed and rubbish uncollected. Secretary of State for the Civil Service, Goncalo Castilho dos Santos said the Government was not going to budge and urged workers to accept the need for cuts in spending. UNITED STATES The General Services Administration (GSA) in the United States is leading the way in creating more environmentally friendly buildings for Federal workplaces. The GSA’s Office of Federal High-Performance Green Buildings has been tasked with ensuring all Federal buildings meet the sustainable design and energy reduction requirements established in 2007. The Office also aims to inspire other businesses to convert their buildings, making them greener, cleaner and better for the environment. MALAYSIA The Public Service Commission of Malaysia has admitted it hired some staff on the basis of gender when Departments and Agencies specifically requested it to. Secretary of the Commission, Datuk Lamien Sawiyo said it was rare to get requests, but some Departments did have gender specific posts. “For instance the Prisons Department have requested for women to be employed as wardens for its women’s section. “If not for specific cases like these, we do not practise gender quota when hiring people to work for the Civil Service. Everyone is eligible and all applications will be treated equally.” |
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