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| Sunday, 23 January 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Repercussions of competitive education
Nowadays, new trends in the educational field can be seen in our country. Some parents persuade their children to read and write from infancy. Sometimes, even very small children are forced to study. Of course, education is essential to one's well-being, but parents should not push their children to study hard all the time. Due to this, most children in urban areas have been deprived of their precious childhoods and have no free time on their hands. They have become almost like 'machines'. They study from morning to night. Beside going to school, most children are forced to go for extra classes by their parents. Due to these pressures, some children suffer from unrest and depression. Children nowadays pay very little attention to aesthetic subjects. They aren't very fond of literature or music. Most parents want to see their children becoming doctors or engineers in the future. They inculcate those ambitions into the minds of children from childhood. These goals should be achievable. Otherwise, children stand to be disappointed. Excessive disappointment has caused severe mental problems in some children. Who is responsible for this pathetic plight of such children? Children have sweet dreams about their future. Education is a friend which helps them achieve these goals. But, competitive education can turn their dreams into nightmares. The present education system has to be changed and parents are catalysts in this. If this happens, the intelligent and virtuous children of Mother Lanka will be able to serve her as true citizens in the future. Sent by Denuka Lakmal, ******** The real life adventure of a brave boy by Chamitha Kuruppu Thineth Pabasara Jayasuriya loves reading adventure stories. What is unique about this adorable six-year-old is that other than reading, he makes use of the knowledge gained from these stories. On December 26, 2004, Thineth was holidaying in the South with his family. They had planned to visit the Bundala salterns that day. Our hero Thineth was playing with his cousins outside the hotel where they stayed, while the parents were resting inside. "While playing, we heard a loud noise and people screaming," recalls little Thineth. Even before they could realise what was actually happening, a huge wall of water had taken these children miles away. "I can't remember what happened, but when I opened my eyes I felt that I was inside the salterns," says Thineth with a brave smile. Clad in a red t-shirt and a pair of shorts, this Grade Two student of Ananda College, Colombo was excited to share his long adventure with the Junior Observer. "I am taking swimming lessons in school so I tried to swim. Then I knocked my head on something 'huge'. I noticed it was a huge log and managed to grab it," says Thineth. As he clung on to the log tightly, brave little Thineth kept swimming and when he felt tired, he rested and then started swimming again. "While swimming I tried to touch the ground with my feet, when I felt that water was shallow, I stood up on my feet, while holding on to the log, and rested," says Thineth. This six-year-old kept swimming for two days and never lost his faith. "I have read many adventure stories like 'Robinson Crusoe' and I kept remembering them. And I tried to do things that were mentioned in those stories," chuckles Thineth. Didn't he feel hungry and thirsty? Of course he did, and can you guess what this little brave boy did ? He rubbed some water on his lips. "The water was not clean and tasted very salty," Thineth says.After swimming for more than two days, Thineth suddenly heard some people shouting. " There were some uncles searching for people and when I saw them, I shouted for help,". The people who rescued Thineth handed him over to the Weerawila Air Force Camp. "The Air Force uncles took me to the hospital because I was in the water for a long time. And while I was in the hospital, my parents who had been looking all over for me, came to take me home. I never felt afraid. 'Robinson Crusoe' also experienced the same adventure," little Thineth, says with a sweet smile. ***** A young volunteer Niruba Kirubarajah, a 15-year-old girl, has expressed her willingness to do all she can to help the orphans of Sri Lanka. Niruba, who was born and raised in London, returned to Sri Lanka in 2002 and is now residing in Kandy. She has already volunteered in a number of orphanages and says she is willing to sacrifice anything for the orphans in Sri Lanka."I have faith in my country, which I truly love. I hope that Sri Lanka will be a better place to live in and I am prepared to do anything for my country", she says. Niruba's address is 17/39 B-1, Nagahella Road, Mawilmada, Kandy. She can be contacted on 081-2225848 or [email protected]. *********** Young artist with remarkable talent Eight-year-old artist Lara Rachel Dias, who is domiciled in Liverpool, UK was recently crowned as the best emerging artist at the 2004 Cabra Vale Diggers Arts Festival. The child prodigy with a Sri Lankan background has been compared to Pablo Picasso and Van Gogh and displays a talent well beyond her years. More than 50 of her artworks were recently displayed at an exhibition held at her Liverpool studio. Lara started drawing at the age of 2 1/2 years and seems to have been inspired by her grandmother, Chandra Mallawarachchi, an artist in Sri Lanka who also started to draw at the age of six. Lara's paintings reflect what she knows of life. There are boating scenes inspired by fishing trips with her uncle and flowers from the garden, created with permanent markers and acrylic paints. Her art reflects her Sri Lankan background. The student of Liverpool's All Saints Catholic Primary School has already taken part in several art exhibitions including her first solo exhibition at Picton. She has also exhibited at Bankstown's Pacific International Hotel, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Fairfield City Museum and Art's Alive Club Marconi. The budding artist plans to have her next show overseas. She also plays tennis, swims, dances and practises karate. Fondly known as the 'Little Picasso' by her family, Lara has already been featured many times in the Liverpool Leader and Liverpool City Champion newspapers. Lara harbours ambitions of becoming a top class artist one day. Our cover this week is a drawing done by Lara Rachel Dias. |
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Everyone in the world gets a certain kind of education; we are learning
from the cradle to the grave.
