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| Sunday, 19 June 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Tree sanctuaries in sacred areas The Urban Development and Water Supply Ministry has launched a programme to establish 'Tree Sanctuaries' in sacred areas around the island.
The Minister, after opening the sanctuary, planted a 'bulu tree', which has medicinal value. He also commissioned a drinking water system for the benefit of over 600 families living close to the vihara. Trees which have medicinal properties such as aralu, bulu and nelli and rare species such as ebony, mahogany and satin will be planted in the tree sanctuaries. Development of 750 schools to be accelerated Schools numbering 750 will be developed to the standard of National and Navodya Schools under the accelerated Educational Reforms Programme. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who is also the Education Minister, has directed the authorities on these measures in view of the intensive competition for admissions to 52 National and Navodya Schools. Under this programme, information and computer technology, sports, extra-curricular activities, libraries, English and other languages, and laboratory facilities will be improved, or introduced to schools where they are currently non-existent. The Education Ministry will also implement an accelerated programme to totally eliminate the teacher shortage in schools in rural areas. Accordingly, 17,000 graduates who were affiliated to the Education Ministry recently, and qualified voluntary teachers will be given permanency and receive a three-year training that includes a period of on-the-job training. The Government has also authorised Provincial Councils to recruit graduate teachers to fill existing vacancies. Steps have also been taken to solve the teacher shortage problem in the North, East and estate sector schools. Vacancies in these areas, which stood at 11,000 in 1994, has now come down to 4000. 'Searching for Punchi', novel project by Plan Plan Sri Lanka launched a book titled 'Searching for Punchi' in Colombo recently in an innovative project to help children to understand and come to terms with the grief and loss caused by the tsunami. The first copy of the book was handed over to Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Dias Amarasinghe, at a workshop organised by Plan for educational officials. The colourful book is a fictionalised account of a Sri Lankan child's attempt to cope with the loss of a pet that dies in the tsunami. Through this, the concept of coping with grief and issues related to the tsunami disaster are discussed. A pull-out educational poster included in the book explains the science behind tsunamis, a listing of some of the world's worst tsunamis, to put the 2004 tsunami in a historical context, and key points on safety issues and what to do in the event of another tsunami. The book and poster also attempt to prevent children from growing up in fear of the sea. Both the book and poster are trilingual, in English, Sinhala and Tamil, and will be distributed through the Ministry of Education to over a million schoolchildren around the island. The material is targeted at children in Grades 6, 7 and 8, while schools will be encouraged to use the book to teach younger children as well. This initiative is one of the first attempts by a tsunami-affected country to directly address children with a communication campaign of this nature, and it is hoped that the material will be replicated in some form for use by other tsunami-affected Asian countries. Plan Sri Lanka has been working with poor communities around Sri Lanka for 25 years, and in the aftermath of the tsunami, has been particularly active in its project areas that have been badly affected. Helping children affected by tsunami 'Hope for Children', the British charity, has decided to improve the standards and quality of learning at a Peraliya pre-school, which was destroyed by the tsunami, after reading about the plight of the school and its students in a recent issue of the Junior Observer. The charity has also pledged Rs. 19.5 million for a foster parent scheme for children orphaned by the tsunami. The scheme will be administered by the Department of Probation and Childcare Services. The children will live with extended family or close relatives and the monthly grant for the maintenance of the child will go to the foster parent. Single parent families will also receive help through the development of micro-enterprises. Many such families have already been helped through this scheme. Hope for Children also continues to support the construction of pre-schools. Several schools have already received help in this regard. Day to fight desertification
The event is a reminder that desertification can be tackled effectively and that solutions are possible, if only the key tools to achieve these goals, that is, strengthened community participation and co-operation at all levels, are forthcoming. This year's theme was 'Women and Desertification', and recognised the important role women played in the affected countries, especially in rural areas in developing countries. This year's event was a preparation to the International Year of Deserts and Desertification, which falls in 2006. One fourth of the earth now comprises dry land and it is spreading at an alarming rate. Droughts are also more prevalent in the modern day than in the past. Over 250 million people across the world are directly affected by the degradation (deterioration) of the environment and one billion people are at the risk of being affected. One hundred and ten countries have dry lands which stand the risk of being affected by this degradation, while 70 per cent of the dry land, currently utilised for agriculture, is already degraded. |
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The first such 'Tree Sanctuary' was established recently at the Aukana
Historical Vihara premises by Minister Dinesh Gunawardene. 
Cities across the globe celebrated the World Day to Combat
Desertification and Drought on June 17. The day was declared by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1994 and marks the anniversary of the UN
Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). 
