|
|
|
| Sunday, 26 June 2005 |
 |
|
 |
Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Fighting the scourge of drugs International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is on June 26. The day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 7, 1987, as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and co-operation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse. It followed the recommendations of the International Conference on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which on June 26, 1987, had adopted the Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Outline of Future Activities in Drug Abuse Control. On February 23, 1990, the General Assembly adopted the global programme of action to combat illegal drugs and stated that the day was to be observed as part of the efforts to raise public awareness on fighting drug abuse and to promote preventive measures. The production and use of drugs are said to be on the increase throughout the world, including Sri Lanka. Millions of people are dependent on them. The increase in usage is largely due to easy availability. It is estimated that there are over 100,000 heroin users and over 200,000 ganja users in Sri Lanka. Although the numbers may seem relatively low, the effects of drug abuse on society are not. The lives of drug users as well as their families are disrupted, their health suffers, education is interrupted, jobs are lost and families are broken. The social fabric of a country is torn apart and crime rate increases; it has been found that 50 per cent of prisoners are in jails due to drug-related offenses. However, drug addiction is a problem which could be tackled. Most addicts are introduced to drugs by their friends; peer pressure and the feeling of belonging to a group drive most to take up the habit. The route from non-use to addiction covers first use, occasional use and frequent use. So, the key to eradicating drug abuse lies in the prevention of first use.Parents, teachers, elders and friends can play a leading role in pulling a victim out of the habit, and back into a normal and healthy life. The important thing to realise is that the problem can be treated, and that value and dignity can be restored to a person' s life. - Indunil ######### ICT in school curriculum
Students sitting the O/L examination in 2007 will learn it as a General Information Technology subject from next year. Apart from studying ICT as a subject, the students will also have the opportunity to use it as a tool to learn other subjects. Through the introduction of educational reforms and ICT as a subject, the Ministry hopes to make Lankan students ready to face future global challenges. The Education Ministry will also seek partnerships with other local and foreign institutions to develop the education sector. A partnership has already been formed with Microsoft to introduce ICT into the school curriculum. The first step in this regard will be familiarising the teachers on ICT. ############ Launch of environmental management project
The NCSA website was also officially launched on the occasion. The project, organised by the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will run for 18 months, and will be funded by the UNDP-GEF and the Sri Lankan Government. The NCSA aims to identify the priorities and needs for capacity development, to protect Sri Lanka's environment, and to explore synergies(combined action) among and across areas of biodiversity, climate change and desertification and degradation through a country-driven consultative process.It deals with the three UN Conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification and Land Degradation. Sri Lanka is a partner to 40 Multi-lateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) and the Environment and Natural Resources Ministry is the focal point for several of these MEAs. The Ministry has set up a Biodiversity Secretariat, Climate Change Secretariat, National Ozone Unit, Air Resource Management Centre and several expert committees, and implemented institutional measures to co-ordinate and implement these MEAs. ######### Creative activities for children Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Organisation (LCYTO) will commence its next session of 'Creative Activities for Children' in July. Veteran children's theatre playwright Somalatha Subasinghe initiated LCYTO in 1981, for promoting theatre productions and performances for children and youth, training of actors, and research on theatre studies. Since then, the organisation has produced and performed a repertoire of mainly musical theatre for child and youth dramas and mainstream theatre productions in Sri Lanka as well as abroad. The new programme will be conducted on Saturdays from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. at Namel Malini Punchi Theatre, Borella. Children from ages four to fourteen can take part. The prime objective of the programme is to develop children's mental and physical abilities and to enhance cheerfulness of the child through aesthetic experiences. It gives children the opportunity to learn the basics of enjoying and appreciating music, free movement, dance and rhythmic movement. For details send a stamped envelope to the Co-ordinator, Lanka Children's and Youth Theatre Organisation, No. 166/1, Buddhist Institute Avenue, Parliament Road, Kotte 10100. ############ Project to develop NWP schools The Ministry of Education with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank will develop 148 rural schools in the Kurunegala and Puttalam districts during the year. Funds amounting to Rs 8.5 million has been set aside for this project. These schools in the North Western Province (NWP) are expected to benefit through the addition of teachers' quarters, playgrounds, science and home science equipment. The Ministry also plans to train 143 school principals on school management and administration and tackling students' discipline. Rs. 175,000 has been allocated in this regard. |
|
||||||||
| News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
| Politics | Produced by Lake House |
The Education Ministry is planning to introduce Information
Communication Technology (ICT) to schools across the island and integrate
ICT into the school curriculum.Plans have been drawn up to introduce ICT
to all classes from Primary level upwards, through a phased-out programme.
Three hundred schools will see ICT being taught in their primary classes
from 2006, while ICT concepts will be introduced to Grade One classes the
same year. 
A project named National Capacity Needs Self-Assessment (NCSA) for
Global Environmental Management was inaugurated in Colombo recently. 
