Child labour high in agricultural sector

We have highlighted the scourge of child labour many times over through these pages. It has been revealed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) that over 132 million children, both girls and boys aged between five and 14 years, are currently working in farms and plantations in the capacity of labourers.

They may be harvesting crops, spraying pesticides or tending livestock. Girls are especially at a disadvantage as they are often burdened with household chores before or after working in the fields.

At a recent function held in Colombo, it was revealed by the ILO that the Labour Ministry, on the request of the international organisation, is presently looking into the possibility of supporting a new child labour survey that will provide ILO with more up-to-date information regarding child labour in the country.

This is expected to lead to a comprehensive time-bound programme to eliminate selected worst forms of child labour in Sri Lanka.

An ILO report released last year revealed that 70 per cent of an estimated 218 million child labourers in the world are working in the agricultural sector.

Satellite TV from Education Ministry

Satellite television channels are all the rage these days. Some of you may already have this facility at home and may be enjoying satellite TV.

Some of these programmes have high educational value and may be really worth watching, although some may be unsuitable for you. Now, the Ministry of Education is planning to start a satellite TV service for educational programmes.

The Information Technology Unit of the Education Ministry has also been advised by the Minister to take the necessary steps to launch a job-oriented programme which will qualify its employees in the Information Technology field.

This scheme will see the Ministry conducting vocational guidance training programmes for youth who will gain a good knowledge in IT. The Ministry will also get the help of the private sector to start a Microsoft Centre of Innovation.

Special programme to improve O/L results

A special education programme will be introducd by the Western Provincial Council soon to improve the Ordinary Level examination results of local schoolchildren.

According to Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray, this move had been prompted by the revelation that 51 per cent of students who sat for the O/L examination last year failed to qualify for Advanced Level studies.

The special programme, which will be initiated for students who need special attention in classrooms, will target a 10 per cent improvement at this year's O/L examination.

Addressing a ceremony held to open a new building at Sri Sumangala Balika Vidyalaya, Panadura, Minister Cooray said the programme especially designed for students with learning difficulties will focus on helping weaker students to carry out their studies on the same level as other students.

He also said that currently students are automatically promoted from one grade to another without their knowledge being really tested through a proper system. "They will thus reach the upper classes without any problem until they fail their O/L examination.

We need to tighten the screws in this grading system to minimise and control this situation," he said.

Facilities for differently-abled at rail stations

People with disabilities face many hardships in society, as we all know. This should not be the case as they are also human beings just like everyone else, and have a right to enjoy all the benefits and facilities that the rest of us enjoy.

The Social Services and Social Welfare Ministry has now come out with arrangements to right this wrong to a certain extent. As part of this move, accessibility facilities and toilet facilities will be provided for differently abled persons at the main railway stations.

The project is to be conducted under two phases. The first phase will see over Rs. 900,000 being released to the Railway department to provide facilities for these people at the Fort, Maradana, Slave Island, Ratmalana, Seeduwa and Ragama railway stations.

Accordingly, toilet facilities and an access-way will be built at the Slave Island, Seeduwa and Ragama railway stations while an access-way will be built at the Ratmalana railway station. Renovating the toilet at the Fort railway station will also be a part of the first phase.

Grazing land for cattle at Uda Walawa

You may have read in the papers about elephants in the Uda Walawa National Park being affected by the lack of

 fodder due to cattle grazing in the area.

It has now been decided to provide a 400-acre grazing land for the cattle of this area as a solution to this problem. The land will be set up close to the Uda Walawa Park to benefit the dairy farmers.

It is said that the park provides residence for about 400 wild elephants. The cattle that enter the park on a daily basis had posed a threat to the well-being of the elephants as it had been estimated that ten cattle collectively consume fodder that would feed an elephant for a day. It's also said that about 5,000 cattle are released into the Uda Walawa Park daily by their owners, for grazing. A herd owner is currently fined Rs. 5,000 if they are caught sending their cattle into the park.

Plant Quarantine Station at a new place

A new building complex for the Plant Quarantine Station (PQS) was opened at Sea Port, Colombo recently by the

 Agricultural and Agrarian Services Ministry.

Now, you may be wondering what this PQS is and what it does. This special facility detects quarantine pests that could pose a threat to Sri Lanka and provides useful information to the relevant parties. It also ensures that only pest-free material is exported from the country, through inspection and certification, so that unsuitable exports will not harm the image of the country.

It facilitates the export and import of pest-free plants and products which will result in the development of agriculture and related industries, thereby promoting international trade while ensuring that no harmful organisms enter the country.

The PQS was set up in 1912 in Seaport, Colombo under the Port Commission with technical assistance from the Department of Agriculture. Last year, the Station conducted 1,516 inspections, 1,666 export inspections and 25 interceptions. It also issued 33,322 phytosanitary certificates in 2006.

Art exhibition goes to the provinces

The 'DSI Sithuvili Sri Lanka 2007' - Provincial Art Exhibition was held at the Youth Centre, Anuradhapura from July 11-13. The event was the first of a series of exhibitions organised by DSI Samson Group to take the event to outstation areas. The programme was launched from the North Eastern Province and will go to the other provinces as well.

The exhibition had been held from 1992 with the intention of encouraging children to develop their artistic skills. The 2007 event was the seventh exhibition and attracted a large number of entries.

The exhibition displaying the best 1046 paintings was held at the BMICH, Colombo in March. Now, the company is taking the event out of Colombo so that children as well as adults from outstation areas too will be able to view these paintings.