Jaffna schools to be developed soon

An allocation of Rs. 1,035 million to develop schools in Jaffna under the Isuru school project has been made by the government.

Under this project, Rs.32.5 million will be allocated to each of the selected schools by converting them into Isuru schools, according to the Education Minister Susil Premajayantha. He added that the government has made arrangements to improve education in the North which was seriously affected due to terrorist activities.

“There is no shortage of teachers in Jaffna. The Government has appointed over 400 teacher Assistants to Jaffna. In addition, the Government has appointed 3,500 new teachers to the Eastern Province. Minister Premajayantha said the Government has provided desks, chairs and material for school uniform worth over Rs. 130 million to students in Jaffna.

“As a special feature, an opportunity was provided to 260 children who had been recruited by the LTTE as child soldiers to sit for the GCE Advanced Level Examination. Permission was granted to another 860 children in Relief Villages to sit the GCE Advanced Level Examination.

“There are about 80,000 students in Relief Villages in Cettikulam and its suburbs. Earlier, Relief centres were conducted in 17 schools in Vavuniya. At present all these schools have been released to conduct their educational activities. Therefore, the Government’s intention is to take every possible measure to develop education in the North which was seriously affected due to terrorism,” the Minister said.

Which is the fastest, cold or heat?

Heat; you can catch a cold!

*****

Teacher: Mike, stop showing off. Do you think you are the teacher of this class?

Mike: No, Miss.

Teacher: Then stop acting the fool!

******

What do sea monsters eat?

Fish and ships!

*****

What pop group kills household germs?

The Bleach boys!

*****

What do you get when you cross a skeleton with a famous detective?

Sherlock Bones!

*****

Why did the judge send the turtle to jail?

Because he was known as a hard case.

*******

Two boys were playing marble and

suddenly rushed to the hospital.

The smaller boy told the doctor, “I have

swallowed a marble.”

Doctor: “I see, Is this your brother with you” he asked the older boy. The older boy replied “No, I own the marble.”

*****

September 6

*H.C.P. Bell, a former Archaeological Commissioner died in 1937.

*M.P. de Z. Siriwardena a former Minister of Labour was born in 1906.

*Akira Kurosawa, a famous Japanese movie director died in 1998.

September 7

*King Baurdouin I of Belgium was born in 1930.

*Joseph Mobetu, a former president of Zaire died in 1997.

September 8

*Boralesgamuwe G.H. Perera, Sinhalese poet died in 1948.

*W.B. Makuloluwa, Musician died in 1984.

*Faizal I, King of Iraq died in 1933.

September 9

*Leo Tolstoy, writer of the famous book War and Peace was born in 1828.

*Mao Tse-Tung , leader of the Chinese Communist Liberation died in 1976.

*Ananda Coomaraswamy, oriental scholar died in 1947.

September 10

*Piyasena Nissanka, a former Editor of the Silumina was born in 1890.

*M.A. Bakeer Markar, former speaker of the Parliament died in 1997.

September 11

*Nikita Khrushchev, a former Prime Minister of U.S.S.R. (1958-1964) died in 1971.

*Vinobha Bhave, founder member of the Sarvodaya Movement was born in 1895.

*Mohomed Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan died in 1948.

*D.H. Lawrence, English writer was born in 1885.

September 12

*Jessie Owens, American athlete was born in 1913.

*Wesley Hall, West Indies cricketer was born in 1937.

*Peter Mark Roget, compiler of the Roget's Thesaurus died in 1869.

September 6

* Swaziland became independent in 1968.

* United National Party was established in 1946.

* First Cricket Test between England and Australia held in England 1880.

September 7

* Marie Curie discovered radium in 1910.

* Brazil declared independence from Portugal in 1822.

September 8

* International Literacy Day.

* World day of Prevention of hydrophobia.

* World First Aid Day.

* International Day for Journalist Solidarity .

September 9

* Lakmini Pahana, one of the oldest Sinhala newspapers commenced publication in 1862.

* National Day of Bulgaria.

September 10

* Guinea-Bissau became independent in 1974.

* International Day of Prevention of Suicide.

September 11

* The Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya was established in 1821.

* Sri Lanka's first ever Test cricket victory over India in 1985.

* Al-Qaeda terrorist group attacked the World Trade Centre building in New York, U.S.A. in 2001.

September 12

* World Prisoners Welfare Day.

* First aeroplane was brought to Ceylon.

*World's biggest stamp issued by Brazil in 1960.

Compiled by W.A. Rusiru JAYASURIYA

Street children to be reformed

Massive programme launched to make them viable citizens:

by Ananda KANNANGARA

A massive rehabilitation programme to protect around 200 to 300 street children in the city of Colombo has been launched by the Western Province Police under the purview of Senior DIG (Western Province) Nimal Mediwaka.

A survey, conducted by the Social Service Department reveals that street children are categorised into several groups. Accordingly, some street children live with their parents, and some others live without parents in the streets.

Meanwhile, a few others are in the streets only during daytime with the objective of earning money by begging. Some street children attend schools during the daytime and come to the streets in the evenings.The survey also reveals that some parents of street children keep their infants at day care centres and engage in their usual business activities. Speaking to Junior Observer, DIG Mediwaka highlighted the importance of reforming these street children as viable citizens."We have already launched a special programme to arrest street children and hand them over to rehabilitation centres after producing them to the Juvenile Magistrate Courts, Colombo.A senior official in the Social Services Department said that many street children are directed to the 'Diva Nivahana' at Rajagiriya managed by Sarvodaya Movement.

Referring to a recent incident of arresting 13 street children by a special Police team during a search operation in the city of Colombo, DIG Mediwaka said the children were arrested with their mothers and later produced before the Juvenile Magistrate's Court, Colombo.

He said the main objective of the programme is to educate the street children at rehabilitation centres and make them viable citizens."If a programme of this nature is not carried out, a majority of street children in the country would be used by underworld gangs and notorious characters for their illegal activities," he added.

DIG Mediwaka also said that nobody will be allowed to carry children to collect money in the streets and explained that several Government institutions such as the Social Services Department and the Child Protection Authority are always ready to rehabilitate these street children at state expense.

International Literacy Day

In just two days, that is on September 8 The United Nations' (UN) International Literacy Day will be observed to raise people's awareness of and concern for literacy issues in the world. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its partners promote the day to underline the significance of literacy for healthy societies, with a strong emphasis on epidemics and communicable diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

In countries all over the world, including the United States and the United Kingdom, the day raises people's awareness of and concern for literacy problems within their own communities.According to UNESCO, about 774 million adults lack the minimum literacy skills. One in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. About 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. However, literacy is also a cause for celebration on the day because there are nearly four billion literate people in the world.The UN General Assembly proclaimed a 10-year period beginning on January 1, 2003, as the United Nations Literacy Decade.

The assembly also welcomed the International Plan of Action for the Decade and decided for UNESCO to take a coordinating role in activities at an international level within the decade's framework. First proclaimed by UNESCO in 1965, the first International Literacy Day was celebrated on September 08, 1966.The theme for this year's International Literacy Day is "The Power of Literacy." This means that this year, the spotlight will be on the empowering role of literacy and its importance for participation, citizenship and social development. Literacy and Empowerment is the theme for the 2009-2010 biennium of the United Nations Literacy Decade.In declaring the Decade, the UN aims to increase literacy levels and to empower all people everywhere and international community recognised that the promotion of literacy is in the interest of all, as part of efforts towards peace, respect and exchange in a globalising world.

"Learn about America" essay competition winners

March and April :

Winners of the Essay Competition held for March 2009 with Mr. James R Moore, Charge d’Affaires, of the U.S. Embassy Colombo. L-R: Father of Surani Wijenayake, Thasarathan Divakaran, Mr. James R Moore, Charge d’Affaires, M. S. Sajidha, Suvimali Jayasinghe, Nirmani Priyashanthika Samarasekera, Induwari Ranasinghe, Rasla Sawahir, Sachith Lakmal Wijesuriya, and Cousin of Tharaka Kasun Palihawadana

Winners of the Essay Competition held for April 2009 L-R: Mr. Jeff Anderson, Director, Press, Cultural, and Educational Affairs of the American Center, Sachini Wathsala, Nora Sahida Thajudeen, Mr. James R. moore, Charge d’Affaires of U. S. Embassy, Colombo, Pamoda Thathsarani Karunarathna, Kaumadi Chathumanthi Sathyananda, Hafsa Zuhair, Dilan Chamara Silva and Mr. Glen Davis , Cultural Affairs Officer, U. S. Embassy, Colombo