Grade Five scholarships:

New teaching methods to be introduced

by Ananda KANNANGARA

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardana expressed concern over the low marks obtained by over 47,000 children at the recently concluded Grade Five Scholarship Examination. Refering to the scholarship results, Minister Gunawardana told the Junior Observer that steps would be taken to improve the quality of education in the country by introducing various new teaching methods for students who sit for Grade Five Scholarship Examinations.

He said, however, that it is not only teachers, but also parents who should encourage children in their day- to- day educational activities.

He said that the lack of encouragement given by some parents to children in their educational activities, could be one reason for students obtaining such low marks.

According to Education Department statistics ,of the 313,450 students who sat for the Grade Five Scholarship Examination this year only a little over 31,000 students qualified to receive scholarships to enter national schools as well as popular schools.

Statistics reveal that around 266,500 students have obtained more than 70 marks at the examination and qualified to receive certificates, which are offered by the Department for scholarship holders in the country for the first time.

Meanwhile, of the 31,000 students who successfully passed the Scholarship Examination, over 10,000 students got opportunities to enter popular schools including Royal, Ananda, Nalanda, D.S Senanayaka, Mahanama, Visakha, Devi Balika and Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya in Colombo and many other popular schools in other Districts.

It is also reported that a few students obtained less than ten marks at the examination.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has also planned to develop 1000 schools in urban, rural and remote areas by absorbing more teachers and new Science laboratories, Information technology centres and special English skills development centres, to reduce the high demand for national schools and other prestigious schools in Colombo.

Vaccinate your pets against rabies

Most of you must be having pets, especially cats and dogs whom you love very much. How many of you have vaccinated them against rabies? It is very important to give them the rabies vaccine annually, because your pets could contract rabies and endanger other animals as well as humans.

Many deaths occur countrywide due to rabies and dogs, especially stray ones are highly likely to become rabid. Not only dogs, but also cats, mongooses, raccoons and bandicoots are likely to become rabid, so you need to protect your pets.

Humans contract rabies mainly through dogs (96 per cent) but as cats and other animals too can become rabid, you have to give them also the rabies vaccine.

A decrease in the number of deaths due to rabies has been recorded. It has come down from 58 deaths in September 2009 to 23 deaths by September this year. Only one death has been reported in the trimester from July _ September.

The government spent Rs. 55 million on vaccinating and sterilizing dogs across the country. (Rs. 30 million for sterilizing and Rs. 25 million for vaccinating) About 600,000 dogs have been given free vaccination during the first six months of the year.

Each year at least 55,000 humans die of rabies around the world and 31,000 die in Asia alone. The number of people who were affected by rabies and were given the vaccine during the first six months of the year, in our country exceed 200,000. World Rabies Day was observed on September 28.

News in brief

by Rohana JAYALAL

World Buddhist Federation Conference

The 60th anniversary celebrations and the 25th conference of the World Buddhist Federation will be held in Sri Lanka from November 14 to 17. This is the first time a World Buddhist Federation conference is held in Sri Lanka after 26 years.

Six hundred and fifty delegates are expected to participate in this conference representing 164 regional centres of 41 countries. Around 3,000 local delegates will also participate in the conference.

The theme of this year's conference is 'Reconciliation through Buddhism.'

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Six new gem centres

Sri Lanka's National Gem and Jewellery Authority has decided to establish six new Gem centres for tourists to purchase gems.

According to sources of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, the aim of this move is to facilitate the tourists to buy gems freely without the involvement of third parties.

New centres will be set up at the Katunayake Airport, Colombo Green Tower, Kandy, Bentota, Galle and Ratnapura, said the Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority, Anil Koswaththa.

Two luxury trains on tracks

Sri Lanka Railway has planned to import two sets of luxury trains from China, the Commercial Superintendent of Sri Lanka Railway Wijaya Samarasinghe said.

These two trains will be on the tracks from next year.The trains which have all luxuries including a stage are to be used as venues for special functions. They also include compartments for resting.

The train can be booked for weddings, parties, and director board meetings.

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Special training for nurses

The Health Ministry will give special training on public relations to all newly recruited nursing students, Ministry sources said.

According to the source, the training is available for all new nursing students. Nurses who are already in the service can also take part in this training.

The two day training is on public relations, skills and attitudinal development, flexibility towards patients, politeness, being kind to patients, ethics and morals.

The first batch of 350 nursing students from the Colombo district have already been trained and training will be extended to all the other districts, soon.