More subjects in English medium at universities

by Ananda Kannangara

The Higher Education Ministry has called upon schoolchildren of all ages to take more interest to improve their knowledge of English as most of the subjects in the universities will be conducted in the English medium from 2015.

Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake told the Junior Observer that the Government has decided to teach all major subjects in the English medium in the future to enable students to have easy access to the local and international job market in the years to come.

He said subjects such as Medicine, Engineering, Accountancy, Law, Information Technology, Business Administration are currently being conducted in English and students could easily find employment after obtaining their respective degrees.

The Minister said that unlike in the past, the majority of school children of today are interested in following professional and educational courses in the English medium, having realised that more employment opportunities are available for those who have done higher studies in the English medium.

Minister Dissanayake said that under a special programme , which is conducted in collaboration with the Education Ministry, more teachers and lecturers will be recruited to schools and universities in future to expand the knowledge of English of students.

Ramadan, a month of blessings!

The holy month begins in August:

Every healthy adult Muslim must fast during the holy month of Ramadan which is the fourth principle of Islam. Fasting in the month of Ramadan is done for 29 or 30 days, according to the visibility of the crescent moon. For Muslims, the month of Ramadan is unique, as it is a month full of blessings. In this month lies the night that is better than a thousand months.Regarding the breaking of the fast, Allah has said anyone who invites a person to break their fast will be provided with forgiveness of his sins and will be saved from the fire of hell.

During the first 10 days one should pray for Allah’s mercy (Rahmath), of hell. Second 10 days for (Mahgrifath) and third 10 days for Allah to save us from fire. Fasting is obligatory during the month of Ramadan alone, because it is the blessed month of the Islamic Calendar and in this month the Holy Quran was revealed to mankind through the Holy Prophet Muhammad.The merits during fasting is seventy times greater when compared with other months.Let our fervent prayer on this Ramadan be for peace, harmony, tolerance, understanding and brotherhood.

Text and pic: Ruzaik Farook

Atlantis makes its final landing

After 200 orbits around the Earth and a journey of 5,284,862 miles, the Space shuttle Atlantis touched down on the Shuttle Landing Facility's Runway 15, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:57 a.m. EDT on July 21 bringing to a close 30 years of space shuttle flights.Atlantis carried a crew of four and the Raffaello multipurpose logistics module containing supplies and spare parts for the space station.

On the 13-day mission, the STS-135 crew which comprised Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim, delivered to the International Space Station more than 9,400 pounds of spare parts, spare equipment and other supplies in the Raffaello multi-purpose logistics module, including 2,677 pounds of food. The supplies will sustain space station operations for the next year.

The 21-foot long, 15-foot diameter Raffaello brought back nearly 5,700 pounds of unneeded materials from the station. Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off on July 8 on the final flight of the shuttle programme,STS-135, a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

News in brief

by Rohana Jayalal

Largest parasite found in a Sri Lankan

Research conducted by the Medical Research Institute has revealed that in Sri Lankan the large parasite to survive in the human body hitting with dengue and mysterious virul epidemice.The parasite known as the Balantidium Coliâ is the largest protozoa parasite that has ever been found in a Sri Lankan, according to Medical Research Institute’s Chief Parasitologist Sagarika Samarasinghe.

This parasite lives in the large colon of pigs and it is the largest protozoa parasite in the world and it is found in the droppings of pigs and enters the human body by way of water that is contaminated with the infected droppings.

When patient stools were tested at the National Hospital this parasite was found. Rashes and diarrhoea are the symptoms of the patients who are infected by this parasite.Medical laboratory technician Thushara Thanthirige identified this parasite.

Meanwhile,the threadworm Strongyloides Stercoralis was also identified by the Medical Research Iinstitute.Hundreds of these worms had been developing for more than 25 years in the abdomen of the patient who was tested at the Colombo National Hospital.These kinds of parasites are found to be present in the human body as a result of reduced immunity levels in the body due to contraction of HIV or the overuse of steroids.

Model village in Ingiriya

The Children's Secretariat operating under the Child Development Auntority (CDA) and Women's Affairs Ministry have jointly implemented a project to set up a model village in Ingiriya.

Director Yamuna Perera and Ingiriya Divisional Secretary W.P.C. M. Upasena handed over the preschool utensils to the Kidi Birds Pre-School.. Ingiriya West, 620A Grama Niladhari division has been selected for the proposed model village project for Early Childhood Care and Development.

The Ingiriya Divisional Secretariat Office conducted studies on the matter and selected 14 under privileged families with children below five years. The officers from Ingiriya Divisional Secretariat Office conducted a field visit in Ingiriya west, 620A Grama Niladhari Division to offer advice.

The officers presented special gift packs to infants and children below five years.According to Ingiriya Divisional Secretariat sources, this is a team effort aimed at developing the village under this project.