Jounior Observer | Sunday Observer.lk

Winners of January
Theme : A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

From Left To Right:Hector Gonzalez (Outreach Officer- U.S. Embassy, Colombo), Erandi Hettiarachchi, Dilshan Ganegama, Jayaswaran Paul Melchi Zedek, Christopher Teal (Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy, Colombo), Lois Tull-Dare, Pavani Rannulu, Sichni Dinsha Ranasinghe, Induni Wickramasinghe and Dinithi Dharmarathne

Winners of February
Theme: Beauty and Serenity of Nature

From Left to Right: Tharindu Hiranya Sudasinghe, Hansa Prasad Thalagala, M.R.F. Rifna, Shaampavei Mahendrarajah, Uththara Madushani Abeygunawardana, Christopher Teal (Public Affairs Officer), Lois Tull-Dare, Dimithri Ratnayaka, Siobhan Manuelpillai, Indunil Piyawardhana and Hector Gonzalez (Outreach Officer)

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane recently said that school children must widen their knowledge in Mathematics in addition to other main subjects including English, Science and Information Technology.

He called upon school teachers to motivate students to solve difficult Mathematical problems by using new methods as the Education Department has already implemented new teaching methods.

Minister Gunawardane made these remarks at a function held in Colombo to coincide with the release of newly compiled assessment books for 'Mathematics' for Grade Six students.

The Minister handed over a few copies of the assessment books to Provincial Education Directors at the function.

These copies were to be made available among teachers in the respective provinces by Provincial Education offices, before the school term begins tomorrow.

Minister Gunawardane further said a large number of students generally fail in Mathematics in the GCE (OL) examination and these assessment books could help the majority of students to pass this most important subject.

According to statistics, only 62 percent students obtain pass marks for Mathematics at the GCE (O/L) examination and the objective of the Education Department is to increase the percentage up to 80 per cent from next year. The Minister also reminded parents and teachers about the establishment of 1,000 Junior level schools in the country and said priority will be given to teach English, Mathematics, Science and Information Technology in the schools with modern teaching methods.

The Department of Registration of Persons has received the greenlight to issue electronic National Identity Cards (e-NICs) for all citizens, the Department sourcs said. The new IDs incorporating sophisticated features required for the current and future needs of national security will be issued through the Department of Registration of Persons.

The e-NIC will conform to the relevant international standards and comprises security features against tampering, counterfeiting or forging.

The department hopes to provide the modern computerised identity cards at an affordable cost to the citizens. They will be free of charge to registered persons during the initial period. According to department he Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal in this regard submitted by the President as Minister of Defence.

Power and Energy Ministry plans to harness the wind power along the northwestern coast of the country and has identified Mannar and the adjoining coastal areas as suitable for setting up a dedicated Wind Energy Park.

The Government is expected to conduct an environmental impact assessment on the proposed project. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have agreed to provide technical assistance for the project, the Ministry said.

The ADB has already committed funds through its loan package for 2012 to meet the infrastructure cost of the Wind Farm including the construction of 220 KV Grid Substation at Mannar and transmission line to Mannar via Vavuniya or Anuradhapura. The Government plans to develop wind power as a significant energy source to meet the country's requirement, especially to supply power to many remote villages.

Scientists discovered the skull of an ape believed to be 20 million years old on July 18, while looking for fossils in the remnants of an extinct volcano in Karamoja, a semi-arid region in Uganda's northeastern corner."This is the first time that the complete skull of an ape of this age has been found. It is a highly important fossil," Martin Pickford, a paleontologist from the College de France in Paris has told a news conference.

Pickford said preliminary studies of the fossil showed that the tree-climbing herbivore, roughly 10-years-old when it died, had a head the size of a chimpanzee's but a brain the size of a baboon's, a bigger ape.

Bridgette Senut, a professor at the Musee National d'Histoire Naturelle, said that the remains would be taken to Paris to be x-rayed and documented before being returned to Uganda.

"It will be cleaned and prepared in France and then in about one year's time it will be returned to the country," Senut said.

Uganda's junior minister for tourism, wildlife and heritage said the skull was a remote cousin of the Hominidea Fossil Ape.