Capital punishment:

A deterrent to child abuse?

byAnanda KANNANGARA

The proposal made by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) to the Government to impose capital punishment for child abusers is highly commended by social service organisations and public societies countrywide.

According to the NCPA, over 4,000 complaints of various forms of child abuse including sexual harassment of children have been directed to the NCPA by the general public during the past 12 months alone.

The NCPA President, Anoma Dissanayaka told the Junior Observer that child abusers should be severely dealt with by imposing the maximum punishment, that is the capital punishment, otherwise those who are generally involved in such activities will continue to do so once they serve their jail sentences.

She said International Children's Day which falls on October 1 will be observed on a grand scale in many parts of the country, but the NCPA is reluctant to celebrate it on this note taking into consideration the increasing number of criminal offences and sexual harassment committed on children by people in our own society.

She said she has already submitted her proposals to President Mahinda Rajapaksa on the imposition of the capital punishment on child abusers and hopes to get a positive response, shortly.

She also spoke about the growing number of unauthorised children's homes in many parts of the country and said a special team of officials has already been assigned to look into such places and take necessary action.

According to reports, officials of the NCPA recently cracked down on a children's home in Nittambuwa for operating without registering with the NCPA.

Crimes against children have recorded a sharp increase in the country of late, and it is important that the public and the government become more vigilant about such incidents. Children are innocent and vulnerable so it is up to responsible adults to protect them and introduce more stringent laws to deter people from destroying young lives.

Grade Five scholarship examination:

Three students obtain 195 marks

The results of the the Grade Five scholarship examination, which was held in August was released on September 15.

Three students, Oshadhi Rashiprabha Fonseka of Kalutara Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Dona Vihangi Nethmi Ranaweera of Dodangoda Miriswatta Maha Vidyalaya and Naleem Zaky Ahmed of Kekirawa Muslim Maha Vidyala have secured the highest marks of 195 and come first in the Grade Five scholarship examination held on August 21.The highest marks obtained in the scholarship examination last year was 196.

Two students have obtained the second place with 194 marks according to the results released by the Department of Examinations. They are, Lakshitha Sathsara Sumanapala of Medagama Maha Vidyalaya, Bibile and Parameswaran Shethuragavan of Neththaliyaru Tamil Vidyalaya ,Visuvamadu West. Four students have attained the third place obtaining 193 marks. The Grade Five scholarship examination was held in 2772 examination centres islandwide with 321,427 students sitting for the exam. Based on the Grade Five scholarship examination results, around 31,000 students have qualified to receive scholarships and enter popular schools. Out of this number 16,000 students will enter popular schools while 15,000 will receive financial help as scholarships.

This time the Examination Department has been able to release results of the Grade Five examination in three weeks but in the past students and parents had to wait for months until results were out.

The Examinations Department has made arrangements to hand over certificates for the students who sat the examination this year and the year before. -RJ

News in brief

by Rohana JAYALAL

Two more entry paths to Yala

The Wildlife Department has opened two more entry paths to the famous Yala National Wildlife Park in the Southern Province according to sources of the Ministry of Wildlife.

The two entry points to the park are located in Katagamuwa and Galage areas.

Those gates were closed for around three decades due to terrorist activities in the area.

The Ministry of Wildlife sources said, the sanitary facilities of the wildlife parks would also be developed.

The Yala National Park, located 310 km south of Colombo is the biggest National Park in Sri Lanka with an area of 1259 sq km. The park is famous for its leopards .

The CNN Travel magazine in its January 2011 issue featured the Yala National Park as a place of natural wonders.

AC compulsory in pharmacies

Ministry of Health has taken measures to make air conditioning compulsory for pharmacies islandwide Health Ministry sources said.

According to ministry regulations new pharmacies will not be licensed by the Cosmetics Devices and Drug Control Authority (CDDCA) unless they are air conditioned.

The existing pharmacies have been given six months' to air condition the premises.

The ministry has found that the stipulated temperature of 24 degrees Celsius needed to store drugs in Sri Lanka is available only in Nuwara Eliya and in most of the other areas the temperature exceeds 35 Celsius. It affects the quality of the drugs, the Ministry points out.

Grade Eight schol from next year

The Education Ministry plans to introduce a scholarship examination for Grade Eight students from next year following a proposal submitted at the Parliamentary Select Committee on educational reforms.

The proposed scholarship examination will provide a chance for the students to test their abilities for the second time at a mature stage, according to Education Ministry sources.

The sources said the Grade Five scholarship examination will not be scrapped and would be considered as an efficiency evaluation examination for students once the educational reforms and the Grade Eight scholarship examinations are introduced in 2012.

New mumps vaccine

A new mumps vaccine has been introduced to the National Immunization Programme launched by the Government .

The vaccine which has been introduced after three years by the National Epidemiology Unit with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to further strengthen the immunization programme which was relaunched in January this year under a broader theme . Mumps which was once a common childhood illness is very much under control today because of the vaccination with fewer than 1,000 cases reported on average for a year.

Mumps can cause fever,headaches muscle aches, loss of appetite, tiredness and swellings in the jaw area.

According to statistics, nearly three million children around the world die while 200,000 are paralysed and 150,000 go blind as a result of contracting diseases preventable with vaccines.