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| Sunday, 5 December 2004 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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A royal debate Most people think that the British monarchy (royals) will go on forever, but in 1992 the British press campaigned for an end to their monarchy which shook the Royal Family to its roots. To understand what happened, let us first look at the word monarchy and how it evolved. It comes from the Greek word meaning "a man who is the only ruler of a country" and in time came to refer to the king or emperor. In early civilisations, monarchs were worshipped like gods, an example being the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Roman emperors were worshipped even after death. During the middle ages, monarchs were thought to be God's representatives on Earth. In the 17th Century, James I of England wrote a book on the Divine Right of Kings. However, monarchs were generally required to govern according to the laws of the land. In the same century, Charles I tried to rule without consulting parliament. As a result, civil war broke out and he was beheaded. After that, British monarchs realised that they had to respect the wishes of the people. More and more, the people were governed by the representatives sent to parliament. This gave rise to the "constitutional monarchy", which is today the symbol of the country's unity. On November 24, 1992, Queen Elizabeth II marked 40 years on the throne and addressed over 500 invited guests. She called the year annus horribilis, meaning a horrible year for the British Royal Family because during the year the press found fault with the monarchy and 'demanded' that it be scrapped. The behaviour of the Royal Family shocked the British public, especially old people. Meanwhile, the press criticised royal wealth, which is not revealed and goes tax free. The Queen said that the Royal Family was willing to pay taxes. There were mixed feelings among the British public to the monarchy. Murese Beaulieu of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office however defended the queen and said the Queen holds the Commonwealth together. The press and public said that maintaining the monarchy was a colossal (huge) waste of money and called for change and stability. But, some like Ms Beaulieu argued that Britain earned a lot of money from tourists who came to see the royal palaces. - Uncle Elmo The correct way to peace building Have you ever wondered how you could contribute towards establishing peace in the country? Have you ever thought how you could grow the mental and moral strength to create a new world of your own? The newly published magazine Hari (Correct) by the Sri Lanka Children's Self Creation Development Foundation will help you to mould yourself with peace of mind. The tabloid magazine with 20 colour pages is presently published in Sinhala and Tamil. The foundation is looking forward to introducing a similar magazine for the English speaking children in the near future. The magazine, which helps to boost the creative energy in children, is available in school libraries. However, anyone wishing to obtain a free copy could write to Hari, P.O. Box 25, Rajagiriya. The Sri Lanka Children's Self Creation Development Foundation received the approval of the Ministry of Education to publish Hari. The foremost aim of the Foundation is to help children carry out constructive work and selfless nation building activities. It plans to implement a number of similar projects in future. - CNK Ceylinco launches new school
Ceylinco Sussex College, which claims to be the only private school teaching the local syllabus in the English medium from Nursery to University Entrance level, was opened 11 months ago. The school has a network in Nugegoda, Negombo, Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle, Gampaha and Kiribathgoda. Though international in outlook, they strongly believe in fostering local culture and traditions. A novel feature is that Information Technology is taught to all students from Grade One while English Literature is taught to all from Grade Three.It is compulsory for all students to learn Sinhala and Tamil while the four major religions are also taught.The school also places great importance on aesthetic and sports activities. The school has about 200 students with a class accommodating only 20 students. The staff comprises about 40 teachers. After successfully completing their school education, students will have the opportunity of entering either a local or foreign university. |
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