Every secondary school in England is to be partnered with a university, John Denham is to announce. Â The universities secretary will announce the scheme as part of a drive to get more pupils from low-income families into higher education. It aims to encourage more children from poor families to stay in education to get A-levels or their equivalent. He will warn institutions that their reputation will be damaged if they draw students from a narrow social base. Statistics suggest that young people whose families are in the poorest 20% are five times less likely to go to university than their peers in the richest 20%.
Almost half of all children have had property stolen from them at school, a survey by the charity the Howard League for Penal Reform suggests.   The survey of more than 3,000 children, questioned between 1997 and 2006, also found that 18% had been the victim of theft on their way home from school. It also suggests that 57% of children have had property deliberately damaged. The charity claims that almost all – 95% – of those surveyed have suffered some kind of victimisation. It refers mainly to low-level offences which took place in schools and playgrounds – 70% said they had been hit or kicked – and were unlikely to be reported to police.
Name – A.D. Susil Premjayanth  School – St. John’s College, Nugegoda  Civil Status – Ex-Banker, Attorney-at-law, Master of Public Administration (MPA). At present reading for the PhD in Business Administration.
We normally do not run editorials from local newspapers here, but perhaps today’s editorial from ‘Daily News’ raises some interesting points which we believe needs further discussion. This reproduction does not mean we agree or disagree with any of the points raised. (Question mark in the tile is added by us) – Ed ________________________________________________________________________ A THRIVING DEMOCRACY, Sri Lanka allows free expression of ideas. Protests and strikes have thus become part and parcel of our political landscape. Unfortunately, they have almost supplanted the other time-honoured way of resolving disputes – negotiations.
Students of the tsunami devastated Devapathiraja Vidyalaya, Rathgama who are in temporary sheds are dreaming of well facilitated classrooms assured in the couple of new buildings that majestically stand opposite to them but reality seems far away due to the sluggish construction process.Nearly 2,000 students are in the national school. They were once battered by the tsunami in 2004 and since then they are constantly battling with rain and scorching sun, Junior Past Pupils’ Association’s Vice President D.Amarajeewa Rajakaruna said. Following repeated requests by the Association, the Japanese Government agreed to provide Rs.
(LeN, 2007 Oct 05 6.20 PM) Police attacked the Yovun Diriya job prospective graduates with tear gas, water jets and baton charges today. The graduates were sitting in the Colombo Fort Telecom roundabout since yesterday protesting peacefully. The Chairman of the Graduates Collective Prasad Bandara Herath said to ‘LeN’ that 20 protesters were hospitalized and around 20 more have been taken into police custody. The male, female and bhikku protesters as well as the commuters, pedestrians and the shop dwellers were put in severe inconvenience by the police assault.
(Lanka-E-news, 2007 Oct 04, 9.30 PM) Two thousand and eighty eight job expecting graduates who were trained under Tharuna Aruna program commenced a sit in campaign near the Telecom roundabout today (04) morning. The Chairman of the Graduates Collective Prasad Bandara Herath said to Lanka-e-News that none of the 2088 graduates were granted jobs despite the promises of the Ministers and the Presidential Secretary. He said that this was the seventh protest campaign and if the President would not give a satisfactory solution to their problems a fast unto death would be commenced tomorrow and it can end up with setting ablaze to the bodies. The secretary of the union Thilak Rasnayaka said that the current Ministers were ushered to their positions by them and neither a Minister nor a secretary nor a single adviser came to talk to them.
I have been asked by Mr. R.I.T. Alles to accept the first copy of his autobiography, R.
The Health Ministry will call for fresh applications from 750 overseas qualified medical graduates for internship appointments after the Sri Lanka Medical Council said its list was not accurate.The Council has informed the Ministry that the list prepared by it lacks precision. The Ministry said appointments will not be made based on this list which would offends students’ sense of fairplay and lead to legal action further delaying the selection process. The Health Ministry has decided to prepare a fresh list for this purpose and the candidates could furnish their applications today (03) at the National Blood Centre, Narahenpita from 9.00 a.
Education in the Sri Lanka Law College would be conducted in English medium by 2010. This decision was taken following discussions with the Students Union of the Law College, said Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva (PC).The Chief Justice was speaking at the celebration to mark the first year anniversary of the Sri Lanka Law College Foundation. He said there was a tremendous draw back in the legal education in English medium and this decision was taken to produce talented attorneys-at-law.