Some tips for parents for the new school year:

Towards healthy living

Rupa Banduwardena

Our mutual relationship with Down Under is linked to our colonial past. It throws light on early British history when both countries were victims of imperialism (only a student in early British and European History would know well in detail). Among the many places of historic value, Australia stands out as a globally renowned country for humanitarian, welfare and orderly work. Facts given below are the most outstanding features in places where I have visited.

Whatever good we can learn from them will be to our advantage and benefit. I feel honoured to express my opinion regarding certain things and also I am very pleased to share their views with our country. Media is conveying the message all over the State through education programmes designed to educate mostly the parents before schools reopen for the new year, specially to educate them on the importance of starting the school new year with lot of vital facts.

Also showing the reality and consequences of school life, they run a programme that includes school based activities for students on positive attitude. At the same time help the parents providing them with lot of information. Here in Sri Lanka, other than the books and uniforms provided by the State, there are many things that the average parent has to see to before preparing the child to school for the new academic year.

World of uncertainty

Another school year is upon us and parents can once again send their children back to school for another year. There are wonderfully valuable facts regarding this topic which we can learn from Down Under. These facts did remind me of our country and how it will be of great use to us. One of the best things that parents can give their children is a healthy attitude to living.

There is a sense of satisfaction and achievement for parents who feel confident that their child is equipped to handle difficulties and challenges. We live in a world of uncertainty and change where many things are beyond our control. Helping to look at the bright side of the life is a step towards preparing your child for a strong future, the foundation of which is the primary that they attend.

The Australian Paediatric Association is urging parents to carefully consider the shoes they buy for their children for the new school year.

According to them, each child is unique and foot types vary considerably from high arched to flat feet. Without the right advice children may start off the new year in uncomfortable damaging footwear.

Some of the problems they face later in life can be caused by neglect in our school years including hammer toes, ingrown toe nails, bunions, cracked heels and corns. They offer the above tips to parents when buying shoes.

Still another priceless advice is regarding the school bags which the children are burdened with. According to them backpacks carry high risks for children. Backpack or the school bag may cause more harm to children than expected according to a recent study on the subject.

The study had revealed that 90% of the school children have that bad posture when carrying their bags and could experience spinal damage and stunted growth as a result.

It is very important that we take a look at the plight of the school children, to prevent spinal problems in the future. By raising awareness among parents, teachers and the public about the importance of good posture for school children, we can help reduce the cases of spinal injuries. To avoid backache they recommend the following – backpacks should ideally be not heavier than 10% of a student’s weight when packed. Make sure the backpack is ergonomically designed, sturdy and appropriately sized, not wider than the student’s chest.

Common symptoms

Choose a backpack with broad padded shoulder straps. Don’t overload the backpack. Use school lockers and plan home work well in advance. Place all heavy items at the base of the backpack close to the spine for a better distribution of the weight.Still another worry for parents in early days is again health related. Regarding the most common symptoms in children such as head lice and thread worms, parents are advised to take care indicating treatment methods. Be careful – however school books and homework may not be all that they bring back home. Yes, it also may be nasty school bugs and head lice which become a grave health issue for parents.

Activities available for children Down Under include lot of active work. An interesting feature is that children are treated to a special twilight edition of story time. They are treated to an interactive hour of school holiday fun. Children’s books are vibrantly read and enjoyed by children and parents alike. Children are given the opportunity to design handy work like hats after the stories and rhymes. Children’s songs receive a positive response, which include a rhyme with an Australian twist. During twilight story time children listen intently as special services Librarians read the stories given in books. Many pajama dressed children attend the session.

Facilities Available – Twilight Story time

Yet another eye catching feature is how the budding young artists get the opportunity to be creative with chalk and crayons. There is also a large scale chalk drawing session where kids could join. The project coordinator is of opinion that chalk drawing is accessible for everyone, that it is a great opportunity to test their drawing capabilities without worry, while emphasizing that chalk leaves a mark but can be washed away.

Clowning is still another feature where they achieve total fun. The teachers bring out hand puppets and teach the kids to enjoy the fun. Then there is the inner workshop where the kids create a clown character and enjoy face painting. They are also taught the history of the clowns. According to them, “to be clowns” and to be funny is really a good thing. Then there is the toy library which opens its doors to the public on certain days. It is a great opportunity for families to see and play with some of the toys in the library collection. They say it’s a great thing to come along, sign up and take some toys home with you. The library is community run relying on volunteers. Face painting and giveaways are always enjoyed by the children.

You can see a greater demand for seeking solutions for many health issues. The State has invested enough to cope with the rising demand giving prominence to children’s needs. State of the Art Dental Surgery built with most up-to-date dental facilities are available to teach the teenagers to keep their teeth in good health with regular dental checks to lower the risks of serious dental problems in later life.

There are multipurpose recreation facilities which cater for activities including soccer, hockey, netball and basketball. There are sports complexes nationwide, mostly located in regional centers. It is particularly beneficial to children as they have the novelty of playing a different sport each time, which could prevent boredom in children. Their aim is to promote safer community by keeping children and youth in positive, healthy, social and physical activities leading to a safer environment.

The modern bookshop

Piyasena Wickramage in the US

‘Samaranayake' and 'English with a Smile' have more or less become a household name in the Sri Lankan world of books. His son, Ranjith Samaranayake,the current president of Sri Lanka Book Publishers' Association (SLBPA). He has built a modern bookshop in Battaramulla. Samaranayake has been planning this bookshop for a long time.

Recently I was able to visit Barnes & Noble bookshop in Hemet, California, and the University of Arizona Book Store in Tucson, Arizona, USA . The concept of a modern bookshop has revolutionized with open economies, the competition in the book trade, and the needs of customers. The customer care services have expanded far better than the traditional practices. In the book collection, a main feature was classics: Russian, American, French, Japanese, and British. Classics in newly designed, various attractive productions were drawing the visitors' attention. The 'New Arrivals' were the other attraction. The categories varied subject-wise. Apart from the book stock, there were souvenirs of various characters portrayed in some popular fiction.

The other attraction which drew my attention was the national flags of each and every country, including Sri Lanka. The store hours varied by each day, yet a calendar listing store hours on monthly basis. This ensured the book lovers were kept informed. There are so many places arranged to sit in groups or as individuals. There is a Starbucks coffee café in the corner and some visitors take 'big' coffee. Some of them - including myself! - read a book for about two or three hours. Nobody comes and inquires what we are doing. Instead I was asked if I need any help three or four times.

"Can I help you?"
"Do you need some assistance?"

When I wanted to be pictured with Christmas trees on both sides, displayed in preparation for the festive season, a young sales assistant helped me willingly. My only worry was the selling prices which ranged from $ 4-10-15. My attention was drawn especially to a children's book written by US President Barak Obama, which was nicely designed and illustrated - with a price tag of $17, and another book - a biography of Obama for grown up children, $4.

On the basement is the Arizona book store is its Information Technology (IT) section; I can only say with all the travels I have done - it is large! It is spacious!!! It is three or four times larger in size compared to our most modern bookshop- unless my estimates are incorrect! Then again, I feel that in USA everything - including men and women - is 'big'.

Big or small, I feel, Sri Lankan bookshops too have developed according to the socio-economic standards. If I remember right, in 1993 Sarasavi Bookshop began their first book emporium in Nugegoda. Today it has developed into a chain of twenty bookshops of the same standard.

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Eighty years of a rich life

Padma Edirisinghe

On December 9, Dr Leel Gunasekera, the writer, the civil servant and the “human” completed 80 years of his life. The writer is happy to be invited to present an overview of his long life. This is only an attempt at tackling the avalanche of the output of his work and assessing him. May he live longer .... Ayubowan!

Dr Leel Gunasekera

In the beginning he was just a small boy who was rowed by canoe first day to school. The fare was one cent. The terminus was a ferry in Panadura. Writers like to revel in terms like, “He was steeped in poverty” but sorry, he was not down and out. It was simply a mode of transport in the 1940s and the fare was the standard fare, for one cent was a rich monetary unit when compared to the Thuttuwa. His father belonged to the “Village middle class”, owned land and fields and even a “Sekkuwa.”

Europe was in turmoil at this time with both parties flexing their muscles for the Second World War but things here were rather peaceful, the little colony having reconciled to its lot, though pregnant with dreams of self-government once the war was over. Yet vestiges of colonialism yet remained.

Past

Sons of privileged families were attending very top schools in the capital and Central schools were yet a happy dream in the bosom of the Father of Free Education. So, the next best children managed with the Second Best. To these belonged schools like St John's Panadura to which Leelaratne (shortened to Leel by no less a person than Phillip Gunewardena) obtained a Scholarship ie the Denham Scholarship. Till then he was at Jambureliya School, perhaps its brightest student.

Tracing the boy Leel's school career in detail may take a few pages, so let us deal with the main steps. Following his father's untimely death an affluent uncle of his living in the valley of distant Matale, took him under his wings turning his fortunes for the better.

Enrolled in St Thomas, Matale the bright student became a favourite of many such as its head, Charles Robinson. Then to St Sylvesters, Kandy and then to the University of Colombo in 1952 and of course to Peradeniya, later .... funny, the Roman Catholic saints despite being almost manhandled by chauvinists of other faiths seems to have championed the cause of many a non-X tian student in Asia and Africa.

After graduation Lady Luck seems to have further smiled on him for he catches the eyes of those who matter in the political and administrative scenario not so much due to his good looks and self-effacing ways but due to his dedication and social tact and administrative dexterity. Again each of these need not be detailed out, but as to his modesty, I cannot refrain from mentioning this incident.

A custom ingrained in our culture is to exalt the “very best” to Bodhisatva status. Even if the person exalted is of another faith it does not matter. To the Berawa women of the deep South, Leonard Woolf, an Anglican and Jew was a Bodhisatva or aspirant to Buddhahood.

Effect

I heard Dr Leel Gunasekera refer this at a meeting and then go on to say, “Ladies and gentlemen, when I was GA in the dry zone area, our womenfolk too used to address me as a Bodhisatva. Ladies and gentlemen, I told them to drop the part Bodhi and retain the part Satva that means “Being”. Siyalu Sathvayo niduk weva. May all beings be happy!”

The effect on the audience would have been almost electric. Here was a disarming speaker, humorous, ready to descend from lofty heights and link with the audience. Here was a speaker whose speeches were nourished by the indigenous religion and culture. He need not have offered apologies for being sacrilegious when he disowned the Bodhisatva epithet.... A good segment of the audience knew that he was a typical son of the soil though he rose to the heights of Government Agent, a post more or less yet monopolized by Europeans. To make a long story short, here I present the stupendous package of posts Leel Gunasekera held under the umbrella of his Civil Service status once he had crossed the bars of his very prestigious examination that many a son of the upper echelons coveted.

To be continued