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Must deliberate on how to structure O/L exam – President

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President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that while a complete elimination of the GCE O/L exam might not be feasible, it must be deliberated on how to structure them, whether it be in a different format or as a pass/fail assessment.

There is a question regarding the necessity of conducting the Ordinary Level examination if students are to complete 13 years of education. Some argue that the O/L exam is unnecessary, and we can look to countries like the United States, the most developed nation in the world, where such an examination does not exist. While completely eliminating the O/L examination may not be feasible for us, we must deliberate on how to structure them, whether it be in a different format or as a pass/fail assessment, he has said.

These remarks were made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his address at the national ceremony for awarding teacher appointments to National Education Diploma holders for the 2018-2022 academic year. The event took place at Temple Trees this morning (16).

President Wickremesinghe, who presided over the ceremony, awarded 1,729 teacher appointments for national schools and 626 appointments for the Western Province. Similar appointments were also made for the other eight provinces, resulting in a total of 7,342 National Education Diploma holders receiving appointments on this day.

Speaking further, the President also emphasized it is crucial to establish a program to provide English education to all and that the country’s university system needs to be modernized.

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Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith meets Pope Leo XIV (Pics)

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The Archbishop of Colombo – Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, has met the newly appointed Pope Robert Prevost.

The Archdiocese of Colombo shared pictures on social media of Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Pope Robert Prevost engaging in cordial discussions.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith met with the new Pope following his participation in the Papal Conclave in the Vatican City to elect a new Pope.

(Pics :  FB page of News – Archdiocese of Colombo)

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High blood pressure causes 70% of deaths in SL – MOH

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Around 70% of all deaths in Sri Lanka are linked to complications from high blood pressure, according to the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Unit at the Ministry of Health.

Consultant Dr. Samindhi Samarakoon from the NCD Unit stated that a 2021 national survey found 34.8% of Sri Lanka’s population suffers from high blood pressure.

Alarmingly, 64% of those diagnosed are not on any form of medication, she added.

“Most of the time, there are no early symptoms. Often, the first sign is a stroke. Sometimes, it appears as a heart attack. Hypertension is also a leading cause of kidney diseases,” Dr. Samarakoon explained.

We do a survey every five years on Non-Communicable Disease. According to the 2021 survey data, around 70% of deaths in the country are caused by conditions related to high blood pressure, only 18% of people with hypertension were aware of their condition, with 54.7% of diagnosed cases being newly identified. Alarmingly, just 14% of those diagnosed had their blood pressure under control, highlighting a very serious situation.

Dr. Samarakoon emphasized the importance of prevention and early detection, noting that while ‘Suwadivi’ clinics are available in addition to hospitals, patient turnout remains very low; she stressed the need for annual blood pressure checks, highlighted the harmful effects of smoking and alcohol – particularly among men – and underscored the importance of regular physical activity.

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Private security officers arrested over theft at Swiss Ambassador’s residence

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Colombo, May 14 (Daily Mirror) – The Kollupitiya Police have arrested three individuals, including the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of a private security firm and another security officer, in connection with a theft at the official residence of the Swiss Ambassador in Colombo, where gold jewellery, including a diamond-studded ring and luxury wristwatches worth approximately Rs. 4.5 million were stolen from a safe.

According to police, the investigation was launched following a complaint lodged by the Swiss Ambassador, who had left for Switzerland on April 12 and returned on April 27.

Investigations revealed that after the Ambassador’s departure, the suspects gained access to her safe using a key that had been illegally duplicated. The jewellery and watches were subsequently stolen.

Following interrogations, police also arrested a locksmith who had allegedly made the duplicate key used in the theft.

Police have recovered several rings, believed to be part of the stolen items, from the one of the suspect security officers in Weligama.

At the time of the theft, two female domestic workers and a cook were present at the residence. They were questioned and later released after being cleared of any involvement.

The three suspects were produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court and have been remanded until May 22.

(dailymirror.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailymirror.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

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