Calligraphy Awards Presented

{mosimage}Winners of the 11th state competition on Mongolian calligraphy received their awards from Prime Minister S.Bayar on January 18. The over 1,600 participants had earlier been divided into two categories – students and professionals, including teachers of calligraphy. Both categories were then split into four age groups.

Winners of the 11th state competition on Mongolian calligraphy received their awards from Prime Minister S.Bayar on January 18. The over 1,600 participants had earlier been divided into two categories – students and professionals, including teachers of calligraphy. Both categories were then split into four age groups.

B.Tuul, Mongolian language teacher at the Orkhon school of the capital, was the best among the professionals. E.Enkhzolboo of Bulgan, B.Sengee of Tov and M.Uranbileg of Bayankhongor came after him in that order.

B.Batjargal, studying at school #96 of the capital, and B.Bolortuya of Omnogobi were the winners in the group for 11th grade students. Their success won them the right to join the National University of Mongolia (NUM) without an examination. Similarly, the runners-up – D.Otgonbayar of Khovsgol and D.Yumjirmaa of Arkhangai – would be able to enter the University of Education. The fees for all four for four years will be paid by the Government.

S.Monkhzul of Dornogobi and S.Suldjargal of Tov were chosen the best among students from the 1st to the 10th grades while B.Altantuya of NUM won the award in the adult group. B.Yondon of Sukhbaatar district was the runner-up.

For eight years now the Prime Minister in office has distributed the prizes in this competition. The tradition was not broken this year. In his speech, Bayar said, “Their script is the essence and vanguard of a people, and the Mongol script is considered to be one of the earliest six scripts of mankind. Unfortunately, for historical reasons, almost half of our population has lost touch with the wonderful script that our ancestors developed. The Government is aware of its responsibility to ensure that our children get to learn the script from their early days in school.”

The program was held at the Montsame Press Agency office and the Prime Minister recalled the days in 1983 when he had started his working life there. He confessed to feeling emotional and mentioned how the agency and its work had changed in the intervening years.

Speakers from the agency asked the Prime Minister to let the Government buy rare photographs of historical value from ordinary people who have them, and also to restore the photographs and negatives in the agency’s archives. The Prime Minister took note of both proposals. He promised to visit again before Tsagaan Sar to discuss “way how to put the agency back on its feet”.

by Ts.Lkhagvasuren
The UB POST