Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has cautioned that certain Western laws on child discipline may not be suitable for Sri Lanka.
Addressing the 150th Jubilee Celebration Mass organised by the alumni and teachers to mark the 150th anniversary of St. John the Baptist College, Nagoda, Kandana on Thursday, the Cardinal warned that such laws could create a divide between children, parents and teachers.
He cited a case in which a teacher was reportedly arrested for advising a student on their appearance, highlighting the unintended consequences of rigid legal frameworks.
The prelate urged education authorities to safeguard the respect and trust that underpin relationships between teachers, parents, and students, stressing that not all Western approaches aligned with Sri Lanka’s cultural values and social norms.
Cardinal Ranjith said that some laws of the Western world regarding the implementation of the proposed bill seeking to ban corporal punishment for children were completely unsuitable for Sri Lanka.
He pointed out that the punishment of children to guide them on the right path should be allowed and that not all the laws of the Western world should be imitated in Sri Lanka.
Cardinal Ranjith further stated: “This conflict between the child and the parents has created a rift, and how will the parents and teachers cope? If children misbehave in schools, the teacher can tell the child not to grow his hair that long and cut it. If that is said, the child can go to the police and complain that his or her teacher had caused him mental distress and the teacher can be arrested for saying this. That is wrong. We cannot accept this.”
By Norman Palihawadane 