By Amanda De Moore –
Amanda De Moore
Corporal punishment in any form is a violation of Human Rights. Banning corporal punishment was a main issue discussed at the recently convened meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. While corporal punishment is used as a means of maintaining discipline, it is indisputable that it is a violation of the fundamental rights of a child.
According to a press release published on 30th January 2018, the Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority declared that the NCPA takes tough action on corporal punishment in all schools. She further stated that the NCPA’s investigation on corporal punishment was in relation to a student’s complaint regarding an incident in an international school where a teacher made nine children kneel down and pulled their ears as punishment for forgetting to bring the reading books. The incident was a topic of controversy due to both international and domestic legal provisions that ensure the protection of the right of the child to enjoy freedom from any form of physical and mental harm.
Corporal Punishment and the Rights of the Child
A child is a “minor”. According to Article 1 of the Convention on the Rights Child (CRC), “a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.”
Moreover Article 19 (1) of the Convention provides that “States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child”.
Further, placed within the context of human rights, corporal punishment can be perceived as a violation of children’s fundamental right to physical integrity and human dignity, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These international conventions guarantee that the fundamental rights of the child encompass protection against all forms of torture and inhuman and degrading activities.
Legal Framework in Sri Lanka
The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka guarantees the fundamental rights of Sri Lankan citizens in Article 11 of chapter three, where it states that “no person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. Thus, the constitution the supreme law of the country, sets the legal background to protect fundamental rights.
Corporal punishment includes beating, spanking, rapping on the head and slapping which could be defined as torture. However in the sense of Article 11 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka corporal punishment is therefore a violation of the fundamental rights of any person, including children.
International Discussion and Measures
Corporal punishment was discussed at the 77th session of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) on protecting rights of the child, which convened in Geneva in January 2018.
The UNCRC consists of 18 independent experts that monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by its State Parties. They also monitor the implementation of two optional protocols to the Convention, one on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC) and one on the sale of children for child prostitution and child pornography. Sri Lanka became a Party to this convention in 1990.
Importantly, at the above-mentioned session of the UNCRC it was highlighted that Sri Lanka has not taken proper measures to ban corporal punishment and recommendations were made to take necessary measures to ban corporal punishment to children at their homes as well as in schools.
Effects and Consequences of Corporal Punishment
Scientific research highlight that physical punishment is neither an appropriate nor an effective method to maintain discipline. Research conducted on physical punishment in the United States along with the phoenix Children’s Hospital have concluded after decades of research regarding this issue, that parents and caregivers need to make every effort to avoid physical punishment.
Moreover, interviews with parents of children age 3 to 7 from more than 100 families have found that children who are being punished physically are more likely resort to beating or physical punishment as a means of resolving their disputes. The researchers have further found that parents who had experienced frequent physical punishment during their childhood were more likely to believe it was acceptable, and they frequently spanked their children, and their children, in turn, often believed spanking was an appropriate disciplinary method. This highlights that when adults use corporal punishment as a disciplinary method it gives children the impression that beating is a suitable means of punishing.
Ending Corporal Punishment
In conclusion it could be argued that corporal punishment is violence against children and not a valid disciplinary method. Moreover, as discussed above, it violates basic legal provisions in relevant conventions and the Sri Lankan Constitution.
As a Party to international conventions that mandate the protection of children against all forms of torture and violence, Sri Lanka is required to adhere to the principles set forth in these conventions and within the country’s own legal framework. Therefore, better alternatives to maintain discipline should be adopted to ensure that children are given due respect for their mental and physical wellbeing at home, as well as at educational institutions which protects children from being subjected to corporal punishment.
Rajash / February 21, 2018
Introduce corporal punishments to the politicians. Any politician found to be promoting racism or found to be involved in corruption should be given public flogging at the independence square to the national anthem sung in Sinhalese and Tamil.
Children get expelled from school if they repeat the same offence over and over again
politicians who offend repeatedly should be expelled from central/provincial/local seat…and banned from politics for ever
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Paul / February 21, 2018
Excellent idea. Extend it to raggers and sadistic teachers as well.
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Real Revolutionist / February 22, 2018
Rajash
Thank you Rajash for the great idea
Shall we start; catching all the culprits holding membership in racially inspired political parties like Sihala Urumaya, TNA, Muslim congress etc. & give the punishments you’re very interested in.
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Isharath / February 23, 2018
So poor you have been thinking it is only those in such parties are racists so far?
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Mano Ratwatte / February 21, 2018
It is disgusting how frustrated teachers assault students. Same goes for some abusive parents. I can still remember the same god damned relief teacher who slapped me across the ear in 4th grade adn 7th grade. In 4th grade he came in when the Natural sciences or whatever class teacher was sick. He got us to draw Coconut trees on those exercise books with a blank page on the left and ruled page on the right. My tree was bad, so he called me to the front and drew a nice coconut tree in Blue. So I giggled a little because he drew it in blue. He just without even warning slapped me right across my ear. Same man in a case of Deja Vu slapped me in grade 7 when I turned around to talk to the student behind me. That was violence. This guy was a tamil gentleman who used to ride a bicycle and had clips on his trousers at the bottom. He also wore colonial hardhat to cycle. I think his name was Subramanium. He was a grumpy old man.
Then some asshole teachers took out their political feelings even in the A Level classes by slamming people who were unfortunately connected to the SLFP unpopular regime before 1977. Some would squeeze students by the neck and slam their palm across the back. Lot of people at Royal think Christie Gunasekere aka Kataya was great too. No he may have been old school but the bugger was either sexually repressed or repressed by his mother as t he story went. He would take a lot of joy in caning and even slapping. He slapped me in the Science Library(at least not across the ear ; that can cause damage) when we were in 12th Grade; apparently because my hair was slightly over the collar; but I think it is because I did not get up on time when he walked in.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 21, 2018
Mano,
Tamil teachers are renowned for taking their political revenge from Sinhalese students. When my Son was enrolled at STC, I once made a visit to the Warden’s office and told him in “plain English” that no Tamil teacher can punish my son. If he truly needed to be phyiscally punished, only a Sinhalese teacher was allowed to touch.
This was because of that infamous Tiger called Mr Pakianathan (Pakaya) who had a terrible reputation of hitting Sinhalese students and letting Tamil students go lightly.
I had to tell Warden Neville, that if Pakianathan was to touch my Son, I will come to his office, grab Pakia’s hands and break them into two.
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Rajash / February 22, 2018
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera – why didn’t you tell the Warden only Sinhala modayas can teach your son to become another modaya like you…and no Tamils can teach my son.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 22, 2018
Rajash,
Mr Pakianathan (Pakaya) would never dare punish my son. If he did, I’d grab his arm, twist it around and shove it up his rear-end.
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Rajash / February 22, 2018
you fail to answer my question!
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Tamil from the north / February 22, 2018
Rajash if this filth (retarded bugger Reginald Perehera) has ever gone to school then there would have been a slight possibility this goon could have provided an answer. But this gamaya piece of sh&t has does not even know how to spell school.
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Tamil from the north
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The retarded thinks he is cleverly winding up or provoking the minorities particularly the Tamils with his fantasies.
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Don’t take him seriously.
The Tamil women smelling retard is another case of Sri Lankan Walter Mitty character.
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Percy / February 22, 2018
s Thomas is a missionary school infested with Tamil teachers and students. That is a hard fact . Whther the staff are communal minded is a different matter, and if so the parents/school should investigate.
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Rajash / February 22, 2018
Percy “…school infested with Tamil teachers and students…”
you sinhala people are a at a lost……and self defeating..
All Good schools in Sri Lanka are infested with Tamils
All Private sectors in Sri Lanka are infested with Tamils
All public sectors in Sri Lanka are infested with Tamils
Canadian Parliament is infested with Tamils (MPs)
Australian Parliament is infested with Tamils (MPs)
British Parliament is infested with Tamils (MPs)
All intellectuals are Tanils
where are the heck are you Sinhala people!!!!
your brain is infested with racism or you are a loser blaming your failure on the Tamils
which one is it?
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 22, 2018
Percy,
STC is a Tamil infested school alright. But keep in mind, it’s the Sinhalese that rule the roost there. The odd Tamil will come every now and then and try a monkey dance like Pakaya did. But he was given a Right Royal kick up his rear-end.
Don’t ever forget, this is the school that produced SWRD, DS, Dudley, WD etc..
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Rajash / February 23, 2018
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera”…Don’t ever forget, this is the school that produced SWRD, DS, Dudley, WD etc..”
Great Leaders of course…see what they have done to the country 70 years since independence all the have got to show is …racial hatred that these guys infested …..that even in this day and age…. Sinhala parents abusing Tamil Teachers who work hard to ensure their children are educated and disciplined and groomed to become honorable citizens of this country. DO they deserve it?
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 23, 2018
Rajash,
I don’t intend to debate with a fool who keep ignoring when I tell them that this is not about Tamil teachers disciplining Sinhalese students but about Tamil Bigots harassing Sinhalese students.
SW, DS et al did fine for their constituents, the Sinhalese majority. They got rid of a festering wound once and for all.
Of course they did nothing to you, because they are not supposed to. LOL!
You collaborate with the colonials for 200 years and you expect them to look after you after the colonials have left? Not going to happen Rajash. Don’t be a fool to think they would.
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Tamil from the north / February 22, 2018
[Edited out] Retarded Reginald Perehera, if you had fought the LTTE with this amount of valor, the country would have been freed from terrorism long ago. Where were you when the LTTE was going on a rampage? Were you hiding in your woman’s skirt?
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Lal Silva / February 22, 2018
Who said the country is freed from terrorism, may be fore a short period. With corrupt politicians, gov servants, police and even the forces (you will be surprised to know the rise if wealth of persons in forces compared to other gov servants) it will be very easy to start again. Even advanced countries with lot of money and intelligence could not stop.
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Tamil from the north
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“Where were you when the LTTE was going on a rampage?”
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Perhaps he was hiding behind his women folks. This is another fantasist like Walter Mitty.
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Do you remember Black & Decker?
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 22, 2018
I blame the Warden and management of STC Mt. Lav. one of the great institutions in Srilanka, for admitting your son. If they did not know about your behaviour at the time of admission, once you had resorted to threatening, they should have expelled your son from school. In our time Sinhala teachers punished Tamil students and Tamil teachers punished Sinhala students and no one complained. The best part is after leaving school the punisher and punished became best of friends. Recently a Tamil master at Royal who was very strict and had assaulted several Sinhala students died, and you would not believe that most messages of tribute were from Sinhala students. Therefore it is sad on your part to carry this hatred, just because the master was a Tamil. Hang your head in shame.
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Rajash / February 22, 2018
– Dr Gnana “Hang your head in shame”. -you are asking Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera to hang his head in shame. I don’t think he would understand that.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 22, 2018
Dr Gnana,
Sinhala teachers punishing Tamil students or Tamil teachers punishing Sinhalese students is not the issue.
It’s bigots like Pakaya punishing students of other races is the problem here. And I mentioned that clearly in my post. Seems like although you call yourself a Doctor, your reading comprehension is below the standard of a Grade 3 student.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 23, 2018
I could not have got a distinction in English at O’level in 1962, had my reading comprehension was that bad. During my time medium of instruction for higher education was English, unlike swabasha educated yakkos like you. Your assault on Tamils in STC is unsubstantiated and unwarranted.
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Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera / February 23, 2018
{During my time medium of instruction for higher education was English, unlike swabasha educated yakkos like you.}
WOW. One heck of a Doctor.
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Retarded ……. Tamil Women sniffing Shameless Perera
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” told him in “plain English” that no Tamil teacher can punish my son.”
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Were you worried that your son will be addicted to Pakianathan’s spanking and ask more?
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Percy / February 22, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Padma / February 22, 2018
Rtd Lt, Is it because you know the taste and don’t want your son to taste it too?
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Elango / February 22, 2018
Great comment by a war hero. Teachers, doctors and other sundry Tamil professionals need to be taught a lesson now that we have finished off the farmers and fisherman by driving them into those safe zones in May 2009 and bombing the Sh…T out of them
May I suggest that you go for ‘Pakaya’ in any case whether he touches your son or not.
In the meantime perhaps you may want to go around other schools like Royal, Ladies College and Methodist College which I gather has Tamil teachers and justbeat them up!
Just to prevent them ever administrating punishment to our children from the ‘master race’ Please do not spare women teachers, no I shouldn’t have said that because you have not shown any such foolish tendencies to spare them when we bombed the them in May 2009.
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Padma / February 22, 2018
He is adding shame on the forces. Better notify this guy’s public behaviour to MOD/CID for further investigation to find out if he is real or someone trying to put SL forces into shame. This lowlife under an ex military name tries to create communal violence and hatred among masses.
Let CT and SL Govt deal the rest. He is using the same screen name in few other sites as well.
If he is real, sure he will reply fearlessly and give us some clue of where he is.
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Spring Koha / February 23, 2018
What devious means did a little shit like you use to get your feral son into a school like S T C ? The school is meant to be one for closers not losers.
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Percy / February 22, 2018
That guy you described as cycling and wearing clips on his trousers was none other than Hari Arulananthan. A grumpy old man, detested by one and all but not a communalist. There were several teachers who were violent and looking back, it was all part of discipline and there was no abject cruelty. Unnecessary violence would have led to parental interjection and action would follow. Those were the days when the principal was allowed to cane students – quite legitimate in those days, but a definite NO, NO now.
Consequently some students take the upper hand and taunt meek teachers who have to be made of sterner stuff, quite a challenge. However some female teachers of recent years have done very well in rising up to the challenge and winning the respect and affection of students. Someone recently sent me an account of a retired lady teacher recounting the best years of her life as a teacher, and how her former students arrange for overseas holidays, get her medical expenses paid, and ensure that the former teachers are not in need. So it is nice to hear of real gratitude which makes the teachers job, a pleasurable one, albeit much depends on the teacher’s attitude.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 22, 2018
Percy how do you know late Hari Arulanantham, when judging your behaviour in this column you do not seem to have been a student of the school he taught.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / February 22, 2018
dear Mano, I was taught biology, zoology and chemistry by late Christy Gunasekera. he was a bit of a sadist who derived pleasure in ill treating students. But that was only inside the school. He was a thorough gentleman outside lending a helping hand when needed. I feel that the discipline he inculcated in us has helped us in our lives.
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Percy / February 22, 2018
Kataya’s Problem was that he could not marry his Tamil fiancée after over 30 years of living together as his family would not hear of it.A difficult and unreasonable state of affairs I admit, but he took out all his frustration from the poor students but as you say he was a decent guy overall.
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maalumiris / February 22, 2018
I think Kataya was a ‘effing sadistic nutjob who took immense (and strange) pleasure in hurting people who were assuredly unable to do anything about it
“wonderful discipline, machang!”, my @ss!
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oldcodger / February 22, 2018
Et tu, Maalumiris? Why do I get the feeling that CT is crawling with
self-flagellating Thomians?
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Mano Ratwatte
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Children should be heard
not hurt.
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Spring Koha / February 23, 2018
O Mano, what a terrible time it must have been for you. To think that all the time it was not your fault and you certainly did not deceive it. Perhaps all these people came from the same gene pool as the now legendary Sajin Vaas Gunawardena who executed that most famous slap in Sri Lankan history – causing even one of our most celebrated diplomats to resign. What a pat’taas that was!
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Sinhalese / February 21, 2018
That is true that politicians need to learn some lessons.they need to take some punishments and detentions not children….
Some principals misuse their powers …parents too .
It is good idea parliaments bring some laws on this..
Problem is that many police officers have to jails if we apply any law.
It’s police misuse this powers ..
They beat people before they take them to court..
First teach them laws ..
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Ad / February 21, 2018
Death penalty is a punishment meted out to those living thereafter. The dead person will not have any feeling or awareness after death. All his senses either one by one or at once stops sensing. But it would become an agony to those witness, till their death. Therefore punishment factor should be linked to factors which would discourage from committing any such offenses. Keeping under house arrest, social duties in the area of residence, fines, confiscation, isolation, imprisonment, and there are so many ways of punishing. The Judges must do their duty. Shining example is the judgements given by Hon. Judge M. Illangellian of Jaffna. The judges of south should follow the example and settle the cases in such a way the offense is not repeated, not because of threat, but because of understanding. The promoters of rights must also pay attention to responsibilities as well. Good writing.
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K.Pillai / February 21, 2018
Human rights are respected in all civilized societies. All religions uphold human rights as core values.
In SL attention to human rights as political issues has arrived at last!
As to whether women must have the right to buy alcohol will be taken up by the SC.
The CM Uva province violated the human rights of a school principal in ordering her to knell down will be decided by the courts.
Another issue is the torture by Police in extracting confessions.
Yet another one is MMDA1951.
The list is incomplete.
Thank you Amanda De Moore for raising “Corporal Punishment As A Disciplinary Measure In Sri Lanka” as a human rights issue.
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Fathima / February 22, 2018
Ms. Pillai, Better Late Than Never. You seem to be another who waited until Pirabakan’s defeat and death to talk about human rights.
Killing girls and boy who fell in love in his gang, forcefully separating kids from parents to train on killing others, brain-washing women and send as suicide bombers, amputating innocents who went to caste their votes against Pirabakaran’s will, bombing kids, women and other innocent men who got nothing to do with LTTE, and bringing the entire SL Tamil community back to square one are all gross HR violations.
These are nightmares still fresh in our memories. Do you condemn that as asked by another commenter recently? Until you accept that I can not agree on you coming up time to time to show your HR / Women Rights activist face.
Please don’t lie: Uva CM never ordered the principal to kneel down. In the video clip the same question was asked at her in Tamil. Then she replied “No, I did it myself for my community” – Please go and watch it again.
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Jim softy / February 21, 2018
Corporal Punishment is very wrong. Then we teaches the chuild that violence is OK in order to discipline a person. Even animals (e.g. elephants, dogs) can be disciplined without using any torture. I think Sri lanka has Child protection act and has signed to the Child rigths Act of UN. IF they are not acting on that, that should be brought up. If you are an chartered Accountant, you are unaware with the particulars. Generally time out, making him/her lose their favorites toy or entertainment time for iven time etc., are solution.
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Rishard / February 21, 2018
I believe that the Police have been given some legal scope to use force in investigation. But in 3rd world countries like us, who cares an accused without influence attitude prevails, with lacking of training and resources on scientific investigative tools, custodial torture seems to be the only investigative method used including few advanced countries as well.
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Rajash / February 22, 2018
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera – is another guy who needs a real walloping public corporate punishment.
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Percy / February 22, 2018
All you cowards talk about walloping, thrashing, etc. would you publish your contact details so we can produce Lt Perera for you to adminster the punishment.the biggest cowards are those who make empty challenges, and when faced with reality run all the way from Wellawatte to Point Pedro without even stopping for a shit.
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Tamil / February 22, 2018
Several Tamil teachers principals exercise cooperate punishment since they are learned by childhood with physical violence is a method to control . This has become a problem since this kind of behavior is unacceptable in the modern socity. It is not correct to turn this behavior in to racially motivated from Tamil teachers to singala people. In Northern district there are several cases teachers/ principals hitting the children with cricket wickets bats etc.
I have not heard this drastic behavior from singala teachers.
This has to stop.
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Tamil
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“Several Tamil teachers principals exercise cooperate punishment since they are learned by childhood with physical violence is a method to control .”
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If true the parents should have reported this feudal method of punishing the children to the authorities. What stopped you from reporting this cruelty to the police, education department, media, ……… irrespective of who the victims were.
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Are you sure only the Tamil teachers impose such cruel treatment and not in any other part of the country and schools.
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Aren’t you turning this into a racial issue?
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Tamil / February 22, 2018
Native Vedda
Yes now parents and students are coming forward and cases are registered.
Due to pressure from teachers toward parents, cases are droped.
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Native Vedda / February 22, 2018
Tamil
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Let me have the details of the teachers, parents and pupils so that I could my contacts to bring a public interest litigation against the sadist teachers. Don’t stop at collecting Tamil sadists alone.
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Tami / February 23, 2018
Please go to education ministry and get the statistics or from police.
http://www.jvpnews.com/?ref=ls_stn_d
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Sri Lankan / February 22, 2018
Rtd. Lt. Reginald Shamal Perera, says singelease students should be purnished by singelease teachers, not Tamil so correct punishment will be given. So a military retired person admits best for the country to give regional autonomy so Tamils look after Tamils and singelease look after singelease. So Tamil area to have Tamil police so singelease do not do excessive purnisment to Tamil offenders.
So when a army person supports regional linguistic based segregation why Rajapaksa group don’t want to give maximum autonomy to Tamils and majority singelease support him .?
Is it double moral .?
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ramona therese fernando / February 22, 2018
All this comes when an unnatural form of education is forced onto a nation. In an attempt to keep up to foreign standards not in line with a country’s national spirit and ability, teachers, parents and students go mad in trying to educate their young. Tamils are at the forefront in force-feeding our nation to keep up to these unnatural Western standards. Westerners were the first to do these deeds to their children in the 18th century, before it was all banned in the latter 20th century.
*
German educationists have realized that too many toys and make-believe activities for children might have created a drug-problem in the country, when these children turn to adolescence and adulthood. As a result, German educators have now reduced the number of toys they give their children. They believe that this creates more self-reliance in children. That is ironic, as it was the Germans in the last century who contributed to the theory of learning by promoting the use of toys in educational play. They felt that this would enhance and increase brain activity. The world is looking at another system of education. It is still to be found. In the meantime, we should look at the uncontaminated Buddhistic countries like Myanmar and Cambodia and see how they educate their children.
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Percy / February 22, 2018
Sakkara
I can’t give too much out as I am enjoying the pleasures of anonymity. I love to take pot shots at pretentious people especially those who believe in the bogey of rustling up fact or fiction to make a point regarding their supposed superiority.
I admit it is.a Cowardly option, but I am happy to be one. I also don’t mind admitting that I believe in NOW and can’t waste my time debating what had happened or didn’t happen aeons ago.
I may also add that I totally believe that the Yahapalanaya mob is the biggest bunch of corrupt politicians that Sri Lanka ever had the misfortune to experience.
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K.Pillai / February 22, 2018
Amanda De Moore
Go to parliament and ask the 225 MPs as to whether they disapprove in any form corporal punishment in schools. You will get 225 boring lectures on instilling discipline etc. etc.
Follow it up with the question “Are you a disciplined person?”. Do not wait for an answer. Run like hell!
When the dust settles ask “Is this a human rights issue?”. Most will say “Do not know” because they never heard the words ‘human rights’ before!
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Real Revolutionist / February 22, 2018
It’s frustrating to see that primary school teachers as well are fond of corporal punishment.
Especially it is a common sight in govt. schools that some teachers are very selective when teaching & students that they don’t tolerate are severely punished both physically & mentally.
So using technology; fixing CCTV camera system @ least in primary schools must be made mandatory so there’ll be no room for inhumane teachers to act on their will..
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DH / February 22, 2018
There was an African American teacher, Mr. Peter at Marshall Primary, a feeder school in Pasadena, California. Though it was a state school Mr. Peter put a serene and smiling statue of St. Mary in the cushion covered corner of his classroom and asked the children who were being difficult during class to sit there for a while and complete their work. The parents even though some of them normally create a nasty hullabaloo or report it to the state if the smallest Christian symbols are found in the school or are drawn by kids or a teacher, turned a blind eye to the practice because the children calmed down and Mr. Peter was like a father to them and a great confidant.
Love works for a life time.
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Mano Ratwatte / February 22, 2018
My comments previously had nothing to do with ethnicity. I knew and saw other nasty brutish teachers too. A Burgher teacher and my Sinhalese Mathematics teacher who was also my classroom teacher in Grade 8 assaulted one of my friends so severely he almost broke his arm and the arm was in a cast. They took him to the room downstairs and assaulted him. And then there are senior prefects, some of whom are captains of industry in Sri Lanka. They rounded up some of the students in my 10ABC class and assaulted them. Luckily our class teacher Ernie Ameresekere stood up for these kids and made a big ruckus and got them to apologize in front of our class after he reported them to the Principal. Some of these friends came back crying. Abuse in Prefects rooms were talked about. Some teachers caned us. Yes some males can be out of control. Punishment is needed but not all out assault.
Then there were great teachers who cared about even the lazy students like myself and dedicated themselves.
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Good Sense / February 24, 2018
Judging from the rise in indiscipline starting at school level what matters most is the availability of proven methods of disciplining in a non corporal punishment regime. Of course! Corporal punishment is illegal in Sri Lanka and in most developed states. But mere preaching of the ban and quoting examples of its I’ll effects can only give rise to the quotation “spare the rod and spoil the child”. The oldies would swear how six cuts to the bottom was very effective. Singapore still retains the old British ways suitably localised in even giving public Cannings to school children. At the cost of repetition may I restate the need to make available of proven methods of disciplining in a non corporal punishment regime.
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Thiagarajah Venugopal / February 24, 2018
How did we ended up discussing/connecting lingual origins of a teacher when the author has been merely discussing/trying share knowledge with regard to acceptability/appropriateness of corporate punishment related issues in 21st century in our educational institutions please?
This type articles are of upmost importance in progressive societys where human rights/impact to child growth are continuously questioned/evaluated and we make amends accordingly? Thank you Amanda.
I would very much appreciate if the respective person explains why he or she needed to reference “Tamil” when referring to an offending teacher please? I am bit puzzled as to the relevance please…purely for educational purposes ONLY. If there is such correlation exists where Tamil teachers are abusing childrens in Sri Lanka schools then one need to investigate/establish facts/verify this as an issue and is related to language orientation too? It is a very serious allegation to make if not substantiated ? discussing corporal punishment rights and wrongs are absolutely within the remit of the student and their parents, but to be observant it was a “Tamil teacher” and not just “my Teacher” tells me the child/parents looking at a teachers language origins……means even worse crime……ie racism?? Under our constituion it is against the law too is it correct? Would the person made this comment make themselves available to the police such allegations can be corroborated please specially in the interest of our nation please?
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