A grade 8 student from the Walasmulla National School has been hospitalized after the principal of the school caned the student on her birthday.
Education Minister – Akila Viraj Kariyawasam
According to the Walasmulla Police, the principal had caned the female student’s hand as well as her back with a cane as a punishment for accidentally littering the classroom with a few chocolate wrappers which she had brought to share with her classmates as it was her birthday.
The incident occurred when the principal had been passing by the classroom and the principal had seen several chocolate wrappers lying on the ground. The angry principal had then brought out the cane and had caned the child’s hand as a punishment, and when the student had bent down to pick up the wrappers, the principal had caned her on her back which resulted in the child sustaining injuries. While caning her on her back, the principal is reported to have said that the “caning was her birthday gift.”
In June this year it was reported that a teacher at the Anula Devi Girls’ College in Galle was involved in a case of child torture, where she had allegedly ordered her students to beat their 10-year old classmate, as punishment for talking to another girl while the teacher was conducting a class.
The incident has resulted in the victim receiving physical injuries, while she has also been mentally traumatized, as she was beaten up by 44 students of her class. The teacher had ordered her students to beat the girl after she observed that the girl was engaged in conversation with her classmates instead of paying attention to the teacher, which had angered the teacher.
jim softy / September 13, 2016
It looks parents are full of hatred.
Otherwise, how come caning sned a child to the hospital ?
that is lot of melodrama.
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Samuel Jayaweera / September 13, 2016
In devleoped world, teachers go for paedagogical/child psychology trainings prior the candidates to become a teacher. May be lanken teaching colleges do some work not fully meeting the standards. No means a teacher should be allowed to punish the pupils physically this way. Lanken laws shold be made strict to protect both rights of teachers and pupils.
We the srilankens should finally introduce them to lanken regulations. We cant be away from world standards if the nation would want to work for the progress.
In the same time, politicians that make teachers kneel down to get their work done too should be warned adequately – if the respect and dignity of the teaching position to be safeguarded.
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Amarasiri / September 13, 2016
Education Minister – Akila Viraj Kariyawasam,
RE:Grade 8 Student Hospitalized After Principal Canes Her On Her Birthday
//”While caning her on her back, the principal is reported to have said that the “caning was her birthday gift.”?//
Wow!. This is the Dhamma Deepaya, the Faith Island!
Why not suspend the Principal indefinitely or transfer her, as a “birthday gift” with immediate effect.
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Sylvia Haik / September 14, 2016
I agree wholeheartedly. We must be at least 20 years behind decent society when deciding what constitutes child abuse. The European Union banned corporal punishment on children even by their parents and in the US many parents have been taken to court. I feel this particular gratuitous caning is bordering on child abuse and the principal should be punished accordingly.
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jim softy / September 14, 2016
In devleoped world, teachers go for paedagogical/child psychology trainings prior the candidates to become a teacher.
What developed world. It is stupid trade union like activity.
children need discipline. Itis wrong to punish them with physical punishments.
But, that send one child to hospital is over reacting and most probably parents are giving bad example to the child.
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sarrij / September 13, 2016
Jim.
Rubbish.
You are still living in the past. Get real man.
Beating up children, specially, in front of their peers cold have significant permanent adverse effects.
The principal should be suspended and legal process and inquiry should take effect immediately.
I understand that political interference is the norm in situations like this; but there seems to the some inkling of change.
Hope for the best.
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Tamil from the north / September 14, 2016
Ado Jim Shitty we should catch your black arse and beat you until you pee in your panties, then we should ask you whether it hurt you or whether you are putting up a drama. SOB, you evil bastard hitting a child appears to be a joke you filthy scum? ah, I only wish I could find you one day you SOB…………..can’s wait to see you filth.
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sr / September 13, 2016
As the principal he should have collected chocolate wrappers and put into the dust bin or into his own pocket for the children to follow.
Why shouldn’t we send such insane principals home?
Take the principal to apologize to the younger generation.
There’re principals also to be rehabilitated.
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Hamlet / September 13, 2016
The Principal of the School should be punished for not providing adequate Waste Paper Baskets, and NOT Teaching the Students how to use them!
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sarrij / September 13, 2016
Hamlet.
Good one and sensible.
Cheers
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Punchiburampi / September 14, 2016
Counter punishments will not bring us forward – but resolve the problem meeting with world standards/norms. As some added, through providing adequate trainings. No doubt the teachershouldbe warned.. but this is not a single incident. I know myself, how my sister once did it – she never agrees not to punish the pupils physically. Like ones became intoxicated to MR et al, the kind of teachers too will take some more time to change their conscience. Psychologists or the like professionals should do the job all along to turn the mind sets of the poorly built teachers. Like the focus of glyphosat to irradicate the weeds biologically, it should be planned very selectively not underestimating the good being resulted from teacher-pupil bond in this society. Wrongful and aggressive thoughts about the teachers must not be passed to the air – since teachers were the ones who were called architects in building the society. Even today, more do while some not.
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Sunil / September 13, 2016
Why have we still not banned corporal punishment nationwide!?
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Thanos / September 13, 2016
It is banned. Has been for sometime.
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Pitasanna Shanmugathas / September 14, 2016
Corporal punishment banned in Sri Lanka? As far as I aware, this is not the case. Ministry of Education in 2005 stated that corporal punishment should not be used in schools, but this has not been confirmed in legislation. Corporal punishment is lawful in schools, as confirmed in the explanation of acceptable criminal force in the Penal Code 1883
Source:endcorporalpunishment.org
Legislation has not been enacted and implemented nationwide in Sri Lanka. Failure to do so, is embedding a culture of violence within young children by teaching them that violence is acceptable to address misbehaviour. Such attitudes will continue to foster a violent society in Sri Lanka.
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thrishu / September 13, 2016
We have sadistic teachers and principals in our schools. No wonder they have picked up this behavior from the previous ruler, his MPs, provincials and his “ape minussu”. If they could do what they want, teachers too have adopted the attitude that they could do what they want.
I have no problem in teachers imposing discipline in schools, but there is a way of doing it: punishments should fit the misdemeanor, and they should be progressive. Most likely some of these teachers themselves suffer from workplace or domestic tensions, debts and difficulties with other people, they compensate by beating children under their care to release their tension. Violent behavior of teachers must not be condoned, and they should face a disciplinary hearing themselves conducted by the local education authority, with the prospect of ultimate dismissal from service.
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Sam Fernando / September 13, 2016
I know you had them in Richmond and we also hadthem in Mahinda then.
I think most of these teachers should be given proper training sessions. There should be mechanisms that could train lanken teachers.
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Sam Fernando / September 13, 2016
Best would be to introduced 1 psychologist for each school. That can save the kind of conflicts easily
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sarrij / September 14, 2016
Sam.
Good suggestion; but the country is broke. Who is going to pay for the psychologists?
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Sam Fernando / September 14, 2016
This is just a dream to a country who has no knowledge about the psychology.
Given that a psychology is appointed to a school, he or she will be beheaded by the staff saying that counseller or psychologist is above the staff.. You know lanken mentality, those single posts or thought bearers are isolated. Not civilized enough to respect the ones who are competent in their areas.
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Sam Fernando / September 14, 2016
Given that a psychologist/councellor
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Sam Fernando / September 14, 2016
You know Thrisu, what I find lacking most in lanken society is enough discussions on the topics.More discussions are there, more we can achieve towards the positive changes.
So called talk shows on european TV channels do much work to their societies. Invitees to those talk shows are not prominent in Germany but ones belong to the targetting category. Be it on fatherhood tests, crimes within families they continue talking. Moderator and the invitees allow the discussion round to continue.
Lanken Chapa Bandaras make their every efforts to do the job, but they are not even qualified enough. Like grab all the oranges at once, the kind of journalists do the job, but the area is deficient to lanka even today.
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shankar / September 13, 2016
the principal must have not had sex or for weeks.It is very important to have sex at least twice a week.The minister should send a circular to all teaching staff who have contact with children to have at least twice weekly sex,otherwise they will take it out on these vulnerable and powerless creatures.
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shami / September 13, 2016
This pervert may derive some sexual pleasure from this caning?
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PunchiSIMON / September 13, 2016
No it is the law and order authorties to teach them that caning is not means acceptable in today s context.
Gone were the days, that teachers used canes to physically punish their pupils. TOday, they have to discuss with the students and build up a medicum in solving the problems.
But we still have henamity kind of thoughts among some teachers that they have to punish that way, otherwise, the pupils would not learn it. However latter is obsolete by today.
There should be discussions in lanken TV channels in order to pass the message across the nation. Any kind of physical assults to be avoided and must not come from teachers to the pupils.
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vishvajith / September 13, 2016
Will the Principal be prosecuted ? or a simple ‘Sorry’ be allowed so the same thing will happen in a different school to a different child dished by a different teacher/principal ?
‘Sorry’ with no Judicial Process, is our culture of impunity, we are so famous for. It starts in our schools.
Then, what are the role of parents ? I have often heard parents proudly say ‘ api teacher ta kiwuwa, kiyana dey ahannag nathang hondatama gahanna kiyala’ / ‘ we told the teacher, if the teacher is not listened to, to whack them.
So who will bell the cat ?
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Law of the jungle / September 13, 2016
This is a “child abuse”
It’s act or omission relating to a child.
(Child means under 18 years of age)
This is punishable laws under
*Penal code
*Employment of women young persons and children act
*The children and young persons ordinance
Hope Child and women’s bureau will take action immediately.
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Sinchuappu / September 13, 2016
The problem is very clear.
Majority would not care the laws prevailing in the country.
They take the law to their hand and behave as Tutsi went on harming their rivals in Ruwanda.
This culture is well established.
The langauge alone has become a weapon. They dont care whoever you are. Physical assualts have become common to every corner of the country. I guess it is the war that left former army deserters they gave a rise to increasing crimes in the country.
Those armydeserters served oncefor Army are merciless idiots. Any high crimes are connected to them. I am not talkinga bout brave soldies whose sweat sacrificed in saving the nation from the brutal war.
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John / September 14, 2016
Agreed, but why go to Rwanda when July 1983 has yet to fade from our island….
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Whipping boy / September 13, 2016
The only thing the education minister does is bend over and asks for his xxx to be whipped…. Bloody inept inbercile
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Diogenes / September 14, 2016
This principal should be given a public caning on his next birthday!
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Funlover / September 14, 2016
Every time I see the picture of that stupid face on CT articles about this cretin I vomit.
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Wera / September 14, 2016
Physically assaulting children was the norm in the god old days in Sri Lanka. If you were unfortunate to attend a parochial school then the torture got even more intense and for the extremely unlucky student you may be subject to other kinds of abuse I shall not name. All this went on while the stupid ignorant parents either sat idly dong nothing about it or even actively encouraged it. This was proudly described as discipline. So things have changed but knowing how bad the problem was it is no surprise that the old dinosourus are still prowling the class rooms engaging in this kind of activity.
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shankar / September 14, 2016
“Physically assaulting children was the norm in the god old days”
yes i can vividly remember the clouting i got.I had this irresistible urge to move the chair away when a student gets up when the master addresses him.Also throwing paper balls at the blackboard when the master is writing on it.
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Dr.Francesca Bremner / September 14, 2016
Corporal Punishment is banned in Sri Lanka. Why and How did this principal have a cane in her hand? Why does the Child Protection Authority not have a system to monitor if children are safe from corporal punishment in schools?
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Paul / September 14, 2016
What’s the use in writing? Everyone knows what should now happen to the principal but Ranil and Sirisena will do nothing. One phone call from them is all it takes. Spineless, worthless bastards.
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Good Sense / September 15, 2016
I am neither an advocate of canning nor against. It is pertinent to note that in Singapore Ministry of Education permits and encourages canning, of course only to male students, but subject to certain guidelines. There can’t be a question of canning a student out of anger. The process is systematised and there have never been any reports of serious injuries out of canning school children in schools. (Now this is different to Judicial canning in Singapore.)
The lesson to learn is that a child should never be punished out of anger. That is bad, even if it means to write a thousand lines of “I am sorry.”
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