The Archbishop of Colombo, His Eminence, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, says certain laws from the Western world are entirely incompatible with Sri Lanka when implementing the proposed legislation concerning the punishment of children.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith made these remarks while attending the Divine Jubilee Mass organized by alumni and staff of St. John’s Baptist College, Nugegoda, in celebration of its 150th anniversary.
The Archbishop emphasized that children should be guided onto the correct path through discipline, and that not all laws from the Western world should be adopted into Sri Lanka’s education system.
“This creates a rift between children and parents. If parents are restricted like this, what about teachers? Teachers can’t even think freely. If a student misbehaves, a teacher might say, ‘Don’t grow your hair that long, cut it before coming to school.’ But if the teacher says that, the child could go to the police and claim the teacher caused psychological distress. They could even arrest the teacher. That’s wrong. We cannot accept this,” he said.
Pointing out that what works well in Western countries doesn’t necessarily suit Sri Lanka, the Archbishop said, “We have our own culture, systems, and values that deserve respect.
He further urged education authorities not to go down that path, appealing not to obstruct the tendency to instill respect, love, and devotion in children toward their parents and teachers. (Newswire)