Teachers and principals will resign from school discipline committees if Parliament passes the proposed bill banning punishment of students, warned Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera, President of the Education Professionals’ Association.
The Thera said the move would cripple existing disciplinary processes in schools, adding that student prefects too had been made liable under the draft law. He said that prefect boards would be suspended and students removed from disciplinary duties in protest.
He accused the government of targeting teachers and principals through amendments to the Penal Code and said education unions were discussing legal action against the bill.
If the government seeks to intimidate educators into compliance, unions will resort to trade union action, the Thera further cautioned. (Newswire)