This was the communications I initiated in response to incidents happened back in 2018
Dear Parents:
I am Padmasena Dissanayake joint MD Scholarships for USA Pvt Ltd and an alumnus of Royal College ('67-'74) and a member of Royal '64 Group and the Olive Group of Royal College. I am also a past Secretary of Royal College Old Hostelers Association ('96-'00) and the main architect of Royal Millennium March. I am a Father of three children and a Grand Father of five.
In raising all three of our children (each one having reached global levels in their chosen fields) and the five grandchildren Priyanthi and I have never used corporal punishment and have stood firmly against whenever we had encountered the ugly and barbaric habit. Those who cannot teach young children without resorting to hitting them need serious psychotherapy. They invariably come from broken families being subjected to such traumatic treatments from their childhood, more often than not ending up in marriages that went sour. Now they let out their pent up frustrations on helpless children who have been entrusted to their care. It's interesting to note that they tend to choose their victims carefully-more often than not from a minority ethnic group or a economically challenged background (one of the recent victims who had to be hospitalized was a Muslim boy and the perpetrator is said to be Ms. Varuni Nanayakkara teacher in charge of eastern music: one would have expected the teachers of aesthetic disciplines to be more empathetic!). Isn't it strange that you have never heard of a teacher at Royal Primary thrashing a child of a top politician-there're scores of them- requiring hospitalization?
When as grandparents we encountered this issue at Royal Primary sometime back we immediately met with Rev Sister Disna Siyagune who used to be the head Royal Primary (I am so glad people like H.D.Sugathapala have left us early!) and soon realized, despite her sympathy and all the sweet talk, she is totally spineless against the few habitual perpetrators. In fact my impression was she was terrified of them (in fact she had confessed to a parent that a notorious perpetrator cursed her in filth when she tried to warn her). Next time it happened (despite Disna's repeated assurances) we wasted no time rushing to NCPA which had an unbelievably proactive and energetic team led by Natasha Balendra and late Sajeeva Samaranayake. That's where we learned that corporal punishment is a criminal offense when it results in physical or psychological injury or suffering. We were also very surprised to learn that we were the first complainants as many parents backed down due to pressure and left without making an official complaint (in fact it wasn't that we weren't pressured but the moment it happened we went back to NCPA to lodge a second complaint on threatening to obstruct justice which naturally went way beyond the Royal administration had expected). We not only went through all the procedures and declared that we're prepared to take the perpetrator to courts on criminal charges. The Principal Abeyrathne and Head Primary Siyagune were summoned to the NCPA where both admitted to the charges and solemnly agreed to put the house in order. Just to make sure that all the teachers were made fully aware of the gravity of the crime, repercussions and legal positions NCPA conducted a three day workshop where all primary teachers participated. The workshop was conducted by the top authorities in the field. What they discovered was the larger majority of them weren't guilty: few who used it were habitual offenders and they had no respect for Ministry circulars, NCPA warnings and the authority of the Principal or the head of the Primary. They were a law unto themselves!
We thought our complaint, which led to a chain reaction, finally eliminated the scourge for good. Not so. Few months afterwards Kanchana Dissanayake, whom I consider another son, sought my guidance as his son has been constantly hit by his class-teacher Renuka Ilanganthilake (at Year 2 and only 6 years old, for God's sake!). I wasted no time in introducing him to Sajeeva who was then the acting Chairman NCPA under whose instructions Kanchana immediately lodged a complaint at the Cinnamon Gardens Police Station. He went very far. Having met Akhila and explained how rotten some teachers of the Primary were it resulted in transferring out 35 teachers who had served over 10 years. We thought the problem was over. Apparently not!
The latest I hear is that Varuni Nanayakkara has struck again. This time the victims are three year 4 students. Her choice of weapons are said to be music instruments. Would any child love music after her training?
This is my message to young parents:
If you love your child as I love mine you'd never think twice in protecting them. If you don't have courage to stand up against anyone who torture your child you're definitely not worthy of raising him.
Never back down before a bully. If you keep quiet or keep ignoring due to fear of bullies or peer pressure your child will most likely end up with a broken spirit, scared of bullies all his life and the worst, turning into a perpetrator himself tormenting the innocent and helpless.
Principal is the last person you should approach. He is never a part of the solution but one of the major reasons why corporal punishment has taken root at the Royal Primary. I have seen Principals from late Bogoda Premarathne to Upali Gunasekara (I should hasten to add that it's an insult to those like Premarathne and LDH to be included along with some the recent Principals). Nowadays Principals aren't coming to Royal to put it right but put them right at the end of a career. Until I got the current Principal Abeyrathne summoned to the Right To Information Commission recently he avoided presenting past accounts of the SDS running to millions. Only way to get them responding, apparently, is to have them summoned to a court of law.
There's so much assistance available. Rush to the police and NCPA. Contact media with all evidence and records. The moment you hear of a thrashing start informing everyone. We need to name and shame publicly. Cleaning Royal Primary is upon each one of you. Do it not only for your child but for scoreless, voiceless and helpless hundreds more.
P.S. The moment you launch legal action offenders would start collecting signatures from hundreds of parents vouching what angels they are but don't worry. This country always had more than its fare share of the spineless: are you aware that the British contingent who went to defeat Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe had only one casualty and he died of Malaria?
Response from former Chairperson of National Child Protection Agency Ms. Natasha Balendra
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