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DS teachers to boycott school activities
By Vanessa Sridharan and Sachitra Mahendra
D.S. Senanayake College teachers have chosen to boycott extra-curricular activities following the recent sentence of three teachers who were accused of having assaulted an underage student.

During the vacation, which is from September 16, the teachers would stay away from sports practices. After the vacation, they would boycott college functions and only carrying out teaching duties, Educational Professionals’ Association (EPA) general secretary Vasantha Dharmasiri said.

The EPA has urged the Education Ministry to take immediate action to amend the Act which empowers court to punish teachers who assault students.
“We are urging the Ministry to make amendments immediately. We want teachers to be exempted,” Mr. Dharmasiri said.

“Before going to courts, the case should be presented to the principal and then to the Education Ministry. The Ministry should be empowered to submit the case to court only after going through the report of the principal and teachers,” he said.

The All Ceylon Teachers’ Association said Ministry officials did not bother to make any inquiry regarding the imprisoned teachers. Meanwhile, Child Protection Authority chairperson Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanna told The Sunday Times this case was a good example of the law being enforced against child abuse.

“Cases of this nature are not so common. Normally when such an offence is committed the victim is examined thoroughly by a medical officer,” Dr. Wijemanna said.

“This case comes under physical grievance because it harms the child’s mentality. But in most cases it is difficult to find how it may harm the child’s mentality,” Dr. Wijemanna said.

The D.S. Senanayake College teachers who were sentenced under Section 308A (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (harassing and abusing a child) were released on bail of Rs. 25,000 each. Underage Shehan Somaratne accused the vice principal and three teachers of abusing him in the school premises in the presence of his mother when he came to school in coloured clothes for a swimming event.

According to the school teachers, the boy had violated school rules by wearing coloured clothes, having overgrown hair and sporting sideburns, in January 2004.

“The boy is well known in the school for truancy. On that day when Mr. Edirisuriya politely asked the boy why he had come in coloured clothing, the boy had turned violent and tried to grip Mr. Edirisuriya’s neck. The other two teachers intervened only then,” said a teacher.

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