The Hon. Arun Hemachandra - Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, today we discuss a very important amendment. I long hoped for reforms that create a safer environment for children because I have personally witnessed such problems. I am glad we can act during our time in this House.

¶ 02 Opposition Members raised concerns that teachers and parents could be victimized. However, any case must be proven with evidence, and there is ample law and precedent to guide courts. I believe these amendments are sufficient and will significantly address long-standing violence faced by students.

¶ 03 Sri Lankan jurisprudence already recognized this: in Bandara’s case, caning a student was held to violate fundamental rights. Internationally, cases like Campbell and Cosans v. UK, A v. UK (1998), and Tyrer v. UK (1978) found that even the fear or threat of corporal punishment causing distress and humiliation violates dignity; punishment was unlawful not only for injury but for humiliation.

¶ 04 In our country, children have suffered not only physical but also psychological harm — based on ethnicity, caste, parents’ occupation, gender, skin colour, or religion. I encountered a pre-school case where conflict between a parent and teacher repeatedly harmed the child. Existing frameworks were inadequate; that is why we bring these reforms.

¶ 05 Research supports this: Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor (2016, Journal of Family Psychology) found corporal punishment increases aggression, depression and humiliation; Kousta et al. (Nature Human Behaviour) found humiliation and psychological punishment harm mental health, learning and parent–child bonds.

¶ 06 We must also address the broader environment, including drug abuse harming youth. Law enforcement efforts deserve appreciation; we must hand a safer country to our children. Some in the Opposition seek political cover for wrongdoers; the so-called godfathers have merely changed colours. This Government will move swiftly with investigations and prosecutions, and advance progressive reforms to build a safer, better environment for our children. I urge support for the amendment.