Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has stated that certain Western laws related to the punishment of children are not suitable for implementation in Sri Lanka.

He made these remarks while participating in the Holy Mass held to mark the 150th Jubilee celebration of St. John’s College, Nagoda, organised by the school’s past pupils and teachers.

Cardinal Ranjith said that while children must be guided towards the right path — even through reasonable discipline — not every law from the Western world should be copied into Sri Lanka’s education system.

“Some of these new laws create a gap between parents and children. If that happens between parents, imagine how it will be for teachers. Teachers will be afraid even to advise a student. If a teacher tells a student not to grow their hair too long and to cut it properly, that student can now go to the police and claim the teacher caused psychological distress — and the teacher could be arrested. That is wrong,” he said.

He further emphasised that not everything that works well in Western countries is appropriate for Sri Lanka, adding that the country has its own culture, traditions, and moral values that must be respected.

Cardinal Ranjith also urged education authorities not to implement laws that undermine the respect and trust children should have towards their parents and teachers.

“We ask the education authorities, please do not go ahead with such actions. Let us preserve the respect, love, and faith that must exist between teachers, parents, and children,” he concluded.