Parenting an art requiring time, skill, patience: STC Prep Head
Prizes should only be a source of encouragement: Rohan Perera, PC
"Parenting, truly is an art which requires time, skill and an amplitude of patience," said S. Thomas' Preparatory School, Kollupitiya, Headmaster N.Y. Casie Chetty at the College Prize Day on Friday (13).
"Parents must work diligently to develop this capability, if they are to be successful parents of well developed children who are wholesome in body, mind and spirit. Parenting requires such fundamentals as love, discipline, trust, respect, values, guidance, listening and time", Mr. Casie Chetty elaborated.
"It is in instances when school and home collaborate meaningfully, that the child who is the centre of attention, could be moulded into a person ready, fit and able to take his/her place in society,” Mr. Casie Chetty added.
External Affairs Ministry's former Legal Advisor Dr. Rohan Perera P.C., and his wife, former Legal Draftsman Therese Perera P.C., were chief guests on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Rohan Perera stated that prizes should be interpreted as a source of encouragement to thrive to achieve better in the future; it should go beyond the spirit of prize, a process of building character as these youngsters are collective stakeholders to achieve important goals.
“It was Bishop Chapman founder of S. Thomas’ College who said that the real aim of school education was not to improve the mind alone but to form the character of individuals to respect principles,” he said.
“I take great emphasis on the need taken to pay particular attention to mould the character of children at a very young age before the age of secondary school. The idea of a preparatory school thus does,” he said.
Some of the aims and objectives had been to provide a different learning experience but just as important as the learning gained from books and class room activities. To develop attitudes and morals rather than the knowledge of facts, to develop true team spirit, by participating in group efforts both in the classroom and play ground and preserve and serve all that is pure and holy, true and beautiful, Dr. Perera said.
“Sri Lanka stands today at a crucial stage at the end of near three decades of conflict. In the post conflict environment, unrestricted opportunities have opened up, to put behind the years of mutual suspicion, distrust, intolerance and antagonism among people. We have to work towards a future that is characterized by independence, interdependence and humanism. The building of such a future, calls for the greater understanding of religious, cultural and other forms of diversities,” he said.