Unions in arms over teacher ordered to deliver meek apology to mayor

A deputy principal of a leading school in Kurunegala who was directed by her principal to make a personal apology to the Mayor for disciplining his son this week said it was her worst experience in 27 years of service.

Ramya Ratnayake, currently serving as a deputy principal of Maliyadeva College told the Sunday Times she had disciplined the Mayor’s son along with few others who were talking during the assembly.

“Though I tried to resist, our principal forcibly sent me to the Mayor’s office to apologise even though he knew that I had punished not just the Mayor’s son but all the children who had been talking during the assembly on June 30,” she said.

She said before this incident took place Kurunegala Mayor Gamini Peramunage had, during a visit to the school for a function on June 26 complained that the teachers in the classes attended by his son were not performing their duties.

“I personally went to the classroom on the following day and checked the books of the children. I found certain shortcomings in the books of the Mayor’s son and warned him about the shortcomings,” she said.

Subsequent to that incident Mrs Ratnayake had disciplined the Mayor’s son at the assembly. She said that she had used her hand to smack him as well as several others from behind as they were talking.

“The principal (Y.G. Tilakaratne) summoned me on the following day (July 1) and told me that I had made a grave mistake by punishing the Mayor’s son. I told him that he had been punished in order to learn discipline,” Ms Ratnayake said.

“The principal told me that it was no use explaining the matter to him and gave me the mobile number of the Mayor. He wanted me to speak to the Mayor immediately and resolve the matter. I used the office phone and called the Mayor,” she said.

“The Mayor told me that what I did was wrong and that I should not have punished his son. He threatened to take legal action. I also gave him a strong response because I had not done anything that could be faulted. The conversation lasted for about 10 minutes,” she said.

The following day Mr Tilakaratne asked her whether she had gone to meet Mr. Peramunage and apologise.

“I had no option but to do so as the principal was not willing to defend me. Therefore I went to the Mayor’s office and apologised to him,” she said.

Mrs Ratnayake claimed the Mayor had spoken cordially and told her to take care of his son.

The principal’s failure to defend her, however, had left her feeling deeply embarrassed and depressed.

The Mayor, Mr. Peramunage, told the Sunday Times that this particular teacher had harassed his children.

“One day she told my son he would be taken to the principal because he had not written an essay. My son came home and told me he could not go to school because the teacher was harsh to him,” Mr. Peramunage said.

He said he wanted to speak to Mrs Ratnayake on a friendly basis but had not been able to make phone contact with her. He had then complained to the principal who had promised to look into the matter.

Then one of his sons had complained to him that the deputy principal had allegedly slapped him across the cheek at assembly.

“I complained to the principal who assured that the matter would be resolved. It was thereafter that the deputy principal came to my office. I did not request the principal to send the deputy principal to my office,” he said.

Mr Tilakaratne declined to comment about the incident.

The incident has drawn strong protests from education sector trade unions. Ceylon Teachers Union General Secretary Joseph Stalin said it was a repetition of a previous incident in the Puttalam district in which a provincial council member ordered a teacher to kneel down.

“We complained to the Education Ministry and told that the union would not rest till this teacher sees the light of justice,” he said.

A three-member team of Education Ministry officials has been appointed to investigate the incident. Additional reporting: Pushpaku

mara Jayaratne