The Brutality of School Discipline in Sri Lanka – "A Colonial Hangover?"

I’ve personally faced the worst of Sri Lankan school discipline, and I know I’m not alone. In my school, if we tried to grow our hair even slightly longer than what they deemed "acceptable," we were punished—humiliated in front of the entire assembly, slapped across the face, and even punched and kicked like the teachers were getting some kind of twisted satisfaction from it. Forgetting to say "sir" or "teacher" at the end of a sentence? That was treated as mockery, and we’d get punished for that too. It’s not discipline—it’s pure brutality.

But here’s the thing: have you ever wondered why our schools are so obsessed with these extreme rules? Why short hair? Why forced obedience? Why the need to "discipline" students in such violent ways? The truth is, most of these practices don’t even come from our own culture—they were forced onto us during British colonial rule.

During the British era, Sri Lankan education wasn’t about learning or critical thinking. It was designed to produce obedient, disciplined workers who wouldn’t question authority. Schools were modeled after British institutions, where strict dress codes, forced politeness, and harsh punishments were used to create submissive citizens. Even after independence, these outdated rules stuck around, and we still follow them blindly as if they’re some kind of tradition.

If you’re interested in how British rule shaped our education system and why we still follow these colonial-era practices, check out these documentaries:

• "Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World" – Explains how British rule reshaped education and social structures in its colonies.
• "Sri Lanka’s Colonial Legacy" – A deep dive into how colonial rule changed our country’s systems, including education.
• "How the British Empire Controlled Its Colonies" – Covers the divide-and-rule tactics and strict discipline methods that lasted beyond colonial rule.

Discipline is important, but what we face in Sri Lankan schools isn’t discipline, it’s control, built on outdated colonial ideologies. It’s time we start questioning these practices instead of just accepting them. Have any of you faced similar punishments in school? I hate my school so much I stopped going ;(