Right of Replies

‘The school that failed’ - a response 

I am a past pupil of Musaeus College Colombo. I strongly believe that the story published on August 2, 2009 by Ranee Mohamed was very out of line. The article named “The school that failed” is inappropriate, does not make any sense of the facts, and more than anything tarnishes the name of one of the best schools in Sri Lanka.

When reading the article it is clear to see that Anuthara was mentally ill. I am not a doctor, but when I was in school, cell phones were banned so we did not take any to school. If a rule is broken, a punishment is given. It is by no means a reason to kill oneself. How many children that age would go to an extreme of that nature?

Being a past prefect myself I know for a fact that the prefects were just doing their job. We would have done the same thing. But to kill yourself over that is not normal. You would have to have a major psychological imbalance to think that your life is worth that little. Anuthara needed professional help probably months before this incident.

I am curious to see who approved the story to be published. I understand that journalists nowadays are desperate to have their stories published. This might be due to the economic situation. But I think it should not be done by writing crap. Try reporting facts instead. Who in their right minds will blame a school when a child commits suicide because a cell phone was taken from her? What type of threats can you possibly make to drive a child to do that?

I would highly appreciate if you please go through the facts one more time and publish a formal apology to our school.

Rukshani Lye

USA

Ranee Mohamed writes:

I wish this was a formal apology to the school. But it is not. If ever I consider writing an apology, it will first be to the parents who have lost their only child.

When the article said “The School that failed,”  it was not referring to the educational syllabus. When there is a death of a student within the walls of a school over a disciplinary issue you do not need an article in a Sunday newspaper to tarnish its image.

This past prefect of Museaus College is ‘curious’ to find out who approved the story to be published – wouldn’t it be a bit more pertinent if she was even a wee bit curious to find out how the parents of her ‘sister’ at Museaus who died recently are feeling?

Wouldn’t it a bit more touching if she wrote an appreciation about this  fellow student who died…? She walked those same grounds and ate from the same tuck shop didn’t she?

Lye goes on to say that journalists are desperate to publish their stories and that ‘this may be due to the economic situation.’ Well, it is not as comfortable as it is for you in Washington, but it is not just as bad as you think Lye.

Let me assure you that I do not get paid by the article. Now they are telling me that I was waiting for someone to actually die so that I can make some money! The kind of analyses I have been subject to during the past week! Someone else from Museaus attacked me by saying that I have just returned from Kangaroo land — a place I have never even been on a holiday, attacked my family, my way of life and my views on the mobile phones….

Now this lady, who has to be a psychiatrist  is attacking a dead child – “Anuthara is mentally ill, she needed professional help….” she analyses.

A girl hanging herself in the school premises may seem like everyday news to you Lye, but certainly not to us.  Death may be ‘crap’ to you, but have you heard the cries of her parents? Have you felt the silent tears of her friends in school who are scared to cry for her openly?

I have received two responses to my article from past pupils of Museaus of College. One of them rudely chided me for  “ a laissez faire attitude towards the education and moral upbringing of future generations of citizens of Sri Lanka…” and went on to  give me the exact geographical location of the school.

Unfortunately this is neither the time or the juncture to learn where  or what exactly Museaus is sandwiched between.

Did I miss out on something ? Oh, wicked world, are my eyes failing me? Because I  never saw the words death, sympathy, trauma, irreplaceable, personal loss —   in any of these responses from the so called past pupils of Museaus College...

A daughter of the school has died? What if she was yours?