In a startling pattern, dad and mom are more and more confronting academics about disciplinary actions towards their kids, leading to bodily altercations turning lecture rooms into battlegrounds, GODFREY GEORGE writes
Blood flowed down Favour Akide’s face like tiny strings of sweat. He first thought that what he felt on his checks was sweat. However, when he felt it along with his palm, he noticed the thick pink liquid plastered on it.
His head had simply been hit by the mom of a Main 4 pupil, ThankGod (surname withheld), to whom he taught phonics and studying. Six weeks after taking over a job as an assistant classroom instructor at a preferred college in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, after trying to find a job for 3 years, Akide met the shock of his life.
He stated he had requested the seven-year-old to do an task the second week he resumed however she got here again with the task undone.
“I advised her to take it again house that Monday and ensure she bought an grownup to assist her with it. She stated she would however she didn’t. In actual fact, I noticed the textbook on the desk once I was clearing out issues within the classroom that day.
“The subsequent day, Tuesday, I requested her the place the task was and she or he advised me she forgot the textbook at house. After all, that was a lie; the textbook was with me. So, I advised her to do the task and convey it on Wednesday.
“On Wednesday, she got here with out the e book and the task. I laughed and cautioned her to cease mendacity, including that the e book had been along with her all of the whereas. I gave it again to her and connected a observe to her dad and mom to, please, assist her do the task.
“You’ll think about the shock on my face when she got here again with the identical e book undone. The observe was nonetheless there. I opted to name her dad and mom to inform them however their numbers rang out. My supervisor additionally referred to as nevertheless it rang out,” he defined.
He added that he despatched a letter to the dad and mom via ThankGod that very same day however she nonetheless got here again with the letter, the observe connected to the e book earlier, and the task undone.
This angered Akide who stated he requested the pupil to clarify why she refused to do the task for one week whereas she knelt. He additionally said that he caned her on her palm and ordered her to do the task at house.
The instructor stated he was stunned when the younger lady completed the task inside minutes which made him cane her some two extra strokes on her palm for ‘stressing him out’.
“The lady was even laughing. All the class laughed as effectively. I used to be shocked when round 3 pm, whereas I used to be marking some scripts after everybody had left, a girl with thugs got here in with ThankGod into the varsity premises, on the lookout for me.
“I got here out and ThankGod pointed at me. The lady used one thing – I believe a stone or so – to hit my head. The opposite guys she had include started to hit me.
“They hit so exhausting that I fell and sprained my ankle. I saved asking what I did fallacious however they didn’t reply. They even beat up the guard who had come to rescue me; I used to be virtually overwhelmed to a pulp, and I couldn’t do something,” he stated.
“It was after they had been carried out that the girl stated I beat up right here baby mercilessly for failing to do an task. I advised her it was a lie and that I had solely canned her on her palm a couple of occasions after she had did not do the task.
“These thugs held me down and ThankGod was requested to slap me. She did. She was additionally requested to spit on me. She did.
“I’ve by no means felt that humiliated in my life. I’m 34 years previous and I’ve a daughter who is 2. If anybody had advised me {that a} younger lady would spit on me for merely doing my job, I might not imagine it,” he stated, respiratory quick.
Earlier than the headteacher arrived to arrest the state of affairs after she was referred to as by the guard, the girl, her daughter, and thugs had left the premises. Akide stated he was taken to a hospital the place his head needed to be stitched as a result of, in response to him, the reduce was deep.
The 34-year-old stated although an official report was submitted at a police station within the space, he was stunned the following day when ThankGod confirmed up in school like nothing occurred.
“It was like a dream. I had come to highschool to select up a few of my private results so I might be capable to work at home and I noticed the lady, whose mom brutalised me the day earlier than, sitting on her seat like nothing occurred.
“I went to the headteacher and she or he advised me she was dealing with it. She wrote a letter suspending the kid and requested her to inform her dad and mom to go to the police station to reply their case.
“Our lawyer additionally wrote them days later however the lady (the pupil’s mom) didn’t present up. The policemen are taking an excessive amount of time to deal with this matter, however I’ll watch for them to do what they’ve stated they’d do,” he added.
The instructor additional stated the incident had dampened his temper and weakened his morale, including that going to class had been troublesome for him.
“Generally, I wish to cane a toddler however I simply look away. I don’t discuss too loudly; I don’t shout. For anybody who fails to do an task, I simply put two massive query marks on that web page and transfer on to one thing else. I simply determined to give attention to instructing solely these prepared to be taught.
“I’m additionally contemplating a change of job. Think about a younger lady spitting on her instructor. This can be a lady who couldn’t spell her title till I began instructing her weeks in the past.
“I’m a professional instructor. I’ve an Schooling diploma and I’m registered with the Academics Registration Council of Nigeria. It’s simply so embarrassing what we undergo on this job,” he lamented.
Overwhelmed to loss of life
Not like Akide, Sunday Onyisi-Ufah was not as fortunate. He was snuffed out by the daddy of one in all his pupils for punishing his daughter. It was a Wednesday in October 2023 when Sunday arrived at work, unaware that that day could be his final.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the drama began after sure pupils of the varsity within the Agbor Native Authorities Space of Delta State allegedly scaled the varsity’s fence to steal and drink an previous man’s palm wine. The unidentified previous man, when he observed his palm wine had been tampered with, subsequently reported it to the varsity authority.
The pupils had been instantly recognized after which caned as a part of disciplinary measures to cease them from repeating the act. A instructor accustomed to the matter advised our correspondent that one of many pupils knowledgeable his father of what had occurred.
The supply stated, “After college that day, he then made a number of threatening calls to the late instructor. The mum or dad later confirmed up on the college. After an extended argument, the mum or dad introduced out some dry cane and commenced to flog the late instructor, who within the course of slumped and didn’t stand up once more.
“The instructor gave up the ghost earlier than they bought him to Agbor Central Hospital. Sunday was pronounced lifeless on arrival on the hospital.”
A number of sources describe the late Ufah as a religious Christian, physics guru, and baby evangelist who had a flourishing instructing profession for many years, mentoring and main kids to Jesus Christ.
The Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Brilliant Edafe, who confirmed the incident to our reporter, disclosed that the daddy of the pupil had been arrested.
“Sure, it’s true. The stated man concerned has been arrested and is presently detained on the State Prison Investigation Division for additional investigation,” he stated.
Louts assault Ogun academics
In January 2022, a secondary college pupil, recognized as Joshua Joseph, and his dad and mom, one Tuesday morning, reportedly employed louts who invaded the Toyon Excessive Faculty, Ere, Ado-Odo, within the Ado-Odo/Ota Native Authorities Space of Ogun State. Their mission was easy – discover the academics who punished Joseph and beat him up.
It was learnt that three academics had been brutalised by the hoodlums, who additionally vandalised a car on the varsity premises. This got here a couple of weeks after the obligatory enterprise varieties had been signed by dad and mom as a part of efforts to curb such acts within the state.
This grew to become essential after greater than 4 academics had been mercilessly overwhelmed by pupils in connivance with hoodlums within the final quarter of 2021.
In Joseph’s case, our correspondent gathered that the pupil and his dad and mom invaded the varsity with louts and inflicted accidents on three academics. He had been earlier prevented from coming into his classroom due to his coiffure.
A instructor, recognized as Kabir Azeez, had advised him to chop his hair to the ‘college’s authorised haircut’ earlier than coming into the category, however Joshua was stated to have returned to the varsity along with his mum and the louts, who descended on the academics.
An eyewitness who didn’t need his title in print had stated, “Three academics had been overwhelmed – Messrs Abel Thomas, Kabir Azeez and Adegun Adekunle. The automobile that was destroyed belongs to Jolayemi Jeromu. One of many thugs, Posu Baale, was the one who smashed the automobile’s windscreen.”
The college academics invited the police after locking up the suspects within the pc room. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a press release, stated a person, Oyedele Joseph, and his spouse Elizabeth Joseph, had been arrested for unlawfully invading the varsity.
Oyeyemi stated one of many academics, Thomas, was attacked for “having the effrontery to beat their son, Joshua Joseph, an SSS3 pupil of the varsity.”
A number of stakeholders within the state condemned the act, however not a lot was heard after that on whether or not authorized steps had been taken to handle the difficulty.
Ogun, a pink zone?
In October 2021, no fewer than 4 circumstances of assaults on colleges had been recorded in several public colleges within the state.
On October 12, the police stated they arrested a 35-year-old Abidemi Oluwaseun for invading Baptist Women Faculty Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, the capital of the state, with louts to assault a instructor, whom he accused of beating his 15-year-old daughter.
The instructor had flogged Oluwaseun’s daughter and others for disturbing his class, mocking him, and distracting different pupils. Aggrieved, the daddy employed two others, Fayesele Olabanji, 25, and Alebiosu Quawiyu, 24, stormed the varsity in an unregistered car, armed with a cutlass, and threatened to assault the instructor.
Once they had been arrested by the DPO of Kemta Division, CSP Opebiyi Sunday, Oluwaseun confirmed hiring the opposite males to show the instructor who beat his daughter the lesson of his life.
In Unity Excessive Faculty, Kajola Ibooro, within the Ado-Odo/Ota Native Authorities Space of the state, three academics, together with a nursing mom, had been attacked by miscreants, who had been reportedly employed by some pupils to unleash mayhem on them.
The nursing mom, recognized as Mrs Oyadoke, who reportedly went via a caesarian session 10 months earlier, was attacked when she tried to warning an aunt of a pupil, who was having an altercation with the varsity principal.
Based on a report by one Olufemi Ayannuga of the Tutorial Employees Union of Secondary Faculties’ press crew, the aunt, who was infuriated with Oyadoke’s interference within the brawl between her and the principal, rushed out to rent louts, who reportedly dragged the nursing mom on the ground, whereas inflicting accidents on her physique via severe beating.
Equally, pupils of Neighborhood Excessive Faculty, Ijoun, within the Yewa North Native Authorities Space had been stated to have employed hoodlums to assault and ship their academics away from the varsity. It was learnt that the hoodlums stormed the varsity premises at about 10.45 am and freely used weapons resembling machetes and axes on Stephen Oyelekan and Kayode Olatunji.
The Ogun State police command stated 4 pupils had been later arrested in reference to the ugly incident.
In the identical vein, an aged Arithmetic instructor recognized as Owolabi at Complete Excessive Faculty, Itori, was overwhelmed up by an SSS 3 pupil. It was reported that the Arithmetic instructor was instructing SSS 1 pupils when the ‘attacker’ rudely burst into his class and began beating a lady.
As Owolabi tried to cease the boy from maltreating the lady, who was in his class on the time, the SSS 3 pupil “descended closely on the harmless instructor, beat him mercilessly with heavy blows,” a supply had disclosed.
The unruly pupil was reportedly apprehended by the police and operatives of the Amotekun Corps had been deployed to the varsity as academics panicked that his gang members within the college may assault them.
Findings by our correspondent revealed that some secondary college pupils are reported to be members of assorted cult teams. Except for cultism, academics who spoke with our correspondent anonymously defined that some boys had been concerned in Web fraud, in any other case referred to as ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’.
“The second they begin doing ‘Yahoo-Yahoo’ or once they be a part of cult teams, they develop into so unruly that no person can discuss to them or scold them. Lots of them are already smoking and consuming all method of gear; that’s why academics are actually cautious to keep away from being attacked by their pupils,” a instructor disclosed.
The Jericho incident
In November 2021, a trending video in Ibadan, Oyo State, confirmed the second a girl, stated to be the mom of a pupil, stormed the Jericho Excessive Faculty within the state with louts to beat up a instructor. The male instructor’s offence was ‘punishing her baby with out her permission’.
Talking in Yoruba as she hauled stones on the instructor, she requested him to by no means contact her baby in his life, including that he had no proper to punish her baby with out her specific permission.
Within the video, the mom, who was clad in a two-piece Ankara outfit, could possibly be seen throwing stones at one of many academics who tried to cease her from hitting her goal. However, her louts, armed with sticks and canes, dragged the instructor and caned him a number of occasions.
The state authorities condemned the incident and referred to as for an investigation. Nevertheless, a number of years later, not a lot was heard about whether or not the matter went to courtroom and if justice was ever served.
DSS operatives storms FGGC, brutalise academics
In February 2017, males suspected to be operatives of the Division of State Providers stormed the Federal Authorities Women Faculty, Calabar, Cross River State, and beat up a couple of academics and different workers members. This made the varsity’s lawyer, Baba Isa, ship a requirement letter, asking the DSS to apologise and pay compensation to the brutalised workers.
Isa, in a press release, said {that a} feminine relative of one of many college’s senior pupils led the assault as a result of one of many academics had flogged her for flouting the varsity’s guidelines.
Narrating how it began the lawyer stated, “Mr Owai Owai, a Civic Schooling instructor of over 17 years standing got here to class that fateful Thursday (final week) morning and located a junior pupil sweeping the category of the SS3 pupils when classes had been happening within the class of the junior, towards the varsity guidelines that junior pupils shouldn’t be discovered sweeping the courses of seniors throughout college intervals.
“Owai was in a position to fish out about 10 seniors who requested the juniors to comb their class throughout college interval opposite to highschool rules. He punished the seniors by flogging them on their palms, two strokes of the cane every.
“One of many seniors, Grace Loveth Asuquo, grabbed the instructor by the collar of his shirt, protesting her flogging. The instructor was shocked and gave her extra strokes for her motion. She advised the instructor in entrance of different pupils that her dad and mom would burn down the varsity that day and stormed out of the category.”
Based on the lawyer, Owai continued instructing, unknown to him that Grace had referred to as her mum, who in flip referred to as her sister who was a DSS operative.
“Midway via the category, the pupil’s mum, her aunt (the DSS operative), and one other man stormed the category, Gestapo-style, took the instructor’s canes, and flogged him mercilessly earlier than his alarmed pupils.
“When the canes broke from the trashing of hapless Owai, they descended on his frail body and rained torrents of blows and kicks on him. The screams of the pupils alerted the academics who got here to the rescue,” he said.
Isa stated the DSS operative referred to as for reinforcement and three Hilux a great deal of DSS operatives stormed the varsity.
“The operatives went berserk and began capturing indiscriminately and hitting academics with something they might discover – blows, kicks, stones, gun butts! A number of academics sustained accidents from the assault and battery,” the lawyer added in his pre-suit.
The lawyer stated all the workers members and pupils of the Federal Authorities Women Faculty group had been traumatised and frightened.
The DSS didn’t give a response.
The matter was stated to be settled out of courtroom finally however no particulars of the settlement had been made out there to Sunday PUNCH.
Academics’ proper to self-discipline pupils
Nigerian academics, like educators in lots of different nations, have rights and duties in relation to disciplining pupils within the classroom.
Whereas the particular rights might range relying on college insurance policies, academic rules, and authorized frameworks, some widespread rights a Nigerian instructor might must self-discipline a toddler within the classroom, in response to paperwork out there on the TRCN web site, together with the authority to keep up order, use of cheap self-discipline, enforcement of faculty insurance policies, safety from violence or harassment, amongst others.
An educationist and baby rights advocate, Mercy Chepaka, stated academics had the proper to ascertain and preserve order within the classroom to create a conducive studying atmosphere for all pupils.
“This contains setting and imposing guidelines, managing pupil behaviour, and addressing disruptions or misconduct promptly and successfully.
“In addition they have the proper to make use of cheap and proportionate disciplinary measures to handle scholar misconduct or misbehaviour. This will embody verbal warnings, lack of privileges, further assignments, detention, or momentary elimination from the classroom.
“Nevertheless, self-discipline must be administered in a good, constant, and non-discriminatory method,” she stated.
One other educationist and college administrator with the 16 Plus Faculty, Lagos, Aniedi Akpan, talking on the rights of academics stated, “Academics have the proper to implement college insurance policies and rules associated to pupil conduct and self-discipline.
“These insurance policies might define expectations for habits, penalties for rule violations, and procedures for addressing disciplinary points. Academics are accountable for guaranteeing that pupils are conscious of and cling to the insurance policies.”
He, nonetheless, added that it was additionally the proper of academics to work in a protected and respectful atmosphere free from violence, harassment, or intimidation.
“They’re entitled to safety from bodily, verbal, or emotional abuse by pupils or dad and mom and might take acceptable measures to handle and report such incidents.
“It’s the proper of academics to speak with dad and mom or guardians relating to pupil habits, educational progress, and disciplinary considerations. They’ll contain dad and mom in creating methods to handle behavioural points and work collaboratively to help the pupil’s growth and well-being.”
Equally, the pinnacle instructor of a world college in Akwa Ibom State, Sifon Isaac, stated in relation to self-discipline, academics have the only real proper to train what he termed as ‘skilled judgment’ in figuring out acceptable disciplinary responses to pupil behaviour.
Isaac stated, “They’ll think about elements such because the severity of the offence, the pupil’s age and maturity stage, particular person circumstances, and the effectiveness of earlier interventions in making disciplinary choices.”
The educationist, nonetheless, added that it was essential to notice that whereas academics had the proper to self-discipline pupils, the rights have to be exercised inside the bounds of the legislation, moral requirements, and respect for the rights and dignity of pupils.
Based on him, self-discipline must be administered pretty, persistently, and with the perfect pursuits of the kid in thoughts, aiming to advertise optimistic behaviour, foster duty, and help the pupil’s total growth.
Corporal punishment
In Nigeria, the difficulty of corporal punishment in colleges continues to be a contentious subject, with stories of some academics resorting to brutality within the title of self-discipline. Some argue that whereas the intention behind such disciplinary measures could also be to instil obedience and preserve order within the classroom, the long-term results on the general growth of the kid are profound and regarding.
A number of students have spoken of Nigerian academics’ brutality and explored its detrimental influence on the bodily, emotional, and psychological well-being of scholars.
For a senior psychologist with the Remz Institute, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, no baby within the twenty first century must be canned by any instructor or mum or dad. Based on him, this defeats the only real intention of self-discipline which must be love and never hurt.
Nevertheless, some educationists suppose that a little bit spanking right here and there wouldn’t kill a toddler who certainly desires to be disciplined.
Corporal punishment, outlined because the deliberate infliction of bodily ache as a type of punishment, stays prevalent in lots of Nigerian colleges regardless of efforts to finish it. From being subjected to caning, slapping, or much more extreme types of bodily abuse, pupils typically endure humiliation and trauma by the hands of their academics.
The justification for such acts sometimes revolves round sustaining self-discipline and guaranteeing educational excellence. Nevertheless, the repercussions of this strategy lengthen far past the classroom.
Essien, additional talking on the matter stated, “Using forceful measures resembling beating or whipping may cause accidents starting from bruises and cuts to extra severe circumstances like fractures or inside harm. These accidents not solely compromise the kid’s bodily well being but additionally create a local weather of concern and intimidation, undermining their sense of security and safety within the college atmosphere.
“Furthermore, the emotional toll of experiencing violence by the hands of authoritative figures might be devastating for youngsters. Being subjected to corporal punishment erodes their shallowness and self-confidence, resulting in emotions of disgrace, humiliation, and inadequacy.”
The psychological trauma inflicted by such acts, in response to him, may manifest in numerous varieties, together with nervousness, despair, and post-traumatic stress dysfunction, impairing the kid’s skill to be taught and work together with others positively.
A college proprietor of the Knowledge Breed Faculty, Kano, Kingsley Onuche, stated corporal punishment perpetuated a cycle of violence and aggression, normalising abusive behaviour as a method of resolving conflicts or imposing self-discipline.
He added, “As an alternative of fostering a tradition of mutual respect and empathy, it cultivates an environment of hostility and resentment between academics and pupils. This adversarial dynamic hinders efficient communication and collaboration, impeding the event of important social and interpersonal expertise essential for fulfillment in life.”
What the legislation says
The Nigerian Structure doesn’t explicitly tackle corporal punishment of pupils by academics. Nevertheless, a number of legal guidelines and rules information this subject.
For example, the Little one Rights Act (2005) which has been adopted by many states in Nigeria, prohibits the usage of corporal punishment towards kids. Based on the Act, each baby is entitled to safety from all types of bodily or psychological violence, damage, abuse, or maltreatment, together with corporal punishment, torture, and inhuman or degrading therapy.
Additionally, numerous training legal guidelines and rules in Nigeria might include provisions associated to self-discipline and conduct in colleges. Whereas some might allow the usage of cheap and average types of self-discipline, resembling detention or suspension, they sometimes prohibit extreme or abusive types of punishment, together with corporal punishment.
Moreover, a number of college insurance policies, human rights devices, skilled requirements for academics, and different codes prohibit harming a pupil within the guess of correcting or disciplining them.
Caning banned in Ogun, Anambra, Ekiti
A number of states in Nigeria have banned corporal punishment in colleges, both via laws or coverage directives. A few of these states embody Lagos, Ogun, Anambta, Ekiti, Cross River, and Rivers states.
Nevertheless, there are nonetheless circumstances of academics inflicting bodily hurt within the type of caning or hitting a pupil they train.
For example, regardless of the ban on corporal punishment in Lagos private and non-private colleges, via the Lagos State Schooling Legislation, a number of academics have been discovered wanting. In 2021, a 12-year-old boy, Emmanuel, was allegedly flogged to loss of life by a instructor within the state for failing to do an task.
In Nigeria, some legal guidelines and rules tackle violence or assault towards academics by dad and mom or guardians. Whereas the Nigerian Structure and numerous statutes don’t particularly point out ‘brutalising academics for punishing their wards at school,’ there are authorized provisions that shield academics and academic employees from assault, harassment, or intimidation.
A lawyer, Mrs Selena Onuoha, shedding extra mild on the matter, stated the Prison Code Act, Penal Code Act, Little one Rights Act, and several other conventions prohibit assault of any type on academics.
She additionally urged dad and mom who really feel the rights of their kids had been violated to press fees and never take legal guidelines into their very own arms.
She added, “The Prison Code Act, which applies within the southern states of Nigeria, incorporates provisions associated to assault and bodily hurt. Part 351 of the Prison Code Act defines assault because the intentional software of pressure to a different particular person with out their consent or the specter of such pressure.
“Assaulting a instructor for disciplining a pupil may fall beneath this provision, and offenders could possibly be prosecuted accordingly.
“Within the northern states of Nigeria the place Islamic legislation or Sharia applies, the Penal Code Act incorporates related provisions associated to assault and bodily hurt. Part 240 of the Penal Code Act defines assault because the intentional use of pressure towards one other particular person, which may embody assaulting a instructor for disciplinary actions taken towards a pupil.”
