A teacher, Mrs. Odunola Taiwo of Adeoye International School, located in the Iyana Iyesi, in the Ota area of Ogun State, South-West, Nigeria has been suspended over allegations of inflicting corporal punishment on three year old Chizaram Ebere. Her mother, Elizabeth Ebere reports that the beating resulted in sickness for her daughter.
The incident which occured on the 28th of October, 2021, also led to the infliction of marks on the legs of the three year old which according to her teacher were due to the fact that the girl failed to write that day.
In a later development however, the Commissioner for Education in Ogun State, Professor Abayomi Arigbabu in a meeting with the management of Adeoye International School issued a stern warning to teachers across the state to eliminate the practice of corporal punishment because it had the propensity to lead to graver consequences like the loss of vital body parts, death, reduction of a child’s confidence while ultimately tarnishing the image of the state.
He stated in clear terms that the government will never condone any corrective action that will inflict pain or injury on a child while mandating teachers to adopt more humane methods of discipline and school administrators to institute trainings to ensure same.
The government’s directive is hopefully a ray of hope in the march towards eliminating corporal punishment which for so long has remained a dangerous cankerwork that has eaten deeply into the fabric of the Nigerian society.
REFERENCES
Mariam Ileyemi, “School Suspends Teacher As Ogun Government Issues Stern Warning” Premium Times Newspapers (November 11, 2021)
Ishola Oludare, “Stop Beating Children, Ogun Teachers Warned” Daily Post (November 11, 2021)
A VOICE TO BE HEARD 