EDUCATION: THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL: School Suspends Teacher As Ogun Govt Issues Stern Warning

EDUCATION: THREE-YEAR-OLD GIRL: School Suspends Teacher As Ogun Govt Issues Stern Warning

Save Our Nation (SON)

November 11, 2021

Following the viral post of a three-year-old girl, who was beaten by a teacher, the Ogun State government has warned schools in the state to desist from using corporal punishment against erring pupils.

A statement issued by the government and shared with Save Our Nation (SON) by the chief press secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun of the state, Kunle Somonrin, noted that the commissioner for education, science and technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, gave the warning in a meeting with the management of the concerned school- Adeoye International Nursery and Primary School, Iyesi-Ota.

Mr Arigbabu, a professor, noted that the government would continue to frown at any corrective action that would inflict injury or pain on any child.

He added that the government would not condone actions that would drag the name of the state in the mud.

He said: “I want to say here, as the Commissioner, that I am not happy to hear of this incident and we will not allow any act that would drag the name of the state in the mud. Schools should device effective and humane methods of disciplining a child apart from corporal punishment.”

The commissioner was said to have highlighted some of the negative effects of corporal punishment, such as reducing the level of a child’s confidence, maiming, death, amongst others.

He also stressed the need for schools to organize seminars and workshops to bring their teachers up to date on modern ways of teaching and to come up with strategies to use in tackling indiscipline in place of corporal punishment.

Suspension

At the meeting with the commissioner, the affected school’s delegation, which was led by its executive director, Olu Akinlabi; the headteacher, Ayoola Olusola, and the alleged teacher, Odunola Taiwo, said the development was regrettable.

While apologising for the incident, the school management said it has taken some steps to meet with the parents of the child to tender “unreserved apology.”

They also confirmed that the school has placed the concerned teacher on suspension.

“The teacher, Odunola Taiwo, also recounted what transpired, noting that she did not mean to inflict such punishment on the child. She also apologised to the parents, school and the government,” the statement further said.

Background

A mother, Elizabeth Ebere accused a teacher at the Adeoye International School, Iyana-Iyesi, in the Ota area of Ogun State, of assaulting her three-year-old daughter, Chizaram.

Mrs Ebere said the beating of her daughter by the teacher made the three-year-old fall sick, Punch newspaper reported.

She said, “I was coming back from the hospital on October 28 when the teacher called me, but I did not pick, so she sent a message to me on Whatsapp that Zara did not want to write so she flogged her and I said okay, thinking she flogged her on the palm.

“When my daughter came back from school, she said her teacher flogged her and she showed me her legs. I was shocked to see the marks on her legs. I wondered why she would flog a child that writes on a normal day just because she decided not to write that day,” the Punch newspaper quoted her.