From Our Correspondent
Following the death of a student of Obada Secondary School, Obada, Idi-Emi, Monday Arijo, in Ogun State, a non-governmental organisation, Lyceum Foundation, has urged the state government to create a policy against corporal punishment in public primary and secondary schools.
Arijo was beaten 24 strokes of the cane and asked to observe 162 frog jumps by a teacher, Mr Amzadjo Elijah, a corporal punishment which later resulted to his death. This forced government to suspend the teacher and principal of the school, Mrs Tamrat Onaolapo.
Already, the state government through the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Abayomi Argbabu, had led a delegation to pay a condolence visit to the family of the late student where he sounded a note of warning that any teacher who administers corporal punishment on pupils/students of primary and secondary schools, would not go unpunished.
However, the Director of Lyceum Foundation, Mrs Maureen Ola-williams, while reacting to the incident yesterday, appealed to the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration to establish a policy against administering corporal punishment on pupils/students in primary and secondary schools.
Ola-williams spoke at a training programme in partnership with the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for 100 teachers drawn from various public schools across the state on how to manage, handle and provide basic care for learners in mainstream education held in Abeokuta.
She emphasised that some pupils/students are suffering from hearing and sight diseases among other disabilities, hence the need for government to create the policy in order to caution teachers from administering corporal punishment on them.
