Dr. Macphelane Ejah, the Executive Director of the International Training Research and Advocacy Project (INTRAP), has criticized the Lagos State Government’s decision to ban corporal punishment in schools, arguing that it is an unfit adoption of Western culture.
Ejah made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Thursday, stating that the policy would have long-term negative consequences.
“At home, parents flog and punish their children not to maim them but correct them. This should be the same way the teacher disciplines the child.
“Discipline is there in our culture, religion and even psychology. We should not just wake up and make decisions without facts and data on whether flogging kills children.”
Ejah maintained that discipline is a key element of Nigerian culture and religion.
Backstory
The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, recently reaffirmed the state’s stance on corporal punishment in public schools, stating that counselling remains the preferred corrective measure.
“Against flogging of students, we have adopted counselling as a measure of correction,” he said.
He emphasized that flogging is prohibited to prevent injuries or fatalities, advocating for minor corrective actions like kneeling and picking up dirt as part of positive reinforcement.
Lagos State banned corporal punishment in 2022 and introduced the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme that same year to ensure student safety.
Regulate, don’t abolish
He contended that corporal punishment, such as flogging, should not be abolished but rather regulated to prevent abuse.
“It will spike recalcitrant behaviour in Lagos in the next five years,” he noted.
He emphasized the need for only well-trained and mentally sound teachers to handle disciplinary responsibilities.
“What should be looked at is the dynamics of allowing only well-trained teachers with sound minds the responsibility of teaching.
“If there are incidents where teachers misuse their position and there are injuries, we should not use that to generalise for every teacher but look around to find out what is wrong,” he said.
Counselling not enough as a corrective measure
While acknowledging the benefits of counselling, Ejah insisted that it cannot replace corporal punishment in schools.
“Proposing it in place of corporal punishment means the officials of the Lagos State Government did not understand the reality on the ground,” he said.
- He also noted that in most schools in Nigeria, counselling is often limited to career guidance rather than attitudinal and behavioural correction.
“In a situation where a child is counselled after committing an offence and because behaviour change is not automatic, what should be used as a deterrent to ensure that the child conforms to the new behaviour?”
- He further cited examples of teachers using a cane as a symbol of discipline.
“There are some teachers that you see carrying the cane in school. They do not need to flog you, but you will know that it is a direct signal for you to behave. The Lagos State Government got it wrong with the policy.”
- Also speaking on the issue, Professor Ayodeji Owolabi, a Professor of Microbiology from the University of Calabar, echoed Ejah’s concerns.
“If there is no effective disciplinary measure, the tendency is that children would grow up lawless.”
- Owolabi advised that corporal punishment should be implemented with caution and moderation to avoid harm. I have no problem with counselling a child, but there is a need for discipline.
“Corporal punishment, like flogging, should not be banned, it should rather be done in love and moderation,” he noted.
