Executive Director of Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), Peter Anti, has called for dialogue on the implementation of relevant measures to address growing concerns on indiscipline in schools due to the outlawing of corporal punishment in educational institutions.

According to him, although he understands the challenges teachers are going through, it is a “good policy” that corporal punishments are “not entertained” due to its emotional and psychological impact on students. Nonetheless, Mr Anti revealed that due to the changes occurring in the society, there is the need to find ways to meet the “changing dynamics” within the society.

“One of the ways we could have done this would have been to engage in a lot of dialogue to allow the teachers and the school authorities understand how best they will be able to implement the new positive punitive measures that were going to be introduced… We need to resort to an immediate measure. An immediate measure meaning that we have to employ a lot of psychologists and guidance and counselling coordinators in our schools as early as possible to be able to implement the positive punitive measures that the GES is taking”.
Mr Peter Anti

Prior to this, the President of the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), Alhaji Yakub A. B. Abubakar, had urged government to find ways of addressing indiscipline among student population.

The IFEST Executive Director posited that to tackle the growing cases of indiscipline in schools “long-term”, education must be deliberate and it can be achieved by understanding the changes within the environment.

Mr Anti indicated that the “socialization process” has now shifted from the family to the school. As such, there is the need for restructuring of the country’s educational system which must be done in such a way that teachers are able to not only provide the needed education but they should be able to shape the total behaviour of the child.

Comprehensive system in place to address indiscipline

For countries that have successfully “abolished” corporal punishment, Mr Anti revealed that they have systems in place. He asserted that such countries have professionals in the various educational institutions and are involved in massive education and sensitization.

By implication, he noted that by the time such a policy is rolled out, there is understanding and capacity building on it, which expedites its implementation. However, in our “system”, Mr Anti revealed that the country wasn’t able to do that.

The current situation in schools, Mr Anti disclosed is that “canes” which seemed to be a “source of power” for teachers have been taken away, thereby making them feel “helpless”. In ridding the educational system of corporal punishment, he stated that teachers, in like manner, were not empowered and equipped with necessary skills to be able to implement the positive punitive measures they needed to.

“We left our schools like that without having proper psychologists and guidance and counselling coordinators well-trained to be able to do what they’re supposed to do… that is why we have an escalation of indiscipline in our schools…”
Mr Peter Anti