Nasarawa school principal, teachers suspended for beating students

The Principal of Government Science Secondary School, Nassarawa-Eggon, and three other officials have been suspended for one month for meting out corporal punishment to some students.

The state Commissioner of Education, Mr. Tijjani Ahmed, who confirmed this to Northern City News on Thursday in Lafia, said the state government had banned corporal punishments in public schools across the 13 local government areas and 18 development areas of the state.

Ahmed explained that the decision followed the beating of some students of GSS, Nassarawa-Eggon, the video of which had gone viral in the social media.

He said, “We have constituted a committee to investigate the matter and report to the ministry in the next one week to enable the ministry to take appropriate action.

“Already, three staff members of the school including the Principal have been given a one-month suspension over their involvement in the corporal punishment pending the report of the committee set up by the ministry.”

He explained that the ministry had also written to all public schools informing their managements of the ban on corporal punishment.

He further warned teachers meting out corporal punishment to students to desist “as anyone caught would face disciplinary action.”

The education commissioner stated that “even if teachers would want to punish students for any offence, it should be minor punishment.”

He added that the government would continue to respond to the challenges facing the education sector in the state.

When our correspondent visited the school, the suspended school officials were not on duty, but it was gathered that the management had decided to stop punishing students who resumed late to avoid sanctions.