Time was 2.45 PM on hot sunny day in the month of July, 2021. Place: Araromi/ Ilogbo Secondary School, Okoafo, Badagry. The gates of the school was flung open by the security men on duty, for hundreds of students to troop out, heading to their homes.
The attention of this reporter was drawn to a group of students ( about five) assaulting a well dressed middle aged man, obviously their teacher, who was also leaving the premises for home. One of them hit him on the shoulders, another dragged out his well tucked in shirt, thereby soiling it. The impunity with which the retinue of students carried out the reprehensible act, and the relish with which the other students watched the shameful act was most demeaning to studentship.
The Educational Tide approached some of the students, who watching the show of shame with relish. One of them revealed that the students have just concluded their term’s examination and were ventilating their angers on the teachers who were hard on them.
Last week, operatives of the Ogun State Police command arrested four students of Community High School, Ijoun in Yewa North Local government area of the state for conspiring with others to unleash mayhem on their teachers
The students allegedly masterminded the attacks in which two teachers, Stephen Oyeleke and Kayode Olatunji were brutalised when hoodlums invaded the school.
The command’s Public Relations Officer ( PPRO) Abimbola Oyeyemi said, ” The students imported hoodlums into the school premises to beat their teachers who punished them for making noise.
On 30th July, 2021, at the school dinning, during school hours, Job Dashe, a mathematics at the Government Science Technical College, Bukuru (BuTech) Plateau State was stabbed to death to death by one of his students.
Job met his untimely death after reprimanding an SS3 student for taking double ration, when some other students had none.
Teachers across the country are increasingly becoming vulnerable to unbridled youthful exuberance and mortal gangsterism. In time past, teachers are revered by both pupils and especially parents, who go out of there way to shower then ( teachers) with gift items and souvenir.
However, the fame and fortunes of the noble profession has taken a downward trajectory.
Woe betide any teacher who goes out of his way to punish erring students.
Most parents do not keep tabs on the activities of their children and wards. The exigencies of eking a living is often cited as the cause of negligence on the part of parents.
However, a triad approach by the parents, school authority and the government will no doubt mitigate the ugly trends.
