Nasarawa State Commissioner for Education, Ahmed Tijani, has banned corporal punishment in public schools in the state.
Tijjani told newsmen in Lafia on Thursday that the decision followed the serious beating of some students of Government Science Secondary School Nasarawa-Eggon, which video went viral on the social media.
He added that already three staff of the school, including the principal, were on one month suspension over their involvement in the corporal punishment pending the report of the committee set up by the ministry.
According to him, “We have constituted a committee to investigate their matter and report back to the ministry in the next one week, to enable the ministry to take appropriate action.
He added that the ministry had also written to all public schools informing the managements of the various schools on the ban on corporal punishment.
Warning teachers from other schools who are involved in corporal punishment to desist, he said anyone caught would face disciplinary action.
He explained that even if teachers would want to punish students for any offence, it should be a minor punishment.
He however promised that the government, through the ministry, would continue to respond to the challenges facing the sector with the aim of re-positioning it.
