The Lagos State Government has reiterated its prohibition of corporal punishment in public schools, advocating counselling as a more effective disciplinary measure.

Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, reaffirmed this stance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He stressed that flogging students remains strictly prohibited to prevent injuries, fainting, or fatal incidents.

“There is a policy here in Lagos and other parts of the country prohibiting teachers from giving corporal punishment to students/pupils,” Alli-Balogun stated. “Against flogging, we have adopted counselling as a measure of correction.”

While endorsing a non-violent approach, the commissioner noted that minor corrective measures—such as kneeling, picking up litter, or cutting grass within school premises—could be employed as alternatives. He described these as part of “positive reinforcement” to shape student behaviour and encourage discipline.

“The idea is to make the student understand why he or she must not misbehave,” he explained. “Counselling is basically to correct.”

Alli-Balogun attributed many cases of student misbehaviour to poor parental upbringing and urged parents to be more involved in their children’s lives.

Since the ban on flogging, he noted, student discipline has improved significantly, with learners becoming more conscious of their actions and potential consequences.

Lagos State officially banned corporal punishment in public and private schools in 2022. That same year, it launched the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme to reinforce child safety and promote alternative disciplinary measures.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Abuja has condemned the decision of some northern state governments to close public and private schools for five weeks during Ramadan.

The directive, affecting Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi states, has raised concerns about its impact on students’ education. In a statement issued on Monday in Kaduna, Northern CAN Chairman, Rev. John Hayab, urged governors in the region to balance religious observance with academic commitments rather than shutting down schools entirely.

Rev. Hayab emphasized that the school closures would disrupt learning, particularly for senior secondary students preparing for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and junior students sitting for their Junior Secondary School exams. He warned that students in these states were already struggling with the effects of insecurity, which had significantly hindered educational progress.

He also pointed out that some of the affected students, particularly those under the age of 14, may not be religiously obligated to observe fasting, raising questions about the necessity of the directive. Citing the Multidimensional Poverty Index by the National Bureau of Statistics, he noted that Bauchi has 54% of children lacking access to education, Kebbi 45%, Katsina 38%, and Kano 35%.

Hayab referenced predominantly Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where schools remain open during Ramadan. Instead of outright closures, he suggested reducing school hours to accommodate fasting students and teachers. He stated that a better approach would be adjusting school hours, such as running classes from morning to noon, allowing time for religious observance while ensuring education is not disrupted.

CAN also questioned the justification for the decision, arguing that it appears to be politically motivated rather than rooted in Islamic teachings. According to Hayab, consultations with prominent Islamic scholars revealed that these school closures might be driven by political considerations rather than religious doctrine.

The Christian body urged the affected governors to reverse their decision, warning that such policies could damage the region’s reputation and hinder educational progress. CAN also called on the public to remain calm and law-abiding while urging stakeholders to work toward a resolution. In solidarity with the statement from the CAN National President, the organization appealed to Nigerians to address the matter peacefully and find a solution that supports both education and religious observance.

The Benue State House of Assembly has directed Dr. Grace Adagba, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to step aside to allow for an investigation into the board’s recruitment exercise.

The decision was made during Thursday’s plenary following a motion by Chief Whip Peter Ipusu (APC, Katsina-Ala West), who accused Dr. Adagba of disregarding an earlier House resolution to halt the recruitment of primary school teachers.

Ipusu noted that despite the directive, SUBEB released new cut-off marks for local governments based on their performance in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) and shortlisted additional candidates for physical screening. He described the action as a reactionary move that disrespected the Assembly’s authority.

Supporting the motion, Alfred Berger (APC, Makurdi North) questioned Dr. Adagba’s integrity, stating that recruitment should be managed by the Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) with SUBEB serving only a supervisory role.

However, Majority Leader Saater Tiseer and Anthony Agom (PDP, Okpokwu) urged the House to ensure fairness by allowing Dr. Adagba to defend herself, highlighting her willingness to appear before the Assembly.

Following a vote, 21 members supported the motion for suspension, while five voted against it. Speaker Hyacinth Dajo directed Dr. Adagba to hand over to the board’s Permanent Member 1 and constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the recruitment exercise. The committee has been given seven days to submit its findings.

This development underscores the Assembly’s commitment to ensuring transparency in recruitment processes.