The dastardly bullying video of a student of Federal Government College (FGC), Enugu, probably by some senior students has shown that the malady is still festering in spite of efforts to curb it. In the horrible trending video, an SS1 student was frontally assaulted by a gang of violent and brutal senior students of the unity school in Enugu. The cruel episode which occurred in the school on November 7 quickly attracted the intervention of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, who promptly ordered the suspension of the unruly 13 students who participated in the bullying incident. Apart from suspension, the bullies should be adequately punished for the cruelty and inhuman treatment meted to the victim.
No doubt, the bullying incident has further raised safety concerns not only in FGC, Enugu, but also in other unity schools where bullying has assumed a frightening dimension. It is sad that bullying has reared its ugly head in unity schools hitherto seen as the bastion of discipline. The vicious bullying incident in FGC Enugu must be thoroughly investigated to unearth the immediate and remote causes of the bestiality and the sudden resort to jungle justice by the bullies.
Placing the wicked students on a six weeks suspension is not deterrent enough. It is like a slap on the wrist. It is good that the ministry has directed the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) to collaborate with security agencies to find out if the bullies have possible affiliations with external groups.
The management of FGC Enugu should wake up to its responsibilities. The school management cannot pretend that it is unaware of some bullies in the school premises. That such a cruelty could happen in the school shows failure of supervision on the part of the school management. There is urgent need to improve discipline in the school and ensure the security of the students.
We call on the school authorities to put in place adequate measures to enhance discipline and security in the school. They can engage law enforcement agencies to review existing safety protocols. Let the federal government provide counselling and rehabilitation support in the school to address growing indiscipline. One of the goals for establishing unity schools is to foster unity among young Nigerians from diverse ethnic groups. The recent bullying of a student in FGC Enugu negates the lofty vision.
Bulling festers in schools partly because of the silence of the victims and their parents. The menace is growing because school authorities are lax in instilling discipline in schools. We urge the minister to ensure that discipline is instilled in other unity schools. We say this because bullying has been reported in some of the unity schools in recent times. Nevertheless, many of them are equally unreported because the school authorities tend to cover them under the carpet. We call on parents to warn their children and wards against engaging in bullying in schools. The school authorities should educate their students on the dangers of bullying.
Some months ago, Maryam Hassan, a female student of British International School, Abuja, was bullied by another classmate, Namitra. In one of the videos posted by a witness, the victim was slapped repeatedly by her colleague. But Maryam Hassan remained stoic in the face of the provocation. She did not retaliate. It is baffling that the incident took place in a highly rated college in the nation’s capital, just like in the Enugu case.
Bullying in Nigerian schools is increasing on a daily basis. Senior students are the major culprits while the junior students are usually the victims. Sadly, the victims of bullying suffer in silence while the traumas last for a long time. Victims of bullying might grow up to hate the society or develop an aggressive psyche later in life. It is pertinent for parents to inculcate discipline in their children and wards.
Let parents, school authorities, and security agencies work together to address bullying in Nigerian schools and foster a secure atmosphere for students.
However, the schools have a greater role to play in curbing bullying in schools. Since students spend their formative years in schools, they should be protected from bullies. Above all, the schools and parents should inculcate discipline in children. Failure to do this will invariably lead to bulling and general indiscipline in schools.