The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its ban on corporal punishment in public schools, advocating counselling as a more effective approach to discipline.
Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, reiterated this stance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He emphasized that flogging students for misconduct is strictly prohibited to prevent injuries, fainting, or potentially fatal incidents.
“Lagos, like other parts of the country, has a policy that forbids teachers from administering corporal punishment to students,” Alli-Balogun stated. “Instead of flogging, we have adopted counselling as a corrective measure.”
While advocating for a non-violent approach, the commissioner acknowledged that minor corrective measures, such as kneeling, picking up litter, or cutting grass within the school premises, could be used as alternatives. He described these as forms of “positive reinforcement,” aimed at shaping student behavior and promoting desirable outcomes.
“The goal is to help students understand why they should not misbehave,” he explained. “Counselling is fundamentally about correction.”
Alli-Balogun linked most cases of student misbehavior to poor parental upbringing and called on parents to take a more active role in their children’s lives.
He also highlighted that since the ban on flogging, student discipline has improved significantly, with learners becoming more mindful of their actions and the consequences that follow.
Lagos State officially prohibited corporal punishment in both public and private schools in 2022. That same year, the government introduced the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme in Schools to enhance child safety and promote alternative disciplinary methods.
