The trending video of the bullying of a female student at Lead British International School, Abuja, Namtira Bwala, by her schoolmate, Maryam Hassan, raises concerns about the safety of children in the school environment.
Development Diaries reports that after Namtira was physically assaulted by her schoolmate, there was a public outcry, with the government deciding to close the school for three days.
As a person who attended a boarding, I know what it means to be bullied, not personally, but I saw it happen to people.
But never from mates, always the seniors.
Children need to learn how to speak for themselves and stand to bullies.#JusticeForNamtira #justiceformaryam pic.twitter.com/NGZrCWXP6S— Joshua Olusegun 🇳🇬 🇬🇧🇨🇦 (@Leged45) April 23, 2024
While the police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) say they are investigating the cases of bullying in the school, more needs to be done to put an end to such unacceptable conduct.
Amnesty International has described the recurring issue of abuse and bullying in Nigerian schools as a danger to society, and we agree.
The cases of Sylvester Oromoni (junior) who died from complications of abuse from his schoolmates, and 13-year-old Nuhu Yahaya, who was allegedly beaten to death by his teacher over ‘failure’ to do his assignment, shed light on the need for a nationwide zero tolerance for abuse and bullying at schools.
Addressing bullying in Nigerian schools requires an approach that involves collaboration between schools, parents, and relevant authorities.
There is a need for the Ministry of Education at the sub-national level to ensure the implementation of comprehensive anti-bullying programmes that educate students, teachers, and parents about the various forms of bullying, its impact, and strategies to prevent it.
Development Diaries calls on state ministries of education to develop and enforce clear and strict anti-bullying policies within schools. These policies should outline consequences for bullying behaviour and provide support mechanisms for both victims and perpetrators.
We also call on schools to create a safe and confidential reporting system for students to report instances of bullying, which would ensure that students feel comfortable coming forward without fear of retaliation.
