The recent video of a teacher at Christ-Mitots International School in Isawo, Ikorodu, Lagos State, Stella Nwadigo, slapping a three-year-old boy for not quickly catching up during a lesson is heart-wrenching and disturbing.
Although the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has taken up the case, leading to the arrest of the teacher, it highlights the pervasive abuse and hostility faced by pupils at the hands of certain teachers across the country. This particular case only gained public attention because of the video evidence.
There have been numerous instances where nannies or teachers in primary schools mistreat young pupils for minor reasons, such as using the toilet or dropping biscuit wrappers on school premises.
Stella Nwadigo’s case is not the first horrendous instance of harassment against pupils in Nigerian schools. In October and December 2024, two separate cases of assault on students occurred in Ogun State. First, a teacher at Obada Grammar School, Obada, Idi-Emi, excessively flogged an SS2 student named Monday Arijo, resulting in the student’s death.
In December 2024, an 11-year-old pupil at Owiwi Nursery and Primary School in Obada Oko, Alao Idera, lost her right eye due to what has been described as an accident involving a student teacher, Adeola Adeyemo.
These forms of abuse are part of the broader issue of violence against children in Nigeria. Several such cases have caught the attention of researchers, with useful publications on the subject by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other online journals.
The case of Stella Nwadigo must not be swept under the carpet. She was employed and paid to teach the pupils under her care, but instead, she turned a child under five into a punching bag. She should face the full wrath of the law.
Economic hardship and the poor salary scale of teachers should not be an excuse for mistreating pupils. Teachers must learn proper child management techniques and how to control their emotions, even when provoked by students.
Child maltreatment is any action endangers a child’s health or survival. All hands must be on deck to put an end to it. Institutions of learning should be safe, nurturing, and protective environments for all children in their care.
The government, particularly the Ministry of Education, must keep both public and private schools on their radar. Teachers should be trained and regularly retrained to effectively manage students with varying IQ levels and behaviors.
Teachers should learn how to teach and stop maltreating their pupils. If that is how they taught, teaching model has changed.
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