No More Flogging In Lagos Schools, Says Commissioner

The Lagos State Government has reaffirmed its ban on physical punishment in public schools, citing counseling as a more successful form of discipline.

The state’s Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, reaffirmed the stance during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday. He stressed that flogging students for indiscipline and other misbehaviors remains strictly prohibited to prevent injuries, fainting, or even 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 counseling 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,” a strategy aimed at shaping student behavior and encouraging desirable outcomes.

“The idea is to bring to the student’s knowledge reasons he/she must not misbehave,” he explained. “The counseling is basically to correct.”

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

He further noted that since the ban on flogging, discipline among students has improved significantly, with students becoming more conscious of their actions and the potential consequences.

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