UNICEF in collaboration with Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board have assured to end corporal punishment and reactivate guidance and counseling units in all their primary and secondary schools in the state.
The Executive Chairman, Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu Maradun announced this during a sensitization and engagement of stakeholders on ending corporal punishment in schools held in Gusau the state capital.
Alhaji Abubakar Maradun who is represented by one of the permanent members of the board, Abubakar Abdullahi says the era of corporal punishment in schools has now become thing of the past.
According to him, this will comply with the Federal Ministry of education’s directives in collaboration with the United Nations International Children Education Found, UNICEF of ablution of corporal punishment in schools.
Maradun added that corporal punishment in schools was contributing immensely to criminal activities such as stealing, drug abuse, political thuggery, armed robbery, kidnapping, and prostitution among others which were determinants factored to security challenges bedevilling the country.
In separate remarks, the representative of the commissioner of police SP Muhammad Umar and that of the Civil Defense DSC Ibrahim Adamu advised teachers to shun all forms of corporal punishment in schools.
In a contribution, the state chairman SBMC Alhaji Abubakar Dogo Talatan Mafara said punishment must be applied to any student that violated school rules and regulations or misbehaved within or outside the school premises.
He added that the punishment should not be corporal as there were several ways of punishment.
Speaking earlier, the UNICEF representative who organized the program Dr Ahmed Hashim said it was aimed at training both teachers and head teachers on how to abolish Corporal punishment in their respective schools.
Different presentations were made by various scholars which include Malam Ma’azu Galadima who presented on “The roles of teachers in ending corporal punishment in schools”, and Malam Nasir Muhd kaura who made a presentation on ” Impact of school-related violence on children’s enrolment, retention and learning outcomes “.
COV/SANI HARUNA DUTSINMA
