As part of efforts to transform education sector, Head Teachers from public and private primary schools in Niger on Friday adopted the abolition of corporal punishment in schools across the state.
The teachers made this known during a one day stakeholders sensitisation on the dissemination of findings of the UNICEF on School Related Gender Based Violence.
The 210 head teachers were drawn from 210 primary schools from six Local Government Areas of Agaie, Gbako, Mariga, Mashegu, Munya and Rafi.
Hajiya Maimuna Ibrahim, head teacher, Shabawoshi Primary School, Agaie said that they were brainstorming on the dangers of corporal punishment in schools, how to eliminate it and how to proffer solution to it.
“We have learnt that corporal punishment is bad, sometimes the fear of corporal punishment prevent our children from going to school.
“It is also limiting enrollment of school children, especially the girl child,” she said.
Ibrahim said that she would convene a stakeholders meeting involving teachers, parents, guardians and community leaders to inform them on the issue.
She recommended that a pupil who disobeyed school rules and regulations should be corrected and made to stand up in class for some minutes instead of corporal punishment.
The Head Teacher said that there was need to caution pupils and advise them when they are found wanting and also find out the root cause.
Similarly, Mr Sunday Manu, Head Teacher, Jaifulu Primary School in Sarkin-pawa said that they have been sensitised on abolishment of corporal punishment in both public and private schools in the state.
“We have just adopted a circular abolishing corporal punishment in our public and private schools today,” he said.
Earlier, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, UNICEF Consultant, said that corporal punishment disrupts learning environment and makes the children to stay away from school.
Umar recommended domestication of the Child Rights Act in Northern states of the country to tackle the issue.
