Lagos Bans Flogging In Schools, Promotes Counselling Instead

The Lagos State government has reaffirmed its stance against corporal punishment in schools, emphasizing that counselling should be used instead to correct student behavior.

In a statement on Monday, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, stressed that flogging students for misconduct remains banned. He explained that the government wants to protect students from harm, including cases where severe punishment has led to students fainting or, in extreme cases, even death.

He further stated that physical punishment is not the best way to discipline students. “There is a policy here in Lagos and other parts of the country prohibiting teachers from giving corporal punishment to students/pupils. Against flogging of students, we have adopted counselling as a measure of correction,” he said.

Alli-Balogun noted that teachers could still apply minor punishments, such as making students kneel, pick up litter, or cut grass within school premises. He described this as part of a positive approach to shaping student behavior. “The idea is to make students understand why they should not misbehave. The counselling is meant to correct, not to harm,” he explained, adding that poor parental upbringing is often the root cause of student misconduct.

He urged parents to take their responsibilities seriously and spend more time guiding their children. “Parents must wake up to their responsibilities and have time for their children. As a government, we will continue to do our best to eradicate indiscipline and make the learning environment friendly for all,” he assured.

The commissioner also mentioned that there has been a significant improvement in student behavior since these policies were introduced. The Lagos State government initially banned corporal punishment in schools in 2022 and launched the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme that same year.
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