Teacher Caught Molesting Pupil

A teacher was caught yesterday in one of the Schools (name withheld) in Unity, Igbala, Sango Otta, sucking the penis of a 8 years old student after School hours. 
According to Kemi Filani Blog...

"An eyewitness who spoke to Kemi Filani Blog revealed that Parents around there almost beat him to death before he was handed to the Police. On futher investigation, it was found that he was used to doing it from his former place of work where he was staying with a Pastor's brother. He was sent out of the Pastor brother's house after he was caught one night sucking the man's penis.

The 8 year old boy told eye witnesses that the teacher has been sucking his penis for months now after school hours before his mum often showed up to pick him up.

The first time it happened, the young boy revealed that the teacher threatened to beat him mercilessly if he told anybody so he has been keeping quiet since then.

He was however caught yesterday when a Parent was walking round the School and was hearing the sob of a child from one of the classes. The parent raised an alarm and exposed the teacher. When the Mother of the Boy arrived in the School, she burst into tears and cursed the teacher.
The teacher is right now in the Sango Otta police custody".

Motorcyclist lures Primary six pupil with cake to have sex with her

A primary six pupil, Princess, has been allegedly raped by a 40-year-old commercial motorcyclist (okada rider) in a hotel on Yemi Aderemi Street, Igbede, in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos.
The name of the hotel was given as Julia Guest House.

PUNCH Metro reports that the okada rider, Uche Imo, was arrested by the police from the Isokoko division, while the manager of the hotel, who was accused of aiding the act, was invited for interrogation.

It was gathered that Imo and the pupil were neighbours on Tijani Street, Ajangbadi, and he was employed by Princess’ mother to take her and her sister to school.

Imo, a father of five, was said to have lured the 13-year-old girl with cake into the hotel. He had
reportedly raped her in the facility four different times.

In one of the instances, Princess declined going inside the hotel room with the suspect, but the manager, William, reportedly persuaded her.

The mother of the pupil said she knew about the ‘sexual relationship’ between her daughter and Imo on February 14, 2016, after he brought Princess and her sister back from an outing on that day.

She said:

     “Baba Joy (Imo) was my neighbour and was the one taking my children to school. I paid him N200 every day. On February 14, he came to me and said he wanted to take them out and I allowed him. He bought meat pie and ice cream for them. When they came back, Helen said I should ask her sister what happened between her and Baba Joy.

    “I asked her, but she denied that anything happened between them. It was when I started beating her that she confessed that Baba Joy had sex with her, adding that it had been happening for long.”

Princess told the police that the Abia State-born suspect had been raping her since December 2015, adding that he usually gave her cake.

She said:

     “I am in primary six and live on the same street with Baba Joy. In December 2015, he took me to the hotel and had sex with me. I did not want to enter, but the hotel manager said I should. He had taken me there four times and he usually bought cake for me.”

Punch adds that Princess was taken to the Mirabel Centre, a human rights organisation, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and the case was subsequently reported to the police.

The suspect, in his statement to the police, confessed to the crime, saying the hotel manager was aware of it.

    “I am married with five children. My first child is in Senior Secondary School two. I lived at the back of Princess’ house before I parked out in January. I told her I liked her. Whenever she had a chance, she would call me from a business centre and I would pick her up where she was, take her to the hotel and have sex with her.

    “There was a day I took her to the hotel and she did not want to enter. The manager pleaded with her on my behalf. I paid N500 for an hour,” he said.

The 55-year-old manager, who admitted that Imo was his customer, said he had warned him to stop bringing the minor to the hotel.

 A police prosecutor, Sergeant Francisca Okere, brought Imo before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court on two counts bordering on rape.

The charges read in part:

 “That you, Uche Imo, on January 25, 2016, at about 5pm on Yemi Aderemi Street, Igbede, in the Ajangbadi, Lagos State, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did defile a 13-year-old girl, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 317 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty before the presiding magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Adegbite, and was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

The case was adjourned till April 21, 2016.

Teachers Helping Teachers Tuesday: Increasing student engagement

Teachers need to recognize the fact that if their students are not engaged and fully participating in the learning process then it is highly unlikely that they will comprehend what is being taught and demonstrate mastery of the learning objectives for the lesson.
Engaging every student has been a perennial challenge for educators. However, research in this area has revealed much about how teachers can design learning experiences that interest students and maintain their engagement.
This substantive engagement in the learning process drives them to become invested in evaluating and reflecting upon their academic growth.  Students need to be engaged in rigorous assignments and mentally committed to their assignments.

Lessons must move beyond rote learning and superficial understanding to the development of higher order thinking skills and application of knowledge to new and novel situations.

Here are 10 Ways to Increase Student Engagement:
1. Create an emotionally safe classroom
Emotionally safe classroom settings encourage respectful interactions where children feel they can express themselves without fear.  Failure is a normal part of the learning curve and does not mean that a child who experiences it is actually a failure.  Children who feel that they are in an emotionally safe classroom feel free to explore, debate, problem-solve and practice. It allows them to easily harness higher-order thinking skills.

2. Create an intellectually safe classroom
Begin each class with an activity that 95% of the class can complete on their own. Activities like this gets the lesson started with everyone on board; feeling confident and ready to participate.


3. Cultivate appropriate intermediate steps
When it comes to project-based learning, building in appropriate intermediate steps can help manage the process with the extra guidance students may need. As opposed to assigning the project with a week’s deadline and cutting the students lose from there, a teacher may decide to create a few steps to do together so that everyone is on board. For example, interviewing an adult may seem intimidating at first, but if the brainstorming and other critical pieces are researched and outlined together as steps, it can make tackling this project a lot more manageable and enjoyable for the students.

4. Practice journal or blog writing to communicate with students
Using the last five minutes of class time to reflect, review, and summarize can prove to be incredibly helpful in reaffirming what students have already learned and also provides an opportunity to get some additional clarity on the points where they are still struggling. Encourage students to reflect on the day’s lesson via their journal or blog.  You may also choose to respond to journals with comments to continue the conversation and encourage those reflections.


5. Create a culture of explanation instead of a culture of the right answer
Create a challenge that can be solved in three different ways and encourage students to find all three solutions. This practice helps engage students to think critically and thoughtfully observe different approaches to arrive at solutions. Helping them to practice seeing solutions from different viewpoints cultivates creativity, awareness, and tolerance.

6. Teach self-awareness about knowledge
Encourage students to honestly self-reflect about their understanding before moving onto the next lesson.  For example, try creating a formative assessment for each lesson with 3-5 questions to gauge student understanding. The questions can reflect what was taught and also incorporate another component: how the student is feeling about their grasp on the concept.  Encourage each student to rate their understanding from 1-3.  By helping students to take greater responsibility for their understanding, they will be more apt to take initiative as soon as they feel they need more clarification on the concept.

7. Use questioning strategies that make all students think and answer
In most classrooms when a question is asked, the same reliable hands will raise each time.  This issue leads to inattention in the classroom.  Another method to everyone participating is to ask a question and have all students give an answer at the same time.  One method could be done by coming up with “finger signals”: one finger for ‘yes,’ two fingers for ‘no’ and three fingers for ‘unsure.’  By gauging students frequently using this method, you will have everyone participating in their learning processes.

8. Practice using the design process to increase the quality of work
Many professionals like engineers and artists use the design process to continually refine their work and arrive at their final masterpiece. They often start with a sketch or rough draft and submit it for feedback and continuously refine their ideas based on constructive criticism. By encouraging this process to be used by your students, the quality of their work can improve a lot more than being graded on the initial effort.

9. Market your projects
Making sure students understand exactly why they are participating in a learning activity or engaging in a specific concept is crucial to building trust in their learning environment. Engaging in authentic tasks that help students grow in their lives, relationships increases participation and ownership of the learning process.

10. Give specific feedback often
Giving specific feedback is supportive and helpful in the student’s learning process. Providing specific feedback grounded with evidence enables students to make informed decisions on how to refine their work. They also get a clear understanding of where they stand with their teacher, fostering confidence and safety in their learning environment.


Source: Interactive achievement

DashPlace at 08:02am

Meet Mandy Moore, the toddler who eats everything except food!

A three year old toddler, Mandy Moore, is suffering from a rare condition called Pica, that makes her crave everything from the carpets to paint to washing powder, to bugs, stones, plastic and anything else but normal food.
Pica, a rare impulsive disorder meaning she has cravings to eat non-food.
It can be potentially life-threatening, with risks ranging from vomiting, constipation and infections to blockages in the gut and intestines, choking and poisoning. In some cases surgery may be needed to remove objects from an individual’s gut or to repair tissue injuries. Her mum, 26 year old Catherine Mullins had to quit her job to keep a constant eye on Maddie to make sure she doesn’t choke or eat something that could damage her insides. Her partner, who is 29 years old also quit his job so they could both watch her.

She said: “If she could, she would eat everything. I’m always worried about what she’ll try to eat next. Everything goes to her mouth.
“Sometimes, I have to put my fingers in her mouth and hook the food out to stop her choking.
“You literally can’t take your eyes off her for a minute so our house never shuts down.”

 She noticed Maddie started putting strange objects in her mouth just before she turned one, when she began crawling.Maddie’s behaviour prompted tests and assessments at her two-year health check and she was diagnosed with Pica in September last year. She also suffers from autism, developmental delay and sensory process disorder, which causes her to bounce, spin and climb at any opportunity. The family live in Bournemouth, Dorset.
At night she has to be zipped into a specialist bed to stop her harming herself while her parents and four-year-old sister Lilly sleep.

According to the mum, as she gets older, her interest in normal food has drastically reduced and she only eats foods of a particular colour and texture - like potato waffles, fish fingers and chicken burgers.
Catherine said:
“It started with her picking up and eating small items of fluff and paper, any bits she could find from the floor.
“Then her cravings became more and more intense. We can’t have anything on the walls like displays or paintings because she’ll eat them.
“Lilly can’t do any drawing or crafts because Maddie will eat the pencils and paints.
“I literally have to hide anything dangerous. We have child locks but she’s very clever and susses them out.
“Yesterday she ate a whole pack of chalks when I wasn’t looking, but her favourites are Play-Doh, sand and dirt.”
“I can’t go anywhere with her - not even to a cafe or the supermarket," said Catherine.

“Our flat is so small, there isn’t space to even use the sensory equipment we have been funded which would really help Maddie.
“It’s hard because due to her condition she can’t go outside much either. She needs to be safe because of her complex needs so to have somewhere where she could have the space to play and Lilly could rest too, would be a dream come true.
“Nothing in our life is normal, every aspect is affected and it’s very tough on Lilly too.
“Every day is a struggle but she’s worth it. Maddie is such a character.
“I feel really lucky because she is so quirky and different. I love her so much.”


Source: UK Mirror

Unity School Cooks arrested over ritual scare

For allegedly caught picking the used sanitary pads of students from waste bins allegedly for ritual purposes, three cooks who are employees of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Akure, have been arrested by men of the Ondo State Police Command.

The suspects, whose names were not released, were alleged to have taken the used pads of girls residing in the school to unknown places outside the school premises.
It was gathered that some students, who caught two of the cooks perpetrating the act, reported the matter to their teachers, who in turn alerted the principal, Mrs Florence Ejikeme.

A source said the principal, on hearing the matter, ordered for the immediate suspension of the three and began investigation on the matter.
Not pleased with the handling of the matter by the school authority, the students attempted to stage a protest but were stopped due to the intervention of the chairman of the Parents Teachers Association, Mr. Akin Ashimolowo.

However, the students were said to have reported the matter to their parents during their visiting day on a Saturday.
A parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the suspects had confessed to the crime at the police station .
She alleged that one of the suspects is a wife of a prominent politician in the state and may want to use their ‘connections’ to sweep the matter under the carpets , adding that her child told her that it was not the first time such a thing would be happening in the school and nothing was being done.

Student left with bruises for misspelling in dictation class

An elementary pupil in northern Vietnam was left with bruises on her face and eyes after being hit by her teacher for misspelling in dictation class last Friday April 1st.

Hoang Trong Phu, deputy head of the Bureau of Education and Training in Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province, confirmed that the incident took place at Phin Ngan Elementary School on Friday, when T., a first grader, misspelled a word in the dictation lesson taught by Tran Thi Thu Tra.
According to the teacher’s report, after seeing T. writing too slowly and making a mistake, Tra used a ruler to strike the student’s face. After being hit, T. displayed no changes to her facial appearance and continued studying, Tra said in the report.
Chao Ke May, T.’s mother, said that she saw two of T.’s friends help her daughter come home from school.

"My kid’s face was swelling and there were bruises near her eyes," May recounted, adding that T. was very upset at the time.

As household aid yielded no positive result, T.’s family said that she was transferred to the Bat Xat general hospital for medical treatment with bruises around her eyes and the surrounding facial area.

The girl recovered but she has to stay in the infirmary for further treatment, doctors said.
Tra said that she offered an apology and medical payment as compensation to the family.

The teacher is currently suspended from teaching and strict sanctions are currently being discussed, said the district’s education bureau.

"Strict measures must be enacted to purge school violence," leaders of Bat Xat District’s Bureau of Education and Training insisted.

Source: News Vietnam


DashPlace at 13:50pm

Sad! Pupil Dies After Slap From Principal's Secretary

Photo credit: Punch Nigeria

Miss Iyanuoluwa Dahunsi’s family are yet to come to terms with the shock of her death nine months after she was ‘mistakenly’ hit on the eye by the Secretary to her school’s Principal, Mrs. Funke Fashina.

A family friend of the deceased’s family who preferred to remain anonymous narrated what happened on the day of the incident.
In her words,“We learnt that on that day (January 2015), a teacher entered her classroom and ordered those who were not taking the subject to leave. She was leaving with some of her friends when the school principal’s secretary, Mrs. Fashina, met them along the corridor.
“Instead of asking the pupils questions about their mission outside the classroom, she began to beat them one by one. In the process, her hand hit Dahunsi’s eye. She did not take it seriously but she told her aunt (Orindare-Ajayi), who she was living with at the time when she got home. Her aunt told her that she must have done something wrong which warranted the discipline.

“However, she bought eye drop and applied it to the affected eye. There was mid-term break at the time but before the school resumed again, the eye had gone worse. 

The mother visited the school to demand for what Fashina used to slap her daughter. There was an argument over the issue but when her father also visited the school, it was resolved that a test be carried out at an optical laboratory in Eleta area of Ibadan.”
He said the result showed there was a fracture around the eye, which also resulted in clotting of blood around the affected area. He noted that the principal and Fashina rejected the result because it implicated the woman who had slapped Dahunsi.

The family friend added, “They said they had someone at the University College Hospital and demanded that another test be carried out at the UCH. According to the new scan result, a tumour was detected and that it was not as a result of the slapping. The consultant said the sum of N300,000 was needed to do a surgery. The result was in the custody of the principal and Fashina.
“The parents agreed that the surgery be done, but the necessary document needed by the hospital was not released by the principal and the secretary. The police had to be involved before the document was released three days after. By then, the girl had suffered so much.”

The surgery was later carried out after the Chief Medical Director of UCH, Prof. Temitope Alonge, was notified by Dahunsi’s aunt but it only got worse.
An aunt to the late pupil, Mrs. Yetunde Orindare-Ajayi, recalled, “A few days before Dahunsi’s death, she was referred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, but she died on the day we were to travel there. She died in my hands at the hospital”.

Until her death, Iyanuoluwa suffered from a swollen head, inability to walk and was also using adult diapers.
Six months later, and five days after her fifteenth birthday, Dahunsi succumbed to the cold hands of death on July 22, 2015 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. She was however buried quite late on February 12, 2016 due to accumulated hospital bills estimated at N1m.

May her soul, rest in peace.


DashPlace at 11:43am

Wonders! Sixteen year old boy brutally raped in School

A 16-year-old boy was allegedly brutally raped inside Atlanta's B.E.S.T. Academy, according to a report by Fox 5, Atlanta. The B.E.S.T. Academy is a school for gifted young men in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to the 16-year-old victim's parents, who spoke to the media, their son was raped by another male student during the school day. The boy's mum told reporters that that her son was using the bathroom when he was "ambushed" by a predator.


"The child burst into the stall and asked him to perform oral sex on him. My son told him ‘No, I am not gay’ and he was not going to do that. The child then proceeded to hit him in his face, nose and choke him. Then he entered my son and told my son if you tell anyone, I will kill you," the child’s mother said as she sobbed.

"I send him to school to learn and be safe. You expect him to be safe because it is a school. You don't expect nothing like that to happen in the school. Where was security?" the boy's father asked.

Atlanta Police have confirmed the rape occurred but so far no arrests have been made.


DashPlace at 16:32

Four Steps to Secure your Child's Education

It is better to be safe than sorry. Securing the future of a child's education is as important as insuring lives and properties.

According to Edusko, an education marketing company, children's education should be secure regardless of what happens.

The truth they say could be stranger than fiction - it is undoubtedly non-fiction that most parents wish to provide their children with the best possible start in life on the road to a successful career. Biodun’s parents were no exception.

Biodun was a promising brilliant kid born with a silver spoon in his mouth. At age 3, Biodun could recite the 26-lettered alphabet flawlessly. He had started learning pronunciation from age 4 and could fluently read a 100-paged book within one week at age 6. His brilliance as confirmed by his busy parents was linked to the contributions from one of the leading schools and extra classes Biodun attended from crèche to Primary school. His father, who was a senior manager in a leading bank could afford any good school around the world for him. His young mother, Shalewa was running a small boutique that would break even over a 10-year period all things being equal.

Things were absolutely going well for Biodun’s family until his 8th birthday. Biodun’s father lost his job and the family had to depend on Shalewa’s boutique. Things got so worse that Biodun would soon stop schooling.
Biodun’s abrupt stop in his academic pursuit wasn’t as a result of his parents’ circumstances but absolutely was as a result of their inability to plan for his education even before he was born. With a sound financial plan, education expenses do not have to be such a daunting affair.

Please read below 4 simple ways to finance your child’s education even while you’re broke:
1. Start Saving: There’s no better way to financially prepare for our children’s education than saving for it. But at what point should caring parents start saving for their children’s education? According to HSBC, It would be best to start saving for your child's education as soon as possible, for the earlier you start to plan for your children's education, the longer you'll have to build a pot of funds to cover all the costs.  Early start also gives you the greatest possible flexibility in fulfilling your children's needs, while a late start may result in either having to put aside a higher monthly contribution, or worse, not having sufficient funds to provide the education that you want for your children.

2. Have a Budget: It is important that you don’t bite more than you can chew as parents. Know your financial strength and never try to impress neighbours with your child’s school. I’ve seen many parents who incurred huge debts because they wanted their children to attend schools that their neighbours’ children attended. How can you prepare a simple budget for your child’s education? Write down all your monthly income and expenses such as mortgage, household maintenance, utility bills etc. viz-a-viz how much you can set aside for your children’s education. In your budgeting, bear in mind that the cost of children’s education is beyond tuition fees. Tuition is only a third of the total annual cost for your child’s education. In addition to tuition, add the costs of books, uniforms, extra-curricular activities and other expenses such as travel expenses during break if your child has picked a foreign education. When estimating the cost of your child's education most especially for tertiary education, also consider how much the living expenses might be.

3. Take advantage of Scholarship, Bursary and Grant: If your child is a brilliant kid like Biodun earlier mentioned, there’s a possibility for such child to enjoy scholarship, bursary or grant for his education.  Many schools offer scholarships for academic, sports, musical or all-round excellence. Scholarships range in value but rarely cover all the fees. Some schools and governments also have bursaries and grants to help parents pay their fees. In some countries, these are often awarded to families with lower income.

4. Learn to prioritise: A number of parents often time fail to prioritise when it comes to funding their children’s education. You should learn and know what’s paramount in your child’s education and avoid spending on luxuries when you cannot afford them. For example, you might need to cut down how much you spend on holiday trips, children’s amusement parks or unnecessary wears etc.
With education costs skyrocketing, it is imperative that parents who do not want to gamble with their children’s education put up a good financial plan.
We’ve also observed that many parents in the third world aren’t aware of different education financing options and opportunities offered by financial institutions. We strongly advise parents to consult their financial institutions for various education financing options available.
Your children's education should be secure regardless of what happens. Take that bold step now!


Source: Edusko

Teachers Helping Teachers Tuesday: Preventing Burnout

You know the feeling. It happens when you see other people out for walks during their lunch hour (and you just spent 10 minutes "eating" while emailing a passive aggressive parent). Or when you hear how you need to try this new teaching technique, even though you have been doing it for years. Or when you are up all night, sick, and have to crawl to the computer to write your sub plans. You think, "How much longer can I do this?"

We're constantly asked to do more with less. And there is no end in sight to the increasing pressure on us from standardized testing, parents and administrators, contentious bargaining sessions, the current anti-teacher climate, and top-down leadership.
Teachers need to band together to support each other and make teaching a more sustainable career.

There are several things we can do for each other and for ourselves

1. Support Teachers in Times of Need.
When someone on your staff is going through a difficult time, a thoughtful gift from his or her fellow teachers can mean a lot. A fund can be created at the beginning of the year. Each staff member brings what they can. One person can be in charge of this amount, and select appropriate gifts or support when it is needed.
This is a meaningful way to support each other, and it builds community and morale.

2. Plan for a Better Work/Life Balance.
A small group of teachers can improve the climate and community of the school by planning some activities that support wellness. I don't mean another canvas bag or mug! This could be a weekly running or walking group, monthly get-togethers, weekly treats in the teachers' room, or other meaningful ideas.
We need to encourage each other to be involved in activities outside of school.

3. Provide Back Up.
Have a meeting with a difficult parent? Plan to take a trusted colleague with you. Is your colleague having a rough day? Do their recess duty for them. These acts of kindness show solidarity, community, and kindness.

4. Support New Mothers.
Sleep-deprived breastfeeding new mothers face many challenges as they return to teaching. Support them in helping to find a secure place to pump milk, and work with staff to provide coverage so they can continue to work and provide breast milk for their babies. This can be challenging in a space- and time-strapped school -- but it is essential to creating a family friendly, breastfeeding supportive environment.

5. Seek Leadership Opportunities.
Teaching lacks a clear career ladder. Many teachers don't want to become principals, but they want to explore other professionally paid challenges. Seek out opportunities to extend and enrich your profession, such as mentoring, coaching, teaching college courses, or writing.

6. A Change Would Do You Good.
When you feel like quitting, it might be that you are simply ready to teach another subject, grade level, or in a different school.
Changing your position or school might be a better fit and a way to rejuvenate your teaching.

7. Band Together.
Teachers can and should work together to forward the interests of public education and teaching. We can meet together and take action on issues of importance such as the environmental health of a school, the leadership, endorsing (or not) school board members, and taking positions on certain policy decisions. Joining your local union, and getting involved directly with supporting schools and public education, can lead to empowerment and further engagement.

8. Create a Positive, Supportive Climate.
The last thing teachers need is to feel more isolated! Teachers need to collaborate, problem-solve, and share successes often. This should be regular, planned, in school time. Sometimes administrators need to be reminded of this. If the climate deteriorates for any reason, handle it directly before people are hurt and disenfranchised. This could be through staff meeting discussions, or through a group reading of a book and other means suitable for such environment.

These are just a few ideas that can help teachers stay positive, empowered, and connected to their school communities.

Teachers can support each other to make each day a little brighter. And that's a start.

Credit: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/preventing-teacher-burn out-Katy-farber

Eva Adelaja: Lagos Government Sacks Six

Justice  has been served to those involved in the unethical battering and punishment of a student of Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos.
The principal of the school, Mrs. C.O. Coker, the vice-principal Mrs. Balogun, and four teachers whose names were given as : Mr. Bello (Mathematics), Mrs. Tejumaye (English), Mrs. Omoge (PE)  and Mr. Bakare (Economics) were removed from the school according to reports.

Their removal was as a result of the investigation carried out into the flogging of the pupil Ogechi Anyawelechi by the teachers on the instruction of the principal.

Recall, that Ogechi was flogged on her bare buttocks and made to cut grass for over four hours due to a misunderstanding between her and the head girl of the school whom she purportedly slapped after the latter slapped her.

When the incident became public, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf  instructed the Directorate of Schools Social Services of her ministry to probe it.

According to the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Education Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, they were removed because of their complicity in the “assault saga”, adding: They will no longer work in the school from Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Dash Place’ Blog hopes this serves serve as a deterrent to others who are toeing this unethical path all in the name of discipline or correction.

Photo of accused QC Teacher with Students surfaces online

A picture of Olaseni Oshifala (see picture above) the teacher at the centre of the Queen’s College’ sexual molestation has surfaced online. He’s seen posing with some students in their dormitory.

The accused teacher (Oshifala) and the principal – Lami Amodu – who rose to his defence have been invited for questioning by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
It is reported that they were drilled for many hours before  being released on bail.

Recall that Oshifala, is being accused of forcefully trying to kiss and touch the private part of an unnamed JSS 2 student of the school in Yaba, Lagos.

Student Battered and Punished By Principal at Eva Adelaja Girls School (Warning: Graphic Pictures)

Barely a week after the Queens College allegations, another story is making rounds yet again and from a government school as well. 

Read reports below.

According to 'Daguru' who made the report online, this happened last week, at Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos. Daguru wrote: "I am writing to report the physical and emotional abuse to a girl child as a result of punishment meted out to her by her teachers at school.

She was made to strip off her shorts and canned on her bare buttocks and slapped severely by the principal and 5 other teachers because she returned the slap on her face from the head girl who slapped her first. The head girl then reported to the school authorities who in turn physically battered her and then made her cut grass for 4 hours under the sun.

Her name is Ogechi Blessing, she is 14 years old and a SS2 Pupil of Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School at Bariga in Lagos State. This incident occurred on the 16th of March 2016. The perpetrators of this crime are a. Mrs. C. O Coker (School Principal) slapped her severally b. Mr. Bello (Maths Teacher), canned her and slapped her severally c. Mr. Bakare (Economics Teacher) slapped her severally d. Mrs. Tejumaye (English Teacher) slapped her severally e. Mrs Omoge (Civic Education Teacher) slapped her severally f. Mrs. Balogun (Vice Principal) slapped her severally

The Principal has refused to honor the request from the police officers at Bariga Police Station but instead brought soldiers to intimidate the officers investigating the case. She has missed out on writing 4 exams since then. Justice needs to be done for this inhumane act against the girl child.

The school principal has completely refused to corporate with the police. She has insisted that neither she nor her fellow teachers would report to the police unless directed by their supervisors at the state ministry of education. We need to bring an end to the physical and emotional abuse of our children in government schools in the name of corrections.
                    

Source: Kemi Filani's Blog

Eight-year old pupil arrested

An eight-year-old pupil of Prospect Primary School, Akute, Ogun State, Oyindamola Onimole, has been detained by the Ajuwon Police Division.

Punch newspaper reports that  Oyindamola, who was held by the police between 6pm on Wednesday and 12pm on Thursday, was arrested by a policeman from the station for reporting a teacher in the school, identified simply as Mrs. Oni, to his mother.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Oni, who is the wife of one of the policemen at the station, had maltreated Oyindamola at school and the pupil reported her to his mother, Mrs. Nimota Onimole, who subsequently stormed the school and complained about the assault.

After the mother left, the teacher was said to have descended on the child again for daring to report her to his mother.
A source in the school said, “After school hours, the teacher called her husband and he stormed the house of the pupil and arrested the minor.
“When Mrs. Onimole (Nimota) returned from work about 10pm, neighbours told her about the ordeal of her son. She left for the police station to ascertain what had happened. The mother, who went to the police station to bail her child, was also detained.”
Oyindamola’s father, Olalekan Omole, confirmed on Thursday that his wife and son were detained by the police.

He said, “At about 6.30pm, the teacher and her policeman husband, went to our house and forcibly took my son. They used okada(motorcycle) to pick my son.
“When my wife returned about 10pm and got to the station around 10.30pm, requesting to get her child released, she was equally detained at the station. All this happened because of the influence of the teacher, whose husband happened to be a policeman at the station.
“My two remaining children slept alone at home that night. I had to consult a lot of people to wade in and get justice for my family.
“But today (Thursday), at about 12pm, my son and my wife were released by the police.”

Olalekan, who expressed outrage at the detention of the minor, said he would contact his lawyer to take the matter up.
Oyindamola’s father added that he had informed the school proprietor about Mrs. Oni’s alleged misconduct

Six-year old female pupil abducted in Lagos School

Six-year-old schoolgirl, Oluwajuwon Akinsanya, has been abducted by unidentified persons at the Ojo Military Cantonment, Lagos.

The primary one pupil of Maryam Bliss International School, Ojo, was said to be sleeping in the room with her parents in Block II, Flat 5, Engineer Quarters, when she was whisked away by the abductors.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the men also stole the phone, money and recharge cards (vouchers) of the victim’s parents.

Her mother, Yetunde, told punch newspaper that the family had yet to be contacted by the abductors since the incident happened in January.
She stated that she had visited more than 200 places seeking help, adding that she was sexually harassed in one of the religious houses she visited.
Yetunde said, “On January 20, 2016, around 4.30am, while we were asleep, I suddenly heard a loud noise and I woke up.
“I checked the floor where my daughter normally slept, but I didn’t see her. Her younger brother, Enoch, was on the bed with my husband and I. I thought she went to the toilet to urinate.
“However, when I checked the place, I didn’t find her. It was when I got to the kitchen and met the door opened that I knew intruders had come in. They came in from the kitchen.
“They took my bag and removed all the money there. They also emptied my purse where I kept the recharge cards I sold to people. My husband’s phone was equally taken away.”
She said she reported the matter to the Ojo Barracks Military Police and the victim’s father was arrested. She said the military authorities said her husband was the first suspect.
He was, however, later released and three other suspects arrested.
The suspects – Mercy Akere, Ayodeji Akinsanya and Segun Akinsanya –were alleged to have been accused by Yetunde of issuing threats against her family.
Our correspondent gathered that the military later released the suspects, saying there was no evidence against them.
Yetunde, a trader, said a member of her husband’s family took her to an orthodox church for help.
She alleged that the pastor after giving her a fake prophecy of her daughter’s whereabouts, sexually harassed her.
“I complained to my in-law who took me to his church, and he called the pastor in my presence to challenge him.
“The pastor told him on the telephone that he only used a candle to rub my breasts because that was what my child sucked; and my private parts, because that was where she came out from. He said he did it so that the deliverance would be quicker,” she said.
Oluwajuwon’s mother, who expressed dissatisfaction at the way the military were handling the case, said she asked for a transfer to a civilian police station, but the Officer-in-Charge, Major Obot, refused.
When contacted, Major Obot declined comment, saying he was not authorised to speak with PUNCH Metro.
“I am not the right person to talk about the case. The child’s father is a military officer and the case is being handled by the military because it happened in the barracks,” he said.
The victim’s father, Sunday, a sergeant, said he did not suspect his relatives or girlfriend, adding that he was also not in support of the matter being transferred from the military.
He said, “My wife is only suspecting my relatives and girlfriend because before this incident happened, we had a misunderstanding.
“I am a military officer and I can tell you that investigations are ongoing. I suspect those who surround my wife, but I know soon, God will expose those behind this.”
Sunday’s brother, Segun, who was among those initially arrested, denied knowing anything about the abduction of the child.
He said he had not been in talking terms with Yetunde prior to the incident, adding she wanted to get back at him with the incident.
A counsel in the Femi Falana Chamber, Mrs. Olakitan Boluagbaje, said the chamber was preparing a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, for the case to be transferred from the military police.
She said, “I can’t imagine that such a thing could happen in a military barracks. And the way the military officers are handling the matter is pathetic.
“The main actors in this case are civilians, and it is only reasonable that the case is transferred to the police. We will be writing the CP to request the transfer of the case to him.”

Pupils fall out of moving bus in Lagos

                           Photo Credit: Vanguard

Two pupils of New Vine International School, Mushin, Lagos, have been reportedly thrown out of a moving bus driven by the Proprietor, Mr. Ekezie Augustine, at Costain Roundabout, Surulere on their way from the National Theatre, Iganmu.

The proprietor was handed over to the Divisional Traffic Office, Iponri, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command, for prosecution.

According to the principal of the school, the affected pupils, Seunfunmi Oseni, 4, and Amira Otegbola, 6, were among the twenty pupils that embarked on the journey to the National Theatre the said day.

The children, were rushed to Brickfield Medical Centre, at Ademuyiwa Road, Ebute Metta, and we're subsequently referred to Foremost Radiology, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, for brain scan before further treatment.

According to an official of Brickfield, “the boy, Seunfunmi, sustained a lot of bruises on his head and leg. He has not walked since he was brought here. We feared he has injured his legs too. He is always folding it and he preferred to be carried.”

Further investigations also revealed that the school was not registered with the authorities in Lagos and it had just relocated to its new address in Mushin.

However, the Principal said certification of the school was being processed. He added that “the children were over-excited and uncontrollale before the incident happened.”
About three teachers were reported with the children on the bus on the said day when the incident occurred.
The questions that begs for answers are: what actually happened?  Did the pupils sit so close to the door? And what we're the teachers doing when it happened?

Credit: vanguardngr.com

Dr. Maria Tecla Montessori

Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori was an Italian physician and educator best known for the philosophy of education that bears her name, and her writing on scientific pedagogy.

She opened the first Montessori school—the Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House—in Rome on January 6, 1907. Subsequently, she traveled the world and wrote extensively about her approach to education, attracting many devotees. There are now more than 22,000 Montessori schools in at least 110 countries worldwide.

Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870, in the provincial town of Chiaravalle, Italy. Her father was a financial manager for a state-run industry. Her mother was raised in a family that prized education. She was well-schooled and an avid reader—unusual for Italian women of that time.

Beginning in her early childhood years, Maria grew up in Rome, a paradise of libraries, museums, and fine schools. Maria was a sterling student, confident, ambitious, and unwilling to be limited by traditional expectation. At age 13 she entered an all-boys technical institute to prepare for a career in engineering.

In time, however, she changed her mind, deciding to become a doctor instead.

When she graduated from medical school in 1896, she was among Italy’s first female physicians.
She developed an interest in education, attending classes on pedagogy and immersing herself in educational theory. Her studies led her to observe, and call into question, the prevailing methods of teaching children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The opportunity to improve on these methods came in 1900, when she was appointed co-director of a new training institute for special education teachers. Maria approached the task scientifically, carefully observing and experimenting to learn which teaching methods worked best. Many of the children made unexpected gains, and the program was proclaimed a success.

Utilizing scientific observation and experience gained from her earlier work with young children, Maria designed learning materials and a classroom environment that fostered the children’s natural desire to learn. News of the school’s success soon spread through Italy and by 1910 Montessori schools were acclaimed worldwide.

Montessori education today, offers children opportunities to develop their potential as they step out into the world as engaged, competent, responsible citizens with an understanding and appreciation that learning is for life.

Thank you Dr.Maria Montessori, you have set a clear path to follow.

Happy Women's Day :#PledgeForParity

This year’s International Women’s Day is all about #PledgeForParity

Parity is the state or condition of being equal, especially as regards status or pay.

"Each of us can be a leader within our own spheres of influence and commit to taking action to accelerate gender parity."

Happy International Women's Day to every woman out there who has been holding her head up high regardless of what comes her way.

Cheers to every woman!

Teachers Helping Teachers Tuesday: Practical Things a Teacher Should Know (1)

When Terry Heick found out his friend was going to be a teacher after handling various craftsmanship jobs for a long while, he decided to help him out by creating a list of random things teachers have to know in order to survive.

This list has been divided into parts with the first part below and subsequent parts to follow suit.
I encourage all teachers to take a cue from this.

1. How to manage their time with military-like precision
2. Where teaching has been, where it is, and where it’s going
3. How to wash their hands
4. When they’re working too hard
5. That every student has something really, really special in them
6. The difference between teaching, covering, and learning
7. When to push, and when to pull back
8. That your time with a child is just a blink of an eye in the span of their life
9. What it means to understand something
10. How to see students, not a class
11. That students love the water fountain so very much
12. When during the day to make copies, or how to go paperless
13. How to fix a broken copier
14. Which meetings you can skip, and which you can’t
15. How to use technology better than the students
16. When to say no
17. What to do when you suspect a child is being abused at home, or bullied in school or online
18. Who to go to for what
19. How not to get caught sitting at your desk by the administrators
20. How to organize and optimize digital and physical learning spaces.

Some of these ideas overlap, but the big idea of this list is to show the wide range of things teachers have to know that are actually practical and useful.

I believe this has helped. The second part comes up on the next teachers helping teachers Tuesday.
Cheers!

Gunmen abducts three from Lagos school

Armed bandits on Monday night abducted no fewer than three female students of the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, a private school in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.
Perpetrators of the act who struck from behind the school, took the three girls away at about 8pm on Monday.
The parents complained about the low perimeter fence of the school and inadequate presence of security operatives around the hostel end of the school where the gunmen struck.

Confirming the incident, the state command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police said that efforts were on to track the abductors and rescue the girls.

BMJS, a co-educational Secondary institution of Lagos Anglican Dioceses was founded on October 18,1996 by late Most Reverend Joseph Abiodun Adetiloye and was named after Late Reverend Thomas Babington Macaulay who was the founder of C.M.S. Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos in 1859.
May the girls be returned and reunited safely and unharmed to their families.

Theodor Seuss Geisel

Theodor Seuss Geisel ( March 2, 1904 – September 24, 1991) otherwise known under the pen name Dr. Seuss was as an American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children’s book. 

He published his first children's book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" in 1937. He adopted other pen names such as : Theo LeSieg, Rosetta Stone, Theophrastus Seuss.

He focused on children's books, writing classics such as If I Ran the Zoo (1950), Horton Hears a Who! (1955), If I Ran the Circus (1956), The Cat in the Hat(1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957), and Green Eggs and Ham (1960) with some of his works being adapted into movies.

Geisel's birthday, March 2, has been adopted as the annual date for National Read Across America Day, an initiative on reading created by the National Education Association.

Dr. Seuss never had any child of his own though he devoted most of his life to writing children's books. He would say when asked about this, "You have 'em; I'll entertain 'em.". 

On September 24 1991, Dr. Seuss died of oral cancer at his home in La Jolla at the age of 87. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered. On December 1, 1995, four years after his death, University of California, San Diego's University Library Building was renamed Geisel Library in his honour for the generous contributions made to the library by himself and wife and their devotion to improving literacy.

 In 2002, the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden opened in his birthplace of Springfield, Massachusetts, featuring sculptures of Geisel and of many of his characters.

He won many awards due to the nature of what he did and was widely recognized even till today he’s still being talked about.

Happy post-humous birthday Dr. Seuss.

Team Building

According to Wikipedia, “Team building is a collective term for various types of activities used to enhance social relations and define roles within teams, often involving collaborative tasks”.

It begins with one.. YOU and graduates to you and others… WE.

As “WE” in a team, others cover up for one person’s weakness. This simply means that the language of “We” is greater than that of “I”.

Often times, the start new school year means you're likely to see some new faces among the teaching staff and what better way to get to know these teachers, than team building.

Team building creates an avenue for one on one interaction which makes new members feel comfortable, welcome and ready for what lies ahead.
Various activities exist to help induct a new teacher into the school system and such activities includes the following and not in any way limited to them:

• Guess what
• Have you ever
• Candy confession
• Please line up
• Two truths and a lie
• Shoe game
• Unlocking the arms

Here’s how the shoe game is played

It is only after a team is built that it can work and so in essence, “you need to build a team before you work a team”.

Please share with someone!

Dash Edublog is here

Welcome to Dash Place' blog.
A conventional edutainment blog that brings you daily dose of educational news, information, gists and more.
A blog set to promote the institution of learning with an addition of educational entertainment.