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