Bauchi Ministry of Education goes tough on child molestation in schools

By Abimbola Abatta

The Ministry of Education in Bauchi State has vowed to close down any school in the state and punish culprits found culpable of child molestation.

The ministry expressed concern with the increasing cases of corporal punishment in private, higher Islamic and Islamiyya schools in the pretext of disciplinary measures.

This was contained in a press statement by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sule Adamu Madara on behalf of State Commissioner of Education, which was made available to journalists in Bauchi.

According to the statement, “In view of the foregoing, the ministry of education as a supervisory body of all Educational Institutions and Child Care Givers Centres in the state is advising the proprietors of Private, Higher Islamic and Islamiyya schools to seriously warn their teachers to desist from this unhealthy behaviour.

“This nonchallant attitude is increasingly causing bodily harm and often result to death of the innocent pupils placed under the care of schools in Bauchi.

“Equally, the proprietors are also advised to devise appropriate disciplinary measures on their erring pupils or students in conformity with laid down principles and rules of engagements in the teaching profession rather than adopting corporal punishment which has been banned in all public schools in the state.”