Alumni urges LASG to reintroduce corporal punishment

BADAGRY (Sundiata Scholar) – Lagos StateThe Alumni of Ansarudeen Grammar School Students Association, Badagry, on Sunday urged the Lagos State Government to reintroduce corporal punishment to encourage discipline in schools.

They said this at an ‘Awareness Walk’ organised by the association to inform residents of the area on the upcoming 45 years anniversary of the school, scheduled for September.

The President of the association, Mr. James Olubiyi, said that eradicating corporal punishment in schools had brought indiscipline and high crime rate among youths.
“That’s the reason why many of our youth today, are taking to crimes.

“The value system has been eroded. There is no form of discipline in our schools any longer and this is not only disturbing but also destroying the future of these children.
“We were the first set in Ansarudeen from 1980 to 1985. We were bad boys but when our principal then, Mr L. A Durojaiye discovered this, he moulded us and brought us back to our senses via punishments.

“This greatly influenced what we had become today because of corporal punishment. The punishments reset our values and we benefitted immensely from doing the right thing.”

Olubiyi said they we were raised in school then to be humble and disciplined.
“Now, that is how we are also training our children. Lack of discipline in schools is not helping the children and society at large.”

Mr. Olabisi Yusuf, Treasurer of the association urged the government to build more schools and employ more teachers to improve the standard of education in the state.

Yusuf, who is a Deputy Bursar, Lagos State University, Ojo, said that many primary and secondary schools in the state, no longer punished their pupils and students.

“When we were in school, there was discipline and fear in us, compared to what is happening today due to eradication of corporal punishment,” he said.

On the anniversary, Yusuf said the walk is to create awareness amongst Badagry residents on the event which would be opened to all.

“I am so happy that we are able to come together since 1985 that we left the school. At first, we wanted only the 1985 set but later, we extended it to all alumni and the turn out is enormous.”

reports that the walk kicked off from the popular Badagry Roundabout to Agbalata market ,the General Hospital, to LASPARK in Idale, Badagry.

Mrs. Kudirat Durojaiye-Gidado, a 1992 set of the institution, who is also a teacher, commended the executive of the association for organising the awareness walk.

According to her, this has provided an opportunity for the students to reunite with their classmates, after many years of graduation.

“Seeing our classmates and former seniors is a thing of joy and happiness,” she said. (NAN)