It’s unheard of but happened recently in a government-owned school in Osun state where an open confrontation between students and teachers left a bitter taste in the mouth. LATEEF DADA writes that at the moment, academic activities in the school has come to a halt.
The name of the school located in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, used to be Baptist Girls High School before the immediate past governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, changed it to Baptist High School Gbodofon. This was after merging it with the male students to become what is commonly known as co-educational institution.
Report also had it that students from other schools were also merged together with the Baptist High School thereby branding it as School ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ respectively with each having its autonomous principal and vice principal in those capacities within the same school. In the course of this investigation, it was found out that some teachers who pleaded not to be mentioned in print said peace has been elusive in the school since male students were merged with the girls.
According to the teachers, since the merger, it has also been difficult to recognise any student because of their large numbers alongside the same uniform being used.
The teachers also said that students from other schools have been coming into Baptist High school to cause trouble unfortunately, they couldn’t be recognised because they all wear the same uniform. It was gathered that the personnel of Nigeria Peace Corps have been maintaining peace by check-mating the students and restricting some of them from causing trouble at some other times. However, on Wednesday November 13, some irate stubborn students among them overpowered the Peace Corps cadet in the school and chased them away.
An eye witness account disclosed to Blueprint that the students have been complaining about the excesses of one of the Peace Corps popularly known as ‘Adaripon’ until that Wednesday when the students came in their numbers and chased the cadet away with cutlasses and stones. They were also said to have cut down the tree that usually provided shade for the cadets and wrote an inscription ‘No More Adaripon’ on all the buildings and walls within the school premises.
The Peace Corps cadet thereafter vacated the school premises and none of them have returned till the Friday that fracas broke out.
It was gathered that the students mobilised their colleagues from outside the school on Friday November 15 and started chasing teachers whom they perceived are in support of the cadets. It however turned fracas when some bold teachers tried to restrict the irate students from causing mayhem in the school.
A source said a number of teachers had to face those students when they discovered that some teachers were being locked up by their students.
“We later saw four students who have sustained matchet injuries. We didn’t know how they got injury. Suddenly, other students who were likely to be their friends trooped out and started throwing stones at the teachers.
“The vice principal of School ‘B’ was caught by the students and they nearly smatched his head with a big stone. They broke the screen of his car and destroyed some other valuable items in the school.
“Teachers have to scamper for safety when the incident was beyond their power. The students were armed with cutlasses of different sizes and charms,” an eye witness narrated to Blueprint.
Government reacts The state commissioner for education, Mr Oladoyin Folorunsho, who inspected the school, ordered its immediate closure because of the level of damage done by the students during the recent fracas.
Oladoyin who expressed displeasure over the misconduct of the students ordered that the case should be thoroughly investigated and the culprit be brought to book in order to serve as deterrent to others.
The commissioner insisted that those caught in connection with the crisis would responsible for the payment of whatever be the estimate of the damaged properties.
Twenty two students arrested It was gathered that 22 students have been apprehended in connection with the crime.
According to a source, the arrested students have been locked up in the state police command in Oshogbo.
Parents summoned Meanwhile, parents of students of the school were summoned to a meeting slated for Tuesday November 26. According to reports, it was gathered that each parent would sign a form on behalf of their children, promising that their children would be obedient in school henceforth.
A source said any parent that fail to attend the meeting would have his child expelled from the school.
