The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa has pledged to work with the Ministry of Justice to develop a national policy to tackle bullying in schools.
Alausa made the announcement on Wednesday at a news conference in Abuja, following the circulation of bullying incidents on social media.
He said the ministry invited 125 unity college principals to discuss the Safe Schools Act and anti-bullying policies.
“The Nigerian secondary school system is meant to be a place where students acquire not just academic knowledge but also values, discipline, and life skills.
“Unfortunately, increasing cases of bullying, violence, cultism, substance abuse, and other vices are undermining the sanctity of our educational institutions.
“These issues have led to declining academic performance, mental health challenges, dropouts, erosion of moral values, among others.
“The Federal Ministry of Education will be working with the Attorney General’s Office to quickly come up with that policy, and we can take this to the National Council of Education (NCE).
“This will be for adoption as part of our process to address bullying and discipline in our societies,” he said.
Alausa stated that the policy would be rolled out early next year, adding that it would include a comprehensive review of plans to tackle bullying.
He emphasised that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has zero tolerance for bullying and is committed to eradicating it from schools.
“We’re going to do everything possible to ensure that our children get the highest quality of education, from basic to post-basic and tertiary education.
“As they get this education, we’re also inculcating discipline and ethical moral values in them,” he said.
The minister stressed that students, principals, and teachers who engage in or condone bullying would face strict disciplinary action.
“We’ve started employing new regional directors in each geopolitical zone to focus on maintaining discipline. When I say discipline, it’s not only students found culpable who will be disciplined.
“Any principal or teacher that tries to cover up acts of bullying will also be held accountable,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Solicitor General of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Jeddy Agba, blamed bullying on poor accountability and weak monitoring in schools.
Agba urged the Ministry of Education to take a more active role in ensuring compliance with the forthcoming policies.
“Schools must ensure a zero-tolerance policy against bullying and create supportive and safe learning environments.
“There should also be clear compliance mechanisms, regular inspections, and penalties for non-compliance,” she said. (NAN)
