Two wrongs don’t make a right

There is a video making the rounds on social media of a parent beating up a teacher in front of students at a Rosebud school in Idimu, Lagos. I haven’t managed to find out what the teacher did, but frankly, I don’t care. There have got to be better ways to handle a disagreement with […]

There is a video making the rounds on social media of a parent beating up a teacher in front of students at a Rosebud school in Idimu, Lagos. I haven’t managed to find out what the teacher did, but frankly, I don’t care. There have got to be better ways to handle a disagreement with a teacher than barging into the classroom like the Incredible Hulk,  and beating them up, especially in front of children.

I have never supported using violence to settle disputes, least of all because I can’t fight. In fact, I remember during my undergraduate days at UNN, I lined up my bucket at the tap and went back to my room to grab something. By the time I returned, someone had removed my bucket and was using it to soak clothes. I was so angry that I warned whoever was responsible to remove their clothes and put my bucket back in the queue, or I’d do it myself. I might have even said I was going to count to 10, and at 10, I’d pour the clothes out into the dirt.

I hadn’t gotten to five when another female student walked up to me and said the clothes were hers. She sounded combative, as if she was angling for a fight, and she looked way stronger than me. Folks, my anger disappeared instantly. I just stood there while she used my bucket, and then she walked me to the front of the line, removed the bucket that was under the running tap, filled my bucket for me, and then handed it back to me, full.

I might even have thanked her for the “privilege” of using my bucket, sef. I’d like to believe that even if I had felt I could beat her up or have a fair fight with her, I still would have chosen a less violent way of settling the issue.

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That a parent chooses to beat up a teacher (in the classroom, no less) is disgusting behaviour. Some folks have argued that Naija teachers can be cruel to students. Someone posted about their nephew returning home with cane marks all over his body, suggesting the teacher might have done something to warrant the beating.

If you’ve followed my writing for a while, you’d know how I feel about corporal punishment. I am against it. I don’t think children should be beaten punitively or otherwise. Discipline doesn’t have to mean inflicting physical pain. In fact, it is often the case that children who are beaten regularly develop a higher threshold for pain, becoming desensitised to it. In many cases, it arguably does little to change problematic behaviour. And yet, even if this teacher physically harmed a child, two wrongs don’t make a right. 

Beating the teacher is telling your child (and the other children) that physical aggression is an acceptable way to resolve problems. It perpetuates a cycle of violence.

Furthermore, if a parent feels that a teacher has crossed a line, there are better, more productive ways to handle the situation. You can escalate the issue to the school authorities or go to the police if you feel the school authorities aren’t taking you seriously enough.

However, this isn’t just about that one enraged, irresponsible parent or that one teacher, whatever they might have done. It’s about the ripple effect on everyone involved, especially the students. We’re supposed to be teaching children how to navigate the world as responsible, respectful adults. If children can’t see model behaviour in their classrooms and from their parents, then we are in deep wahala.

How are these children supposed to respect their teachers if they see that their parents can just walk in and beat up the teacher? How can teachers enforce their authority if they run the risk of being assaulted by parents? How do you expect the students to respect their teachers? By the way, children of school-going age spend more time at school than anywhere else. How do we expect them to grow into well-rounded individuals if they are surrounded by teachers for whom they have no respect?

If your child’s school isn’t doing a good job keeping them safe and raising them well, please find ways other than violence to force the school to live up to their obligations. Storming in to beat the teacher is a definite no-no.