The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), has condemned the sex act of two students of Chrisland Schools, Lagos, and appealed to the public to refrain from making unsavoury comments over the issue for the sake of the mental well-being of the minors involved.
The group said parents are expected to be up and doing in their role of parenting and proper monitoring, pay proper attention to observations regarding their children from the schools and address them quickly.
The body in a statement signed by its National President, Chief Yomi Otubela, said, going forward, it will address the issue of moral decadence in schools with a view to minimising the occurrence of issues around it.
It said: “The acts portraying moral decadence are not exclusive to schools and that since children are a reflection of the society they live in, it, therefore, shows that a concerted effort will be needed to nip the malaise in the bud.
“What happened was a reflection of moral decadence which has eaten deep into the moral fabrics of the society and the result is what we are witnessing today in the society, including educational institutions.
“Studies have shown that parents are to take the larger portion of the blame for children’s behaviour, hence, parents must take a greater role in shaping their children’s future by inculcating morally acceptable behaviour in them. Parents are shying away from their responsibility rather they prefer to shift the responsibility to the schools.
“Neglect of parental responsibility from home has made it a herculean task for the school to achieve much progress.
“For instance, when the background of a child is already faulty and without the needed support from home to effectively collaborate with the school management to address the identified challenges, one can only imagine how such a child will turn out to be in society.”
On the closure of Chrisland, the group said while it supports the swift move by the Lagos state government to investigate the issue, it views with concern the announcement to shut down all branches of Chrisland Schools in the state over the sex incident.
According to the body, shutting down all the branches of the school will deny other children their rights to learn more and for those in the terminal classes the right to continue their preparation for their final examinations.
(The Guardian)
