NGO laments over rising cases of bullying, cultism

The Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Advocacy (LEAD) Network Africa, an NGO, has attributed the rising cases of bullying and cultism in schools to failure of intelligence gathering in the school system.

The NGO also attributed the situation to the collapse of family values and disregard to religious teachings.

The Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Chukwuma Okenwa, made the observation in an interview on Wednesday in Enugu.

Okenwa said there should be a rethink on how schools go about character reformation and moulding.

According to him, the situation has reached the level that teachers and school administrators now fear their students.

"If the trend is not checked, it will continue to send negative signals that schools within the country are unsafe," he noted.

"Our teachers, head teachers and principals should be sensitised through seminars and workshops on the necessity of being security conscious and gathering intelligence by monitoring all activities of the pupils while in school.

"Discipline and outright expulsion should be introduced if any child is suspected with a deadly or delinquent character that might corrupt other pupils with good character in the school.

"Nothing wrong among pupils should be overlooked any longer, while what these children expose themselves to must be monitored and followed closely," he said.

Okenwa also called for value reorientation at family and religious levels, to check the collapse of the value system.

The executive director encouraged parents to take more interest in their children, so as to know their performance and character better.

He said that it was important for parents to check their children school bags, so as to know whether they carry any offensive weapon.

The executive director also advised parents to visit their children's school unannounced, interact with the teachers and get to know what keeps their children longer in school.

Okenwa called on religious institutions to tailor their teachings to reform and character moulding, not just for the children but parents as well.

"Pupils must be made to appreciate the teachings of the Holy Bible and Holy Qur'an.

"LEAD Network believes that much can be done in this direction of religious teaching under the civic space, to salvage our pupils from imbibing negative teachings and lifestyles that only cause insecurity and unsafe environment within the schools and society at large".