NGO condemns gender based violence in school

WORRIED by the alarming rate of violence against students in Bayelsa State, the Face Initiative, an NGO bent on fostering the achievement of community empowerment, has presented a comprehensive research project to the Bayelsa State Ministry of Education to see how issues of gender based violence could be tackled or prevented in all public and private schools in the state.

The Group called on the government to in still discipline in all schools in the state, and the need for all students to be compelled to leave the school premises back to their respective homes immediately the last bell rings – since a greater proportion of violence against students take place in the school.

The Executive Director of Face Initiative, Mr Inatimi Peter Odio, who made the presentation during a Research Findings Presentation Workshop on School Related Violence held at the Domaris Hotel in Yenagoa, stated that children are exposed to several forms of violence at school and added that the policy recommendations in the research will go a long way in the prevention of gender based violence in schools.

He stated that no individual knows it all about gender based violence, hence, the need to interact with the various stakeholders and participants who also gave their contributions on how best these issues could be treated.

Odio said this was key in knowing what measures to take so that the needed change could be visible soonest.

Also speaking, at the event, a lecturer at the Niger Delta University (NDU) Prof Ibaba S Ibaba, while stressing the need for the society to give attention to gender based violence, also urged the Bayelsa

State Government to get a policy framework to deal with issues relating to violence in schools.

Ibaba, who highlighted some forms of school related gender based violence, also stated that male Corp members, student teachers as well as permanent teachers are the main perpetrators of these unwholesome activities, but, however, faulted school managers for what he described as their inability to regulate the school environment for effective and violence free learning.

In their separate goodwill remarks, the Chairman of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Barrister Dise Ebise and Powei Otrofanowei, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, as well as other senior officers of the Nigeria Police

Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp, the Department of State Security, all stated that the development was in the right direction and also lauded the Face Initiative for workable solution to curb gender violence in schools.