27th July, 2016
The Lagos State Government says it will reintroduce “Black Books” in primary, junior and senior secondary schools in the state to check indiscipline.
Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin, the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) made this known in Lagos on Wednesday.
Sopeyin said government was not happy with the recent unrest by some students of public and private schools in the state.
A Black Book is an important book bound in black and used by school authorities to record the names of students deserving of punishment.
The book states the sex, age, nature of offence committed by a scholar.
It also shows the amount of punishment to be meted out to the scholar and the date/duration of the punishment.
Sopeyin, therefore, advised students in the state to desist from indiscipline or risk heavy sanctions.
“This is a very serious issue that government is not happy with and government is looking seriously into this.
“One of the measures to be taken is that black book will be reintroduced in our schools – primary and junior and senior secondary schools.
“This is to check students that might want to indulge in vices.
“You recall during our own time, when you hear about black book you will feel jittery because the implication is that when your name enters that book, it goes round all the places.
“Number one you will not be admitted into any other school and again all other places too, even workplace, they will know.
“Again, it has negative influence on the parents of such children.
“Our governor has directed that schools should now be made conducive because when you have conducive environments all of these things are likely to be things of the past.”
Sopeyin said that the state government was not happy with recent development, where public and private school students indulge in social vices.
He said the government would do everything possible to stem indiscipline, cultism, truancy and other social vices among students.
He said that the sanction would not be limited to public schools alone as erring students of private schools also risk being punished.
“Even private schools, we coordinate their activities, we have oversight function on private schools,” he said.
The chairman stressed the need for parents to play their role in efforts towards eradicating indiscipline in schools.
“The Yoruba culture, even African culture, generally does not condone indiscipline and other social vices.
“Parents have a lot of work to do; they should not leave these children to teachers alone; they too must play their own role and everything will be okay.’’
According to him, the state government has introduced mentoring in public schools, whereby teachers mentors the children, talk to them and guide them to the right direction.