By Chinyere Nwachukwu

The Principal, Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, Mrs  Tofunmi Akamo, says there are plans to heighten the perimeter fence of the school to check truancy and other forms indiscipline among the students.

Akamo, who is also a lawyer, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

She was speaking against the backdrop of a recent incident of gross misconduct by some students of the college, in the neighborhood.

Six students who were allegedly involved in acts of immorality in a hotel around the school, had been sent packing from the boarding house, by the school authority.

Some boarders in the college recently scaled the school’s perimeter fence with their female colleagues and lodged in a nearby hotel for a sex romp.

She said apart from raising the fence, a monitoring team had been engaged to monitor activities around it, both within and outside.

The principal vowed not to condone indiscipline of any form, in a bid to sustain the existing academic records of the school.

According to her, the students are not returning anytime soon as boarders, and  even on return, they will be made to sign letters of undertaking to be of good conduct.

“As a result of what happened, we are not leaving any stone unturned, in our efforts to maintain standard, both morally and in academics.

“We have put other measures  in place to further check the excesses of students, within and outside the college.

“For instance, some members of the community have been engaged to further monitor movements and activities of these students on a daily basis.”

She reiterated that the college would not cover up any act of indiscipline by any student, irrespective of who is involved.

“Disciplinary measures for students does not mean destroying them.

“We will continue to do everything within our power, to ensure that we do not compromise standard,” the principal said.

She added that all that the school was doing was to strive to produce a generation of future leaders that would bring the much-desired national transformation and growth of the country.

“We, as a college, have a name to protect, just as we have a mandate of moulding character, apart from impacting sound knowledge.

“As the principal of the college and the entire staff, our role is to parent and guide these children to both academic and moral excellence and there is no going back on that.

“But in doing this, we also need the support of not just the parents, but  all stakeholders, including our neighbours in the community.

“This is because we want all of them to turn out well and be that much needed catalyst that would take this country to its much desired height.”

She said that the responsibility of bringing up a child did not solely rest on the biological parents, but was a combined effort of the entire society.

“In the school we are their parents, therefore, we must all do our bids conscientiously.

“We will never compromise on discipline. This is because if you have a brain that is morally corrupt, then there is still a fundamental problem.

“All what we are doing is to ensure that our products are not just academically sound but also morally upright,” she stated.

The principal also reiterated the essence of attending the periodic Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings and Open Days.

According to her, matters concerning the school and performance of the children are usually discussed there.

She emphasised the need for parents, especially mothers, to create time to bond with their children.

The principal said that with today’s technology age, there was need for increased monitoring and supervision of children.

“Today’s parents, especially mothers, need to do more than they are doing in terms of monitoring and supervision of these children.

“They need to create time to discuss things that concern them often. Encourage them to open up and advise them.

“This will help parents to discover what these children could be going through, and in return, they will have some kind of relief and reassurance.

“Where they find this lacking, the could seek help from the wrong source and this could be dangerous,” she stated.

Akamo noted that the college Guidance and Counseling department was fully functional  and the personnel were always on hand to attend to matters brought before them.

She urged parents to collaborate with the college on matters concerning their children, by ensuring that they always reach out for correct information.

The principal warned that relying on unconfirmed reports from other sources was destructive.

She decried a situation whereby parents would be abusing teachers even in the presence of  their children, adding that this was unacceptable.

“Teachers must be respected at all times. Without these teachers, there would be no profession and therefore, asking for a little respect as they go about with their duty is not asking for too much.

“If parents should set a bad example by abusing these teachers, even in the presence of these children that we teach, are we  going to achieve the much desired goal?.

“This should not be encouraged and calls for an outright change of orientation and urgently so,” she stated.

She commended the Federal Government for its support and commitment by providing an enabling environment for teaching and learning to thrive.

Akamo, however, pleaded for more manpower, such as security and nurses, to further assist the college in enhancing academic excellence.

“I have a very large school, with a population of about 3,358 currently and as a result, we need more facilities and personnel to manage them. (NAN)