Corporal punishment
For a continent that is a staunch believer of the ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’ rule, it is not farfetched to think that corporal punishment is still ongoing in many African households and institutions of education, particularly primary and secondary education. In May 2018, a proprietor in Ogun state, Nigeria, tied pupils to crosses and flogged them for lateness. He was arrested by the police following his actions. There have been extremities that have gone unnoticed and unpunished. Even though many countries, including South Africa, Togo, South Sudan, Benin, and recently Ghana, have banned the practice especially in their schools, it still happens on a domestic level as many parents believe it is the most effective method of instilling discipline among children. Parents and guardians need to find other mild methods of ensuring correct behaviour among children; corporal punishment is not the only way.
