A 30-year-old teacher at Landmark School Mgbakwu in the Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Faith Nwonye has been arrested for allegedly beating an eight-year-old pupil to coma.
Addressing newsmen in her office on Monday, the commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, noted that the school has been permanently shut down by the state government.
According to her, the school’s proprietor and Nwonye had been summoned to explain the incident that led to the brutalisation of the primary two pupils.
She said, “We received this unfortunate incident from an illegal school in Mgbakwu that a child was beaten to a coma over the weekend. On behalf of the State Government, we invited the proprietress of the illegal school as well as the teacher who purportedly beat the child.
“We’ve handed the matter to the police for further investigations, as we await Mr Governor’s directives. Meanwhile, the school is closed down indefinitely because it’s not supposed to exist in the first instance. Any parent who is enrolling his/her child in an illegal school is doing so at his/her own peril.
“To the proprietors of private schools, anyone running an unapproved school in Anambra is a criminal. It’s a criminal offence to run an illegal school in the state.
“Whether the school is legal or not, it’s criminal to beat a child. According to the doctor, the chances of survival of the child is 20%.”
The Commissioner stated further that, “As soon as the police are done, the teacher will face other institutions against child rights. She’s going to have the full wrath of the law brought upon her over her actions.”
“Anambra state abhors violence to children, women, and any other person. It’s not part of this administration and Mr. Governor is against such,” she noted.
