Miss Marvellous Barinaadaa, a ten-year-old student of Odomola Secondary School, was reportedly sent home by the school principal for allegedly wrapping her books with the poster of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi. The incident occurred on Tuesday, March 14th, 2023. Her mother, who was distraught by the situation, took to social media to appeal for help and claimed that her daughter was apolitical.
In her social media post, the mother expressed her disappointment at the school principal’s actions, noting that her daughter was only using the poster paper to wrap her notebook and had no knowledge of politics. The mother also alleged that her family had been facing challenges because of their perceived support for Peter Obi and the Labour Party.
However, the President of Odomola Secondary School Old Students Association (OSSOSA), Apagun Saka Shola, stated that the student was sent home for allegedly causing a disturbance by distributing posters of Obi in the classroom. He clarified that the principal did not expel or suspend the student but sent her home to curtail the disturbance caused by the student in sharing posters with other students during recess.
According to Apagun Saka Shola, the school principal’s actions were in line with a directive to stop all forms of campaign in the classroom, as some political parties had been using students to campaign. He added that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education was also on the issue.
At the time of writing, calls and text messages to the contact purported to be that of the principal had not been acknowledged or responded to.
It is important to note that students have a right to freedom of expression and should not be punished for expressing their views, as long as it does not disrupt the learning environment. It is also essential that schools establish clear guidelines on political activities and campaigns to avoid any potential disruptions.
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