•Bullying
The ongoing drama at Lead British International School, Abuja, took a new dimension, today, when a parent slapped the student involved in the video which has gone viral.
An X user, @mooyeeeeeee, posted two videos where the victim she identified as Maryam Hassan was repeatedly slapped by another female student.
The video generated thousands of comments by netizens who called on the school authorities to investigate the matter.
Today, some parents stormed the school with the hope to resolve the incident.
However, the student, who was captured slapping her colleague, was seen walking into the premises accompanied by elderly males.
A lady identified as one of the parents walked up to the student, asking her, “She is proud of what she did. You are proud of what you did! You are proud right? Someone’s child; innocent child, you beat her, did you give birth to her? I am asking you, did you give birth to her?”
The student was trying to walk away so as to avoid confrontation, but the angry parent shoved her, saying, “I’m asking you: did you give birth to her?” The student muttered some incoherent words and the angry parent responded with a slap, before other elderly persons around moved in to douse tension.
Meanwhile, the student who was slapped went down on her knee.
The Lead British International School had earlier said it has launched investigation into the matter.
In a statement issued earlier yesterday, it said the counselling unit of the school is helping the victimised student overcome the emotional and psychological impact.
The statement read, “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all our students. Hence, upon learning of the incident, we initiated the process of reaching out to the victim and family with a view to providing support, including access to counselling services to help them cope with the emotional and psychological impact of the incident.
“Additionally, we will be working with the perpetrators and their families, offering counselling and disciplinary measures to address their behaviour which has no place in society.
“We have also immediately initiated an investigation, appointing a dedicated team to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. The team has been gathering information, including reviewing video footage and interviewing witnesses, to understand the full scope of the incident and identify the immediate and remote causes.”
The school also said it is providing a safe environment for students to learn and working against bullying of students through its policies.
It also appealed to the general public to stop sharing and posting of the videos to help the students in stabilising their emotional consciousness.
It continued, “In line with our commitment to preventing bullying and ensuring a safe school environment, we will be reviewing and updating our extant Anti-Bullying Policies and procedures to determine areas requiring improvement, with a focus on prevention and early intervention. LBIS will also be implementing educational programmes and workshops for students, staff, and parents to raise awareness about bullying and its consequences.
“Lead British International School Abuja, established since 2007, is a renowned education brand with a proud history of producing thousands of alumni who continue to make the institution proud through their accomplishments around the world. These achievements testify to the sound academic and moral grounding they received during their formative years in the school.
“We want to reassure our school community and the public that we are taking all necessary steps to address this isolated incident and prevent a recurrence. We are committed to fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and empathy at Lead British International School Abuja, where every student feels safe, valued, and respected.”
