Dear Highly Esteemed Duty Bearer: Happy Easter to you all and the family.

Last week I announced that we would start Support Group for Parents and Teachers, where real life scenarios are brought to the fore and discussed for our examples and instructions in protecting our children.  I shared with us a scenario as a taste of what the discussions at the Support Group meeting would look like and requested for your responses. I must thank you for your kind responses to the scenario shared last week.  

As a buildup to the all-important meeting, which inauguration we shall announce soon, here is another scenario for our discussion here today:  A male teacher sends a text to his twelve year old pupil, saying that he has cut in his private part while trying to shave. He is asking the female pupil to advise him on how he could treat the cut or if she would like to check it the second day to enable her know what treatment to recommend. He ends the text message with a stern warning, ‘you know we are friends and friends keep their intimate affairs private, so delete this immediately after reading and tell no one about this, not even your mum, dad and siblings.’ The pupil reads the text message, becomes confused as the teacher has made some sexual passes at her in the past and she did not report to anybody.

As she thinks about the strange text message, she sleeps off. The mother while going round to switch off the light in the rooms, comes into the pupil’s room, picks up her phone to help her position it properly on the table. As she drops the phone on the table her eyes fall on the text message. She screams, becomes hysterical and storms the school in the morning, accusing the teacher of ‘sexting’ to the child.

Would you agree that the content of the message passes for ‘sex-text?’

Who should the mother report this matter to or hold responsible for this matter?

Why do you think the teacher is comfortable sharing this kind of text with the child? Does the child’s silence and confusion say anything about her relationship with her parents and her understanding of her sexuality?

What does this very ugly incident tell you about the school and her ability to protect children from all forms of abuse?

Do the teacher and the school breach any local and international law as it relates to the protection of children as secondary caregivers?

Would it be necessary to ask what system, codified in a policy has the school put in place to protect children?

How do you think the mother and the school should handle this matter?

Thank you for reading. We treasure your responses. Do have an INSPIRED Easter Celebration and Holiday.

I am Taiwo Akinlami and I am Sober on my knees on this day of celebration of the resurrection of my LORD.