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Noblesse Oblige

“DSS invades an all girls school on a rescue mission.” Wow! If only they were this much alert a few years ago before the Chibok girls went missing, Can you imagine?  They must have invaded the school on some good grounds.
My bad. Revenge mission it was. Totally got the story wrong. Here’s a recap.

A teacher is someone trained to direct, guide, lead and generally point his students to the right path to follow.

Act1 scene 1
Teacher comes into class, finds a junior student sweeping the class on the instruction of a group of senior students while there’s a class going on in her own class. Teacher calls for students involved… 10 in all. (Now I get why the junior was so obedient. who would take on 10 senior students at once?) teacher is confused, send them out of the class and you’ve committed same offence as them, spend so much time talking about it and you’d have spent the whole lesson period in vain… let’s deal with it once and done… 2 strokes of the cane for everyone involved… less than five minutes and we get on with the days’ work… yes let’s have it..2 strokes a piece.

Act 1 scene 2
Senior ‘touch-me-not’ grabs teacher by his collar and threatens to deal with the teacher. Excitement building up, students cheering on. Obviously classes have come to end today. Chaos in the air. Other teachers rush in, school management steps in. Situation “controlled” claims and counter claims. Blame storming in progress…..

Act 2 scene 1
Siren blaring. Cars on full speed. Schools gates flung wide open. What can the gatemen do? Caution.  Did someone say caution? No not here not now. The teacher must be taught a lesson. Who is he to beat my niece?  Teacher is beaten right before his students. The cane not doing enough…. Let’s go the DSS style…. Kicking and punching... Yes, go for the kill. A few gun shots in the air …. Piercing the silence as students watch the humiliation of their teacher.

Again state resources at the disposal of an individual to wield as deemed fit. Ridiculing a teacher whose primary responsibility is to teach, discipline, correct and guide. A teacher is someone trained to direct, guide, lead and generally point his students to the right path to follow. It is the place of a teacher to correct and discipline his students as he sees fit for his students good.
Do we then applaud a group of students for hindering a fellow student from carrying out her primary purpose for coming to school? What measure of punishment would have been enough for the erring students? What gave the student the boldness to harass the teacher in the manner she did? Indeed many questions arise….  We may never come to a proper conclusion.
It is a noble thing to come from a family of influence, affluence, high social and political standing. It’s what we all crave. To have a name that opens doors and yes, we strive for it. Name does not come the same for us all, for some it comes with wealth, fame, an establishment, a feat achieved, connections and sometimes a misdeed.  Whichever way, our names come with some responsibility which must be taught our children. The heritage of good fortunes should place emphasis on the responsibility rather than mere privileges.

Privilege must be balanced by duty towards the less privileged.

The French phrase NOBLESSE OBLIGE translates NOBILITY OBLIGATES, meaning that nobility extends beyond entitlements and requires the person who holds such status to fulfill kindness. It implies that with wealth, power or prestige comes responsibilities. Privilege must be balanced by duty towards the less privileged.  You are to live by good examples in your behaviour to exceed moral and social decency. And not to intimidate, loot, humiliate or ridicule others. The use of position to abuse the office of a teacher is wrong. Every teacher is to be honoured. Every office is to be revered.

Act should have been, scene never was
Students serve the punishment in good faith. Aggrieved student gets home, tells parents about the incident. Parents go to school to confirm the incident. Junior student is berated for being rude, senior students are reprimanded for their conduct, discipline is instilled. Respect is reiterated. Dignity upheld. Normalcy restored.

NOBILITY OBLIGATES.

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Maureen Awulonuh

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