Educational Research and Reviews Vol. 7(8), pp. 192-195, 26 February, 2012
Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR
DOI: 10.5897/ERR10.195
ISSN 1990-3839 ©2012 Academic Journals
Review
Disciplining of student’s vis-à-vis the
duties/responsibilities of vice principals in secondary
institutions in Oyo State: Yesterday and today
Adewusi, Aderogba Oladiran
1,2
1
School of Management, Laureate Online Education, University of Liverpool, UK.
2
Customer Care Management, Oceanic Bank Int’l Plc, 15 M.K.O. Abiola Way, Challenge Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
E-mail: aderogba.adewusi@yahoo.com. Tel: 234(80)33957849.
Accepted 8 September, 2011
This paper focused on how Nigeria’s teeming youth requires a high level of seriousness from all
stakeholders: the student, school administrators, teaching staff, parents, educational agencies and the
government. There had been much emphasis on the need for everyone to understand and play
specifically assigned roles, and to ensure that the posterity is not marred by foundational flaws in child
discipline. It had been noted that all the stakeholders are significant to the sustainability of discipline in
secondary institutions; a continuous and effective exposition for each category is significant to the
achievement of remarkable success. This study reviews the unavoidable responsibilities of vice
principals in the disciplining of students in Oyo state. The importance of comparing the past and
present forms of discipline in a bid to fabricate a better future for the next generation was also
considered. The paper stresses that inculcating the foundation of discipline in students can only be
successful if educators know the implication of failing to guide their wards to the threshold of success.
Hence, the need to squarely face and resolve any observed decay and decadence of norms and values
in our secondary schools with vice principals playing a significant role.
Key words: Vice principal, teachers, Nigeria, students, caning, Oyo State, child abuse.
INTRODUCTION
Instilling discipline in students of secondary institutions is
one of the most significant assignments of a vice
principal. This must be done in accordance to the laws of
the nation, state and the school. The term discipline is
often used for the administration of punishment to
students when an offence is committed, that is, when a
Vice principal is said to be disciplining a child, he is
meting out punitive measures to the student that had
exhibited contrary behaviours to the norms. This may not
always be the case, discipline also refers to the trait of
behaving well and in the confines of the school rules and
regulations; that is a situation where the vice principal
takes the position of a leader who carefully guides the
students through the rules and regulations for moulding
them towards their immaculate future. Whether
administrative or academic, a vice principal must be loyal
to the state and the principal of the school, he must first
discipline himself to be able to pass the good traits to his
students. The knowledge and ability to differentiate
“good” from “bad” is very essential in the appointment of
vice principals. He must be ready to explore all credible
avenues to ensure that these students conform to the
expectations of their parents, the state and other
stakeholders. This is the only way they can become good
leaders of tomorrow:
“School discipline refers to regulation of children and the
maintenance of order (“rules”) in schools. These rules
may, for example, define the expected standards of
clothing, timekeeping, social behaviour and work ethics”
(Nakpodia, 2010).
The issue of discipline in our secondary institutions
cannot be overemphasized, every school vice principal
must meticulously fashion out effective methods of
training students with a focus on the future. The methods
should be credible, and in conformity to the constitutions
of the land too. It is not good to have good rules and