TEACHERS’ TORTIOUS LIABILITIES TO STUDENTS AS A CORRELATE OF THEIR DISCIPLINE IN ANAMBRA STATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS

AUTHOR: IKEGBUSI, NJIDEKA GLORIA

DEPARTMENT: EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY

AFFILIATION: NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY, AWKA

This study attempted to ascertain the relationship between teachers’ tortious liabilities to students and their discipline in Anambra State secondary schools. The study was carried out because of the numerous conflicts that exist between teachers and students in our secondary schools in the sense that the ways most teachers handle students could lead the students into rioting. Also, teachers handle students without going through the due process of the law in the name of discipline, which a times could lead to injury or permanent disfigurement. The study exposed those acts or omissions that could instigate litigation. Seven research questions and seven null hypotheses guided the study. The correlational survey research design was adopted. The sample of the study comprised 1,182 respondents which was 20% of a population of 5,911. A researcher-developed instrument duly validated by experts was used for data collection. Based on the analysis of reliability using Cronbach Alpha procedure, the following coefficients were obtained for sections 1, 2, 3 and part C- 0.88, 0.96, 0.98 and 0.81 respectively. Aggregate scores and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to answer the research questions while the t-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study found among others that majority of the teachers have low extent of knowledge of both trespass to the person aspect of tort, defamation aspect of tort and negligence aspect of tort; there is very low or no relationship of -0.02, -0.11, -0.09, existing between teachers extent of knowledge of trespass to the person aspect of tort, defamation aspect of tort and negligence aspect of tort respectively and their discipline towards students; there is no significant relationship existing between teachers’ extent of knowledge of trespass to the person aspect of tort and their discipline towards students. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the Ministry of Education in Anambra State should organize seminars and workshops for teachers on tortious liabilities to enable the teachers become more aware of their tortious liabilities towards their students and how to handle students’ disciplinary problems in schools. The implication among others included that judges and lawyers in the Anambra State should design their programmes to enable teachers on training get good knowledge of education law. Again, educational laws should be made a compulsory course for all teachers on training.

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