There are punishments, and there are punishments.
In African schools, punishments depended on two things: the gravity of the punishment and the way the punisher is feeling at that point.
Here are seven of the worst punishments every Nigerian kid will never forget.
1. Caning
Caning is traditional and we all know the teachers who had some magic with the cane. The ones who couldn’t flog students always sent them to that one teacher.
2. Standing on the chair and raising one leg
You think this is beans until you’re up there for an hour
3. Blackboard/Notebook Writing
Will never understand the essence of this one but boy, it wasn’t easy. Imagine being asked to fill a 60-page book with “I will not sleep in class again” or “I will not talk when my teacher is talking again.”
4. Kneeling and facing the wall
This was peculiar to teachers who couldn’t flog. Noisemakers, trouble makers in the class were used to this. Some even slept while at it.
5. Picking a pin
Some called it picking a pin. Others called it stooling down. Whatever you called it, it demanded a great deal of energy.
6. Carrying stone
This was for the extremely troublesome kids. After they were flogged and probably didn’t feel anything, the teacher would ask them to carry a stone or a chair depending on the resources available.
7. Frog Jump
Imagine squatting up and down while walking to and fro a particular distance. In all of this, your hands are drawing your ear so bad. Who invented these things?
