LAST week, I shared insights into the troubling incident at Christ-Mitots School in Ikorodu, where a teacher slapped a 3-year-old boy. We examined how schools often fail to ease children back into academic routines after breaks, opting instead for high-pressure methods that can lead to frustration for both pupils and teachers. Today, let us go beyond the slap and focus on two critical areas this incident highlights: the mental health of teachers and the cognitive development of children.
Teaching is one of the most demanding professions. Beyond delivering lessons, it requires emotional intelligence, adaptability, and patience, especially when working with young children. However, teachers often work under immense pressure, with minimal support, inadequate resources, and unrealistic expectations. These stressors can affect their mental health, leading to burnout, frustration, and even moments of poor judgment.
For a teacher to respond to a 3-year-old child with such harshness raises critical questions. Was she overwhelmed by personal struggles or professional demands? Was she adequately trained to understand how young children think and learn? Such questions point to deeper systemic issues in our education system that must be addressed.
Teaching is often described as a labour of love, but it is also one of the most stressful careers. Managing large classrooms, meeting academic targets, dealing with behavioral challenges, and balancing parental and administrative expectations are no small tasks. Add to this the lack of mental health resources and professional support, and it’s no surprise that many teachers experience burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion.
Symptoms of burnout include irritability, emotional detachment, difficulty concentrating, and even depression. A teacher battling these issues may struggle to provide the patience, empathy, and flexibility necessary to guide each child effectively. In cases like the Christ-Mitots incident, it’s crucial to consider whether the teacher involved was grappling with such challenges.
While her actions cannot be justified, they underscore the need for schools to prioritize the mental health of their staff. When teachers are supported, both emotionally and professionally, they are better equipped to create nurturing environments that foster learning and growth.
Equally important is understanding the cognitive development of children. This refers to how children acquire, process, and use knowledge. It encompasses skills such as memory, attention, language, and problem-solving.
Children develop these abilities at different rates, influenced by factors such as genetics, environment, and experiences. For example, a 3-year-old is still learning to regulate emotions, focus attention, and communicate effectively. At this stage, they are naturally curious and learn best through play and exploration, rather than rigid academic instruction.
Unfortunately, many schools and homes fail to consider these developmental stages. A “one-size-fits-all” approach often places undue pressure on children who are not developmentally ready to meet certain expectations. This mismatch can lead to frustration on both sides, with teachers feeling unable to manage their classrooms and children struggling to keep up.
To address these issues, we need a dual approach that supports both teachers and pupils.
For teachers, schools should provide regular mental health check-ins and counseling, offer training on child development and adaptive teaching strategies, reduce class sizes to enable individualized attention, and foster supportive working environments with adequate resources.
Supporting teachers requires more than just reducing workload; it involves creating a work culture where mental health is prioritised. Offering counseling services, fostering peer support networks, and promoting work-life balance can go a long way. When teachers feel supported and understood, they are better equipped to handle the emotional and academic needs of their students. Prioritizing teacher well-being is an investment in the quality of education and the mental health of future generations. By nurturing teachers, we ultimately create healthier learning environments for all.
For pupils, it is essential to recognize the uniqueness of each child’s learning journey. Schools can achieve this by using interactive, play-based methods for younger children and providing additional support for those who need it, all without stigmatization.
The Christ-Mitots incident is a wake-up call to reexamine our education system. Teachers cannot nurture their pupils effectively if they are overwhelmed and unsupported. Similarly, children cannot thrive in environments that fail to respect their developmental needs.
Let this moment inspire meaningful change. By prioritizing the mental health of teachers and adopting child-centered learning approaches, we can create educational spaces where both teachers and pupils truly thrive.
Next week, we’ll explore the role of learning aids and practical steps schools, parents, and policymakers can take to implement these changes effectively as we round up this topic. Until then, remember, every small effort to do the right thing creates ripples of change for the better.
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