Mmegi

A life changing mitigation

A close friend of mine once told me that, decades ago while at high school, he faced a case that warranted expulsion from school. When summoned to the school’s principal office, he had a feeling of foreboding that his fate had been sealed. Indeed, the judgment was that the school could no longer have him in the enrolment.

But while about to pack his things and leave, he asked to say something. And he was permitted to do so. In mitigation, he told the panel of judges if they were aware that they had just kicked out a first class student and therefore, denied the school an opportunity to shine.

That was a life changing mitigation. He was asked to step outside, and a few minutes later, he was given a very light punishment. The rest is history. The man has done well in life. So appreciating the complexities and intricacies associated with school educational management may not be fully realised through the lens of a pure academic exercise.

Editor's Comment
Depression is real; let's take care of our mental health

It is not uncommon in this part of the world for parents to actually punish their children when they show signs of depression associating it with issues of indiscipline, and as a result, the poor child will be lashed or given some kind of punishment. We have had many suicide cases in the country and sadly some of the cases included children and young adults. We need to start looking into issues of mental health with the seriousness it...

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