As a teacher in a government institution, I have seen many pupils lie to save themselves from punishment. However, the case of one boy stood out, and I decided to investigate.
This little boy had been stealing people’s food when the pupils were out for assembly. It was an activity that had been going on for a week earlier. Every time I asked the class, nobody came out boldly to tell the truth. One day, during morning assembly, I decided to step out of the class and peek through the windows like a detective. I watched carefully until I caught the culprit.No CCTV cameras have been installed in the school back then.
He was a thin, skinny boy. Initially, I didn’t tell anyone in the class, nor did I inform,the headteacher) immediately. Deep down, I sensed something was driving him to do this. I called him to me, and he was fidgeting, unable to articulate properly. I asked him, “Have you eaten today?” He said no. I continued, “How long have you been stealing from people’s food flasks?” He claimed it was his first time. I said to him, “Anyone who lies is a thief.” Then I told him I had been watching him all along and that he had been stealing since the day I first raised the complaint—about a week earlier. I asked, “Am I lying?” He said no and began to cry profusely. I didn’t punish him further; the boy already knew what he had done was wrong, but he had chosen to steal rather than speak out.
Next, I reported my findings to the headteacher, who called in his parents. We discovered that his father had ten wives. What he did was abandon his wives at their parents’ homes. However, the boy’s mother chose to live alone, and the financial strain was overwhelming her. The headteacher, an Alhaja, mentioned that she knew the father and would address the situation in the mosque while also pursuing legal action.
Hmm! This week’s contest is about lies of omission, and I see that the boy deliberately lied to lessen his punishment, but I saw through it all.
Actually, I am a mother, and I sometimes use part of my salary to feed some of these vulnerable children to prevent them from going hungry.
Unlike traditional teachers who might call out these kids and flog them publicly, I try to correct them with understanding. I studied language and hold a degree in guidance and counselling. This has always led me to seek understanding rather than cast blame.
I don’t blame the kids; I blame the father for marrying more wives than he can care for. He believes that once he marries them, they should fend for themselves, a mindset that has clearly failed in the case of this child.
However, many of these kids’ parents return to thank me, especially during open days. I don’t take my responsibility toward these children lightly.
The truth is that you can intentionally omit part of story but we can detect those little inconsistencies using knowledge and experience.
I hope you enjoyed my response to this week’s prompt.
Thanks.