APCI Urges Schools to Prioritise Student Safety, Launches National Anti-Bullying Week

Funmi Ogundare 

The African Principals Conference Initiative (APCI) has urged schools and education stakeholders to prioritise student safety, well-being and a positive school culture as they prepare for the 2026/2027 academic session.

The call came as the initiative launched a nationwide registration for the 2026 national anti-bullying week and school debates, scheduled to hold in November 9 to 13. 

The programme forms part of a broader national strategy under APCI’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal Ministry of Education to strengthen safeguarding measures and promote safer learning environments across schools nationwide.

The Director-General, Joseph Ayodele, in a statement, explained that the quality of education should no longer be measured solely by examination results or university admission rates, but also by how safe and protected students feel in school.

“The future of education will not be measured only by examination results or university admission rates. It will increasingly be measured by how safe our schools are, how protected our children feel, and how intentionally we build learning environments where every child can flourish emotionally, socially and academically,” he stated.

Ayodele noted that schools with positive cultures consistently record better academic outcomes, higher student engagement, improved teacher morale, lower absenteeism and healthier relationships among students, staff and parents.

Describing school safety as a leadership responsibility, he stressed the need for evidence-based policies, effective safeguarding systems, emotionally intelligent leadership and stronger collaboration among government, educators, parents and communities.

As part of its renewed drive, the initiative also unveiled a three-pronged national school safety framework to be implemented during the 2026/2027 academic session in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education and state ministries of education.

The framework comprises the national anti-bullying week and school debates, a national school climate baseline assessment scheduled for March 2027 to measure bullying prevalence, emotional well-being and school safety indicators, as well as a school leadership administrative evaluation to assess institutional leadership in areas such as safeguarding compliance, conflict management and student welfare.

The director general commended the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), led by its Executive Secretary, Dr. Aisha Garba, for supporting the implementation of the Federal Ministry of Education’s national anti-bullying policy.

Ayodele cited UBEC’s participation in the national sensitisation workshop on anti-bullying for Federal Unity Colleges held on July 20, 2026, and its support for school engagement activities during the 2025 national anti-bullying week in Lagos as evidence of its commitment to safe and inclusive learning environments.

According to him, “Findings from its 2023 student well-being and bullying tracking study, conducted jointly with Africa Brands Review, revealed that students exposed to bullying and interpersonal violence are more likely to experience lower academic achievement, increased anxiety, poorer mental health, higher absenteeism and weaker attachment to school.”

The findings, he stated, underscore the growing recognition that school safety is a key determinant of educational performance rather than merely a welfare issue.

He therefore advocated restorative disciplinary practices, social-emotional learning, teacher professional development, counselling services, peer mentoring and early intervention systems as more effective responses to bullying than punitive measures.

Ayodele appealed to public, private, faith-based, military, mission and community-owned schools across the country to register for the event, saying participating schools would gain access to advocacy materials, programme resources and a network of institutions committed to child protection and student well-being.

He maintained that every Nigerian child deserves to learn in an environment free from fear and intimidation, urging government, school leaders, teachers, parents, civil society organisations and development partners to work together to ensure that school safety becomes a defining priority of the new academic session.