Include Anger Management in Basic, Civil Education, Say EU, UN

In order to curb and bring to an end the rising spate of
gender-based violence (GBV) in which women and girls are the worst
hit, the European Union, United Nations and federal government have
called for the inclusion of anger management in the curriculum of
basic and civil education.

Also, in its on-going tripartite collaboration which is known as
the Spotlight Initiative in which the sum of $10 million will be
disbursed annually to six pilot states for four years beginning
from 2019, the agreement is hinged on six pillars which include
strengthening institutions, supporting women movement, prevention
of social norms as well as the delivery of quality and essential
services among others.

Development communications specialist and former Commissioner
for Information, Sokoto State, Dr. Danladi Bako, who emphasised
this in Kano, during a media dialogue with the theme “Ending
violence against women and girls” and which was organised by
Spotlight Initiative, said with the inclusion of anger management
in the curriculum, young people will learn about civility, noting
that 80 per cent of domestic violence is provoked by hate speech
and lack of decorum.

Lamenting that gender-based issues do not get enough publicity
in the 725 radio and television stations in the country, as well as
in the mainstream print media, Bako reiterated that there has to be
a political will and a way towards making the male folk accept that
there’s equal rights even in a patriarchal society.

He said: “In critical issues, anger and temper management is
also a barrier. Do we have a curriculum on civility and anger
management? Eighty per cent of violence is provoked by hate speech
and lack of civility. We must recognise all these issues.

“Eighty per cent of violence is caused by provocation.
Sociological issues need to be interrogated and discussed,
especially with traditional rulers as they need to feed members of
their community who are appetitive and stick to culture and
religion.

“Kids must be taught how to control their temper as they reach
the stage of holding their own families. We must begin to sensitize
our children on our school curriculum.”

He called on any state government that has not domesticated the
Child Rights Act to do so as a matter of urgency.