Rosary College Nise Principal suspends 55 students indefinitely for lateness to morning Mass

Fifty-five Senior Secondary School students of Rosary College Nise, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, have been suspended indefinitely for coming late for Mass and asked to buy a padlock each, whose market value is not less than N100, on resumption.
The boarding house students as part of the school extra-curriculum were expected to attend 6am Mass on Sundays. Some of the students who spoke to National Light on the condition of anonymity, said the officiating priest and vicar of St. Felix Catholic Church, Nise, Rev. Father Kenneth Okafor, said to be irked by their lateness, after the Mass asked them to kneel down at the school football field as punishment until evening time.
According to the students, while serving the punishment, the school principal, Mrs. Uzoamaka Ezeasor, asked them why they woke up late. While some students argued, they never heard the rising bell, others said they only heard Mass bell. She then asked them to write a report each on why they woke up late. After writing the report, she told them that the school has suspended them indefinitely. Ezeasor then directed the school matron to exclude them from lunch.
They thought the principal’s remark was a joke. At 12pm, the principal with two security personnel from the school wielding canes came to the hostels to drive them out of the school premises. While leaving the school, Ezeasor asked the security men to tell them that anytime they are called back they are to buy padlock worth not less than N100. 
The students who noted that the Mass was actually at its infancy when they came in, but they were expected to be seated before its commencement, wondered why they should be suspended indefinitely, nothing that for resuming late after the holidays, even for a day, students are asked to buy two bags of cement or pay its money equivalent and any student who fails to comply will not be allowed into the school.  
 Speaking to National Light in her office, the school principal, who initially was reluctant to state her own side of the story said, “The students were sent home because they were not keeping the rules and regulations of the school of which lateness for Mass was part of it. There are so many things coupled with that, they don’t attend classes.”
 Continuing on why the students were suspended, she stated, “They take their bath any time they like; this is not part of the school system. Morning prayers they don’t attend neither that of the evening. They do whatever they want and this is not part our system. Students who keep the rules and regulation are in the school and those that refuse to comply, have to be sent home.”
Ezeasor who was livid with anger, denied ever suspending the students indefinitely, and questioned who asked the reporter to investigate the matter, she further stated, “Let them go and spend one week, and then their parents would talk to them. Last Sunday, I sent for their parents to come here, pray for them, discuss with them, and tell them exactly the difficulties of their examination. They are 66 in number, not up to five parents came here because they know what their children are doing. We cannot tolerate that, they depend on examination malpractice, we don’t tolerate such things. The parents should talk to them and they should bring them back.” 
On the issue of 55 students buying padlock and for what purpose, she flashed a big padlock with keys on her table as the type to buy. When further asked what she or the school intend doing with that number of padlocks. She maintained that she has a place to keep them. On the allegation that when students resume late they are asked to buy two bags of cement or pay its money equivalent, she asserts, “This is not peculiar to my school alone.” On the impact, the suspension would have on the preparation of the students for their WAEC, she refused to comment on that.   
A parent who spoke to National Light, said, It was really hard for him to fathom the rationale for an educationist and principal of a school to send their students home for coming late for mass and on resumption to come with a padlock. He wondered what benefit the school would derive from it.
Rosary College Nise Principal suspends 55 students indefinitely for lateness to morning Mass  Rosary College Nise Principal suspends 55 students indefinitely for lateness to morning Mass Reviewed by Unknown on Thursday, March 23, 2017 Rating: 5

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