22/06/2025
Dear Parents and Teachers: A Heartfelt Plea on Behalf of Our Daughters…. By Esomnofu Chidiebube Ifechukwu
If you are a parent—especially of a girl child—please, I beg you, take special care. I am not in any way suggesting that boys don’t deserve our attention; they absolutely do. But let’s be honest: female children mature faster—emotionally, physically, and mentally. And because of that, they often face unique vulnerabilities at a much earlier age.
I’ve been teaching for over a decade now, and from my earliest years in the classroom, especially in senior secondary school, I observed something deeply troubling. You walk into a class, full of passion and commitment, ready to teach mathematics or any subject—and then, midway into your explanation on indices or algebra, a hand goes up. But instead of a question related to the topic, you hear:
“Sir, I like your trousers.”
“You look handsome today.”
“Are you married?”
“How old are you?”
These are not academic questions. They are signs. Signs that these children are at a sensitive stage of self-discovery. Their minds are searching for validation, attention, affection—even if they don’t understand it fully. And without the right guidance, they may seek it in the wrong places.
That is why parents must be vigilant—not overbearing, but intentionally present. Don’t just buy clothes, pay fees, and think your job is done. Talk to your daughters. Guide them. Warn them. Watch them. Be their safe space.
And to my fellow male teachers, I speak with a heavy heart: not every compliment is an invitation. Not every glance is a green light. You are not just a teacher of subjects—you are a teacher of values. Be disciplined. Be responsible. These girls are not temptations; they are someone’s daughter, someone’s hope, someone’s entire world. Please, don’t be the one who ruins that world.
If we fail to mentor these girls with integrity, we risk handing them over to a world that will not be as merciful. Let us raise them with wisdom, not leave them to figure life out through regret.
Because when a girl child stumbles—especially due to the silence or failure of the adults around her—the scars often last a lifetime.
Please, let’s do better. For our daughters. For our conscience. For the future.
