Author
Okechukwu, N. C; PhD
Faculty of Education
Department of Educational Foundations (G & C),
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University
Igbariam Campus
Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors Email: nduchris001@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9083-8676
Whatsapp: +2347033232121
Abstract
This study investigated the integration of “omenala, the
indigenous moral and ethical framework of the Igbo
people, into institutional safeguarding practices within
rural secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria.
Despite the implementation of formal child protection
policies, a significant gap remained between Westernoriented institutional ethics and the deep-seated
traditional values of the rural community. Adopting a
qualitative phenomenological design, this research
explored how guidance and counselling practitioners
navigated the tension between standardised bureaucratic
requirements and local moral expectations. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus
group discussions with 20 experienced school
counsellors. The findings revealed that “omenala
functioned as an essential indigenous early warning
system, where communal responsibility and ancestral
accountability provided a more resonant framework for
safeguarding than individualistic disciplinary policies
alone. The study identified Communal Guardians and
Cultural Translation as primary strategies that enhanced
the therapeutic alliance between schools and families,
while Structural Dissonance, stemming from rigid
institutional mandates, was identified as the primary
barrier to effective implementation. The research
concluded that for student safeguarding to be sustainable
in rural Anambra, educational policy must evolve to
embrace a third way: a synthesis of formal institutional
rigor and indigenous cultural wisdom. Recommendations
included the formal integration of indigenous knowledge
into counsellor training, the establishment of
community-school safeguarding partnerships, and a shift
toward greater cultural flexibility in administrative
reporting. This study provided a practical roadmap for
practitioners to act as cultural brokers, ultimately
positioning indigenous moral philosophy as a dynamic
and necessary foundation for contemporary student
welfare.
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