During the edit training last week, when some trainees were editing, others were on their way to make another documentary. It's about sexual harassment at secondary and tertiary schools.

Although very few official numbers are available, it is known that in Nigeria in higher educational institutions lecturers often make unwanted sexual advances, request sexual favors from female students, or commit acts of sexual violence. Already within the group of trainees almost all of them recalled stories about female class mates being harassed by their teacher. Some of them experienced it themselves. Though the topic was not covered in one of their own documentaries, all of them agreed that it was important enough to make a separate one.

The documentary covers the story of some of the trainees. But also experiences of girls who are still in school, a testimony of a female principal who tries to prevent sexual harassment at her school, and a teacher providing information about her fellow teachers who actually harassed some of the students. It actually sheds a light on how teachers can continue harassing girls for a long period of time.

One of the interviewees is a young woman who told us about her experiences in secondary school. When she was 17 one of the teachers got her phone number and started calling her to come over to his place in the evening. She refused and as a revanche, the teacher flogged her in class terribly. She didn't dear telling anybody about it, because she felt ashamed. Not much later also the vice-principal tried to coerce her in having sex with him. She regrets that she didn't dare telling anyone, because she fears that even more girls got harassed by that same teacher and vice-principal.

In government schools hardly any official structures are available to prevent or punish teachers. It is not uncommon that teachers actually conspire in harassing girls, protect each other, and just deny everything - like happened to some of the girls. Because any punishment is lacking they feel free to do whatever they like. And because of the strong African tradition of respecting elders, the girls are often not supported but instead accused of leading the teachers on. Tactics the girls use to prevent themselves from being harassed by teachers were for example: keep your legs together, don't wear make-up, keep quiet, et cetera. Students perceive the harassment as a 'normal phenomenon', and most of them view it as a 'normal' part of school life one has to endure.

But this burden shouldn't be on the girls. So we are very pleased that some of them were actually brave enough to explain in front of the camera what happened to them and what impact it had on their lives. To at least open up a little bit about what is going on in schools - besides education itself.