OPINION: Balancing Safety and Student Autonomy

By Bright Olayiwola

Almost every residential area, whether private; residential estates or public; student hostels, lodges and boy quarters both o campus and off campus have one thing in common which is the daily curfew. Curfew is a rule or regulation that requires people to be indoor at a particular time. It is also a restriction on movement or activity during specific hours, typically imposed for safety, security or disciplinary reasons. Students, especially freshmen, may find these restrictions on their ‘freedom’ outrageous. While not pushing an agenda of total abolishment of curfew, it is widely supported for early curfew to be relaxed.

In some hostels, the curfew is early and all resident students are expected to be inside and anyone coming after that time is not to be allowed to come in. A relaxed curfew will give students the chance to take part in late-night study sessions and so on. Those who also couldn’t beat the curfew time due to cogent reasons should also be given entrance after showing proof of residence.

As earlier stated, curfews are usually imposed for security and safety reasons and should not go beyond what it is meant for. It should not be used as a means to oppress or threaten occupants of a place of residence.

Curfews to a certain extent limit the trust that should actually be given to young adults as it put them up as people who are not really independent and can’t get things done properly by themselves unless they get someone restraining them. This limit has an impact on the smooth transitioning of these young adults to independent living and the responsibilities and freedom of adulthood.

With flexible schedules now on the rise in this century, there is a serious need to reconsider the relevance of curfews. These curfews should be relaxed to a later time and freedom be given to these young ones to manage and organize their time effectively. Students come to the University to develop themselves, and if this major goal is not achieved, the time spent is just a waste. A major development in the individual student is learning how to be autonomous and the strict use of curfews limits the achievement of this goal. Relaxed curfews will do more good in the area of students being more autonomous according to the average standard.

Concerns about the effect of relaxation of curfews are valid like concerns about safety and responsibility. For example, strict curfew allows students the compulsory choice of taking responsibility especially as they will not be allowed into the hall if they fail to meet the curfew. But, the relaxation of the curfew in my view will do better than a strict sense of curfew in that students take responsibility by themselves and are more careful to fulfill it especially in preserving their integrity.

An impactful recommendation that can be given as another choice to the safety that strict curfews bring is to increase the level of security in and around the residential area. Security like patrol teams, vigilantes, and armed security officers can be employed for this. Also, communication about safety expectations and constantly educating and training students about their safety and how they can effectively be realistic about their safety in their environment.

“I don’t believe in curfews, because you can’t treat men like they were boys without forfeiting a certain level of trust”, this short statement by Phil Jackson depicts the limiting and restrictive effects of curfews on people that are recognized as adults and how trust can be lost if this kind of strict curfew is not intentionally relaxed by the managements of these halls of residence. Curfews are about safety, self-control, time management and feeling fresh for the next day and should be flexible if students show responsibility. The goal is to strike a balance between freedom and safety, fostering trust and responsibility along the way.

It is time to move beyond the restrictive mindset of traditional curfews. By relaxing these rules, we can empower students to take ownership of their lives, foster a sense of community, and adapt to the demands of modern education. Authorities should reassess their policies, trusting students to make responsible choices and thrive in an environment that values autonomy and growth.