Ghana’s education system failed over abuse at Obuasi school

Ghanaian Deputy Education Minister Clement Abas Apaak has acknowledged a failure in the Ghana Education Service (GES) reporting system for sexual abuse in schools. He was speaking on TV3 on Tuesday, 20 October, after allegations of sexual misconduct at Obuasi Senior High Technical School came to light, according to Ghanaian media outlet 3news.

According to a documentary on the case, pupils had repeatedly reported the alleged incidents to teachers and school authorities, but their complaints did not reach national level. The ministry has asked the police to investigate the criminal aspects. The school’s headmaster has been suspended, while the GES has asked the education directors for Obuasi East Municipality and the Ashanti Region to step aside while their handling of the case is reviewed.

Clement Abas Apaak said the ministry was seeking to establish who had been informed, and when, as well as why the complaints had not been passed on to the minister and to him. The case concerns, among others, headmaster Zakaria Abdulai, who was the subject of an investigative report by Manasseh Azure Awuni. It follows calls to prosecute those allegedly responsible after sexual abuse and demands for justice from the Youth Bridge Foundation.

Ghana’s Parliament called for prosecutions on 16 October, after analyses published on 15 and 19 October examined power relations and the prevention of sexual violence in senior high schools. The Youth Bridge Foundation also called for justice on 20 October.