A Ghanaian teacher has alleged that some teachers fight male students over schoolgirls, punishing boys who try to get close to girls the teachers are interested in.
Stephen Desu, a teacher at Ekumpoano Catholic Basic School, made the claim Tuesday on Joy News’ PM Express. He said some teachers at senior high schools compete with male students for the attention of female students.
Boys who try to get close to those girls are punished repeatedly until they back off, Desu alleged. He described it as a disturbing abuse of authority by adults who are supposed to guide and protect students.
Desu said sexual misconduct in schools is not confined to senior high schools. It exists in primary schools and junior high schools, he said, but is worse at the senior high level. He further alleged that some teachers seek postings to senior high schools because of the opportunities they offer for misconduct.
Desu also claimed that almost every school has one or two teachers involved in such conduct. He urged the public to take the concerns seriously and suggested that former students, particularly women, could share what they witnessed or experienced.
His claims are unverified, and no official response had been published by Wednesday morning.
The comments came amid national concern over allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School in the Ashanti Region. The Ghana Education Service interdicted headmaster Zakaria Abdulai on Oct. 14 pending a full investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving students, and a complaint has been lodged with police.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu separately directed Abdulai’s suspension and asked the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to investigate. Reports say Abdulai has also been arrested. The allegations remain under investigation. The case drew wide attention after a JoyNews investigation by correspondent Manasseh Azure Awuni.
GES Deputy Director-General Issahaque Munawaru said Oct. 15 that any staff member found culpable of sexual misconduct would be dismissed. He added that the GES Council approved about 15 dismissals in October in sexual harassment cases dating back to 2021.
His account points to concerns that students may face retaliation when they form relationships or challenge the behavior of adults in authority. The Obuasi allegations have also sharpened scrutiny of how schools receive, report and investigate sexual misconduct complaints.
Safeguarding specialists have also told Joy News that the school failed to create a safe environment for reporting abuse and that asking students to deliver food to teachers’ homes crosses a line. A parent has also raised concern over a lack of safeguarding training for teachers.
