A teacher at Ekumpoano Catholic Basic School has accused some senior high school teachers of competing with male students for the attention of female students and punishing boys who try to get close to the girls. Stephen Desu made the allegations during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, October 20.
“It’s like sometimes they are fighting male students over the girls they are interested in,” Desu said. “Yes, over girls in the schools. And if you try to get close to those girls, those teachers will punish you, punish you till you leave those girls alone.”
Desu’s remarks come amid national concern over allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS). The headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, has been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and arrested by police as investigations continue. The case has drawn widespread attention following reports by JoyNews investigative correspondent Manasseh Azure Awuni.
Desu said sexual misconduct was not limited to senior high schools but was more pronounced at that level. “At the primary level, the problem is there. At the JHS level, it’s there. But it’s worse. It’s worse at the SHS level,” he said.
He added that some teachers actively seek postings to senior high schools because of the opportunities to engage in sexual misconduct. “And almost every school, if all of us will be politically correct with everything, everybody is aware that almost every school, there is one or there are two teachers who are engaged in this,” Desu said.
He urged the public to take concerns about teacher misconduct seriously and suggested that former students, especially women, could provide accounts of inappropriate behaviour they had witnessed or experienced.
The allegations raise questions about how schools handle reports of sexual exploitation and protect students from intimidation. Desu’s account suggests students may face retaliation when they try to form relationships or challenge the behaviour of teachers.
The Obuasi SHTS case has intensified scrutiny of the systems for reporting and investigating sexual misconduct in schools. Desu’s comments point to broader concerns about the misuse of authority by some teachers and the vulnerability of students in these environments.
The Ghana Education Service has yet to release a detailed response to Desu’s allegations.
According to Joy Online.
