Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak addressed the 33rd Conference of Directors of Education at GNAT Hall in Bolgatanga, Upper East Region, on Monday, declaring that any director who shields teachers or headteachers accused of sexual abuse will face accountability.
The remarks come after fresh allegations surfaced involving a headteacher at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, sparking calls for a thorough investigation into how abuse reports are handled within the education system.
Dr. Apaak urged that every allegation of sexual abuse involving learners be reported immediately, and that accused persons be removed from contact with students while investigations proceed. He warned that treating such reports quietly to protect a school’s reputation is unacceptable and endangers future learners.
Speaking under the conference theme “From Policy to Classroom: District Leadership for Quality Learning Outcomes and 21st Century Skills for National Development,” the deputy minister said, “Do not shield any teacher from the consequences of credible allegations in the mistaken belief that you are protecting the system. You are not. You are endangering the next child, and you are endangering yourself, because a Director who conceals abuse is not a bystander to it.”
He further instructed directors to follow proper reporting procedures and to translate ministry directives into action at district, circuit and school levels, emphasizing that protecting learners must take precedence over protecting adults accused of betrayal.
The Ministry will monitor compliance, and directors who fail to report promptly or who allow accused teachers to remain in contact with students will be held to account. The education sector will watch closely as the ministry seeks to reinforce safeguards and restore confidence in Ghana’s schools.
