A teacher at Ekumpoano Catholic Basic School, Stephen Desu, has alleged that sexual misconduct by teachers is widespread across Ghana’s schools, claiming that almost every school has one or two teachers involved in such behaviour. He said the problem had persisted for years but was often not openly acknowledged, warning that failure to confront it decisively could leave students vulnerable to abuse.
“And almost every school, if all of us will be politically correct with everything, everybody is aware that in almost every school, there is one or there are two teachers who are engaged in this,” Mr Desu said during an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, October 20.
The comments came amid growing scrutiny after allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS). The school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai, has been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) and arrested by the police as investigations continue, although the allegations against him have not yet been established in court.
Mr Desu added that the problem is not limited to senior high schools; concerns exist at the primary and junior high school levels as well. “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 also alleged that some teachers view postings to senior high schools as an opportunity to engage in sexual misconduct.
Asked whether colleagues made such comments, he replied, “Of course.” He blamed the GES for failing to deal decisively with sexual misconduct, arguing that when people are not punished for wrongdoing, others are encouraged to repeat the behaviour. “And any time you have a situation where people are not punished for wrongdoing, it begins to fester. And more people learn from that misbehaviour and continue to do the wrong things. And a lot of people copy,” he said.
Mr Desu called for a more decisive response from education authorities, particularly in dealing with complaints and ensuring that students are protected. The allegations surrounding Obuasi SHTS have renewed scrutiny of how schools respond to complaints of sexual misconduct and whether existing safeguards adequately protect students.
While Mr Desu’s claim that such behaviour occurs in almost every school has not been independently substantiated, the case highlights the need for credible investigations and stronger enforcement of student protection policies.
