Former National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) President Angel Carbonu has warned that sexual relationships between senior and junior students in Ghanaian senior high schools (SHSs) are among the most dangerous forms of sexual misconduct. Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, October 24, Mr Carbonu said newly admitted students, especially girls entering the secondary school environment for the first time, could be exposed to advances from older boys.
Mr Carbonu’s comments came amid allegations that Obuasi Senior High Technical School headmaster Zakaria Abdulai has raped 19 students. While acknowledging the severity of teacher‑student abuse, Carbonu argued that discussions must also cover student‑to‑student dynamics, particularly when senior boys pursue younger girls.
“I want to do a little bit of recalibration and expand the discussion a little bit. Yes, it is very grievous for a teacher to engage in any sexual relationship with a child but the most dangerous sexual relationship that goes on in the schools is among student to student. And we are talking about senior students and junior students,” he said. “And that is very dangerous and that is very frequent. So you have a child who has never gone out of home before, brought to the school environment for the first time and then you have a boy who has been in the school for the past two or three years making sexual advances towards the girl. It is against school rules, but it happens.”
Carbonu urged schools to broaden their protective measures and to treat student‑to‑student misconduct with the same seriousness as teacher‑student abuse. The former NAGRAT president’s remarks highlight a growing concern over hidden vulnerabilities within Ghana’s secondary education system.
