Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist, Serwaa Amihere has called on the Ghana Education Service (G.E.S) to help put a stop to the filming of school children by their teachers for social media.

Quite recently, the practice of school teachers filming their students and putting the videos on social media for various reactions by the general public has become rampant.

In a series of tweets, Wednesday, February 22, Ms. Serwaa Amihere stated that the practice was becoming a menace, and should be ended.

She tweeted;

“Recently, there is a practice where some teachers in schools in Ghana, record an interaction between their pupils and put it on social media for likes and engagements”.
Serwaa Amihere

Serwaa Amihere also expressed her concern that these videos often make a mockery of these children although it might have been well-intentioned to highlight the challenges that school children face in accessing education and seeking help.

She continued;

“If such videos were highlighting the challenges these school children go through to access education and seek help for them, I wouldn’t have a problem. However, these videos make a mockery of these kids who either struggle to express themselves in English or other areas”.
Serwaa Amihere

The award-winning Journalist stated that practice was not doing the kids any good, could affect their confidence in the future, and could have lasting effects on these children; Hence, her call on the G.E.S. to help put a stop to it.

The media personality called for the end of the practice while adding that education is a fundamental human right, and every child should have the opportunity to learn without fear of being ridiculed or shamed.

She added;

“I entreat the Ministry of Education and GES to end this practice by some teachers because it is not right and can destroy the confidence of the kids.

“The digital footprints such videos will leave, will go a long way to hurt some of these kids and we need to come together with a common voice to end this. Let us protect our kids”.
Serwaa Amihere

Ghana Education Service

The Ghana Education Service (GES) is a government agency under the Ministry of Education responsible for implementing government policies that ensure that Ghanaians of school-going age irrespective of their ethnicity, gender, disability, religious and political dispositions receive quality formal education. The Ghana Education Service is governed by a fifteen-member council called the GES council.

The agency was established in 1974 by the National Redemption Council. It partners with organizations and is demarcated into various units to ensure the effective execution of its mandate to Ghanaian society.

The Ghana Education Service is responsible for; Providing and overseeing Basic Education, Senior High Education, Technical Education as well as Special Education, Registering, supervising, and inspecting private pre-tertiary educational institutions, Submitting recommendations to the Minister of Education for educational policies and programs, Promoting the efficiency and full growth of talents amongst its members, Registering teachers and updating the register of all teachers in the public system, Carrying out other functions that influence the attainment of the functions specified above, and Maintaining professional standards and conduct of its personnel.

The current programs being run by the Ghana Education Service are Complementary Basic Education (CBE) program, Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP), the Special and Inclusive Education (SIE) program, and the Pre-tertiary Education Management program.

The G.E.S. has various divisions which are responsible for developing educational potential in students. They are the Guidance And Counselling (G&C) Unit, School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Unit, Special Education Division (SPED), Secondary Education Division, Basic Education Division, and the Technical and Vocational Education Division.