The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, has warned education directors against shielding teachers and headteachers accused of sexual abuse, and has insisted that officials who conceal such cases will be held accountable. He gave the directive when he addressed the 33rd Conference of Directors of Education at the GNAT Hall in Bolgatanga, in the Upper East Region.
Dr Apaak stated that every allegation of sexual abuse involving learners must be reported promptly, and that accused persons must be kept away from students while investigations proceed. He framed the instruction as a direct order from the Ministry, which expects all directors to follow the proper reporting procedures.
“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.”
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak
Dr Apaak reminded the directors that they are aware of the allegations of sexual abuse involving a Headmaster at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. He declined to discuss the specifics, which are, or ought to be, under investigation.
No Quiet Handling of Reports
The case has triggered calls for accountability and for a thorough investigation into how reports of abuse are handled within the education system. An investigation by JoyNews and journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni documented allegations that complaints reached school and municipal officials months before the headmaster was interdicted.
The Deputy Minister stressed that reports of sexual abuse must not be treated as matters to be handled quietly. A school’s reputation, or the standing of the accused person, he indicated, is no reason to hold a report back.
“When a child or a parent reports sexual abuse by a teacher or a headteacher, that report is not an inconvenience to be managed quietly.”
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak
He went on to reject the idea that a complaint threatens the institution. Such a report, he stated, is not a “reputational risk to the school that must be contained”.
Seniority is No Shield
Dr Apaak urged directors to act promptly whenever allegations arise. The accused person’s seniority or standing in the community, he stated, should make no difference.
His warning addressed a pressure that officials may feel. A teacher with a long record, or a headteacher with wide local respect, can seem to deserve protection.
The Deputy Minister argued that such protection rests on a mistaken belief that it serves the system, when in his view it endangers the next child and the director personally. The directive leaves no room whatsoever for any exceptions based on rank, reputation or years of service, he clearly indicated.
The Deputy Minister added that the Ministry expects all education directors to follow the proper reporting procedures. They must also ensure that accused persons are separated from learners while investigations continue.
Separation has a protective purpose. It keeps alleged victims and other students from further contact with the accused, and it allows the inquiry to proceed without added risk to children.
Direct Reporting Line Announced Earlier
Dr Apaak had earlier announced that the Ministry will open a channel for students, parents and other stakeholders to report abuse and serious misconduct directly to the Minister or the Deputy Minister. That channel lets complainants bypass existing structures when they believe their concerns are not being addressed promptly.
His warning to directors at Bolgatanga complements that announcement. One measure gives complainants a route around unresponsive officials, while the other tells those officials what the Ministry expects of them.
“I say this to you as a direct instruction from the Ministry: every allegation of sexual abuse must be reported promptly through the proper channels. Every accused person must be removed from contact with learners while investigations proceed. And every Director who fails in this duty will be held to account.”
Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak
The directive places responsibility on education directors to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse involving learners are reported promptly and handled through the proper channels.
As investigations continue, the Ministry’s position is that accused persons must be kept away from learners and that officials who conceal reports will be held accountable. The effectiveness of these measures will depend on their implementation and on how promptly complaints are addressed across the education system.
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