The Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED), has called for stronger protections for girls in schools, warning that complaints of sexual abuse must be acted upon promptly rather than waiting for public exposure to trigger action.
The organisation says confidential reporting channels, access to healthcare and psychosocial support and protection against intimidation and victimisation are essential to ensuring that students can report abuse without fear.
In a statement issued last Tuesday, 2026, GenCED said allegations involving the Headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Zakaria Abdulai, should prompt a wider review of safeguarding systems across Ghana’s educational institutions.
The allegations received renewed public attention following an investigative report by Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.
Following the reports, the Minister for Education directed the headmaster’s suspension, while the Ghana Education Service (GES) interdicted him pending investigations.
The criminal aspects of the allegations were referred to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.
The GES also directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education to step aside, while investigations continued.
Protect girls
GenCED called for the affected students to receive appropriate healthcare, counselling and psychosocial support, alongside measures to protect their identities and prevent retaliation.
It stressed that no student should have to choose between personal safety and access to education, adding that children must not be made to feel responsible for the alleged misconduct of adults entrusted with their care.
Review safeguards
The organisation urged the GES to review school safeguarding procedures to ensure that complaints involving teachers, head teachers and senior education officials could be reported confidentially and handled effectively.
It also called for safeguarding training for school authorities, stronger oversight and clear protections for students and staff who report abuse in good faith.
GenCED said reporting systems must provide alternative channels for students whose complaints are ignored or mishandled within their schools.
Act early
The organisation expressed concern over media reports suggesting that complaints might have reached education authorities before the allegations attracted widespread public attention.
It called for investigators to establish what complaints were received, how they were handled and whether opportunities to prevent further harm were missed.
GenCED stressed that the allegations must be investigated impartially and that any accountability measures must follow due process.
It said the case should serve as a reminder that safeguarding systems must work before allegations become national headlines, insisting that children’s safety must take precedence over protecting the reputation or influence of individuals and institutions.
