The President of the Women Forum of the Ghana Bar Association, Sheila Minkah-Premo, has called on schools to prominently display notices detailing sexual misconduct rules, the penalties for violations and channels for reporting abuse to strengthen student protection.
Speaking on What The Papers Are Saying on Channel One TV on Thursday, October 22, she said relying solely on school regulations and codes of conduct was inadequate, as students might not have access to such documents or be fully aware of the consequences of misconduct.
Madam Minkah-Premo proposed that large signboards and posters be installed at school entrances and administrative blocks to clearly communicate prohibited behaviour, the sanctions for offenders and the appropriate channels for reporting suspected abuse.
She also stressed the need for effective reporting systems that enable students to report inappropriate conduct by teachers and other school authorities without fear of intimidation or victimisation.
She expressed concern about the challenges students could face when the person accused of misconduct is the head of the school, questioning where learners could seek help when the established reporting channels involve the very authorities they may wish to report.
Although she acknowledged the important role of guidance and counselling units in safeguarding students, she maintained that stronger measures were needed to ensure that children and young people were adequately protected within educational institutions.
“When anyone enters a senior high school or technical school, there should be huge signboards displaying the rules. Sometimes, when information is hidden in books or codes of conduct, people do not have access to it. Let’s put up posters instead. In Ghana, we should make a deliberate effort to put up large posters in front of every school administration block, clearly stating the rules,” she said.
She further emphasised that the notices should clearly spell out the consequences of violating the rules, arguing that prohibitions without specified sanctions might not serve as an effective deterrent.
“For instance, the posters should state, ‘Do not engage in sexual misconduct with students.’ The posters should also clearly outline the consequences of violating these rules. If you state a rule or principle without indicating the sanctions or penalties for breaching it, people may not take it seriously,” she added.
Her comments follow allegations of sexual misconduct involving 19 female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, where the headmaster has been accused of wrongdoing. The matter has been referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for criminal investigations.
The case has reignited public discussion about student safety in schools and the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for reporting alleged abuse involving teachers and school administrators.
