Child Rights International (CRI) has expressed concern over recurring reports of sexual abuse involving children in Ghana’s basic and senior high schools, urging urgent reforms to strengthen child protection, institutional accountability and the response to abuse allegations. The organisation noted a disturbing trend in which complaints of abuse are reportedly made, but decisive action appears to be taken only after cases gain widespread public attention through viral videos or media investigations.
In a statement, CRI criticised what it described as an inadequate response to child sexual abuse in educational institutions, stressing the need for a system that treats every complaint seriously and ensures that allegations are promptly addressed through appropriate investigative, accountability and justice processes.
The organisation cautioned that children’s safety and access to justice should never depend on public outrage or media exposure. It said the recurring cases raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of existing reporting mechanisms and the capacity of schools to protect children from abuse. According to CRI, educational institutions must go beyond providing academic instruction to create safe environments where children can learn without fear and have their rights, dignity, privacy and well-being protected.
The organisation is therefore calling for sustained efforts to ensure that every child who reports abuse receives the necessary support and that all allegations are thoroughly investigated by the appropriate authorities. It further emphasised the importance of holding individuals and institutions accountable whenever negligence, misconduct or failures in child protection are established.
CRI’s concerns arise against the backdrop of significant government investment in Ghana’s education sector. The organisation examined education budget allocations from 2022 to 2025, using data attributed to Eduwatch in 2025. Its analysis indicates that substantial public resources have been committed to education, with 2025 recording the highest allocation to the basic and secondary education cycles.
However, CRI emphasised that increased education spending must deliver meaningful improvements in children’s lives, including stronger child protection mechanisms and safer school environments. It argued that investment in education cannot be deemed fully effective if learners remain vulnerable to abuse and other threats to their well-being.
The organisation stressed that education policies must extend beyond infrastructure, teaching and learning materials to incorporate child safeguarding measures, professional support services and reliable procedures for receiving and addressing complaints. In its statement, CRI expressed serious reservations about the Ghana Education Service’s current capacity to adequately protect children, arguing that existing systems require fundamental reforms to ensure that child protection concerns are addressed independently, professionally and without delay.
Its recommendations emphasise the need for independent oversight, greater involvement of social welfare professionals and clear referral procedures to ensure that suspected criminal offences are reported to the appropriate authorities for investigation and action.
CRI maintained that child protection must be an ongoing institutional obligation rather than a response triggered only when allegations attract widespread public attention. It therefore called for a renewed national commitment to safeguarding children across all educational institutions, stressing that the effectiveness of Ghana’s education system should be measured not only by its ability to educate learners but also by its capacity to ensure their safety, dignity and overall well-being.
