By Dorothy Frances Ward
Kumasi, Aug. 28, GNA – Madam Aba Oppong, the Executive Director of Rights and Responsibilities Initiatives, Ghana, has called for stringent measures to curb sexual abuse in schools.
She said teachers and other educational workers who sexually abused school children must be made to face the full rigours of the law.
She said sexual abuse of students was a serious violation of their rights and could have long-term effects on their education, confidence and general wellbeing.
The health of young girls who are abused can also be in danger.
Madam Oppong, who was speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Kumasi, said teachers occupied positions of trust and authority, and therefore, any misconduct in the form of sexual abuse of children they were supposed to protect should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
She indicated that, recent reported cases of sexual abuse of students by some teachers and other school workers in some Senior High Schools (SHSs) should be a wake-up for educational authorities to take drastic measures to curb it before it degenerate into endemic levels.
Madam Oppong said schools must provide safe environments where children could learn without fear of harassment, intimidation or sexual exploitation.
According to her, allegations of sexual abuse involving teachers must be handled promptly and professionally to ensure that victims received justice.
She urged school authorities not to conceal cases of sexual abuse or any form of abuse to protect the image of their institutions.
Madam Oppong said protecting the reputation of a school should never be placed above the safety and welfare of students.
Such teachers must be exposed and reported to the appropriate quarters for them to be punished.
She called on parents and guardians to pay attention to changes in the behaviour of their children and take complaints about inappropriate conduct by teachers seriously.
She also encouraged students who experienced or witnessed sexual abuse to speak to trusted parents, teachers, counsellors or other responsible adults.
She said also that victims should not be blamed for the abuse, stressing that, responsibility rested with the person who committed the offence.
She called on the appropriate state institutions to ensure that reported cases were investigated thoroughly, and perpetrators prosecuted where evidence supported the allegations.
She further called for stronger safeguarding measures in schools, including clear reporting procedures and regular education on child protection.
Madam Oppong said teachers and other school staff should receive training on professional boundaries and the protection of children from sexual abuse.
She also appealed to communities to support victims and discourage practices that could force them into silence or prevent them from seeking justice.
She also called on parents to ensure that they provided the needs of their girl child and teenage girls so that they did receive offers from such men.
The Executive Director said a collective effort by parents, teachers, school authorities, communities and law enforcement agencies were needed to protect students and ensure that schools remained safe places for learning.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Benjamin Mensah
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