President of the Women Forum of the Ghana Bar Association, Sheila Minkah-Premo, has called for schools to prominently display notices outlining sexual abuse prohibitions, possible sanctions and reporting channels to help protect students from abuse.
Speaking on What The Papers Are Saying on Channel One TV on Thursday, October 22, she said relying on school rules and codes of conduct was insufficient because students might not have easy access to the documents or understand the consequences of misconduct.
She proposed the installation of large signboards and posters at school entrances and administrative blocks to inform students about prohibited conduct, the penalties for violations and where to report suspected abuse.
Madam Minkah-Premo also urged schools to establish effective reporting mechanisms that allow students to report inappropriate conduct by teachers and other school authorities without fear.
She raised concerns about the difficulty students may face when the person accused of misconduct is the head of the school, questioning where they could turn when the usual reporting channels involved school authorities.
She said guidance and counselling units could play an important role in protecting students, but stressed the need for stronger measures to ensure that children and young people are adequately safeguarded in 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.
“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 said, stressing the need for clear and accessible information to deter potential offenders.
Her comments follow allegations of sexual harassment involving 19 female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School, where the headmaster has been accused of misconduct. The matter has been referred to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for criminal investigations.
The case has renewed attention on student protection and the mechanisms available to learners who wish to report alleged abuse by teachers or school administrators.
