Stop rampant abuse of students in school by Teachers – GNECC to GES
Stop rampant abuse of students in school by Teachers – GNECC to GES
The Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to put measures in place to help stop the rampant abuse of students in Pre-tertiary schools, which amounts to the violation of the rights of students.
In a press release dated 28th June 2022, GNECC cited the recent abuse in three Senior High Schools by teachers against students, which has to be condemned. They are:
- Teachers inflicting various degrees of injury on students at the Annor Adjaye Senior High School at Ezilibo of Jomoro district in the Western region, using the cane.
- A teacher, Ibrahim Salifu, allegedly poured acid on a 14-year-old student at the Nalerigu Senior High School in the North-East Region and lost his left forearm and right foot as a result for stealing a bicycle.
- The Assistant Headmaster of Bole Senior High School in the Savannah Region, Issahaku Jeduah, has allegedly raped a 21-year-old student. According to the victim, the Assistant Headmaster executed his plans in his workplace when he invited her over beneath the pretense of advising her.
The rampant abuse of students in Pre-tertiary schools is becoming too often, too common and the seeming lack of will on the part of the GES to apply the whip will only empower teachers who prefer corporal punishment and also and encourages the practice.
The reality is that, corporal punishment is still a common practice in our Basic and Senior High Schools, while many teachers who should be dealt with according to the teachers’ code of conduct’s prescribed punitive measures have been left off the hook.
The coalition has further stated that the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana frowns upon such acts and Part 3.8(a)(i) and Part 3.8(c)(ii) of the Teacher’s Code of Conduct which baorder on the physical abuse (minor misconduct) and sexual abuse (major misconduct) also kicks against the behaviour of teachers.
According to the GNECC, such acts have the “potential of making the school environment dangerous for effective teaching and learning and thereby impacting adversely on learning outcomes.”
It further suggested that the GES, NTC and the MoE should introduce “friendly and anonymous reporting systems in schools across the country that would create the enabling environment for students to report issues of violence to their well-being and to take responsibility in maintaining safe school environments for themselves.”
Again the coalition believes the strict application of the penalties as captured in the Teachers Code of Conduct against educators who violate the code’s best practices required of teachers will deter teachers from causing harm to students
“GES should strictly apply the appropriate penalties as captured in the Teachers Code of Conduct to promote safety within the school environment and deter teachers from causing harm to students.”
The press statement furthered that the coalition will continue to work with the government and the GES to ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.
To stop the rampant abuse of students in school by teachers, the GES needs to step up efforts and the time is now.
READ:GES must come clear with answers to 7 questions on the Annor Adjaye students caning saga
Stop rampant abuse of students in in school by Teachers – GNECC to GES full press release
28 June, 2022
For immediate release
RAMPANT ABUSES OF STUDENTS IN PRE-TERTIARY SCHOOLS IN GHANA
GNECC has followed with extreme concerns, multiple instances of students’ abuse on the part of some teachers in pre-tertiary institutions in Ghana which is a clear violation of the rights of these students and a threat to promoting quality education. These include cases of physical abuse (minor misconduct) and sexual abuse (major misconduct) as captured in Part 3.8(a)(i) and Part 3.8(c)(ii) respectively in the GES Teacher’s Code of Conduct.
Cases of such abuses in recent times include:
- Teachers inflicting various degrees of injury on students at the Annor Adjaye Senior High School at Ezilibo of Jomoro district in the Western region, using the cane.
- A teacher, Ibrahim Salifu allegedly poured acid on a 14-year-old student at the Nalerigu Senior High School in the North-East Region and lost his left forearm and right foot as a result for stealing a bicycle.
- The Assistant Headmaster of Bole Senior High School in the Savannah Region, Issahaku Jeduah, has allegedly raped a 21-year-old student. According to the victim, the Assistant Headmaster executed his plans in his workplace when he invited her over beneath the pretense of advising her.
These unfortunate occurrences contravene article 15(2)(a) and (b) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and Part 3.8(a)(i) and Part 3.8(c)(ii) of the Teacher’s Code of Conduct. According to the United Nations Committee on the right of the child (2001), “children must not lose their human rights by virtue of passing through the school gates”.
As a Coalition that is passionately promoting equitable and quality inclusive education for all Ghanaian children therefore, we are deeply worried over these unfortunate and avoidable occurrences in our pre-tertiary schools as it has the potential of making the school environment dangerous for effective teaching and learning and thereby impacting adversely on learning outcomes.
As we commend the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education for their effort to make the school environment a better place for students, it is our expectation that, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education will fast-track the processes towards the redress of the occurrences of such incidences in our schools. We also call for the following steps to be taken as a matter of urgency to ensure safe school environment for students at the pre-tertiary level across the country to prevent such occurrences in the near future.
- The GES, NTC and the MoE should put in place a friendly and anonymous reporting systems in schools across the country that would create the enabling environment for students to report issues of violence to their well-being and to take responsibility in maintaining safe school environments for themselves.
- GES should strictly apply the appropriate penalties as captured in the Teachers Code of Conduct to promote safety within the school environment and deter teachers from causing harm to students.
- Finally, GNECC will continue to complement the effort of government and the Ghana Education Service to make the school environment safe for children at the pre-tertiary level towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 targets.
For any information or media discussion, please contact the National Coordinator Mrs. Bernice Mpere-Gyekye on 0242336386 or the National Programs Manager Mr. Festus Longmatey on 0244963430.
Signed
Mr. Joseph Atsu Homadzi
The National Chairman
(0243417499)
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