Child Rights International is calling for a review of the Ghana Education Service’s code of conduct, arguing that it is currently skewed towards protecting the image of schools rather than the safety of children.
Executive Director of the organisation, Bright Appiah, says the existing code focuses more on shielding institutions from reputational damage than on guaranteeing justice and protection for victims of abuse.
“GES must review its code of conduct to ensure it is child centred instead of focusing on protecting the reputation of educational institutions,” Appiah said at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, October 20, 2026.
He argued that the current approach allows schools to handle abuse cases internally as administrative matters, which leads to cover-ups and delays.
“GES must ensure that allegations of abuse are not handled solely as internal administrative matters, but referred to the appropriate law enforcement and child protection authorities,” he added.
Mr. Appiah said a child-centred code would mandate immediate referral to law enforcement, victim support, and transparent disciplinary processes, rather than institutional silence.
The call comes in the wake of allegations against the interdicted headmaster of Obuasi SHTS, Zakaria Abdulai, who is at the centre of a JoyNews investigation by Manasseh Azure Awuni titled ‘Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow’.
The investigation reported allegations of sexual harassment, assault and rape involving female students. The number of students who have reportedly come forward has risen from 16 to 19.
According to the investigation, the school’s Girl Child Coordinator petitioned management in February 2026, while five students reportedly made complaints to the Obuasi West Municipal Education Directorate in March. Further alleged incidents were reported in June and July.
NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba has also revealed that 38 teachers who spoke against the headmaster were asked to leave the school, and that complaints dating back to 2025 were ignored.
The headmaster was interdicted on October 14, 2026, on the orders of Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu, who has referred the matter to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for criminal investigation.
The NDC, which had earlier cleared Abdulai, who is its Juaben Constituency Secretary, to contest the Juaben chairmanship despite the allegations, has made a U-turn. The party had said his constitutional rights must be respected while investigations continue, but has now demanded his resignation. He has since resigned from his position and withdrawn from the race.
Child Rights International says the Obuasi case is not isolated but symptomatic of a wider culture of cover-ups and delayed action within the GES, and is calling for a complete overhaul of safeguarding policies in schools.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka disclosed on Tuesday, October 20, that Abdulai has been arrested and the investigation transferred to the Police Headquarters in Accra.
He said investigators are following due process, including procedures for DNA testing, as part of the probe.
Activists declare today ‘Red Wednesday’ for Obuasi SHTS girls over alleged sex scandal
