Child Rights International has blamed systemic failures, especially what it describes as the silence and inaction of the Ghana Education Service (GES), for the increasing cases of sexual abuse in schools across the country.
The child advocacy group says the recurring cases point to a deep institutional failure to protect children, citing the latest scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) as a clear example.
The Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, addressing the media today, Tuesday, October 20, 2026, condemned the reported cases of assault at Obuasi SHTS and called for immediate accountability.
“This recurring pattern of Sexual Abuse raises serious questions about commitment to safeguarding children within our educational institutions,” Appiah said.
“Child Rights International condemns this state of affairs and calls for urgent, decisive and sustained action towards child protection.”
TV3’s Grace Hammoah Agyemang reports that Child Rights International said investment in education must go beyond infrastructure and focus on safety.
“Investment in education must go beyond funding infrastructure and learning, but also guarantee a safe, protective environment where every child can learn and thrive.”
He was emphatic that the GES cannot be trusted to protect children, bearing what it describes as its inaction and silence over such issues.
“GES cannot be trusted with the protection of our children in schools because of their silence and inaction on these matters,” he stated.
Child Rights International is demanding that the GES immediately publishes details of all investigations of abuse since 2018 and take immediate steps for the necessary disciplinary actions.
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, meanwhile, has cleared Abdulai, who is the Juaben Constituency Secretary, to contest the Juaben chairmanship despite the allegations, saying his constitutional rights must be respected while investigations continue.
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.
NDC makes U-turn on Obuasi SHTS headmaster’s chairmanship bid
