Human Rights Committee Chairman at the Parliament, and Member of Parliament for Kumawu Constituency Ernest Yaw Anim has raised serious concerns over alleged sexual harassment and abuse in Ghana’s senior high schools, warning that the country’s child protection systems are failing vulnerable students.
The lawmaker, in an interview with Kojo Preko Dankwa on Kessben Maakye show in Accra called for urgent measures to tackle sexual harassment and alleged sexual abuse in senior high schools across Ghana.
According to the MP, several victims are minors below the age of 18, making the reported incidents particularly disturbing and demanding immediate intervention from the relevant authorities.
Speaking on the troubling development, the Chairman of Parliament’s Human Rights Committee revealed that the committee mentioned records concerning the past conduct of the Obuase SHTS headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai from his former school.
He indicated that the Regional and Municipal Education Directorates had been asked to step aside to allow the appropriate authorities to address the matter but that he said was not enough.
Ernest Yaw Anim disclosed that the committee has engaged the police to accelerate investigations and ensure that those found culpable face the full rigours of the law.
He stressed that the rights and freedoms of the affected children had allegedly been violated, describing the situation as a serious threat to their safety, dignity and education.
In another worrying revelation, the MP disclosed that a parent had reportedly threatened to prevent her daughter from continuing her education because she could not rely on GES for her ward’s safety in school .
The development, he suggested, highlights broader concerns about the treatment and protection of children within the educational system.
The Human Rights Committee Chairman also raised concerns about reports involving students in other institutions, including Toase Senior High School, Juaben Senior High School that the said headmaster Zakaria Abdulai has reportedly defiled in the past before the recent Obuase Senior High Technical School exposè.
He said questions had also emerged regarding the HIV status of an individual identified in his remarks as Zakaria Abdulai, although no verified medical information was provided.
According to Ernest Yaw Anim, the committee has received assurances from the Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, that investigations will be fast-tracked following the arrest of headmaster Zakaria Abdulai.
He indicated that the suspect would be processed for court as investigations progress.
The MP further challenged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to establish stronger and more confidential reporting mechanisms to enable students to report sexual harassment and abuse without fear of intimidation, victimisation or retaliation.
He emphasised that children must feel safe enough to speak out whenever their rights are violated.
In a strong condemnation of the situation, Ernest Yaw Anim said Ghana had failed its children by neglecting essential child protection systems.
He warned that the recurrence of such incidents reflected serious weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements and called for urgent reforms to protect students across the country.
His remarks have renewed attention on the need for accountability, stronger institutional oversight and effective child protection measures in Ghana’s educational institutions.
The allegations remain subject to investigation, and any individuals implicated are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
