‘Don’t treat it as an Obuasi episode’ – Kofi Asare calls for school safeguarding reforms

Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, has urged Ghana's education authorities to use the sexual abuse scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) as a catalyst for nationwide reforms in safeguarding systems. The allegations should not be viewed as an isolated incident, but as a wake-up call to review how sexual abuse complaints are addressed and how students are protected across Ghanaian schools, Asare argued.

He emphasized that the Ghana Education Service (GES), Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Gender should not treat the Obuasi case as an "Obuasi episode." Instead, it should serve as an opportunity to implement system-wide reforms in student protection. Asare suggested that an external agency should take responsibility for responding to safeguarding concerns, rather than relying on the same institution to handle complaints and oversee responses.

This approach would address recurring problems and prevent similar issues from resurfacing. The NDC's decision to withdraw candidate Zakaria Abdullahi from politics was commended by Asare, although he noted that the move should have been made without public pressure and advocacy. He stressed that political parties should be proactive in addressing illegal activities in school environments, especially when individuals associated with their parties are involved.

By demonstrating a clear stance on such matters, political parties can set standards for future incidents, making it easier to respond consistently and prevent the recurrence of similar cases.