General News of Friday, 23 February 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-02-23
Ejisuman Senior High School
Any teacher at the Ejisuman Senior High School who attempts to intimidate students as an investigation into allegations of mass sexual abuse continues, will be dealt with.
Ranking Member on the Education Committee in Parliament, Peter Norstu-Kotei who disclosed this on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show said, none of the teachers will be removed from the school until there is substantive evidence pointing to the veracity of the allegations.
In the meantime, all teachers in the school are expected to go about their duties as expected of them and in a professional manner.
“Allegations of intimidations will be reported to the appropriate authority…anyone who intimidates any student should be taken as one of the culprits and dealt with even before the results of the investigation are out.
“As a teacher, you have the moral responsibility to protect the child, so if you don’t do that and you are rather maltreating them or not making it psychologically impossible for them to stay in school, it is not part of the training that teachers have,” he added.
The Ghana Education Service has directed its Ashanti Regional Directorate to investigate allegations of mass sexual abuse at the Ejisuman School.
The directive came after a student of the school alleged that they sleep with their teachers in order to pay school fees.
The student said the teachers blackmail them into having sex with them in order to make up for the unpaid fees and avoid being sent home.
Indeed, those who do not give in, are either sacked or prevented from writing exams. This happened last month.
Just this week, however, the Committee investigating these allegations found – following accounts from students – that they were made to perform sex acts on their teachers.
Over 10 students said they told the committee they were forced by some of the teachers to stroke their manhood until they ejaculate as punishment.
Mr Norstu-Kortei however, said will be wrong to remove the teachers from the school on the basis of the revelations while the report is not yet out.
He admits that the students’ accounts are disturbing but “For now this is only an allegation so if you take them away, the classroom will be empty and the term will not wait for the students.
“So what needs to be done is for the investigations to be done speedily and come out with the recommendations as quickly as possible.
“At the moment we can only give them the benefit of the doubt…but if we transfer them or ask them to stay off, it will affect the students greatly so the situation would have to be managed such that both students and teachers don’t suffer,” he stressed.
He, added that if the committee found that indeed the teachers have gone against their code of conduct as prescribed by the GES, then they should be severely punished.
Mr Norstu-Kotei said the Education Committee will meet with the Investigative Committee in two weeks and will be advised on how to proceed on the issue following its recommendations.
The MP further stressed the need for the teachers to perform their duties without fail in order that the students do not miss out on any academic work.
For him, “the psychological and physical effect it will have on the children will be grievous if the situation is not handled with care.”
He also expressed great dissatisfaction at how the community in which the school is located handled the issue.
For him, if the first case was reported, it would not have to pile up and degenerate into something this massive.