Obuasi SHTS scandal: GES Director-General must resign – Former GNAT General Secretary

The central issue is the alleged sexual abuse of students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. The allegations matter because they concern young people placed under school authorities’ care. They also raise questions about whether education officials responded properly and protected students.

The case reportedly involves allegations that the headmaster had sexual relations with 19 female students. The headmaster has reportedly claimed that eight teachers conspired against him. These details became public through an investigative documentary by journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.

David Ofori Acheampong, a former GNAT General Secretary, said the GES Director-General should resign and accept responsibility. His comments show the wider debate is not limited to the alleged conduct itself. It also concerns leadership, accountability, and confidence in systems meant to keep students safe.

The reported figures are 19 female students and eight teachers. Nineteen is the number of students allegedly involved in sexual misconduct allegations concerning the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School. Eight is the number of teachers he reportedly said had plotted against him.

These numbers describe different parts of the dispute. The 19 students relate to the alleged sexual relations. The eight teachers relate to the headmaster’s reported explanation of opposition within the school. The article does not establish whether the allegations are proven or explain the teachers’ identities.

The figures matter because they show why the case attracted public concern. A former GNAT leader said the GES Director-General should take responsibility for how the situation was handled. The allegations were brought to wider attention through an investigative documentary by Manasseh Azure Awuni.

The Ghana Education Service is the government body that administers public pre-tertiary education in Ghana. It connects national education policy with the daily running of public schools. That makes its leadership important when schools face serious complaints about student welfare or staff conduct.

The article does not list the Director-General’s specific duties. In general, the Director-General leads the Service, supervises its administration, supports public-school management, and helps enforce professional and safety standards. The role can also involve coordinating regional and school-level officials, handling staffing matters, and ensuring policies are followed.

In this case, David Ofori Acheampong argued that the GES leadership should take responsibility for the handling of allegations at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. The call for resignation therefore reflects concern about institutional oversight, not only the conduct alleged against one headmaster.

School leaders shape what happens after an abuse allegation is reported. Their response can protect students, preserve evidence, and ensure a fair investigation. It can also prevent retaliation or further contact between an accused staff member and students. Poor handling may allow risks to continue.

For example, if a headmaster focuses only on claiming that teachers plotted against him, attention may shift away from the allegations involving students. A safer response would promptly report the concern through proper channels, protect affected students, and avoid treating the school as the investigator of its own case. The article reports that eight teachers were accused of conspiring against the headmaster.

Public trust depends on visible responsibility. In this case, David Ofori Acheampong said the GES Director-General should resign over the handling of the situation. Strong procedures and transparent accountability can reassure students, families, teachers, and the wider public.

Safeguarding procedures are designed to reduce immediate danger and ensure allegations are handled properly. When a staff member is accused, the school should listen carefully, record the report, protect the student from retaliation, and notify the appropriate child-protection, education, or law-enforcement authorities. The accused should not control the response.

For example, the accused staff member may need to be removed from contact with students while an impartial investigation proceeds. The school should preserve messages, records, and other evidence, while offering trusted support to affected students. It should limit unnecessary disclosure of identities. These steps help protect children without deciding guilt before the investigation.

The article does not describe procedures used at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. It reports allegations involving 19 female students and criticism of the GES response. The forward lesson is that schools need clear reporting routes, trained staff, independent review, and leadership that puts student safety first.

Authority creates a power imbalance because students depend on school staff for instruction, discipline, evaluations, recommendations, and access to opportunities. A headmaster also holds senior status within the school. This dependence can make a student feel pressured, frightened, or unable to speak freely.

The concern is especially serious when the allegation involves a school leader and students under the school’s care. The article reports allegations of sexual relations involving the headmaster and 19 female students. It also says the headmaster reportedly blamed eight teachers for conspiring against him. Those claims do not resolve the allegations, but they show why an independent response matters.

Schools must therefore treat such complaints as safeguarding issues, not ordinary workplace disputes. Students need safe reporting channels and protection from retaliation. Investigators must examine the facts fairly. Leaders must avoid using their authority to influence students, witnesses, or the handling of the case.

Safeguarding is the broad duty to protect children’s safety, dignity, and welfare in institutions such as schools. It is more than responding after harm occurs. It includes preventing abuse, recognizing warning signs, creating trusted reporting routes, and making sure adults act when concerns arise.

In practice, a school should have clear rules, trained staff, confidential ways to report concerns, and procedures for referral and investigation. It should protect a child from further contact with an accused adult while respecting fair process. It should also support affected students and prevent retaliation. These measures are especially important when the accused person has authority.

The article raises safeguarding concerns through allegations involving 19 female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. It also reports criticism of the GES leadership’s handling of the situation. That context shows why safeguarding requires both immediate student protection and accountable institutional leadership.