Deputy Education Minister Dr Clement Apaak has warned education directors against shielding teachers and headteachers accused of sexual abuse, directing them to report all allegations promptly and ensure that accused persons are removed from contact with learners while investigations continue.
Dr Apaak said education officials who conceal allegations of sexual abuse or fail to follow the appropriate reporting procedures would be held accountable, stressing that protecting children must take precedence over safeguarding the reputations of schools and their staff.
His warning follows allegations of sexual abuse involving a headteacher at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (Obuasi SHTS), a case that has intensified calls for accountability and stronger measures to protect students from abuse within educational institutions.
Also read: Front Pages: Top newspaper headlines for Monday, 26th October 2026
Speaking at the 33rd Conference of Directors of Education at the GNAT Hall in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, the Deputy Minister urged directors to handle every report of sexual abuse with urgency and ensure that established procedures are followed.
“You are aware of the allegations of sexual abuse involving a headteacher at Obuasi Senior High Technical School. I will not discuss the specifics of a matter that is, or ought to be, under investigation,” Dr Apaak said.
He cautioned education officials against treating reports of sexual abuse as internal administrative problems that should be quietly managed to avoid reputational damage to a school.
“When a child or a parent reports sexual abuse by a teacher or a headteacher, that report is not an inconvenience to be managed quietly. It is not a reputational risk to the school that must be contained,” he stated.
## Dr Apaak demands swift action on sexual abuse allegations
The Deputy Education Minister emphasised that education directors had a responsibility to act on credible allegations, irrespective of the position, seniority or influence of the person accused.
He warned that shielding teachers accused of sexual abuse could expose more learners to harm and make officials who conceal such cases accountable for their failure to act.
“Do not shield any teacher from the consequences of credible allegations in the mistaken belief that you are protecting the system. You are not. You are endangering the next child, and you are endangering yourself, because a Director who conceals abuse is not a bystander to it,” he warned.
Dr Apaak said the Ministry of Education expected directors to report allegations through the appropriate channels and take immediate steps to prevent accused persons from having contact with learners while investigations were underway.
“I say this to you as a direct instruction from the Ministry: every allegation of sexual abuse must be reported promptly through the proper channels. Every accused person must be removed from contact with learners while investigations proceed. And every Director who fails in this duty will be held to account,” he said.
His directive places renewed emphasis on the responsibility of education administrators to ensure that allegations of sexual abuse are not suppressed or ignored and that the safety of learners remains central to the management of schools.
Dr Apaak maintained that protecting learners must remain the overriding priority of the education system, particularly when teachers and school administrators are accused of violating the trust placed in them.
“This is not optional, and it is not negotiable. Our schools exist to protect children, not to protect adults who betray that protection,” he added.
The Deputy Minister was addressing education directors under the theme, “From Policy to Classroom: District Leadership for Quality Learning Outcomes and 21st Century Skills for National Development.”
He urged the directors to translate Ministry of Education policies and directives into practical action at the district, circuit and school levels.
Dr Apaak stressed that effective district leadership was essential not only to improving learning outcomes but also to ensuring that schools remained safe environments where children could pursue their education without fear of sexual abuse.
His warning reinforces the need for education authorities to respond transparently to allegations of abuse, follow the appropriate investigative procedures and ensure that the protection of learners is never compromised by attempts to shield accused staff members.