The Ghana Education Service (GES) has been urged to strengthen safeguards against the use of students for domestic duties by school authorities, following allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High School.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) U.S. Chairperson, Nana Yaa Amponsah Frimpong, said schools must remain centres of learning and personal development rather than places where students are made to perform duties meant for domestic workers.
Speaking on Oyerepa Radio, in remarks monitored by MyNewsGh.com, she condemned the alleged practice and called for stronger measures to protect students from potential exploitation by school authorities.
“If you want someone to cook for you, bring your wife or sister to do it, not the students. They were not brought there to school to serve as servants,” she said.
Ms Frimpong stressed that the practice should not be tolerated in the country’s educational institutions, insisting that students must be treated with dignity and allowed to focus on their education.
“This should not happen in this day and age. That should not happen,” she stated.
She called on the GES to establish clear policies prohibiting the inappropriate assignment of domestic responsibilities to students if such safeguards were not already in place.
She further emphasised that the measures should protect both male and female students, arguing that all learners deserve equal protection against practices that could expose them to exploitation.
“If GES does not have policies around this, they should quickly do something about it to safeguard both male and female students,” she said.
Her comments come amid allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High School, renewing calls for stronger institutional safeguards to protect students and ensure that school authorities do not misuse their positions.
The allegations underscore the importance of clear rules governing interactions between school authorities and students, as well as effective mechanisms for reporting and addressing misconduct.
