Parliament has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the rights, dignity and welfare of students and ensuring that educational institutions remain safe and secure environments for all children.
The commitment follows a joint enquiry by the Parliamentary Committees on Human Rights, Gender, Children and Social Welfare, and Education into allegations of sexual abuse and other related human rights concerns at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).
The enquiry brought together representatives of the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, the Director-General and officials of the Ghana Education Service (GES), as well as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, and officials of the Ministry.
The representatives briefed the Committees on measures taken by their respective institutions in response to the reported incidents.
In a notice, Parliament explained that the engagement focused on establishing the facts surrounding the allegations, protecting affected students, providing the necessary psychosocial support and counselling, and ensuring accountability where wrongdoing is established.
“The Committees also emphasised the need to strengthen child protection and safeguarding mechanisms in schools, as well as establish safe reporting channels that would allow students to report incidents of abuse without fear of intimidation, stigmatisation or retaliation.”
The Committees further indicated that they would continue to monitor developments and engage the relevant authorities to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to address the concerns raised.
