The Church of Pentecost’s Schools Outreach Ministry has warned teachers against sexually abusing, harassing or bullying female students, urging educators to uphold professional ethics and protect children in their care.
The warning comes amid findings by the JoyNews Research Team, which has tracked at least 44 cases of sexual abuse involving teachers since 2015. School heads accounted for 40 per cent of recent cases identified by the team.
Speaking at an event organised in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to mark the International Day of the Girl Child, the ministry’s chairman, Rev. Joseph Buertey, condemned the conduct and said it contradicted the fundamental responsibilities of teachers.
“If you are a teacher and you are abusing a girl, harassing a girl, you are sleeping with a girl, what it means is that you don’t understand your profession,” he said.
Rev. Buertey said teachers were expected to educate, empower and prepare students for the future, not exploit them for personal gain.
“You are there to teach these girls, you are there to empower them, you are there to build a future. You are not there to exploit them,” he stated.
He warned that teachers found engaging in such misconduct would face legal consequences.
“When you are discovered, the law will deal with you,” he cautioned.
The event also highlighted the need to involve boys in discussions about girls’ education, safety and protection.
Korle Klottey Municipal Education Director Ebenezer Perry Ofori said efforts to empower girls should be accompanied by initiatives to guide boys and help them understand the challenges their female counterparts face.
He questioned whether enough attention was being paid to boys as programmes to support girls continued.
“As we concentrate so much on the girls, we realise that the girls will be shining and shining and shining. What is happening to the boys?” he asked.
Mr Ofori said raising boys and girls together would promote balance and mutual understanding.
“We need to also ensure that we bring the boys up; we have to bring them along so that together we get the two of them on the same scale for a balance,” he said.
A student who attended the event, Celestine Kporfor, said the discussions had reinforced her belief in the importance of educating girls.
She urged parents and guardians to invest in their daughters’ education, describing it as an important contribution to their future and national development.
“When you educate your daughter, you have made the best decision in this world,” she said.
The event brought together students from basic and senior high schools across the Korle Klottey Municipality to promote girls’ education, raise awareness about their protection, and encourage stakeholders to make schools safer.
The engagement forms part of broader efforts to protect the rights of girls and ensure that schools remain safe environments for learning and personal development.