Safeguarding failures leave students vulnerable, and teachers exposed when allegations arise, Amartei K. Amartey, Safeguarding Officer at Kingsdale Secondary Schools in the UK, has warned.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, he said professional boundaries protect both children and school staff. He argued that asking a female student to deliver food to a staff member’s residence breaches those boundaries.
His comments followed allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High Technical School and questions about how education authorities handled complaints.
“Why is a girl child carrying food to a staff member’s house? That’s a safeguarding issue. That’s a red flag,” he said.
For Mr Amartey, the danger extends beyond the errand itself. Such situations place children in vulnerable positions and leave staff struggling to defend themselves when accounts of an encounter differ.
“Why have you broken the number one rule, which is safeguarding—not just safeguarding for the child, but for you, the member of staff as well?”
He questioned how staff could protect themselves against disputed allegations after disregarding the rules designed to prevent such encounters.
“The teacher or this member of staff is claiming they are innocent. What is their evidence?”
Mr Amartey said compliance with safeguarding procedures was central to avoiding conflicting accounts.
“How do you mitigate he say, she say by following the rules? And you broke the rule.”
Asked whether a teacher in the UK could send a child from the dining hall to the teacher’s residence with food, he replied: “Never. You won’t even dream about it.”
He said such conduct could carry serious consequences in the UK.
“You will lose your license and possibly be charged.”
Mr Amartey also criticised the committee’s handling of the matter. He argued that the safeguarding breach should itself have demanded action.
“For me, it’s just been a waste of time.”
The controversy follows Manasseh Azure Awuni’s JoyNews documentary, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow. It examines allegations of sexual abuse involving the school’s headmaster, Zakaria Abdulai.
The Ghana Education Service says the headmaster remains interdicted. It has also directed the Ashanti Regional and Obuasi Municipal education directors to step aside while investigations continue.
The allegations against the headmaster remain under investigation.