The Ghana Education Service says the two staff members are off duty while police investigate an allegation involving a male student.
Two members of staff at Aduman Senior High School have been interdicted by the Ghana Education Service (GES) following an allegation of sexual misconduct against a male student at the school.
The GES, the state body that runs pre-tertiary public education in Ghana, named the two as Mr Isaac Yankey and Mr Palance Kwakye. Both have been arrested by the police in connection with the allegation, the Ghanaian Times reported.
What GES says happened
According to the service, management received a report that the two staff members had been involved in sexual misconduct against a male student. The matter was then referred to the police for investigation.
Interdiction means the two have been removed from their duties while the case is examined. It is a holding measure, not a finding of guilt, and it allows an investigation to proceed without the people under inquiry remaining in the workplace. GES says the interdiction stands until the investigations are concluded.
Neither man has been reported as having commented on the allegation, and no charges have been detailed publicly. The police investigation is the next step, and what follows will depend on its outcome.
Support for the student
GES said the student at the centre of the complaint has been given psychosocial support to protect his well-being. That typically covers counselling and follow-up care for a young person dealing with the effects of a traumatic experience.
The service added that it will continue to take the steps needed to keep schools safe places to learn, telling the public that measures will be taken so that all students study in a safe environment.
Why it matters
Boarding and day senior high schools in Ghana place thousands of teenagers under the daily care of teachers and non-teaching staff. Complaints of abuse in such settings test how quickly school authorities report cases to the police rather than handling them quietly in-house.
In this instance, GES says the report went to the police and the two staff members were taken off duty. For parents, including the many Ghanaians abroad who pay fees for children attending secondary school at home, that sequence, reporting, police referral, interdiction and support for the student, is the process they will be watching.
What to watch next
Three things will shape how this case develops: the findings of the police investigation, whether the matter proceeds to court, and what disciplinary decision GES takes once the investigation is complete. Until then, the allegation remains untested and the two staff members are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
NewsPulse GH will follow the case as the police investigation progresses.
