Deputy Minister for Education Dr Clement Abas Apaak has criticised the handling of an alleged sexual assault case involving a 14 year old student with special educational needs at Bolgatanga Girls’ Senior High School in the Upper East Region, describing the response by school and education authorities as inadequate and poorly managed.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, August 20, Dr Apaak questioned why the school and relevant education officials did not take more immediate and decisive action before the matter attracted public attention.
He said the headmistress of the school, the Municipal Director of Education and the Regional Director of Education all had responsibilities to respond appropriately to the situation and should not have waited until the allegations became widely known before taking steps to address the concerns.
Dr Apaak’s comments followed controversy surrounding disciplinary action reportedly taken against the student, who is alleged to have been sexually assaulted by two security personnel attached to the school.
According to a letter issued by the school, dismissal would ordinarily have been the prescribed disciplinary measure under the circumstances outlined by the institution. However, the sanction was reportedly reduced to deboarding because of the student’s medical condition.
Dr Apaak said the government does not support the approach contained in the letter and maintained that the student’s condition should not have been used as a justification for what he described as an inappropriate response.
He said the student’s parents had rejected the contents of the letter and disagreed with the disciplinary decision and its associated measures.
The Deputy Education Minister said the government shared the concerns raised by the parents, particularly because the decision appeared inconsistent with the principles of inclusive education that the government seeks to promote within Ghana’s education system.
He stressed that a student with a disability or medical condition should receive appropriate protection, care and institutional support rather than face measures that could further compromise her welfare.
According to Dr Apaak, the circumstances surrounding the case raise broader concerns about how schools and education authorities respond to allegations involving vulnerable students, particularly when those students require additional protection and specialised support.
He maintained that the response of school authorities should have prioritised the safety and wellbeing of the student while ensuring that allegations of misconduct were addressed through appropriate investigative and administrative procedures.
Dr Apaak further argued that the handling of the matter was inconsistent with the government’s efforts to strengthen special needs education and advance a more inclusive educational environment in which every student can access protection and support regardless of disability or medical condition.
He assured the public that the Ministry of Education was treating the matter with the seriousness it deserved and disclosed that Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had assigned him to take responsibility for following up on the issue as part of his official duties.
The Deputy Minister said the Ministry would engage the relevant school and education authorities to obtain a clear account of how the matter was handled and determine why the initial response took the form it did.
He reiterated that the conduct of the authorities in dealing with the case was unacceptable and described the handling of the matter as seriously deficient.
The Ministry’s intervention is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the disciplinary decision, examine the actions taken by the school and education officials and determine the appropriate measures required to protect the student while ensuring that accountability is pursued in accordance with established procedures.
