Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has called for an independent review of the disciplinary action taken against a 14-year-old student of Bolgatanga Girls Senior High School (BOGISS) following allegations that she was sexually abused by two security personnel at the school.
The education advocacy organisation argued that the student should be treated as a child requiring protection and support rather than being sanctioned for alleged sexual conduct involving adults.
Eduwatch’s call follows reports that the student’s boarding status was withdrawn for one academic year after she was reportedly found guilty of “sexual misconduct” by the school.
The organisation said the decision required urgent reconsideration, particularly because the alleged perpetrators were adults working at the school.
“A child who is sexually abused must not be punished for the abuse!” Eduwatch stated.
The two security personnel have reportedly been arrested and are expected to face criminal proceedings.
Eduwatch welcomed the arrests and commended the media for bringing the matter to public attention while protecting the identity of the student.
The organisation said Ghanaian law does not recognise a child below 16 as capable of consenting to sexual intercourse with an adult.
It therefore questioned the basis for subjecting the student to disciplinary measures over conduct allegedly involving adults.
“A 14-year-old allegedly sexually abused by adults must first and foremost be treated as a child requiring protection, not as a consenting participant in the conduct of adults,” it said.
Eduwatch said the Ghana Education Service (GES) investigation should establish how the security personnel allegedly gained access to the student and whether the school took immediate steps to protect her after the first disclosure.
It also wants investigators to determine when school authorities first became aware of the allegations, who received the initial complaint, what protective measures were taken and when the matter was reported to the Police, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and other child protection agencies.
The organisation expressed concern that any delay in responding to the student’s initial disclosure could have exposed her to further harm.
Eduwatch also questioned the use of the student’s medical condition in determining the disciplinary action.
It said if the reference to the student’s “challenge” relates to her autism, the condition should have prompted greater protection and accommodation rather than being used to reduce a disciplinary sanction.
“A disability should trigger heightened safeguarding, reasonable accommodation and support, not merely a reduction in punishment from dismissal to deboardinisation,” the organisation said.
Eduwatch is asking the GES to overturn the finding of “sexual misconduct” and restore the student’s boarding status if the disciplinary action was based on the alleged sexual conduct involving the adults.
It is also demanding a comprehensive review of the school’s handling of the case, from the student’s first disclosure through to the involvement of law enforcement and child protection authorities.
The organisation wants Bolgatanga Girls SHS to undergo a safeguarding audit covering staff recruitment and vetting, supervision, access to students, reporting mechanisms and compliance with child protection guidelines.
It further called for the student to receive medical, psychosocial and educational support, together with reasonable accommodation and protection from stigma.
Eduwatch urged the GES to strengthen safeguarding systems in schools and ensure that cases of alleged child sexual abuse are not treated as ordinary student disciplinary matters.
It also called for the immediate interdiction of the two accused security personnel pending the completion of criminal and administrative investigations, while respecting their right to due process.
“When an adult sexually abuses a child, the system must pursue the adult and protect the child; it must never punish the child for being abused,” Eduwatch said.
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