The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in the Atwima District has raised concerns over the handling of the case involving a Nyinahini Catholic Senior High School (SHS) teacher, Eric Buernortery Apaflo, who was captured in a viral video allegedly assaulting a female student. The association insists that established disciplinary procedures within the Ghana Education Service (GES) were not allowed to run their course before his arrest.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme, the Atwima District Chairman of GNAT, Amos Owusu, stressed that while the association does not condone the teacher’s actions, due process must be respected.
“We don’t condone what happened, but there are rules, procedures and codes of conduct that guide the teaching profession,” he stated.
According to him, the GES has clear internal mechanisms for addressing cases of professional misconduct, but those procedures were not fully exhausted before the teacher was arrested and arraigned.
“All these internal processes were not exhausted by GES in addressing this matter. Why didn’t we allow that process to take place before deciding to arrest and put him before court?” he questioned.
Mr. Owusu disclosed that the Ashanti Regional Director of Education had already summoned the teacher to appear before a disciplinary committee to respond to the allegations.
“The Regional Director summoned the teacher to appear and face a disciplinary committee, but he was arrested on Monday night before that process could take place,” he said.
He maintained that GNAT is not seeking to shield the teacher from justice but is calling for fairness and adherence to established procedures.
“All we are demanding is for a fair process to prevail, and then the next line of action can be decided while the law takes its course,” he explained.
The GNAT chairman further argued that the teacher had not gone through any of the disciplinary structures of the Ghana Education Service before his arrest.
“He didn’t even go through any of the GES processes,” he said.
Warning that the development could have wider implications for the teaching profession, he noted that teachers may be compelled to reassess their position if due process is consistently overlooked.
“If this is how we want to go, then the teachers will advise ourselves,” he cautioned.
Mr. Owusu also expressed concern about what he described as unequal treatment of teachers in disciplinary matters.
“We always want teachers to face the full rigour of the law, but justice never prevails when the teacher suffers,” he said.
He appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure that the teacher is granted bail as investigations and disciplinary processes continue.
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