The Ghana Education Service (GES) is set to intensify enforcement of regulations prohibiting teachers from sending students to their private residences to perform household chores.
GES Director-General, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, said the service would formally instruct regional directors to ensure that schools comply with the existing code of conduct, which bars teachers from involving students in domestic duties.
The move follows allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), where headmaster Zakaria Abdulai is facing allegations of raping 19 students.
The case has renewed concerns about student safety and the risks associated with informal access to teachers’ living quarters.
Speaking on the issue, Professor Davis said the practice of inviting students to teachers’ bungalows for household chores violates the service’s professional guidelines.
“I agree with those calling for a ban on students going to teachers’ bungalows. We are going to write to schools to make sure that it doesn’t happen because, in our code of conduct, in Section 3.7 (V), it is written that the students are not expected to be asked to engage in household chores,” he said.
He added that regional directors would be reminded to ensure teachers familiarise themselves with the code of conduct and comply with its provisions.
“And so I expect the news to get to all regional directors to remind our staff to familiarise themselves with the code of conduct and cease inviting students to do household chores because the code of conduct does not permit that. It is not acceptable,” Professor Davis stated.
The GES says the directive is intended to reinforce professional boundaries and strengthen safeguards for students in second-cycle institutions.
