The Volta Regional Director of Education, Madam Enyonam Afi Amafuga has called on students who suffer sexual and other forms of abuse at the hands of teachers to blow the whistle without delay for prompt actions to be taken.
“Cases of teachers defiling students are on the increase in the country and the Ghana Education Service (GES) is poised to deal quickly and mercilessly with such teachers”, she stated.
Madam Amafuga was speaking at the 66th Speech and Prize Giving Day of OLA Senior High School, Ho on Saturday.
She said that one headmaster in a senior high school in the Volta Region had already been sacked for a sexual misconduct towards a student.
The Regional Director of Education gave the assurance that the GES had put in place a mechanism to handle such cases effectively, give counselling and other forms of support to the victims and also deal with the perpetrators.
“The days of living with the fear and pains in silence are over and so please come out boldly and report such teachers to the school authorities or your parents”, she told the students.
The event was under the theme: “Celebrating the Past, Planning the Future for Women in Decision Making – Realities and Opportunities.”
Madam Amafuga said that the theme was most appropriate and relevant to contemporary and set nation development objectives.
For that matter, she said, girls should always be protected to pursue their studies smoothly without any traumatic distraction.
Earlier, the headmistress, Madam Regina Coffie, said that OLA Ho now had a total enrolment of 2,520 and teaching staff strength of 108.
She said that the school again scored 100 per cent in the 1919 WASSCE, as the school management continued to make frantic efforts to create a congenial atmosphere for effective teaching and learning.
Miss Stella Abrokwah, President of the 1994-96 year group of Past OLA Girls Association (POGA), the main sponsors of the celebration, entreated the students to obey the rules on campus all the time and study diligently towards a bright future.
Prizes were awarded to deserving students.
FROM ALBERTO MARIO NORETTI, HO
