Stephen Desu, a teacher at Ekumpoano Catholic Basic School, has stated that sexual misconduct by teachers is widespread across Ghana’s schools, alleging that almost every school has one or two teachers involved.
According to Stephen Desu, sexual misconduct by teachers has persisted for years but was often not openly acknowledged.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, October 20, Stephen Desu stated, “And almost every school, if all of us will be politically correct with everything, everybody is aware that in almost every school, there is one or there are two teachers who are engaged in this”.
Stephen Desu disclosed that sexual misconduct is at the primary and junior high school levels as well, but the problem is worse at the SHS level.
“At the primary level, the problem is there. At the JHS level, it’s there. But it’s worse. It’s worse at the SHS level,” he said.
He added, “And sometimes a teacher will be at a primary school and say, no, I wish to go to the SHS. Why? Because that’s where he can exhibit his predatory, you know, sexual misbehaviour”.
“And any time you have a situation where people are not punished for wrongdoing, it begins to fester. And more people learn from that misbehaviour and continue to do the wrong things. And a lot of people copy,” he said.
Also, Stephen Desu alleged that some teachers in senior high schools compete with male students for the attention of female students.
He revealed that some teachers punish boys who attempt to get close to the girls.
“It’s like sometimes they are fighting male students over the girls they are interested in,” Mr Desu said on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, October 20.
“Yes, over girls in the schools. And if you try to get close to those girls, those teachers will punish you, punish you till you leave those girls alone,” he added.
Additionally, Stephen Desu, also sounded an alarm about alleged transactional sexual relationships between teachers and female students.
According to Stephen Desu, some schoolgirls seek money from teachers in exchange for sex.
He also revealed that others may be drawn into such arrangements because of financial hardship.
The teacher stated, “There are girls in schools who position themselves to sexually exploit teachers for their money whilst teachers get sex from them in a transactional relationship”.
“Especially when this food issue came up in our schools, where they’re not getting food. Some teachers stepped up, and they were giving the girls money, and they were exchanging sex for the money they were giving them,” he said.
“If you leave your girl child in school and you don’t support her with money and she’s surviving, you as a parent, what makes you think that that child is surviving just because she’s just there?” he asked.
He, however, noted that teachers have a responsibility to protect students while acknowledging that misconduct could occur among a large workforce.
“I mean, all professions can boast, but the teacher taught them all. So we position ourselves as the noble profession. Unfortunately, if you have more than 300,000 persons in your classroom as teachers, you may get such persons as predators,” he said.
Also, Stephen Desu disclosed that sexual misconduct by teachers is widespread across Ghana’s schools.
He alleged that almost every school has one or two teachers involved in such behaviour.
“ And almost every school, if all of us will be politically correct with everything, everybody is aware that in almost every school, there is one or there are two teachers who are engaged in this,” he said.
“At the primary level, the problem is there. At the JHS level, it’s there. But it’s worse. It’s worse at the SHS level,” he said.
“And sometimes a teacher will be at a primary school and say, no, I wish to go to the SHS. Why? Because that’s where he can exhibit his predatory, you know, sexual misbehaviour,” he said.
The teacher’s comment comes on the heels of national concern over allegations of sexual abuse involving female students at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), headmaster Zakaria Abdulai.
@ghnow_ “He ejaculated four times before allowing me to go” – Victim recounts alleged sexual assault by Obuasi Sec Tech headmaster. Source: Joy News #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “He held my hands and rubbed them on his manhood” – Victim recounts alleged sexual abuse involving Obuasi Sec Tech headmaster. Source: Joy News #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
