ABURI—A disturbing incident has shaken Adonteng Senior High School in Aburi after a female student was allegedly assaulted by her House Mistress. The attack, reportedly triggered by the student wearing “charlewate” (sandals), has raised serious questions about discipline and teacher conduct at the institution.
The victim, a Form 3 student sitting for the WASSCE, was allegedly physically assaulted by her House Mistress. According to reports, the student courageously reported the incident to the school authorities, after which she was directed to the sick bay for treatment.
However, the response from the school’s leadership has been widely criticized as inadequate. The Headmaster reportedly only “reprimanded” the House Mistress, who has since become hostile towards the victim. Critics say this has created a toxic atmosphere of intimidation, adding to the student’s trauma.
Ghanaian law is unequivocal on this matter: corporal punishment is banned in schools. This is not a suggestion but a legal mandate enshrined in national legislation and educational regulations.
The Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) explicitly forbids subjecting a child to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Furthermore, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has repeatedly issued directives to all schools to end corporal punishment, emphasizing positive discipline. The 1992 Constitution also guarantees the dignity of all citizens, including children.
The House Mistress’s actions went beyond discipline and became a criminal act of assault. Seizing a student’s property does not justify a physical response. The law offers no gray area; teachers are not legally permitted to use corporal punishment under any circumstances.
This incident’s timing is particularly concerning for the WASSCE candidate. The trauma and stress could severely impact her academic performance. The psychological distress, including anxiety and difficulty concentrating, may directly hinder her ability to perform well in her exams, potentially jeopardizing her academic future.
Schools are meant to be safe havens, and when that sense of security is shattered, a student’s ability to focus on their studies plummets.
Attempts to contact the Headmaster of Adonteng SHS for a comment were unsuccessful. When a reporter reached out to one of the teachers, she said she was not allowed to grant an interview.
This incident has prompted calls for swift intervention from the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES). Advocates are urging them to launch a full-scale investigation and provide psychological support to the student. They also call on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to offer legal assistance to the victim’s family.
The matter should also be reported to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, as assault is a criminal offense.
The outcome of this case will send a strong message about whether such behaviour will be tolerated in Ghana’s educational system.
This is foolishness should the teachers ignore all students bad behavior and only come to class teach and go home.
The story is a-one-sided story. I also think it’s too shallow. For instance, what was used to attack the student?
I do not support such punishment to students, but upon writing these lengthy article, quoting numerous documents prohibiting corporal punishment.
Why could you not suggest or cite an appropriate punishments from those documents for such a student, who has been intentionally disobeying the call not to put on slippers to school?
The same thing was done to me in the same school. I had bruises on my butt for that for months.
Well said guys.This is one sided I expected this writer to tell us the views or the version of the school Authourity too.
Also to suggest a solution to what ever the student did to deserve such punishment n suggest a better punishment.
The one sidedness of this story is a bit bellow the belt. Though it it wrong for a teacher to do this a a student, Please, come again with the details to convince some of us.
Well said guys.This is one sided I expected this writer to tell us the views or the version of the school Authourity too.
Also to suggest a solution to what ever the student did to deserve such punishment n suggest a better punishment.
The one sidedness of this story is a bit bellow the belt. Though it it wrong for a teacher to do this a a student, Please, come again with the details to convince some of us.
Serious ooo, the child really deserves a punishment but not to this extent. Weeding, cleaning and any other physical punishment can be given.