Nyinahin Catholic SHS Teacher Arrested After Alleged Student Assault Caught on Video
A teacher at Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School in the Ashanti Region has been arrested after a viral video showed him allegedly assaulting a female student on campus, the Ghana Education Service confirmed on Tuesday.
The arrest was announced by GES Public Relations Officer Daniel Fenyi in a Facebook post. “The Nyinahin Catholic SHS teacher seen in the viral video fighting a female student has been arrested! The regional education directorate is investigating the matter. Full report to be submitted to HQ,” Mr Fenyi wrote.
The footage, which circulated widely on social media, appeared to show the teacher physically confronting the student as bystanders pleaded with him to stop. In the video, the teacher is seen repeatedly striking the student before allegedly lifting and throwing her to the ground.
Witnesses can be heard urging him to remember that the student was a girl and to refrain from assaulting her. The teacher, who appeared visibly agitated, reportedly responded: “Is she aware she is a lady?”
The circumstances leading to the confrontation have not yet been disclosed by school authorities or the Ghana Education Service. However, the incident has generated widespread public concern and renewed calls for stronger measures to protect students within Ghana’s educational institutions.
The Ashanti Regional Education Directorate has commenced investigations into the incident and is expected to submit a detailed report to GES headquarters. The outcome of those investigations will determine any further disciplinary or legal action against the teacher.
The arrest comes just weeks after a separate incident at the same school in which a teacher who doubles as a hostel caretaker was captured on video in a physical altercation with a final-year student over an alleged hostel fee dispute. That earlier incident, which also went viral, had already placed Nyinahin Catholic SHS under public scrutiny and raised questions about the culture of discipline and student safety at the institution.
The recurrence of such incidents at the same school within a short period has intensified calls from parents, civil society organisations, and education advocates for systemic reforms. Critics argue that isolated disciplinary actions against individual teachers are insufficient, and that the Ghana Education Service must address the underlying conditions that allow such confrontations to occur.
Ghana’s education laws and policies explicitly prohibit corporal punishment and physical violence against students. The Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) and the Education Act, 2008 (Act 778) both provide protections for students against abuse, and any teacher found guilty of assaulting a student faces potential criminal prosecution as well as professional sanctions.
The GES has in recent years intensified its campaigns against corporal punishment in schools, promoting alternative disciplinary methods and encouraging the use of guidance and counselling services. However, enforcement remains inconsistent, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas where oversight is limited.
As investigations continue, the Nyinahin Catholic SHS case is likely to become a focal point in the national conversation about student safety, teacher conduct, and the adequacy of existing protections within Ghana’s education system.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
