Eduwatch Demands Stronger School Safeguards After Alleged Assault of Student at Nyinahin Catholic SHS
Education policy advocacy group Eduwatch has called for stronger safeguarding measures across Ghana’s schools following the alleged assault of an 18-year-old female student at Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School, praising the Ghana Police Service for the swift arrest of the teacher implicated in the incident.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Eduwatch confirmed that Mr Eric Buenortey Akpafio, a teacher at the school, had been arrested by police in connection with the alleged assault. The organisation commended law enforcement for acting quickly and expressed hope that ongoing investigations would ensure accountability and justice for the victim.
“Every learner has the right to learn in a safe, protective and inclusive school environment, free from violence, intimidation, abuse, humiliation or any form of physical harm,” the organisation stated. “Schools must remain places where children and young people are protected and supported to learn.”
The statement drew attention to the professional and ethical obligations that bind teachers and all education personnel. “Teachers and all education personnel have a professional and ethical duty to uphold non-violent, child-centred and de-escalatory approaches to discipline, behaviour management and classroom control,” Eduwatch said, adding firmly that “no disciplinary concern justifies physical confrontation or violence against a learner.”
The advocacy group urged the Ghana Education Service to provide immediate support for the affected student, calling for her to receive “immediate medical care and appropriate psychosocial support.” Eduwatch also pressed the GES to launch an internal disciplinary investigation into the teacher’s conduct and to make the findings public “in the interest of transparency and accountability.”
Beyond the immediate case, Eduwatch renewed its longstanding call for systemic reforms in child protection within the education sector. The organisation advocated for stricter enforcement of safeguarding policies, regular training for teachers and school leaders on positive discipline techniques, and improved systems to identify and address risks before they escalate into incidents of violence.
In a particularly pointed recommendation, Eduwatch appealed to the Ministry of Education to make safeguarding suitability a key requirement for entry into the teaching profession. The organisation recommended the introduction of “pre-service and regular criminal background checks” as part of teacher recruitment, licensing and supervision. Such measures, it argued, are necessary “to strengthen professionalism, protect learners and ensure that every school in Ghana is a safe space for teaching, learning and development.”
The Nyinahin incident underscores a persistent challenge in Ghana’s education system, where cases of corporal punishment and alleged abuse continue to surface despite existing regulations prohibiting violence against students. While the country’s education policy formally bans corporal punishment, enforcement remains uneven, particularly in under-resourced schools in rural and peri-urban areas where oversight is limited.
Eduwatch’s intervention adds to growing pressure on the Ministry of Education and the GES to move beyond policy statements and implement concrete, verifiable protections for learners. For the family of the student at the centre of the Nyinahin case, the immediate priority remains justice and recovery. For the broader education community, the incident serves as a stark reminder that safeguarding cannot be treated as an afterthought.
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