The Ghana Education Service (GES) has condemned the practice of teachers and headteachers keeping female students in their homes to perform domestic duties, describing the arrangement as unacceptable and a potential threat to the safety and welfare of learners.
The condemnation comes amid growing concerns about sexual abuse involving teachers and the risks students may face when placed in vulnerable situations outside the school environment. The Service warns that having female students work as domestic servants in teachers’ homes could expose them to abuse, exploitation and other forms of harm.
Speaking on the issue, GES Public Relations Officer Daniel Fenyi said teachers and headteachers should not keep female students in their homes under such arrangements.
“It is not right for female students to be maid servants in the house of teachers or headteachers,” he stressed.
Mr Fenyi’s comments reinforce concerns about the responsibility of educators to protect learners and maintain professional boundaries. Teachers and headteachers are entrusted with the care and education of students, and the Service’s position highlights the need to ensure that relationships between educators and learners do not expose children to exploitation or abuse.
The issue has also drawn attention to the role of parents and guardians in safeguarding children. The GES is urging parents, school authorities and community members to remain vigilant and report cases in which teachers or headteachers engage students in domestic work in their homes.
The Service says reports of such arrangements should not be ignored, particularly where the safety and well-being of students may be at risk. Reporting suspected cases can help the appropriate authorities assess the circumstances and take necessary action.
The GES continues to emphasise the need to protect learners from abuse and exploitation, while calling for greater vigilance and cooperation among parents, educators and communities to ensure that schools and related environments remain safe for children.
Story by Ama Frimpomaa