The Ministry of Education is working with telecommunications company MTN to establish a hotline for students and others to confidentially report abuse in schools, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has announced.

Mr Iddrisu said the hotline would form part of measures to strengthen the reporting and investigation of suspected abuse involving students.

“We are in touch with MTN to establish a hotline with the Ministry of Education to facilitate open reportage of these matters for us to assist with investigation and deal ruthlessly and decisively with those who abuse our students,” he said.

He also said schools would be required to establish confidential reporting channels that bypass headmasters' offices.

“Schools are to establish confidential reporting channels that bypass headmaster's offices, linking directly to independent bodies including DOVVSU and GES,” the Minister said.

He said the measures would ensure that students have avenues to report concerns without necessarily having to go through the school authorities against whom complaints may be made.

Mr Iddrisu further said the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Girls Education Unit would introduce stricter reporting measures for suspected abuse involving teachers and students.

He said any suspected power-based or teacher-student relationship would trigger immediate suspension and an independent review.

“The teacher is in a position of power and the student is a helpless person. We will protect every student from those abuses,” he said.

The announcement follows concerns over reported sexual abuse involving students at the Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS).

The Education Minister has also assured that the 19 affected students will receive trauma-informed support.

“We will get trauma-informed support for victims, including the 19 affected students,” he said.

The concerns have involved former Obuasi SHTS headmaster and politician Zakaria Abdulai, who recently resigned as secretary of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Juaben Constituency in the Ashanti Region. Mr Abdulai has also ended his bid for the party’s chairmanship in the constituency.