For many parents, enrolling their children in boarding schools comes with the assurance that their wards will be properly cared for and supervised throughout their stay on campus.

Unfortunately, this was not the case for Sonia Ofori Ansoh, whose painful story has sparked outrage and renewed calls for accountability.

Sonia, mother of the late Kevin Moses, told BBC reporter Anita Nkongé that her son never returned home after his first term in 2016.

According to her, Kevin had complained of feeling unwell and visited the school clinic, where he was only given ibuprofen.

Concerned about his condition, Sonia said she made several attempts to reach the headmaster through phone calls and text messages, but received no response.

“The next day, he finally replied, saying Kevin was fine,” Sonia recalled.

“Later that same Friday afternoon, he called again to say my son had been rushed to the Achimota Hospital.”

When Sonia arrived at the hospital on Sunday, she was met with devastating news: Kevin had passed away. Medical reports revealed that he had died of cerebral malaria and had been in a coma for two days.

Sonia’s story is not an isolated one.

Another parent, Joseph Ansah, is also seeking justice for his son, Theophilus, who suffered a similar fate.

Joseph recounted that on his birthday, June 28, Theophilus — a student of Ghana National College — sent him a message wishing him a happy birthday, followed by a distressing note that he was unwell.

He told his father that he had gone to the infirmary, but there was no one available to attend to him.

Joseph said he arranged for someone at the school to purchase medicine for his son, but the medication was not delivered until Sunday.

The following day, Theophilus wrote his exams, but soon after completing them, he collapsed.

His friends called his mother, and upon hearing the news, Joseph immediately contacted the school’s security to rush his son to the hospital.

Deeply outraged, Joseph reported the incident to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) chairman, lamenting the school’s neglect and poor healthcare system.

Sadly, Theophilus died a few days later — also from cerebral malaria.

With tears in his eyes, Joseph recalled fond memories of his son.

“I told him I would buy him a laptop if he passed his exams.

I bought it — it’s here waiting for him — but he is gone,” he said.

Both families have taken legal action, alleging that the schools were negligent in their duty of care.

Sonia says that for eight years, she has been fighting for justice despite being discouraged by many.

“People kept telling me, ‘Sonia, it won’t go anywhere.

You’ll fight and fight but you won’t win,’” she said. “But I’m not giving up.”

In July 2024, the High Court ruled that Achimota High School had been negligent in Kevin’s case.

The school has since filed an appeal, denying the allegations and stating that there was “no sufficient evidence” to support the ruling.

It added that the appeal was based on legal advice.

Speaking to the BBC, Biah Marcellinus described the ruling as a wake-up call for all secondary schools in Ghana.

“Institutions must establish clear policies and emergency systems to ensure sick students are attended to promptly,” he said.

According to BBC investigations, between May 2023 and February 2024, six students from various boarding schools across Ghana have died in circumstances their parents insist were entirely preventable.