Duncan Amoah urges GES to revoke licenses of abusive teachers

Duncan Amoah, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to implement stricter disciplinary measures against teachers found guilty of sexual abuse. Rather than continuing the practice of transferring offenders to different schools, Mr. Amoah is advocating for the immediate revocation of teaching licenses and the establishment of a national blacklist. This proposal seeks to ensure that individuals found guilty of serious misconduct are permanently barred from the classroom.

According to Mr. Amoah, the policy of transferring teachers involved in sexual abuse does not solve the underlying problem but merely relocates the threat to a new group of unsuspecting students. He argued that moving a known offender to a different institution essentially facilitates potential recidivism in a new environment, thereby endangering more learners. By revoking the licenses of these educators, he believes the state would send a clear message that such behavior has no place within the Ghanaian educational system.

To ensure the effectiveness of these measures, Mr. Amoah proposed the creation of a centralized national blacklist. He suggested that this database should be accessible to both public and private educational institutions across the country. Such a register would prevent sanctioned educators from securing new positions in private schools after being dismissed or sanctioned by the public sector, closing a loophole that currently allows offenders to remain in the teaching profession.

The call for these reforms highlights urgent concerns regarding student safety and the accountability of educators. If implemented, these measures would mark a significant shift in how the Ghana Education Service manages cases of gross misconduct. Advocates believe that prioritizing the permanent removal of offenders over administrative transfers is essential for the GES to fulfill its mandate of providing a safe and conducive learning environment for all students.