Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has sharply criticized comments made by Rev. Isaac Owusu, President of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), who suggested that male teachers should pursue relationships with single female colleagues rather than female students.
Rev. Owusu’s remarks, which have sparked widespread outrage, followed reports of teacher-student sexual misconduct, leading to the suspension of several head teachers across the country.
Addressing educators, Rev. Owusu reportedly said, “We are urging our male teachers: if you have such desires, we have beautiful women and single ladies among our staff and in our communities.”
However, the Education Minister has labeled these comments as “unethical and unprofessional,” emphasizing that they contradict the Ministry’s commitment to promoting discipline and ensuring the safety of students in schools.
“The GNAT President may have intended to address the issue of inappropriate conduct between teachers and students, but his approach was completely misguided,” Mr. Iddrisu stated. “Any teacher who attempts to exploit a student will face disciplinary action. We are fully committed to maintaining schools as safe learning environments.”
He further warned that romantic advances toward colleagues within the workplace could also amount to sexual harassment and would not be tolerated.
“Rev. Isaac Owusu suggested that male teachers should pursue relationships with female teachers, but I want to remind him that even such behavior can be classified as sexual harassment within a professional setting, and that too is unacceptable,” he said. “If it happens, it must occur outside of the workplace, and only with the consent of all parties involved.”
The Minister reiterated that the government is dedicated to enforcing ethical standards in the education sector and stressed that any teacher found guilty of sexual misconduct, whether involving students or colleagues, would face severe consequences.
“There are married teachers within the school environment, and such behavior is unacceptable. It undermines the integrity of the teaching profession and compromises the delivery of quality education,” Mr. Iddrisu concluded.
