Obuasi SHTS: Food errands to staff homes are a safeguarding red flag – Safeguarding Officer
Safeguarding Officer at Kingsdale Secondary Schools in the UK, Amartei K. Amartey, says sending female students to deliver food to staff homes is itself a safeguarding breach.
Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, he said the practice left students vulnerable. It also undermined safeguards intended to protect staff.
“Why is a girl child carrying food to a staff member's house? That's a safeguarding issue. That's a red flag,” he said.
His comments follow allegations of sexual abuse at Obuasi Senior High Technical School.
Manasseh Azure Awuni’s investigation, Inside the Dreaded Headmaster’s Bungalow, examines allegations against headmaster Zakaria Abdulai. It also documents complaints made to authorities months before his suspension.
The Ghana Education Service has interdicted the headmaster pending investigations. A complaint has also been lodged with the police.
For Mr Amartey, the food errands raised a fundamental concern that should have demanded action on its own.
“That action of asking a female student to carry your food from the dining hall to your house—that alone, you must go.”
Asked whether a teacher in the UK could send a child from the dining hall to their residence with food, he replied: “Never. You won't even dream about it.”
He argued that safeguarding rules exist to prevent situations that leave children vulnerable. Observing those boundaries also protects staff when accounts of an encounter are disputed.
“Because the girl child found herself in a vulnerable place. The teacher or staff member claims they are innocent. What is their evidence?”
He questioned why a staff member would breach the very rules designed to protect both parties.
“Why have you broken the number one rule, which is safeguarding—not just safeguarding for the child, but for you, the member of staff as well.”
Mr Amartey also criticised the committee’s handling of the matter. He said the safeguarding concern was already clear from the decision to send a girl to a staff member’s home.
“For me, it's just been a waste of time.”
He maintained that following safeguarding rules was central to avoiding conflicting accounts of what happened.
“And you broke the rule. So for me, it shouldn't even go beyond this.”
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