Ghana Education Service moves to bar teachers from sending students to their homes for chores after Obuasi school scandal

As of 4:24 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026

The Ghana Education Service will instruct regional directors to enforce rules barring teachers from inviting students to their bungalows to do household chores, Director-General Ernest Kofi Davis said, after a headmaster in Obuasi was accused of sexual misconduct involving students.

"I agree with those calling for a ban on students going to teachers' bungalows. We are going to write to schools to make sure that it doesn't happen because in our code of conduct, in Section 3.7 (V), it is written that the students are not expected to be asked to engage in household chores," Davis said, according to 3News. Modern Ghana quoted him as saying the service would write to the regional directors on Oct. 23.

"And so I expect the news to get to all regional directors to remind our staff to familiarize themselves with the code of conduct and cease inviting students to do household chores because the code of conduct does not permit that. It is not acceptable," he said, 3News reported.

The Obuasi case

The GES earlier placed Zakaria Abdulai, headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School, on interdiction over allegations of sexual misconduct involving students, pending the outcome of a full investigation, according to a statement signed by GES head of public relations Daniel Fenyi and reported by the Ghana News Agency on Oct. 14.

The statement said the alleged incident triggered a student rampage that destroyed school property and led to the school's temporary closure. A complaint was lodged with the police, the statement said. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu also directed Abdulai's immediate suspension and asked the police Criminal Investigations Department to investigate, the Ghana News Agency reported.

Abdulai is accused, and the allegations are under investigation, according to the GES statement as reported by the Ghana News Agency.