Education Ministry condemns Obuasi SHTS violence, directs GES to investigate assault on headmaster

The Ministry of Education has directed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately investigate the violent disturbances at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) that left the school's headmaster seriously injured, while insisting that all individuals responsible must face the full consequences of the law.

The Ministry described the attack on Headmaster Abdulai Zakaria as a criminal act that has no place within Ghana's educational system, reaffirming the government's commitment to maintaining discipline, safety and respect in schools across the country.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apak, the Ministry strongly condemned the incident, describing the assault as "reprehensible and criminal."

According to the statement, acts of violence and indiscipline within educational institutions undermine the country's efforts to provide safe learning environments and will not be tolerated.

"The Ministry considers this act of violence and lawlessness as reprehensible and criminal. Such conduct has no place within Ghana's educational institutions and will not be tolerated under any circumstances," the statement said.

The Ministry further disclosed that Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has instructed the Ghana Education Service to launch an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the incident.

Authorities have also been directed to identify everyone involved and ensure that those found culpable are sanctioned in accordance with existing education regulations and the laws of Ghana.

Headmaster Abdulai Zakaria sustained serious injuries after he was allegedly attacked by students during unrest that erupted on the Obuasi Senior High Technical School campus on Tuesday night.

Following the assault, he was initially admitted to the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital in Obuasi before being transferred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for specialist medical treatment.

Confirming the development, Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive Faustilove Appiah Kannin revealed that medical examinations showed the headmaster had suffered a fracture to the head.

"He has a fracture in the head. And that is why he has been rushed to Komfo Anokye," she said during an interview on the Asaase Breakfast Show.

His current condition has not yet been officially disclosed.

The Ghana Police Service swiftly intervened to restore order after the disturbances escalated on the school campus.

Security personnel remain deployed at the school to maintain law and order while investigations continue.

Police have also arrested several students believed to have been involved in the violent disturbances, with further investigations expected to determine individual levels of involvement.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the number of students arrested or the specific offences they may face.

Beyond the ongoing investigations, the Ministry of Education says it will collaborate closely with the Ghana Education Service, law enforcement agencies and other relevant state institutions to strengthen discipline within schools and improve the safety of both students and educational staff.

The Ministry emphasised that school heads, teachers and students must be protected from violence to ensure uninterrupted teaching and learning.

Officials say additional measures may be introduced to reinforce discipline, conflict resolution and campus security in senior high schools across the country.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Obuasi Municipality are assessing the security situation at the school as consultations continue on whether students should be temporarily sent home to allow investigations to proceed.

Municipal Chief Executive Faustilove Appiah Kannin confirmed that a temporary closure of the school remains under consideration, although no final decision has been taken.

She noted that the safety of students, teachers and staff remains the priority while security agencies work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.

The exact cause of the unrest has not yet been officially established.

The Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Education Service are expected to continue investigations to determine what triggered the violence and identify all those responsible.

The Ministry of Education has assured the public that it will closely monitor the investigations and ensure appropriate disciplinary and legal action is taken against anyone found culpable.