A story about over 300 school girls at the Junior High School (JHS) level getting impregnated by their teachers is a cause for forlornness.
Indeed such a story should have triggered a national conversation already but failing that, we still think it is better late than never to put it on the spot.
It is in the light of this that we are attempting to table same for the consideration of all well-meaning Ghanaians so the issue can be brooded upon.
Just how does it feel to be parents of victims of this glaring case of child abuse by ironically those who are paid to mould them at school?
The remarks of those who have not suffered the wanton abuse of their children upon hearing this piece of news can be outrageous. Varied reactions will emanate from such persons were their opinions sought about how they would react were their children to suffer this fate.
While some would demand outright castration of such adult delinquents others would ask that they are locked up in jail and the keys thrown into the ocean.
While we fret over the staggering statistics, it is worthwhile determining the profile of the parents of the victims. This would provide us with the critical information about the poverty status or otherwise of the parents. This way, we can find out how a poverty situation has a hand in how easily girls can be exploited by irresponsible teachers.
Many years ago, especially in the colonial days when most schools were operated by the missionaries, such despicable acts were anathema and therefore unimaginable.
Today, the country and the world at large have changed and what was not possible in years of yore are happening as if they are normal and should even not be talked about.
We recall an incident in which a school teacher impregnated a school girl under his care. Expectedly, this made negative headlines and the girl and her mother virtually told concerned Ghanaians to back off the issue as though nothing was amiss.
Today, we are faced with a similar challenge albeit on a larger scale. We are disturbed, as should all Ghanaian parents and managers of our educational institutions at the level of JHS including primary schools that, parents’ confidence in teachers to mould our child has waned regrettably.
An added responsibility beckons parents with wards in schools at that level.
They should no longer take things for granted by thinking that teachers are infallible and do not pose any danger to the growing child.
Monitoring the kids on daily basis should be the key task of all parents, especially those in the public educational system.
The cases of impregnation under review all took place in such schools.
It is our position that the defaulting teachers be identified and sanctioned harshly: they must be flushed out of the school system completely because we cannot trust that they would not make further obscene gestures to other innocent girls.
Our educational authorities, especially district education officers and head teachers, must be mindful about the conduct of teachers, especially the young ones among them whose insatiable libidos can lead them to temptations.