Father Accuses Teacher of Severely Punishing His Kids After They Receive 60 Lashes
- Two pupils received severe corporal punishment from a teacher at a school in the Mfantseman Municipality
- The father of the school complained about the lashes inflicted on his children as punishment
- There is currently a ban on corporal punishment in schools under the Ghana Education Service, dating back to 2017
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Two pupils were allegedly subjected to severe corporal punishment by a teacher at Trinity Methodist Preparatory School at Egyaa in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
According to the children’s father, Moses Barnabas, the teacher, identified only as Sir Ebenezer, allegedly lashed the two pupils for sitting on chairs arranged for an event without prior permission.
Source: UGC
Citi News reported that Barnabas said the teacher gave the 10-year-old boy, a Class Four pupil, 40 lashes, while his younger sibling, an eight-year-old in Class Two, received 20 lashes.
Barnabas said he contacted the headmaster of the school to lodge a complaint but received what he described as an unsatisfactory response, prompting him to report the matter to the police.
“I returned home to see my boys crying uncontrollably. When I asked why, they told me their teacher lashed them for going to sit on chairs arranged for an event without his permission.”
“I am expecting justice. I took my children to school to be educated, not to be abused in this manner. I understand children can be punished, but not to this extreme."
What the law says about corporal punishment
The Ghana Education Service in 2017 officially banned all forms of corporal punishment of children in schools in Ghana as part of efforts aimed at promoting a safe and protective learning environment for children.
It has given warnings against corporal punishment in the past, though it oversees only public schools. Some experts have suggested alternatives to corporal punishment, including counselling.
The service directed in January 2019 that a Positive Discipline Toolkit, which gives alternatives to corporal punishment, be adopted by all teachers.
Source: Getty Images
However, the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) provides that force or harm may be justified on the grounds of an authority to correct a child, servant, or other similar person, for misconduct.
Corporal punishment has led to some tragedy in the past, with a 13-year-old student at Swedru Methodist ‘B’ Basic School in the Central Region dying after a teacher caned him.
Godfred Ankomah reportedly died after being caned on the back by his class teacher in May 2023.
According to a UTV report, Godfred, who was in form 2, was caned for answering some homework questions wrongly.
Mother canes son in classroom
In June 2025, YEN.com.gh reported that a furious mother barged into her son's classroom during school hours and unleashed her wrath on him.
The mother entered the classroom with a cane in hand and proceeded to discipline her son in front of his onlooking classmates.
The boy's teachers had reportedly repeatedly complained about his behaviour, but felt powerless due to the ban on corporal punishment.
Source: YEN.com.gh
