The scandal at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Senior High School has sent shockwaves through the education community, exposing troubling questions about discipline, accountability, and the protection of students. At the centre of the national debate is education advocate and social commentator Portia Nana Akua Pinamang, who insists that no defence of “consent” can justify professional misconduct between teachers and students.

According to Portia, the case of Mr. Charles Akwasi Aidoo, the former Assistant Headmaster in charge of academics at KNUST-SHS, is a sobering reminder that trust and ethics in education are non-negotiable. “The Code of Professional Conduct is clear: no teacher should engage in any form of sexual relationship with a student. Consent does not matter, because the teacher-student relationship is one of power and trust. Breaking that trust is unforgivable,” she stated.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) wasted no time in sanctioning Mr. Aidoo after a viral video surfaced showing him in a compromising situation with a female student. The decision reflects its zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct. The GES Code of Professional Conduct and Discipline for Teachers explicitly prohibits such acts. Section 3.8(c)(ii) states that “Any staff who has carnal knowledge of any female or male pupil/student of any age, with or without his/her consent, shall be guilty of professional misconduct.” The Code reinforces this in Section 3.8(c)(iv): “No staff shall have any carnal knowledge of any pupil/student in his/her own school or in any pre-tertiary educational institution with or without his/her consent.” For Portia, this leaves no room for ambiguity. “The law and ethics are clear. Consent cannot absolve abuse of power,” she stressed.

The matter also carries potential criminal implications. If the student is under 16 years, the case constitutes defilement under Section 101 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which states: “Whoever naturally or unnaturally carnally knows any child under sixteen years of age, whether with or without his or her consent commits an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years and not more than twenty-five years.”  Education analysts agree that the teacher’s dismissal was not only ethical but necessary under both GES rules and Ghanaian law.

Despite the gravity of the situation, sections of social media have attempted to downplay the scandal, arguing that the interaction appeared “consensual.” Portia warns that such views are dangerous and undermine the safety of students. “Our schools must remain safe havens for students. The moment we allow excuses based on so-called consent, we open the floodgates to exploitation,” she cautioned.

Beyond the teacher’s actions, the scandal also reveals cracks in school discipline. Reports confirm that a mobile phone was used to record and circulate the incident, in direct violation of the GES Code of Conduct for Students in Pre-Tertiary Levels. The Code states: “Students shall not bring to school any prohibited items including mobile phones, electrical and electronic appliances such as kettles, personal computers, TV sets, and recorders. Any act of misconduct or non-observance of any of the rules and regulations in this code shall lead to disciplinary action.” Section 2.22 further prohibits possession or circulation of pornographic material.

By filming and sharing the act, the student breached these rules. The distribution of the video may also fall under Section 67 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038), which states: “A person shall not, with intent to cause serious emotional distress, intentionally distribute or cause another person to distribute the intimate image or prohibited visual recording of another identifiable person without the consent of the person depicted.” Violators risk between one and three years’ imprisonment. Portia therefore raises critical questions: who smuggled the phone into the school, who first leaked the video, and why are students so comfortable disregarding established rules?

While the dismissal of Mr. Aidoo marks an important step, Portia believes true justice must go further. “Discipline is not about status it must apply to teachers, students, and even parents who enable misconduct. Otherwise, we will be treating symptoms instead of the disease,” she emphasized. She insists that accountability must cut across all levels: teachers who breach trust, students who flout rules, and enablers who create fertile ground for misconduct.

The KNUST-SHS scandal has sparked outrage, reflection, and uncomfortable debates about consent and misconduct in Ghana’s schools. But for Portia Nana Akua Pinamang, the principle is non-negotiable, consent is no defence when trust is abused. As Ghana moves forward from this troubling episode, one thing is clear discipline must be firm, blind to status, and holistic if schools are to remain safe spaces for learning and growth.