BY Nadia Ntiamoah
A major disruption to the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) could be on the horizon after the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) in the Ashanti Region threatened to boycott the English Language paper and embark on a series of protest actions unless a teacher currently in police custody is granted bail.
The threat follows the arrest and continued detention of Eric Buernortey Apaflo, a teacher and hostel caretaker at Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region, whose alleged confrontation with a female student has generated widespread public attention and sparked debate within the education sector.
The incident first came to national attention after a video circulated on social media appearing to show an altercation between the teacher and a final-year female student on the school campus. The footage triggered public outrage and prompted intervention from the Ghana Education Service (GES) and law enforcement authorities.
Following the circulation of the video, the teacher was arrested and placed in police custody while investigations into the incident commenced. Educational authorities subsequently launched separate inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and determine any disciplinary measures that may be necessary.
However, the teacher’s continued detention has now become a major point of contention between GNAT and the authorities.
Addressing journalists at the Nyinahin Police Station, officials of the teachers’ association argued that due process must be allowed to take its course and questioned the decision to keep their colleague in custody while investigations continue.
According to GNAT representatives, they have received information suggesting that directives had been issued preventing the teacher from being granted bail, a development they believe undermines fairness and raises concerns about the handling of the case.
“The teacher has done nothing wrong, but we have heard an order from above has been authorized that he is not granted bail instead of them to come down and investigate the matter thoroughly,” a GNAT official stated.
The association maintains that while investigations should continue, the teacher should be granted bail in accordance with established legal procedures until the facts of the matter are fully established.
The dispute has now escalated into a broader labour issue, with GNAT warning that the continued detention of the teacher could have serious implications for the conduct of the ongoing WASSCE examinations.
The association announced that if authorities fail to grant bail to the teacher, it will direct teachers at Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School and across the district to withdraw their services in relation to the examinations.
According to GNAT leaders, the planned action could affect the conduct of the English Language paper scheduled for June 10, 2026, one of the core subjects required for certification under the West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
“Should the teacher not be granted bail by tomorrow, GNAT Ashanti Region will be compelled to direct teachers of Nyinahin Catholic SHS and all teachers in the district to boycott the ongoing WASSCE examinations. If the students do not write the English Language, nobody should be blamed,” one representative warned.
The threat has heightened concerns among parents, students and educational stakeholders, particularly because the English Language examination is a compulsory subject whose disruption could affect the academic progression of hundreds of candidates.
Beyond the examination boycott, GNAT has also outlined additional protest measures should the matter remain unresolved.
The association indicated that teachers could begin wearing red armbands as a symbol of protest and may subsequently organize demonstrations and protest marches to draw attention to what they describe as unfair treatment of their colleague.
Teacher union officials argue that the issue extends beyond the individual case and touches on the broader protection and welfare of educators across the country.
“Once it has happened to someone, it can happen to everybody tomorrow. Touch one, touch all,” a union representative stated while emphasizing the need for solidarity among teachers.
GNAT further claimed that preliminary information available to the association suggests the student involved in the incident has expressed remorse and is seeking reconciliation, although authorities have not publicly commented on those claims.
The association insists that its position should not be interpreted as support for misconduct by teachers but rather as a call for fairness, due process and proper investigation before conclusions are reached.
