The Ghana Internet Safety Foundation (GISF), through the “Cybersafety Ambassadorial & Digital Parenting Empowerment Project,” has highlighted the critical need to enhance teacher capacity to safeguard children in Ghana’s Ashant Region from escalating online risks.
Teachers, as key facilitators of education, play a pivotal role in equipping students aged 10-16 with the digital literacy and safety skills necessary to navigate the increasingly complex digital environment. However, findings from the study reveal systemic challenges, including limited access totechnological resources, insufficient training on digital safety practices, and weak collaboration with parents to reinforce these measures beyond the classroom.
The study indicates that while 81.48% of schools in the Ashanti Region report incorporating online safety into their curricula, these efforts often lack depth and a standardized framework for effective implementation. Furthermore, only 18.18% of schools actively engage parents in promoting online safety, exposing a critical gap in the shared responsibility to protect children in the digital space. Socio-economic disparities further compound these challenges, with 89.19% of teachers reporting that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have limited access to digital tools and education. This lack of access increases their susceptibility to cyber risks such as cyberbullying and grooming.
These findings emphasize the urgency of systemic interventions to empower teachers, improve access to digital resources, and foster collaboration between schools, parents, and the broader community. This report consolidates the study’s findings and offers evidence-based recommendations to advance child online protection and enhance digital safety outcomes in the region.