Child Online Africa acknowledges the recent disclosure by the Education Minister that some Senior High School students are accessing pornography on government-issued tablets due to the delayed activation of promised content restrictions.

This situation highlights the consequences of prioritizing rapid device distribution over the safety and protection of children. Every child has the right to learn through digital tools—and equally, the right to be shielded from harmful online content.

Immediate Recommendations:

To Government
(Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Communication and Digital Innovations, National Communications Authority, Data Protection Commission)

1.     Within 30–45 days, deploy mandatory Over-The-Air updates to all distributed tablets, installing:

    o   Comprehensive content filters blocking adult sites, gambling platforms, and explicit violence

    o   Enforced Safe Search and YouTube Restricted Mode

    o   Time-management features and app-restriction controls

2.     Establish a National Education Digital Safeguarding Taskforce immediately (if one does not already exist).

3.     Apply Safety by Design and Privacy by Design principles to all future EdTech procurement and deployment.

To Industry
(Suppliers, manufacturers, telecom companies)
Provide—at no additional cost—filtering subscriptions and technical support to ensure full safeguarding on every tablet already distributed.

To Schools & Teachers

1.     Allow only supervised use of the tablets until content restrictions are confirmed active.

2.     Deliver urgent online-safety lessons using the existing training modules.

3.     Appoint and train a Digital Safeguarding Lead in every school.

To Students
Curiosity is natural, but certain online content can negatively affect your wellbeing. Upcoming restrictions are meant to protect you while keeping your learning tools available. Use the tablets responsibly.

To Parents
Engage in open conversations with your children about their digital use and make use of the learning opportunities provided for parents.

We affirm that digital access is now inseparable from the right to education. Ghana must deliver this digital access safely. With swift technical interventions and strong collaboration among all stakeholders, these tablets can quickly become protected learning devices rather than sources of risk.

Child Online Africa stands ready to support government and partners in implementing these measures without delay.