Ablade Glover calls for overhaul of education system

Professor Ablade Glover, a distinguished and renowned international artist is calling for an overhaul of Ghana's educational system because the system is dwells on theory more than practicals.

“We learn by rote and pass examinations and not engage in creativity. Creativity must be made part of us, we must take it further,” He said.

He was speaking on the Joynews current affairs programme, pm:Express with host Steve Anti when he took his turn on the Personality Friday edition.

Focusing on art education, he said the country's current educational system does not give students the urge to push and engage their creative elements.

“Art school was basically about making young people paint. Unfortunately people have been made to do things that they have been by other people. Young artist must be made to live creative lives”, he added.

Prof Ablade Glover was aggrieved that Ghana has no art gallery after 55 years of independence. He said Ghanaians have always accused the West of stealing their art culture and keeping them in foreign galleries but the country is doing nothing to preserve its own art.

He said “we are a nation without an art gallery I don't know where we are heading. If we want to transfer experience and art culture to unborn generation it must be through an art gallery”.

He said the absence of a national art gallery makes it difficult for aspiring artists to display their work hence hampering art development in the country.

“In my youthful days I was forced to display my art work at UTC amidst sugar and milk and that was even because the owner of the shop saw that I had potential. If you are an artist and don't have any place to show your work and no one to see it then you are working in the dark…nobody knows what you are doing. Art must be seen!” he said.

The 78 year old man is one of the most decorated artists in Ghana and one of the best known in Africa. He was one time, the Dean of the College of Art and Head of the Department of Art Education at the University of Science and Technology. He has taught arts in five universities across three continents: Africa, the USA and the United Kingdom. He has also held exhibitions in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, London and Geneva among other countries.

In 1998, he won the highest artist award in Ghana, the Flagstar award.