[ 2012-07-15 ]

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.

Source - Joy News

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