I don’t think that the curriculum is a reflection of the nation, it is academia which was borrowed from foreign educational systems.
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Veteran musician Ben Brako has criticised Ghana’s education system, saying its curriculum does not reflect the country’s identity, history or cultural heritage.
Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Brako argued that Ghana continues to rely on an education model inherited from foreign systems instead of one rooted in its own values and traditions.
“I don’t think that the curriculum is a reflection of the nation,” he said. “It is academia which was borrowed from foreign educational systems.”
According to Brako, education should begin with a structured understanding of one’s own culture, language and history before introducing foreign perspectives.
“Education is an organised study and knowledge of your culture, your heritage, your history and your language,” he said. “If you don’t know these things, you are illiterate to your community.”
He questioned why children are introduced to English from infancy, arguing that doing so unintentionally creates the impression that indigenous languages are inadequate.
“Right from infancy you are taught to speak English, and already you are forming the idea that your language is inadequate,” he said. “Otherwise, why do you need another language in order to get an education?”
Brako also expressed concern that research in Ghana does not sufficiently explore indigenous knowledge, traditions and history.
“We don’t even research into our own culture, our own practices, our own history,” he said.
The musician believes the country’s education system should place culture at its centre to build confidence and self-worth among young people.
“If they grow up being confident in who they are and proud to be who they are and where they are, everything will change,” he said.
Calling for a national rethink, Brako said countries that have made significant progress have done so by grounding education in their own identities before embracing external influences.
“We have to start teaching ourselves, especially our children,” he said. “That is the core of the whole thing.”
