No Need for Creative Arts SHS; Kumasi Mayor Demands STEM Teacher Training School

Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, popularly known as King Zuba, has called for the creative arts secondary school currently under construction to be converted into a teacher training facility dedicated to STEM education.

According to him, the move will help address the growing need for well-trained science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers to effectively handle students in the country’s STEM-focused schools.

Speaking on the morning show of Kumasi-based Oyerepa FM with Nana Yaw Mensah Joel, the Mayor described the creative arts secondary school project as a misplaced priority, arguing that Ghana already has several institutions offering specialised training in various areas of the creative arts.

“We already have institutions like NAFTI, the School of Performing Arts at the University of Ghana, the Winneba School of Music, UNIMAC, and other specialised creative arts schools. Some of these facilities are even underutilised. So why build another huge secondary school for creative arts?” he questioned.

Hon. Ofori Agyemang Boadi stressed that creative arts is a broad field that cuts across broadcasting, film, music, theatre, and performance, adding that most practitioners in the industry are driven more by talent than formal secondary-level training.

He further noted that Ghana’s major challenge is not the lack of creative arts schools, but the absence of strong industry infrastructure to support practitioners already in the field, such as world-class theatres, recording studios, and production facilities.

“If you train thousands of students, where will they practise their craft? You don’t even have enough theatres in the country, yet you want to produce more creatives,” he stated.

The Kumasi Mayor proposed that since the building is already under construction, government should repurpose it into a tertiary-level institution or a specialised teacher education college focused on training STEM educators.

“We need teachers who are well equipped to teach science and technology. That is how we can strengthen our STEM schools and build industries. The world is moving towards industrialisation, and Ghana cannot afford to be left behind,” he added.

He reiterated that Ghana’s education system must be aligned with national development goals, warning that continued investment in poorly targeted educational projects could worsen unemployment rather than solve it.

The Creative Arts Secondary School was established by the then President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo–led government as a specialised institution to nurture students with talent and interest in the creative sector, just as STEM schools were created to prepare future scientists and engineers.

The initiative was driven by the need to strengthen Ghana’s creative economy, which contributes significantly to revenue and employment, and was designed to combine creative arts training with science education to reflect the growing convergence of creativity and technology.