Ghana’s schools made me angry – Wanlov Kubolor speaks on boarding school trauma

Ghanaian artiste Wanlov the Kubolor has opened up about the darker side of Ghana’s educational system, revealing that his boarding school experience left him “an angry person.”

Speaking in an interview with Asieduwaa Akumi on Joy Prime monitored by MyNewGh, the outspoken artist compared his secondary school years to life in an American prison, a startling yet honest reflection on the harsh discipline and poor conditions he endured.

“I was never beaten by my father growing up,” Wanlov said. “But when I got to school, I saw wickedness.

“The punishments, the bullying, it made me develop a wicked mind for a while. I even punished juniors at one point, but I realized it wasn’t my happiness.”

He recalled disturbing experiences such as finding “a wall gecko or even teeth in school food” and said the living conditions were so bad that his time in a U.S. jail felt “like a hotel.”

“When I went to prison in America after a speed chase, I was there for about two months. But compared to boarding school, prison felt easier, we were served cornflakes, milk, and sandwiches,” he said, laughing.

The “Kokonsa” hitmaker’s revelations have reignited public conversations online about corporal punishment and the mental toll of traditional boarding school systems in Ghana.

He emphasized that while he appreciates the friendships and lessons learned, he believes the system promotes fear more than growth.

“Education should enlighten, not traumatize,” Wanlov remarked. “The way our schools operate, the punishments, the food, the hierarchy, it’s all colonial. We need a system that teaches love, not survival.”