King Paluta featured in 2025 BECE Creative Arts paper

A question from the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has gone viral for featuring Ghanaian musician King Paluta in the Creative Arts and Design paper.

The question asked candidates to demonstrate knowledge of King Paluta’s music by identifying his real name—Thomas Adjei Wireko—his musical style, and one of his hit songs, specifically “Aseda.” It also required students to mention two social issues addressed in the song, such as depression, pressure, or societal judgment.

The exam praised King Paluta for blending traditional Ghanaian rhythms with hip-hop and storytelling, marking a significant step in recognising contemporary local musicians in national academic assessments.

The four-mark question is part of a broader section where students were also asked to classify musicians like James V. Armah and K.K. Kabobo as either art or popular musicians. Other parts of the paper tested students’ understanding of musical terms like “Pesto” and “A cappella.”

The inclusion of King Paluta has sparked online debate, with many praising the Ghana Education Service (GES) for making the curriculum more relatable and relevant to today’s youth.