Grievances of Teachers’ Trade Unions: Stakeholders Evaluate Path Covered

 Hereunder is a press release that sanctioned the Seventh Session of the Inter-ministerial Committee on February 28, 2018.

“The 7th session of the Inter-ministerial Committee in charge of examining and proposing solutions to the concerns raised by the teachers' unions, was held on February 28, 2018 in the conference room of the Ministry of Higher Education, under the chairmanship of Professor Jacques FAME NDONGO, Minister of Higher Education, Chancellor of the Academic Orders, in the presence of the representative of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, the Ministers of Employment and Vocational Training, Basic Education, Secondary Education, Public Service and Administrative Reforms, of the representative of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, as well as 25 Presidents of Teachers Trade Unions.

In his opening remarks, the Minister of Higher Education reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the Republic for a permanent, fair and frank dialogue with all stakeholders in Anglophone and Francophone education system, in view of proposing realistic solutions to preoccupations of the national education community.

The main points examined were the following:
Information on the immediate grievances of "indignant" teachers.
The members of the Committee exhaustively exchanged information, the details of which will be sent to the Minister, Secretary General at the Prime Minister’s Office, who is currently in charge of an Ad hoc committee which is examining this file.
2. Integration of part-time or contract teachers and secondary school teachers
With regard to the level of progress of the contractualization and integration of teachers, it is clear from the presentation of the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms that:
 - Of the 885 files of temporary teachers in technical education, 831 draft contracts were initiated and are in process for visas prior to their signature;
- Of the 2225 integration files submitted for certain part-time contract teachers, 1003 were initiated and sent for signature.

3. Recruitment of teachers (primary, secondary, higher education)
• At the Primary school level:
6000 Parent teachers have already been converted into Contract Teachers on a target of 9000 set by the Government. The third phase of this program focused on recruiting 2970 holders of CAPIEMP is about to be completed. In his speech, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training informed the audience of the simplification of procedures related to the contracting process.

• At the secondary school level:
For the period from April 3, 2017 to February 27, 2018, 6,848 teaching staff, laureates of Higher Teachers’ Training Colleges were able to benefit from decisions granting them advanced salaries and matricule numbers, and 12,105 draft integration decisions were initiated and transmitted in the Prime Minister’s Office. 14,049 integration decisions were signed in 1 year. All of these transactions translate to a financial impact that is as follows:

- 1.282.620.698 Fcfa for advance salaries;
- 824,399,444 Fcfa of expenses for final taking on charge;
- 23,932,095,466 Fcfa for effective payment of arrears.

• At the level of Higher Education:
The Head of State has authorized a special recruitment of Doctorate degree or PhD holders in the 8 State Universities. The recruitment criteria in this regard are currently being elaborated.

Subventions to private institutions (secondary and primary)
From the special allocation of two billion (2.000.000.000) Fcfa, granted by the Head of State, the Ministries of Secondary and Basic  Education each received a total of 1 billion (1.000.000.000) Fcfa of this subvention which was effectively distributed to the various beneficiaries.

5. Payments of dues owed examiners and markers of official examinations

• Primary cycle:
A budget allocation of 1.050.000.000 is provided in the 2018   budget.
However an appeal for an additional budget shall be developed by the Ministry of Basic Education to pay off arrears.

• Secondary cycle:
 With regard to the GCE Board, the regulations were made since      February 2018. The Minister of Secondary Education shall conduct an audit on the debt of the markers to the exams of the GCE. However, 500 million have already been disbursed and sent to the legal beneficiaries.

6. Transfer of Teachers to the North West and South West
They have started and shall continue: 1051 teachers have already been deployed in these regions in the space of 2 months at the same time there is an increase in the number of specialties in technical education, for instance about 16 specializations were created in 47 technical education institutions (technical high schools and CETICs).

7. Preparation for the National Education Forum
It was evident from the presentation of Technical Secretariat that the level of preparedness is sufficiently advanced. As of now, the Committee is pleased to note that it has already produced the totality of working documents in this regard.

The working session generally took place in a serene, convivial and peaceful atmosphere.&...