Education Problems: Government Takes Salutory Measures

The Head of State has ordered special subventions to lay private and denominational schools and recruitment of bilingual teachers.

Since Thursday, December 1, 2016, the education community in Cameroon has witnessed salvaging measures taken by the Head of State, Paul Biya intended to bring serenity and order  in the education sector, as well as improve the quality of teaching.  The government measures have come within the context of the strike by teachers in the English speaking part of Cameroon and a planned strike by the others.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang in a press release on December 1, 2016 disclosed that the President of the Republic took two special measures aimed at improving the working conditions in the public and private schools. The first measure, the release specified concerned the disbursement of a special subvention of FCFA 2 billion  to lay private and denominational schools. In the second measure, « the Head of State authorised the special recruitment of 1,000 young bilingual Cameroonians, holders of Higher Education Diplomas, especially in scientific and technical subjects. » The teachers will have to be posted as matter of priority to regions where there an acute shortage of teachers of such subjects.

Government has kept on listening to the problems raised by the education community. Prime Minister Philemon Yang on December 2, 2016 had a consultation meeting in his Office with some teachers trade unions. These are trade unions that had planned to go on strike today, December 5, 2016. The immediate fallout of the consultation was that the trade unions called off the strike action.  Their leader came out of the Prime Minister Office with good news contained in the final communiqué.

The news is that contract teachers in basic education would be integrated into the public service. The first phase concerns teachers recruited in 2005-2006 and the others would be integrated progressively. Also all contrac...