2026-2027 School Year: Advocates Demand Strict Respect Of Inclusive Education Rights

As primary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions across Cameroon officially reopened their doors for the 2026/2027 academic year on Monday, September 7, 2026, leading advocates, institutional founders, and civil society leaders within the disability sector have voiced critical perspectives. Regarding accessibility, policy enforcement, and practical inclusion. Emphasizing that access to education is a fundamental human right rather than an act of charity. Key figures are calling on government authorities, school administrators, and private learning centers to eliminate structural barriers. And enforce existing protective regulations.

Boniface Mvondo, Executive Director of the National Platform of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, issued an urgent appeal to the entire national educational ecosystem. Which encompasses primary schools, secondary colleges, and State universities. He called on all institutional heads, administrative leaders, and teaching personnel to systematically integrate a disability-inclusive approach into both admission procedures and pedagogical practices.

"Students with disabilities have a right to education; it is not charity, it is not a favor, but it is a question of human rights," Mvondo stated. "Whatever the disability or impairment of a citizen, they have a right to education just like all other citizens," Mvondo insisted.

Foundation For Active Citizenship

Addressing students living with disabilities directly, Mvondo urged them to actively pursue their schooling, framing education as the foundation for active citizenship and personal fulfillment. Highlighting progress on the regulatory front, Mvondo noted that the legal framework governing inclusive education in Cameroon strengthened significantly in 2026 through inter-ministerial circulars. Chief among these is a joint circular establishing a mandatory 50% discount on school and academic fees for students with disabilities.

Strictly And Uniformly Applied

Mvondo emphasized that this reduction is a statutory right that must be strictly and uniformly applied by all heads of institutions, whether public or private. He further called on the State to ensure full, nationwide implementation of the national policy on inclusive education to guarantee equitable access across all administrative regions.

At the Club des Jeunes Aveugles Réhabilités du Cameroun, CJARC in Ekie, Yaoundé, preparations for the new academic year began as early as last June. Dr. Coco Bertin, Founder and Director General of CJARC, revealed that the organization used the holiday period to run intensive training-of-trainers’ sessions.

These workshops attracted educators not only from various regions of Cameroon, but also from neighboring nations. Including the Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, and Ghana.

A major innovation highlighted by Dr. Bertin is CJARC’s local production of specialized teaching materials designed for inclusive learning environments. "Specialized teaching materials are very expensive, and we often have to look for them in Europe, which costs a lot," Dr. Bertin explained.

"One of the special features of our organization is that we manufacture specialized teaching materials for inclusive schools. We train teachers to use raw, local materials found in our environment to manufacture specialized equipment that allows teaching children with disabilities," Dr Coco Bertin explained.

CJARC’s Institutions

CJARC’s flagship primary institution, the Louis Braille Inclusive Bilingual Primary School, recorded an enrollment of approximately 300 pupils within the first three days of reopening. Bringing the facility near maximum capacity due to high demand.

The school practises genuine inclusion by educating children with diverse physical and sensory impairments alongside neurotypical peers who do not have disabilities. The facility also features an on-site hostel accommodating visually impaired pupils from rural and outlying regions.

Teachers’ Training College

Beyond primary schooling, CJARC operates a comprehensive network of specialized training structures. There is ENIEG (Teacher Training College for General Education). It prepared a large cohort of candidate teachers during the September 3, 2026 entrance examination, with classes scheduled to begin on September 21, 2026.

There is also the Coco Bertin Inclusive Professional Training Institute. It offers a 12-month theoretical and practical curriculum, qualifying inclusive educators, social assistants, and care aides for immediate job placement. Coco Bertin also runs the Functional Literacy Center for the Blind. It re-trains individuals who experience vision loss later in life, empowering them to return to public administration or launch income-generating ventures.

Finally, there is the Inclusive Multimedia Center. It delivers digital skills training, teaching visually impaired students to navigate smartphones, computers, and internet platforms.