Members of the North West Regional Executive council
Education that used to be the economic life wire of the North West Region has come under attack since the start of the anglophone crisis in 2016.
For close to five years, no fewer than 1200 classrooms have been burnt, the latest being the Japanese school in Bali, other classrooms have been used as camps for separatist activities.
Though the enrollment rate has witnessed as increased in the 2020/2021 academic year, the North West Region is still to fully get pupils and students back in the classroom as at 2016.
It was on this backdrop that the North West Regional Assembly invited stakeholders to brainstorm on the new academic year as well as Education as a whole.
Stakeholders brain storming for a better academic year
In a tear provoking presentation, the Regional Delegate of Basic Education, Wilfred Wambeng Ndong, lamented that just 220,852 students made it to school last academic year as compared to 422,720 in 2016. Just 177 secondary schools of the 558 are operational in the North West Region.
For basic Education, almost a 100,000 kids cannot be accounted for. Today, they're school dropouts.
The Delegate however praised the fact that the number is increasing but challenged stakeholders to ensure that resumption is effective across the 7 divisions of the North West region.
For the confessional sector, the CBC Education secretary, Nyangaji Job decried the late payment of state subvention that delays the payment of salaries for teachers and the running of their schools.
Prof Fru Angwafo III, President of the North West Regional Assembly
A message the President of the North West Regional Assembly promises to work on.
With Decentralisation saluted today, the secretary of lay private proprietors, Boma Christopher, asked for the current school curriculum to be revised as it only makes learners to be job seekers
"We need to start training our kids for the job market. They flood the place every year with nothing to show for because of the curriculum we have. With Decentralisation here today, can we tailor the curriculum to meet today's needs?"
Sema Valentine, Executive Secretary of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU, dwelled on students going back to school. Here he proposed that free text books, temporal suppression of fees, distribution of books can cause children to regain the classroom.
A plea, Prof Fru Angwafo III saluted, stating that it is time for the region to stand and protect its heritage. That education cannot be targeted in this 21st century.
"it is time our communities mobilise for school reopening across the region. The points that have been raised here will be adequately reviewed with the Commissioner for Education and as a people, we will ensure that school attendance is better this time around in the region" Prof Fru said
In this five years long crisis, kidnapping of teachers, students and school proprietors have perturbed learning. Just less than two weeks ago, a female pupil was killed while attending holiday classes in Kumbo. A situation that must be arrested for an effective back to school.
Some teachers have not taught a single lesson since 2016 while schools are still recruiting PTA paid teachers. To the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education, Ngwang Roland, they will be massive redeployment of teachers to the schools in need.
While the Regional assembly through the North West craft association encouraged students to also pick up skills while acquiring formal education.
Councils, Elite of the region have begun distributing books ahead of the new school year.
By
Ndi Tsembom Elvis
Photos civiclens.info
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