The Inspector General of Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education, Jean Paul Marcellin Mebada led a team of MINESEC officials in the presence of the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Mfoundi Division, on a working visit to evaluate the unfolding of the 2024 session of the BEPC and CAP examinations. This visit took place on Tuesday, 4 June 2024, and aimed to ensure the smooth administration of the examinations and monitor the compliance of schools to the regulations set forth by the Department in charge of Examinations and Certification of the Ministry of Secondary Education.

The schools visited were Government High School Cite Verte, Government Technical High School Yaounde II, and Al Haramain Private Islamic College. In each of the schools visited, the officials conducted a thorough evaluation of the facilities and resources, making sure the candidates were duly registered, noting the number of absent cases, inquiring the state of default candidates, inspecting the examination halls to ensure the sitting positions were respected and that they each had invigilators. They equally ensured that the document specifying the modalities for the payment of examination officials was put up in all the centres for transparency. They also enquired about the availability of the financial resources to facilitate the immediate payment of the staff involved in the exams.

Besides emphasizing on the unfolding of the examination, strict attention was guided towards the necessary security measures put in place and the sanitary conditions of the said centres. It was with immense satisfaction the officials found out that all schools in addition to their regular security agents had a minimum of two members of forces of law and order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of candidates throughout the examination period. As concerns the sanitary measures, the toilets of the three schools were visited and with utmost satisfaction, the officials found them clean, having running water and above all respecting the norms of gender; as both boys and girls had separate toilets.

Overall, the visit to the three schools in Yaounde provided a valuable insight into the administration of BEPC and CAP examinations, with the officials noting that the exams were being conducted in a fair and transparent manner as various centre heads took their responsibilities seriously.

JOSO Sophie, ARO2/CELCOM

KICK-OFF OF THE WRITTEN PHASE OF OFFICIAL EXAMINATION, 2024 SESSION

Competitive Entrance Examinations into the First year of Government Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Secondary Schools and the Concours d’Entrée en sixième into Secondary General Education

The Ministry of Secondary Education under the auspices of the Minister, Professor Nalova Lyonga, undertook an evaluation visit to Mefou and Akono division in the Centre region. The visit aimed to evaluate the unfolding of the competitive entrance examinations into the First year of Government Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Secondary Schools and the Concours d’Entrée en sixième into Government Secondary Schools, organized by the Ministry of Secondary Education and assess the conditions under which the exams were being conducted to ensure that all measures are taken to guarantee fair and transparent examination process.

 This visit to some host and marking centres of the said examinations took place on Tuesday, 14 May 2024. The team was led by the Inspector General of Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education, Professor Jean-Paul Marcellin Mebada, in the company of the Technical Advisers Number 1, 2, 3, the Director of Secondary General Education, the Sub-Director of Material, Liaison and Control, and the Sub-director in Charge of Organization of Exams.

During the visit, the team inspected the centres at GBTHS Mbankomo, GBHS Mbankomo and GBHS Mbalngong, where the Inspector General of Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education and the heads of the centres discussed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the exams and adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Secondary Education. The Inspector General of Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education, emphasized the need for strict adherence to exam regulations and protocols, as well as the importance of maintaining a conducive and secured environment for the students taking the exams. To this effect, his team inspected each host centre, evaluating factors such as the number of candidates who registered, noting the absences recorded in each centre, verifying the status of default candidates and the measures taken to handle their situation, the seating arrangements of not more than fifty candidates per hall, ensuring that each hall had two invigilators: one from MINEDUB and the other from MINESEC, checking the necessary security measures put in place, the canteen and state of the toilets. They also observed the conduct of exams and interacted with teachers and students to get a sense of how the exams were being administered.

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Overall, the evaluation visit revealed that the host centres in Mefou and Akono division were well-prepared and organized for the exams. The Inspector General commended the efforts of the school authorities in ensuring a smooth and efficient exam process, and expressed confidence in the integrity of the exams being conducted. He however remarked that the canteens should always be kept clean and those selling snacks to students should be dressed in white jackets. In addition, he recommended that the authorities should not only focus on the hygiene of the toilets but should take into account the gender differences of their students. As a moral boost to the teachers, he reassured them that they were be paid for their duties at the end of the day anhd he equally reminded the centre heads to make sure the results are published within forty-eight hours.

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By

JOSO Sophie

ARO2/CELCOM

Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, wants smooth and secure examinations for the credibility of our education system.

The Distance Education Centre of the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) played host to an important consultation meeting presided over by Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, on Monday, 13 May 2024.

This was in the presence of Boniface Bayola, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Secondary Education in charge of Teacher’s Training, Professor Fabien Nkot, the Secretary-General, Akat Etta Fidelis, the Inspector-General of Services, Jean Paul Marcelin Mebada, the Inspector-General of Education as well as directors of the central administration and ministry’s officials from the Regions. Officials from the GCE-Board and the Office du Baccalauréat du Cameroun were equally present.

The meeting which was extended to education partners, including representatives of officially recognised teachers’ trade unions and national education secretaries, mainly aimed at paving the way for a hitch-free and harmonious organisation of the 2024 official examinations session. The transfer of certain competences from MINESEC to the decentralized local authorities was equally a key point discussed during the meeting.

On this latter, participants concurred with the fact that all secondary education stakeholders concerned with the decree signed by the Head of Sate on 27 April 2023 to lay down conditions governing the exercise of some powers devolved by the State upon Regions in the area of secondary education, needed to enhance their appropriation of this presidential decree through capacity building so as to be aware of their respective roles and responsibilities. It was advised that decentralized local authorities at the regional level organise workshops on the appropriation of this decree by the Education Community.

Regarding the 2024 official examinations session, Professor Nalova Lyonga challenged all parties involved in official examinations to work for the credibility of our education system, beginning with the competitive entrance examinations into General and Technical Secondary Education, slated for 14 May 2024 nationwide. Issues such as leakage of papers, security in and around examination centres, timely payment of invigilators and examiners, availability of composition materials and the dressing code of some candidates were examined in-depth.

The Minister of Secondary Education instructed that no delays in payment should be recorded concerning the Concours d’Entrée en 6ème and the Entrance Examination into 1^st Year of Technical, Vocational and Agricultural Schools, because the money and the lists were available in each examination centre. The same situation should prevail in GCE and OBC Examinations, since the subventions were equally paid.

The leaders of the teachers’ trade unions thanked Professor Nalova Lyonga for her personal involvement in getting teachers’ issues solved and expressed appreciation for the Minister’s willingness to involve all education stakeholders in improving the Secondary Education sub-sector.

To this effect, the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga instructed the Distance Education Team to select the best teachers in all the subjects to prepare candidates for official examinations through virtual revision sessions which shall run from Wednesday, 15 May to Monday, 10 June 2024, so as to improve and increase the success rate in Secondary Education.

Aimé Ngidjol, ARO 1/CELCOM