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DIGITAL PAYMENT OF FEES

ECOBANK JOINS THE TRAIN AND ORANGE CAMEROON IS READMITTED.

The signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Secondary Education, Ecobank and Orange Cameroon took place recently at the Distance Education Centre in Yaoundé.  

Speaking during the solemn ceremony, Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education reiterated that the goal of the digital payment of tuition and examination fees is to ensure security, transparency and traceability in the management of these funds. She congratulated Ecobank for joining the team and urged both partners to ensure that parents and students do their payments with ease.

Madam Gwendoline Nzo-NGUTY ABUNAW, Managing Director of Ecobank explained that, “Ecobank has put forth products, particularly digital products and services that allow the collection of fees at the points of payment within secondary schools. This will give the government a clear view on the amount of fees that is being paid and give a sense of transparency to parents, students and everyone involved in the process. Hence, making sure that things are being done in the right manner. With these products and services, financial inclusion is ensured thanks to the availability of a USSD code which is being used by parents and students who do not have access to the Internet and who lack Android phones to be able to do their payments with ease.”

Orange Cameroon through its General Manager Patrick BENON said “Orange Cameroon has a service known as mobile money services and over seven million people are using it in Cameroon. Therefore, with the signing of this Memorandum of Understanding it is seven million people who will be using the service for the payment of fees. It will be beneficial to all stakeholders that is, the government, parents, and school authorities as it will facilitate the payment of fees without having to stand in long queues and ensure transparency as well as traceability of these funds.”

Ecobank joins MTN, Express Union, Campost, Afriland First Bank. Orange on its part is readmitted into the list of mobile money operators charged with the collection of tuition and examination fees in Secondary schools in Cameroon.

K. T Lois NGEK

CELCOM/MINESEC

2021/2022 SCHOOL YEAR LAUNCHED 

Professor Nalova Lyonga urges all the stakeholders to aim high for Secondary Education

After touring 4 schools at Ntui to ascertain the effective kick-off of classes and assess the quality of school infrastructure, the Minister of Secondary Education outlined the ambitious roadmap of the new school year. 

The activities of the new school year 2021/2022 were officially launched at Ntui on 6 September, 2021 by Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education. On this occasion, she was accompanied by Boniface Bayaola, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Secondary Education in charge of teacher’s training (SEESEN), Professor Fabien Nkot, Secretary General of the Ministry and the Senior Divisional Officer of the Mbam-and-Kim Division. Other high-ranking officials of the Ministry were also part of the delegation. 

Despite the morning drizzle over the town, the ministerial delegation went round four (4) schools notably, Government Bilingual High School Ntui, Government Teacher’s Training College Ntui, Government Technical High School Ntui, and Le Miel Bilingual Complex. The aim of this tour was to check the quality of infrastructure including, computer rooms and equipment, the working and living spaces as well as the learning environment, among other things. 

The official ceremony proper held at Government High School Ntui was an occasion for the minister to sum up the major achievements of the just ended school year and to enlighten the entire Education Community on the guidelines of the starting school year. In order to guarantee the smooth running of teaching and learning in schools and make the new school year another brilliant success, Professor Nalova Lyonga indicated that the number of students per class is maintained at 50 and that lessons will be delivered in three complementary modes: in-presence teaching, the two-shift system and distance education. So did she present the series of actions to be implemented at the organisational, pedagogic and administrative levels, not to mention the relentless fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The ultimate aim of these actions, if carried out properly, would be to empower students and foster the spirit of entrepreneurship in them so that they should be self-employed in the long run. 

In this light, Secondary Education boss instructed school authorities to adequately use the resources provided to develop infrastructure that meet the standards and to undertake sensible budgeting which targets priority areas. Teachers were strongly advised to stay safe and commit themselves solely to teaching, with no form of compulsion on students or competition with learners. Learners on their own were warned to adopt and exhibit enviable character in order to fully benefit from the various resources put at their disposal. The minister called upon parents to invest more in technology for their children while safeguarding them from the dangers arising from the use of technologies. Education being a joint venture, its success requires the interest and commitment of all the stakeholders.

By A. Ngidjol

CELCOM MINESEC

THE MINISTRY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION BEEFS UP ITS OFFER IN TECHNICAL SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH ELEVEN NEW SPECIALTIES.

Office automation, stenotyping, taxation, business computing, bakery and pastry, meat processing, painting, ceramics and sculpture, tannery and leather industry, textile and pressing are the new specialties technical secondary education will offer as from the 2021-2022 school year in Government Technical Bilingual High Schools (GTBHS) Nsam and Maroua.

The information was disclosed by Professor Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, during the closing ceremony of the pioneer trainers’ training session on the specialties mentioned above at GTBHS Nsam on 18, May 2021. On the occasion, Secondary Education Minister was accompanied by Boniface Bayaola, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) in charge of Teacher Training, alongside other high ranking officials.

Within the framework of the project to enhance Technical Secondary Education (PEST), fifty-three (53) technical education teachers drawn from all over the country were trained from 15 February to 15 May 2021 on the mastery and teaching of these specialties, so as to ensure a smooth transfer of knowledge and know-how to learners. The training which was offered by professional institutions specialising in these domains blended theoretical and practical lessons with a two-week internship in well-established companies.

Teachers exhibited the know-how earned at the end of the three-month training in various stands which were visited by Professor Nalova Lyonga and her entire delegation. In each stand, the Minister enquired about the process and the materials used in the production of the various items displayed. She equally advised teachers trained in bakery and pastry, meat processing, textile and pressing to lay emphasis on hygiene, safety and security while transmitting the know-how to learners, since this will enable them to secure the trust of their prospective clients in the long run. “We are going to faithfully transmit what we have learned to our students”, trainees assured the Minister.

In her remarks, Professor Nalova Lyonga thanked the Islamic Development Bank for supporting the State of Cameroon in improving the standards in technical secondary education through PEST project. “The teaching of these specialties which have been chosen based on the needs of the country’s socioeconomic environment will ultimately provide a sustainable solution to youth unemployment”, the Minister concluded.

By A. Ngidjol, CELCOM MINESEC

This is the leitmotiv of the four-day capacity building workshop for pedagogic inspectors and teachers of computer sciences organized by the Inspectorate of Pedagogy in charge of the teaching of Computer Sciences. The workshop took place at the Teachers’ Resource Center known by its French acronym CAAP from the 17 to 19 and 21 May 2021.

The opening ceremony chaired by the Inspector General of Education, Pr. NSATA AWOUNDJA Catherine brought together National and Regional Pedagogic Inspectors as well as teachers of Computer Sciences. In her address, she lauded the Inspector Coordinator General in charge of the teaching of Computer Sciences for organizing such a workshop and hoped that the set objectives will be attained. Pr. NSATA AWOUNDJA acknowledged the presence of teachers who came from the field. She congratulated them on the work done and said their input was highly awaited. While wishing all participants fruitful deliberations, she declared open the workshop.

                                  

In order to guarantee the achievement of the set objectives, the seminar was structured around two main phases: Training and the immediate practice on the field. As such, it is not just a purely theoretical exchange, but the knowledge acquired shall be immediately tested on the field.

MINESEC welcomes the new Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon

His Excellency Volkan Isikçi, the newly posted Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, on Thursday 15 April 2021.

This audience with the Secondary Education Minister who was assisted by Boniface Bayaola, Secretary of State in charge of teacher training in the said Ministry was an opportunity for the Turkish diplomat and the Secondary Education boss to review the fruitful cooperation Cameroon has been enjoying from Turkey in boosting its Secondary Education sector.

Citing the experience earned from MAARIF School and Government Bilingual High School Mvomeka’a as some of the major outcomes Cameroon-Turkey cooperation has achieved so far, not forgetting the construction of the Government Technical and Vocational High Ekounou which is underway, Prof Nalova Lyonga told H.E. Volkan Isikçi that MINESEC expected much more from this relationship, especially in the fields of the teaching and practice of arts, cinema and the manufacturing of sportwear.

The Turkish diplomat gave Prof Nalova Lyonga assurance of his country’s full support in advancing the Cameroon’s Secondary Education. The diplomat pledged to play a decisive role in facilitating contacts between Turkish companies and the Ministry of Secondary Education.

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Aimé Ngidjol