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RESUMPTION OF CLASSES FOR THE SECOND TERM

Professor Nalova Lyonga expresses satisfaction with the effective unfolding of classes in some schools in the Centre Region for the second term of the 2023-2024 academic year.

In response to the Head of State’s message to teachers in his end-of-year 2023 and New Year 2024 address to the nation and focusing on teachers’ disenchantment in some secondary schools in the course of the first term of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga undertook visits to five secondary schools in the Centre Region, on Wednesday, 17 January 2024.

The visit aimed to provide Professor Nalova Lyonga with unfiltered insights into the unfolding of the second term, allowing for a genuine understanding of the challenges faced by the educational community, and take necessary actions to ensure the smooth functioning of the education system.

Delving into the agenda of the day, the first stop was at Government Bilingual High School Ngoa-Ekelle, where in the company of the Secretary of State for MINESEC, Mr. BAYAOLA Boniface, the Secretary General of MINESEC, Professor Pierre Fabien NKOT, and other collaborators of her ministerial department, the Minister of Secondary Education was filled with satisfaction that classes were not disrupted in this institution.

Moving through Government High School Nkol-Eton and Government Bilingual Technical High School Nlongkak, the team learned with utmost satisfaction that not only have classes effectively resumed for the course of the second term, but activities in these two institutions, like the first, were going on hitch-free.

On the campus of Government High School Ahala, Professor Nalova Lyonga was being reliably informed of the smooth unfolding of classes and the successful registration of final year students for their end of course certificate exams.

The final stop was at Government High School Ngoumou in the Mefou-and-Akono Division. The visit provided an opportunity to engage with the staff, understand the impact of the strike and evaluate recovery efforts. Learning from this interaction that 65 out of 97 members of staff were on strike during the first term, Professor Nalova Lyonga and her team entreated the staff to identify any residual challenges and gauge the effectiveness of the measures taken to compensate for lost instructional time.

The visit conducted by the Minister of Secondary Education demonstrated a proactive approach towards evaluating the unfolding of the second term. By bypassing formalities and gaining unfiltered insights, Professor Nalova Lyonga was able to assess the challenges and successes faced by the educational system. This initiative underscores MINESEC’s commitment to ensuring the quality and effectiveness of secondary education in Cameroon.

In a note of appraisal of the tour, Professor Nalova Lyonga stated: “I am very glad that classes have started as well as we expected them to start…”, a firm reassurance of the fact that teachers are aligning to the Head of State’s message, even though measures against defaulters are envisaged.

By

JOSO Sophie

ARO2/CELCOM

PROMOTION OF MADE-IN-CAMEROON IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

The Huge Contribution of Cameroonian Teachers in Technical Industrial Education

35,700 textbooks of Industrial Techniques written by Cameroonian teachers have been distributed to Regional Delegations of secondary education and to some technical schools.

The expertise of Cameroonian teachers in Technical Education was under the spotlight at Government Bilingual Technical High School Nsam, on 10 January 2024 where the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga handed over 35,700 copies of 21 textbooks of Industrial Techniques to 11 technical schools in the Centre Region and to the Regional Delegations of the Ministry of Secondary Education.

These textbooks which are intended for first- and second-year students of the first cycle in Technical Education, are entirely written by technical education teachers and experts in Industrial Techniques. With this, the Ministry of Secondary Education aims to promote made-in-Cameroon knowledge in Industrial Techniques in particular and decolonise theoretical knowledge in Technical and Vocational Education in general.

The production of these textbooks was conducted by the Inspectorate of Pedagogy in charge of Industrial Techniques led by Ticki Alain Brice, Inspector-Coordinator General for Industrial Techniques, under the supervision of the Inspector-General of Education, Jean-Paul Marcelin Mebada. This collaborative project brought together industry experts and subject specialists who pooled their know-how in Industrial Techniques to come up with top-notch textbooks that will serve to pass on to young Cameroonians up-to-date skills in line with the demands in the job market.

The Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, congratulated the Inspectorate of Pedagogy in charge of Industrial Techniques and all the members of the editorial teams for flawlessly delivering on the very first in-house project to develop school textbooks for technical industrial education. She lauded their substantial contribution in improving the quality of Technical and Vocational Education.

By Aimé Ngidjol

ARO1 CELCOM

ADDRESSING VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS

Promoting best disciplinary practices in schools through orientation and sensitisation

Awareness-raising at the grassroots is key to making our schools safe and secure.

Following an act of violence witnessed on the campus of Government Bilingual Technical High School (GBTHS) Nsam on Monday, 8 January 2024 in the afternoon, the Minister of Secondary Education, Professor Nalova Lyonga, held an orientation session with the students of this school on Tuesday, 9 January 2024. On this occasion, the Minister was flanked by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) in charge of teachers’ training, Boniface Bayaola, and the Inspector General of Services, Akat Fidelis Etta.

The aim of this talk was to sensitise the students on the attitudes and values expected from them and raise their awareness on the application of school rules and regulations regarding violence. Meeting with the authorities of the Ministry in the conference hall of the school, the students and the staff of GBTHS Nsam listened to presentations made by three officials of the Ministry of Secondary Education.

First to take the floor was the Director of Legal Affairs in MINESEC, Njomnang Tchatchouang Leopold. He browsed through the legal instruments available on discipline in school, not only to remind the students and the school staff of the existence of such instruments but also to highlight the specific provisions applicable in case of indiscipline in school. He made a clear-cut distinction between the notions of ‘punishments’ and ‘sanctions’ provided for in the school rules and regulations.

He specified that while punishments are solely handled by the school rules and regulations, acts of violence resulting in sanctions can equally be handled by the penal law which goes beyond the school authority. As such he cautioned the students and the school staff to know and abide by the school rules and regulations in order to stay safe and maintain their environment safe.

The Inspector of Services No.3 in MINESEC, Ayong Bertin, as the second speaker, advised students on the importance of nurturing living-together while in school. Dwelling on the school rules and regulations, he told the students about the best attitudes and humane values they should adopt in order to foster social cohesion and mutual understanding among themselves and in the community.

The Director of Examinations and Certification in MINESEC, Dr Shewa Magdeleine, the last speaker, presented the Government policy articulated in the Clean School vision spearheaded by Professor Nalova Lyonga since her appointment at the helm of the Ministry of Secondary Education. Clean School entails promoting ethics, excellence, the fight against violence, drug consumption and corruption in schools. It implies cleanliness at physical, moral and intellectual levels. She insisted on the moral aspect of the Clean School vision which is considered the starting point of any human success.

While underscoring the respect for the school rules and regulations, the three speakers reminded the students about their responsibility in preserving GBTHS Nsam which the Minister referred to as a reference school. Further assurance was given by the law enforcement officers from the company in charge of security in schools and university campuses (CSESU) who gave assurance of their relentless determination in ending violence in schools.

In the same vein, Professor Nalova Lyonga reiterated Government’s commitment in making GBTHS Nsam safe and secure. “GBTHS Nsam is going to be a school without violence. It is going to be a safe school. We are committed to that.”

By Aimé Ngidjol

ARO1 CELCOM

Professionalization in MINESEC

Two new modern technical high schools with high-tech material have been inaugurated in Yaoundé and Maroua

On Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 December 2023, The Prime Minister, Head of Government, presided over the inauguration ceremonies of Government Bilingual Technical High Schools Nsam and Maroua.

Members of Government and top rank personalities of our country gathered around the Prime Minister, Head of Government, to celebrate secondary education move towards modernity and effective professionalization, through the inauguration of two modern schools in Yaounde and Maroua. The Prime Minister thanked the Islamic Development Bank for financing this important project aiming at improving and strengthening the quality and quantity of school infrastructure in Cameroon.

Government Bilingual Technical High School Nsam for example, which the Prime Minister considers ‘a significant achievement,’ has well-equipped workshops in civil engineering, electricity, clothing, building construction, woodwork and computing (stenotyping…) that will enable learners to acquire know-how in line with the demand on the job market. The school innovates with new specialities such as Stenotyping, Plastic Arts, Dry Cleaning, Bakery... As such, a speciality like Plastic Arts can be started in secondary school instead of university as it is the case nowadays.

With these two new schools the Ministry of Secondary Education is comforted in its aim of making students ready for employment or creation of enterprises once out of school. Benefitting from quality equipment in these schools, Cameroonian learners can upgrade their level to international standard.

ABILAMEKOU BADJEL THEODORE

                SENIOR STAFF

Addressing the challenges of the school year and the education system in Cameroon

The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, gathered her collaborators on Wednesday, 22^nd November 2023 to make a mid-term assessment of the school year 2023/2024 and discuss about improving Cameroon Education System.

The Distance Education Centre played host to the meeting. Prof. Nalova Lyonga and her collaborators (Mr Bayaola Boniface, Prof. Nkot Fabien, Mr Mebada Marcelin, Mr Akat Fidelis Etta, MINESEC directors, inspectors, regional delegates…) met to assess progress of the school year and decide on remedies where necessary.

Digitalization of education, one of Prof. Nalova’s workhorse, was at the heart of discussions on this day. Speaking during this meeting, Mr Mebada Marcelin, Inspector General in charge of Education in the Ministry of Secondary Education, considered the process of digitalization “irreversible, implemented with method and serenity, and at multiple speeds.” Implementation of digitalization is done with the help of various partners working hand in hand with MINESEC to achieve this goal. Inspectors are at work for the inclusion of digitalized lessons in teachers schemes of work. They are working to enable teachers use self-produced digitalized lessons but also the ones put at their disposal by the Distance Education Centre. Teachers are recommended to use softwares such as Google forms and others to digitalize their lessons. Needless to say, the task is both interesting and challenging.

During this meeting, challenges impacting the achievement of the school year objectives in general and digitalization (some teachers are computer illiterates) in particular were identified and addressed. So, Recommendations were made by MINESEC officials and instructions given by the Minister to overcome the identified difficulties, notably the one linked to class disruptions in some areas.

This meeting was also an opportunity to brainstorm once more on improving Cameroon Education System. This justifies regular attendance by MINESEC officials at international conferences relating to education. The most recent was in China where among other aspects the 3H approach was discussed:  3H approach covers 3 key developmental domains – HEAD (knowledge & skills), HANDS (participation & contribution) and HEART (values & emotions). So, MINESEC officials brainstormed on this and on correlations with other educational aspects.

ABILAMEKOU BADJEL Théodore:

Senior Staff