"Cameroon’s Educational System Needs New Curriculum"

By Christopher Ambe Shu

Cameroon’s present educational system is archaic, anachronistic and inadaptable to meaningful development, the Cameroon Teachers’ Trade Union (CATTU) has declared, insisting that the national curriculum badly needs an overhaul in order for Cameroon to face squarely current technological advancement and global challenges.

CATTU, whose objectives include protecting the working and living conditions of Cameroonian teachers, made the declaration yesterday at MISS BRIGHT Hotel in Buea at the start of a three-day seminar/workshop that assembled educational stakeholders to brainstorm on the theme “Cameroon’s Educational System 50 Years after Independence-The Need for a New Curriculum”.

The seminar/workshop was organized in partnership with the Freidrich Ebert Foundation, in Yaounde

In welcome speech, Simon Nkwenti, National Executive Secretary-General of CATTU noted:

 “After careful and scientific conderations, we hold, and with strong conviction that, our present educational system is archaic, anachronistic, obsolete and inadaptable to any meaningful development.

Further inspired by the Growth and employment Strategic Paper(GESP) presented by the Government and the vision of the Head of State for Cameroon to become an emerging state by the year 2035,we passionately think that a new curriculum needs to be designed for Cameroon to accompany this vision”

Nkwenti  lauded the Cameroon GCE Board which last April reviewed the syllabuses of some subjects in the English sub system, adding: “I think it is time enough for us to push this further by encouraging and accompanying government initiative through a  larger educational forum”

He said 50 years ago Cameroon was at the same development level with Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, and South Korea.

“While these  Asian countries through their curricula have made ambitious strides towards the moon, it is regrettable that Cameroon’s nonchalance on matters of education and  its curriculum in particular, has caused us at best to stagnate, and at worst, to engage a backward move into the forest “

CATTU wished that every well-meaning and patriotic Cameroonian should see that absolute need now to help government realize its vision.

 “CATTU will join the Head of state fight against the enemies of this nation”, Nkwenti vowed, as participants sat down to begin serious reflections on the subject matter, which will culminate in reform proposals

The seminar was officially opened by Mrs. Vivian Nama, representative of the Governor of Southwest Region, who gave the participants words of encouragement for in their efforts towards building a better Cameroon