*Wish greater autonomy be given PHEIs
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| Participants pose for a family picture after the opening of the conference |
By Christopher Ambe
The first ever conference between the Ministry of Higher
Education (MINESUP) and Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) in the
Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon ended on April 28,at the Buea Mountain Hotel, with strict recommendations
intended to make teaching and training meet, at all-time , international standards and
the needs of the job markets.
The theme of the
conference was “Strengthening the capacities of PHEIs in Quality Approach”
The conference, which
took place at the initiative of Higher Education Minister, Prof. Jacques Fame
Ndongo and was chaired by Prof. Marcel Fouda, Inspector-General in MINESUP on
the former’s behalf, resolved ,among others, that the Cameroon Government
should give greater autonomy to PHEIs, because the present pathway towards it
is very complicated.
“There should be a new pathway based on other
international accrediting organizations and countries that we think will take
us to the emerging level.
If we leave accreditation that is not linked to the
emerging level, then we have failed”, Fr. George Nkeze Jingwa, Pro-Chancellor
of the Catholic University Institute of Buea(CUIB) and coordinator of the conference,
explained. “We are appealing to Government to allow us join them in making a
proposal that will help the government achieve Vision 2035”
The participants strongly resolved that the present
curriculum in Higher Education is outdated and recommended that, it be urgently
reviewed. “If we have to reach Vision 2035, then the present curriculum must be
linked to industries, and not the other way round. We cannot have just course content
which has no relevance to industries and society and we continue teaching
people who graduate with certificates and cannot have jobs”, Fr. George Nkeze
Jingwa, noted.
According to Dr. Nick Ngwanyam, CEO of St. Louis University
Institute of Health Sciences, Bamenda, the conference recommendations “are
geared towards ensuring that we have proper quality of products; that the
products that PHEIs deliver are able to solve the problems of Cameroon… instead
of asking Chinese and Vietnamese to come and be doing things for us.
“Your university certificate is only worth what you know and
can do. And as long as you can do nothing, then your certificate is worth
nothing.”
There are nineteen (19) officially recognized PHEIs in the
Southwest and twelve (12) in the Northwest giving a total of 31 in both
regions, but just 19 of them participated in the conference.
At the opening ceremony, Fr. George Nkeze Jingwa., coordinator
of the conference, lauded the Minister of Higher Education for initiating such an
important meeting, noting that it “will undoubtedly go a long way to foster the
dream of Vision 2035 for an emerging Cameroon that was announced years back by
President Paul Biya”
He reiterated a recommendation by peers in a preparatory
meeting that, the concept of “the higher” in Higher Education and any
meaningful discussion must spring from the perspective of the nature of
university.
The Pro-Chancellor of CUIB noted: “A university or Higher
Education Institution stands out as the apex of the educational system of any country,
as a place for the pursuit and dissemination of sound knowledge through
research, study, discussion, documentation, production, motivation and
teaching.
“In this light, therefore and from a philosophical and
educational perspective, what distinguishes us from other institutions-be they
elementary or secondary, is that in the first place “the higher” in Higher
Education is characterized by its particularity (uniqueness) and universality”
He wondered why in Cameroon “some universities are not
allowed to issue attestations to their students while in same country
elementary and secondary schools offer valid attestations and transcripts that
are recognized all over the world.
The Pro-Chancellor of CUIB
pointed out that, having 31 private universities in the Southwest and Northwest
regions “is a great asset because it
gives MINESUP or the mentoring institutions the opportunity to identify the
criteria that determine the quality of a particular institution based on its
mission”
Fr. Nkeze Jingwa
suggested that mentor universities should only review certificates of PHEIs
“instead of being the ones to provide the certificates”
Speaking at the conference, Prof. Marcel Fouda Ndjodo, who
represented the Minister of Higher Education, admitted that private higher
education institutions have become a very significant part of Higher Education
in Cameroon. He cited efforts made by the State to support PHEIs grow within
regulations in force.
In answer to the worry that PHEIs are not allowed to issue certificates,
Prof. Fouda reminded promoters of PHEIs that, in the country’s constitution education
is in the domain reserved for the state, suggesting that certificates belong to
the state. He warned that no institution can issue certificates without the
delegation of power by the state and that no form of education can also be
carried out without its approval.
Papers presented, which were followed by question-and-answer
sessions moderated by Dr. Nick Ngwanyam of
St. Louis University Institute of Health Sciences,Bamenda, were: ‘Restitution
of Academic Inspection Missions’, ‘Capacity-Building of PHEIs in Quality
Approach’ by Prof. Sarah Anyang, of MINESUP Yaounde; ‘Relevance and
Significance of PHEIs in Higher Professional Education in Cameroon’ by Engineer
Arrey Paul Abunaw, of University College of Technology (UCT)Buea; ‘The
Relevance and Quality of Training in PHEIs’ by
Prof. Vincent PK. Titanji of
Cameroon Christian University, Bali; ‘Assessment and Character of PHEIs’ by
Rev. Fr. Michael Neba Suh of CUIB’da; ‘Mentorship
of PHEIs by State & Accredited Foreign Universities’ by Mrs. Francisca
Biaka of St. Francis Higher Institute of Nursing and Midwifery,Buea ; ‘Certification
& Autonomy, Homologation and Independence of PHEIs’ by Prof. J.J. Asongu,
of St.Monica University Institute.
Conference co-coordinator, Engineer Arrey Paul Abunaw, of
University College of Technology (UCT) Buea, said PHEIs would continue to remain
very useful to the economy by training rightly and correctly. “If we identify
what the economy needs, we shall train for the kinds of needed.”
Problems faced by some
PHEIs include: offering programmes that have not been approved by the Ministry;
having problems with their mentor universities because they offer courses not
offered by the mentors; many PHEIs don’t have the laws regulating Higher
Education in Cameroon; some are understaffed, using mostly part-time lecturers
from state universities
Closing the two-day conference, the minister’s representative,
expressed satisfaction at the quality of deliberations .He promised to transmit
the recommendations of PHEIs to hierarchy for consideration.
The President of the
Guild of Anglo-Saxon Private Higher Institutions in Cameroon (GAPHIC), Mrs.
Francisca Hongla Biaka, was particularly lauded for her input towards the
successful organization of the conference
(First published in The RECORDER,Cameroon,of May 6.2015)
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