North West Basic Education: Punitive Transfer Mar Back to School

As school began yesterday, at atmosphere of unceratinty looms large in rural areas as some teachers have not yet shown up in school. It is alleged that the situation in Donga Mantung Division is very pathetic due to the way that the transfers were handled. Some inspectors are said to have played the ostrich in the transfer of teachers. Cases of headteachers who have been moved to classroom teachers in some remote areas abound high.

Yet stakeholders of North West Basic Education wrapped up their sector conference in Bamenda with a cry over the alarming poor teacher-pupil-ratio in most rural schools and poor equipment of schools in ICT tools.

            During the sectorial conference which held at the Bamenda congress hall on August 27, 2014, the North West Regional delegate of Basic Education, Mrs. Fon Nyangha Susan, who lamented over difficulties faced in the basic Education sector, said observed that teachers are in short supply both quantitatively and qualitatively including the fact that the infrastructural situation of classrooms needs great attention. “With the June 2013 new Ministerial organizational chart, new services have been created which are in great need of equipment and infrastructure especially the resources to revamp functional literacy centres”. She added that with the on-going decentralization process and transferred cases from the ministry of Basic Education to councils, the different actors were yet to work in synergy.

            Beside, Susan Fon noted that the minimum package is too restricted both qualitative and often arrives late and the pedagogic supervisors greatly need means of locomotion for the effective supervision of actors on the field while some schools are in dire need of potable water and good toilets, latrines and electricity.

            Acknowledging government measures undertaken to render the teaching-learning-environment more conducive, the Delegate stressed that great strides are being taken in this direction. She therefore instanced the on-going contratualization process of some 302 PTA teachers by the World Bank, the annual allocation and rehabilitation of classrooms and the fact that North West Regions is the highest beneficiary of up to 18 very well construction Japanese Sponsored Schools. “The annual purchase of didactic materials in the form of the minimum package, the government efforts to reinforce free Basic Education and the allocation of running credits and other materials given for offices, schools and school health”.

            Re-echoing some ministerial instructions and warnings, Fon Susan said all teachers who do not report for work must be reported to hierarchy, head teachers must not meddle into the financial affairs of PTA, and syllabus coverage must be effective from the first sequence to ensure good results at the end of the year.  “All periodic documents and other information requested by hierarchy must be forwarded in time, stipulated dates for registering children for official examinations must be used”.

            In his opening and closing speech, the North West Governor, Adolf Lele L’Afrique, called on the teachers to reverse the poor result recorded in the end of course examinations in the 2013/2014 academic year by putting in more efforts in the 2014/2015 academic year. He equally enjoined the school heads to be vigilant in their respective schools especially at the moment when Boko Haram Ebola and Cholera are around and warned against absenteeism amongst teachers and the fact that some of the teachers pay people to teach for them.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)