HERE BELOW IS THE PRESS RELEASE IN REACTION TO ATTEMPTS BY THE MINISTRY OF HIGHER
EDUCATION TO HARMONISE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN THE STATE UNIVERSITIES
PREAMBLE
Following a joint meeting of members of the National Executive Bureaux of the Presbyterian Authority Teachers’ Trade Union (PEATTU), the Catholic Education Teachers’ Trade Union (CETTU), the Baptist Teachers’ Trade Union (BATTU) and the Teachers Association of Cameroon (TAC) on Friday 03/06/2016, the National Presidents and their closest collaborators examined the unpopular proposal to harmonise the teaching programmes in the state universities. Inter alia, the four teacher trade unions resolved to join their voices to other voices that had been earlier raised to make the following observations and come up with the following conclusions:
Following a joint meeting of members of the National Executive Bureaux of the Presbyterian Authority Teachers’ Trade Union (PEATTU), the Catholic Education Teachers’ Trade Union (CETTU), the Baptist Teachers’ Trade Union (BATTU) and the Teachers Association of Cameroon (TAC) on Friday 03/06/2016, the National Presidents and their closest collaborators examined the unpopular proposal to harmonise the teaching programmes in the state universities. Inter alia, the four teacher trade unions resolved to join their voices to other voices that had been earlier raised to make the following observations and come up with the following conclusions:
NOTE
That Minister Fame Ndongo had first mooted this nefarious scheme some time last year with the aim of completely scrapping the teaching of Common Law in state universities, but hostile reactions from Anglophone education stakeholders had forced him to defer the decision.
That the recent move to make Common Law only a Masters degree course confirms Anglophone fears of programmed cultural genocide with sinister implications in favour of the Francophone educational system and at the expense of its Anglophone counterpart; after all, how many students seeking only professional stability usually continue with post-graduate studies?
That the Constitution of our beloved fatherland, like the 1998 and 2001 laws of orientation for education and higher education respectively and our distinctive daily existence all lay official and practical emphasis on our bilingual, bi-cultural and bi-jural composition, with the unequivocal assertion that the existence of two educational sub-systems is sine qua non.
Consequently therefore, that the teaching and use of both Common and Civil Laws remain sine qua non fundamentals and inalienable rights in our bilingual and bi-cultural context, by virtue of the different historical backgrounds of the respective Anglophone and Francophone peoples
That high-handed attempts like these at snuffing out one system while openly displaying bias for the other are treasonable and should be punished by the laws of the land, especially given that even the Dschang, Yaounde I and Soa universities seen as Cameroonian models feature in unenviable 133rd, 144th and 166th positions in the African classification of universities.
That there is the need, given the fickleness observed in policy implementation in Cameroon to the disadvantage of the English speaking population, for teacher trade unions and civil society organisations to stay alert so as to continue to safeguard the educational and consequently the cultural heritage of the minority Anglophone community.
That they fully support the stand taken by the University of Buea and Bamenda chapters of the National Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES) deploring such sleight of hand attempts by the Minister of Higher Education at harmonising “university programmes to enhance the mobility of students from one university to another”, when the hidden agenda is to abolish the teaching of Common Law in Cameroonian Universities, so as to asphyxiate and kill the Common Law Practice in the our beloved fatherland.
That Minister Fame Ndongo had first mooted this nefarious scheme some time last year with the aim of completely scrapping the teaching of Common Law in state universities, but hostile reactions from Anglophone education stakeholders had forced him to defer the decision.
That the recent move to make Common Law only a Masters degree course confirms Anglophone fears of programmed cultural genocide with sinister implications in favour of the Francophone educational system and at the expense of its Anglophone counterpart; after all, how many students seeking only professional stability usually continue with post-graduate studies?
That the Constitution of our beloved fatherland, like the 1998 and 2001 laws of orientation for education and higher education respectively and our distinctive daily existence all lay official and practical emphasis on our bilingual, bi-cultural and bi-jural composition, with the unequivocal assertion that the existence of two educational sub-systems is sine qua non.
Consequently therefore, that the teaching and use of both Common and Civil Laws remain sine qua non fundamentals and inalienable rights in our bilingual and bi-cultural context, by virtue of the different historical backgrounds of the respective Anglophone and Francophone peoples
That high-handed attempts like these at snuffing out one system while openly displaying bias for the other are treasonable and should be punished by the laws of the land, especially given that even the Dschang, Yaounde I and Soa universities seen as Cameroonian models feature in unenviable 133rd, 144th and 166th positions in the African classification of universities.
That there is the need, given the fickleness observed in policy implementation in Cameroon to the disadvantage of the English speaking population, for teacher trade unions and civil society organisations to stay alert so as to continue to safeguard the educational and consequently the cultural heritage of the minority Anglophone community.
That they fully support the stand taken by the University of Buea and Bamenda chapters of the National Teachers of Higher Education (SYNES) deploring such sleight of hand attempts by the Minister of Higher Education at harmonising “university programmes to enhance the mobility of students from one university to another”, when the hidden agenda is to abolish the teaching of Common Law in Cameroonian Universities, so as to asphyxiate and kill the Common Law Practice in the our beloved fatherland.
HAIL
The fact which from reliable sources indicates that the Minister’s proposal was roundly deplored by the teachers of the Anglophone Universities of Buea and Bamenda.
The eminent professors who mustered courage to openly oppose their errant boss, noting that such an unprecedented move will obviously go a long way to awaken the consciences of those other top-ranking Anglophones who have always allowed party sympathies to befuddle their reasoning or been cowered into silence for fear of losing positions of influence.
The creation of the Cameroon Education Forum (CEF) that militates for the creation of two education councils, as previewed by the 1998 Law of Orientation, to take care of the two educational sub-systems within the Cameroon system, that advocates that the pedagogic chains be split in such a way that no one system can arbitrarily clog the wheels of the other.
The fact which from reliable sources indicates that the Minister’s proposal was roundly deplored by the teachers of the Anglophone Universities of Buea and Bamenda.
The eminent professors who mustered courage to openly oppose their errant boss, noting that such an unprecedented move will obviously go a long way to awaken the consciences of those other top-ranking Anglophones who have always allowed party sympathies to befuddle their reasoning or been cowered into silence for fear of losing positions of influence.
The creation of the Cameroon Education Forum (CEF) that militates for the creation of two education councils, as previewed by the 1998 Law of Orientation, to take care of the two educational sub-systems within the Cameroon system, that advocates that the pedagogic chains be split in such a way that no one system can arbitrarily clog the wheels of the other.
CALL ON THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION
To give respect the laws of the land – the Constitution, the Laws of Orientation of 1998 and 2001, etc – so as to ensure that peace continues to reign in our beloved fatherland.
To respect the dreams and aspirations of Cameroonians by allowing the peaceful co-existence in our Higher Education institutions of those programmes that inform the different ways of life of the Cameroonian people.
To avoid provoking the patriotic and peace-loving Anglophone populations with such high-handed, biased and unpatriotic schemes, hidden agendas of cultural annihilation, because they only go to remind of the hurtful losses that these willing re-unificationists have had to sacrifice in the name of the union.
To give respect the laws of the land – the Constitution, the Laws of Orientation of 1998 and 2001, etc – so as to ensure that peace continues to reign in our beloved fatherland.
To respect the dreams and aspirations of Cameroonians by allowing the peaceful co-existence in our Higher Education institutions of those programmes that inform the different ways of life of the Cameroonian people.
To avoid provoking the patriotic and peace-loving Anglophone populations with such high-handed, biased and unpatriotic schemes, hidden agendas of cultural annihilation, because they only go to remind of the hurtful losses that these willing re-unificationists have had to sacrifice in the name of the union.
WARN
That all Anglophone pressure groups, whether directly linked to education or not, will continue to work in synergy in order to ensure that no such arbitrary, nefarious and sinister decisions with glaring insidious consequences are taken to destroy the lofty dreams that the fathers of this nation had in mind before forging the 1961 Re-unification.
That the consequences of any social unrest the result of such provocations will be burden to borne solely by these scheming fawns manipulating from high office rostrums.
That all Anglophone pressure groups, whether directly linked to education or not, will continue to work in synergy in order to ensure that no such arbitrary, nefarious and sinister decisions with glaring insidious consequences are taken to destroy the lofty dreams that the fathers of this nation had in mind before forging the 1961 Re-unification.
That the consequences of any social unrest the result of such provocations will be burden to borne solely by these scheming fawns manipulating from high office rostrums.
DONE IN BAMENDA THIS 03rd DAY OF MAY 2016.
The Presidents
PEATTU CEWOTU BATTUC TAC
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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