This morning on twitter (@OliSankara) we had, yet another, interesting conversation about our Cameroonian broken educational system; notably, after the release of the Minister of secondary education from his 24hours trip to Yaounde's Central Prison (Nkondengui) on April 2, 2014.
To paraphrase our conversation through J.F.A's tweets :
" We all want to roll in Pannameras, but what will our children roll in, when all the money would be stolen? What is happening is very serious : We are talking about the Minister of secondary education here, the one supposed to further and perfect the education of our children. In the meantime those who teach our children go for periods of 3 years and more without pay ! When our teachers have often only one box of chalk to use, throughout a year, in classes made up of 120 students. We may not realize it, but everything that is happening in cameroon's educational system has worse effects than war: These are the children who will be adults in 2035 ! Everyone wants to go to ENAM (Taxes or CONSUPE), otherwise EMIA, to become rich in 90 days (guaranteed).
Doctors don't know how to consult anymore, Police officers don't know how to investigate anymore, Young people leave our villages to come to the city and become, at the best, moto-taxi drivers..."
I told J.F.A that on Friday, I met a genius : He had 11 As and 5As (in the GCE). For the francophones, that is equivalent to passing the BEPC + Probatoire + BAC with a "Mention Tres Bien." After he attended Polytech (Yaounde), where he greatly suffered from the language barrier, he hustled to find a job in civil/environmental engineering.
It was a sad thing for me to hear that story, because, such talents must first : be celebrated, then be supported in their academic career, and there must be jobs available for him before he even finishes university.
What would it take for the government to institute a "Prix National de l'Excellence Academic" (National Academic Excellence Award) that would award a full-tuition scholarship for 3 years, to the the Top-5 best students in each national exams (from Concours, First Entrance, GCE O Level, GCE A Level, BEPC, Probatoire, BAC, BAC Technic)?
The budget for such a program would be approximately (5 best students x 10 national exam categories x 500.000 x 2 years = 75.000.000 FCFA / about $150.000) A peanut amount for our government coffers, and an amount not too difficult to fundraise.
But no, our geniuses are left to evaporate in thin air!
This regime has succeeded to create a nation in which mediocrity is applauded, and excellence is stoned at, by PhD (Pull Her/Him Down) people.
THIRTY-plus YEARS ! Thirty-one years of oppression, Thirty-plus years of regression in our economy, our societies, our moral values, our hopes, our capabilities, our reputation, our potential. THIRTY years of stagnation, of under-capitalization, of waste, of debauchery, of grand-theft. THIRTY YEARS of total disregard to the needs of the people. Thirty-plus Years!
Some days, the thinking-mind and patriotic-heart bottle in all this deception; but then there are days like today, when it just runs back from your gutt to your throat like a hot yam, and it just needs to come out...
What a waste! What an utter uselessness!
#GodSaveOurNation
Follow the conversation on facebook : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=762760619732&set=a.523005211492.2037258.29103130&type=1&relevant_count=1
.
image source : http://www.cameroun24.net/
To paraphrase our conversation through J.F.A's tweets :
 |
| Source: http://educationcluster.net/ |
" We all want to roll in Pannameras, but what will our children roll in, when all the money would be stolen? What is happening is very serious : We are talking about the Minister of secondary education here, the one supposed to further and perfect the education of our children. In the meantime those who teach our children go for periods of 3 years and more without pay ! When our teachers have often only one box of chalk to use, throughout a year, in classes made up of 120 students. We may not realize it, but everything that is happening in cameroon's educational system has worse effects than war: These are the children who will be adults in 2035 ! Everyone wants to go to ENAM (Taxes or CONSUPE), otherwise EMIA, to become rich in 90 days (guaranteed).
 |
| Source : oxfamblogs.org |
It was a sad thing for me to hear that story, because, such talents must first : be celebrated, then be supported in their academic career, and there must be jobs available for him before he even finishes university.
What would it take for the government to institute a "Prix National de l'Excellence Academic" (National Academic Excellence Award) that would award a full-tuition scholarship for 3 years, to the the Top-5 best students in each national exams (from Concours, First Entrance, GCE O Level, GCE A Level, BEPC, Probatoire, BAC, BAC Technic)?
The budget for such a program would be approximately (5 best students x 10 national exam categories x 500.000 x 2 years = 75.000.000 FCFA / about $150.000) A peanut amount for our government coffers, and an amount not too difficult to fundraise.
But no, our geniuses are left to evaporate in thin air!
This regime has succeeded to create a nation in which mediocrity is applauded, and excellence is stoned at, by PhD (Pull Her/Him Down) people.
THIRTY-plus YEARS ! Thirty-one years of oppression, Thirty-plus years of regression in our economy, our societies, our moral values, our hopes, our capabilities, our reputation, our potential. THIRTY years of stagnation, of under-capitalization, of waste, of debauchery, of grand-theft. THIRTY YEARS of total disregard to the needs of the people. Thirty-plus Years!
Some days, the thinking-mind and patriotic-heart bottle in all this deception; but then there are days like today, when it just runs back from your gutt to your throat like a hot yam, and it just needs to come out...
What a waste! What an utter uselessness!
#GodSaveOurNation
Follow the conversation on facebook : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=762760619732&set=a.523005211492.2037258.29103130&type=1&relevant_count=1
.
image source : http://www.cameroun24.net/
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