Cameroon: “leave no child behind” during the next school year_02-08-21

Unionists resolve for effective school resumption after 5 years boycott
After close to five of ineffective schooling education trade unionists and other stakeholders in the crisis stricken Anglophone Regions of Cameroon have resolved to “leave no child behind” during the next school year.

They were meeting at a fireside reflection arena in Bamenda where they reflected on education and the crisis rocking the North West and South West Region since 2016. Separatist fighting for an independent Ambazonia Republic of the North and South West Regions of Cameroon had declared a school boycott as a way to force the Cameroon government submit to their demands
Brought together by Community Initiative for Sustainable Development, COMINSUD, the objective of this reflection was to assess the level of attacks on schools, learners and teachers and to request for more tolerance on education from those attacking them.
“…It is important the pupils, the students, the teachers and everybody involved in the educational sector stands on his feet and again, for the community to protect this enterprise which was the faith of the North West person”, one of the participants said.
Education authorities, leaders of teachers’ trade unions and associations after reflecting were unanimous that learners are stuck in the crisis with a vast majority of these learners nowhere to be found.
Among five resolutions these education stakeholders adopted, is an appeal for behaviour change towards learners, teachers and school property by those attacking the educational fabric of the region. They also solicited that actors campaigning for no school resumption should take a rethink, consider the doom they are plunging the future into – that of ignorance, stagnation and civil strives, and take a U-turn to join others encourage effective school resumption.
The reflection equally diagnosed that attacks on education are not carried out only by military and separatist fighters but also businessmen in this sector who want their businesses to flourish over others.
Challenging separatist leaders and those in leadership positions, the Coordinator of COMINSUUD, Fon Nsoh called on them not to be indifferent“The local and Diaspora actors should take a position on this issue of schools and should make sure they make a statement they are not part of an attack on education”. This, participants believe that community members would be able to mobilize against haters of their sole industry which is education.
Participants were appalled by revelations that there are children at 13 who are in primary two, menstruating pupils in primary three and in worst case scenario, their peers of similar age bracket have dropped out as mothers. To turn the tides, they all took the commitment to “leave no child behind” ahead of 2021/2022 school year.

Wifah Jennyhans
https://sillonpanafricain.net/