“Sexually transmitted marks” in schools:

Girls indentified as the highest victims

By Rabiatou Aiyu Napdounke

Prof. Jean-Emmanuel Pondi

Sex-for-marks, popularly called “Sexually Transmitted Marks” (STM) is a well-known phenomenon within educational circles especially in tertiary education.

                OumaroJalo, a guidance counselor in one of the secondary schools in Bamenda says Students and lecturers in Institutions of higher learning are reported to be exchanging a lot more than knowledge and information.

                A focus group discussion between this reporter and some victims indicate that lecturers are soliciting sexual favours from students in exchange for better academic pass marks in their respective courses.

                It is even alleged that tutors demand sex for better grades and, in many cases, deliberately failing learners so that they 'negotiate' for pass marks.

                The big question that demands immediate answers is who suffers the highest consequence of this situation?

                Vanessa, 23, is an Accounting student in one of the higher institutions of learning in Bamenda. For two years now, her Maths lecturer has been threatening her. She must have sexual intercourse with him; otherwise she will fail his course.

                “He almost rapped me in his office one day when he invited me to his office on the pretense that I had a serious problem with my CA Marks, luckily for me a colleague of his knocked at the door and he stopped his nasty advances that day” she explained  to this reporter.

                “However I could not totally escape from his evil attempts especially when he threatened me that I will fail my exams if I don’t have sex with him. I finally accepted because I dint want to come back and repeat and be a burden to my poor parents that have been spending huge sums of money on me. This act has been hunting me ever since that day” Vanessa continued.

                Another victim, Joys Mokom, 27, while recounting his ordeal to this reporter regretted that the perpetrators always go scot free while the victims remain in the trauma for a long time.

                 “I can still remember that fateful that that our Civics and Moral Education Lecturer ‘disvirgined “me in his office. He intentionally failed me in his course and threatened that if I don’t give him what I have been giving my boyfriend [who was in the same class like me] he will make shure I repeat. I gave in because it was my last year in school and I knew that even if I report to the school authorities nobody will take me serious” narrated Joys with tears flowing down her eyes.

                Vanessa’s case just like that of Joys is a typical case of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions.

                Vanessa just like thousands of female students in Cameroon live with such trauma. Efforts to get substantial evidence by this reporter yielded little result as few students came forth with information.

                The few who talked to this reporter on condition of anonymity said sexual harassment usually occur towards one's final year where the student cannot afford to fail any course simply because it would mean that they would not graduate.

                "To avoid the hustle of repeating and disappointing parents the female student (ends up) giving in to the ploy of the male lecturers," said the respondent.

                According to a book written by Prof. Jean-Emmanuel Pondi, Secretary General of the Yaounde I University, titled: "Sexual Harassment and Deontology in the University Milieu launched in 2011, the University Don observed that sexually transmitted marks in institutions of higher learning.

                Going by testimonies of victims, including that of the 2009 Miss Cameroon, Anne LucresseNtep, Elise Mballa, a former student of the university, amongst others, sexual harassment has destroyed the future of thousands of Cameroonians especially women.

                It was stated that in the face of the rising phenomenon orchestrated by some lecturers who request sex in exchange for marks, many students were forced to move from department to department in frustration with thousands ending up dropping out of school entirely.

                The problem at stake is that lecturers involved in such relationships justify it and claim that it involves two consenting adults having a relationship or engaging in consensual sexual relations. Many students agree with this. However, with cultures and practises that blur lines between what is seen as sexually appropriate behaviour still in practise, these expressions come as no surprise.

                Sexual harassment and exploitation has become normalised by a society whose culture allows men to inappropriately touch or communicate with women, and teaches women to quietly tolerate it.

                Sadly, the sex-for-marks syndrome perpetuates the culture of silence and increases cases of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions. Investigations have been called for, but an air of denial still hangs.