100 % - Sensible. 0 % -Surrender
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| Mathew Fobete Gwannulla |
Ordinarily such would be a period of positive emotions and
enthusiasm for parents, guardians, teachers and school goers alike. A time when
wishes, dreams, hopes, desires, apprehension become competing sentiments,
despite the financial burden involved. But these are no ordinary times. This
school year (2017-2018) does not present the customary atmosphere in the
Southwest and Northwest Regions of Cameroon. Things are different, eerily
different. Emotions are charged. Enthusiasm is tepid. Wishes, dreams, hopes and
desires fading, the usual anxietyladen apprehension often displayed by school
goers is now exhibited by parents and has transformed to stark fear, and in
spite they remain willing to make the financial sacrifice.
The
write-up comes on the heels of the release of the GCE results. My other paper;
Where Is Dialogue (published in The Median newspaper in March of this year
under a different caption) was written after the 11th of February. These two
events are significant timelines in the context of the ongoing Anglophone
issue, particularly concerning the youth and school-going group. I urge the
reader to go through that publication in order to connect the dots and have a
solid perspective of my opinion(s).
It is
worth noting that the “stay at home” situation did not occur by design, but by
default. It was inadvertent. When teachers opted to join striking lawyers last
November 2016, to call for reforms in their sector too, school-goers had no
option than to stay at home. Therefore what was an unavoidable accident became
a national incident which morphed into the strongest ammunition thus far, a
weapon tight-fistedly clutched by multi groups. Unfortunately that which may be
the most potent tool against your opponent can also be the biggest destructive
force against you. This mighty weapon has a simple name: Education.
Mr.
Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use
to change the world”. Absolutely true! I dare state that the lack of it too has
similar power, but unfortunately dissimilar effect. Mandela must know, h3e led
a great struggle, a viciously protracted, inhumane and deadly one, yet in the
face of human indignity he discovered the profound force of education. He got
an education and encouraged his people to get one too.
That’s
leadership! The kind that recognized succession, understood the need to equip
the next generation of leaders to guarantee take-over by a qualified and
empowered lot. By all accounts this analogy cannot be made for the ongoing
imbroglio here, because the one here is a situational crisis which has chosen
to place education front and dead-centre.
Back
track a few months, when the teachers’ strike took effect; the impact was
immediately far- reaching. Confusion ensued, some parents scurried over to
other regions where schools were ongoing for slots for their children and
quickly ferried them across as soon as they got them. Others deferred to home
teachers, while some took on the teaching themselves. A few defiant and brave parents
championed reopening of certain schools albeit on a low key basis.
There
were yet others who sent their off-springs abroad and then of course the
majority who could not afford to do any of the above. The latter suffered the
multiple brunt of the strike.
The
impact of the strike was no less kind to the children, even to the ones who
were lucky to continue in education. The poor results of the GCE, is testament
to this. Worse-off though, are those who could not, and have fallen on the
wayside. Some are trying to pick up the pieces by taking on informal jobs and
training. Others have resorted to begging, prostituting and deplorable vices,
sadly engaging in misdemeanor and felony acts. Many unwanted or unplanned
pregnancies have also been recorded.
The
teachers’ reaction was and has been somewhat convoluted. The powerful resolve
displayed in the wake of the strike was followed in the beginning of this year
by a quiet return to the class room, mostly by government employees allegedly
on threatening orders. A few continued to maintain a defiant stance refusing to
teach. Many however offered private lessons at their homes, the homes of
students and at little publicized public venues. Then droves reported to the
GCE centres to administer the writing and examining of papers. The majority of
whom, having gone 10 months without pay, cannot wait for the return to school.
With
such a disturbing outcome it is difficult to argue against the resumption of
school. Therefore when the church and other proprietors of institutions of
learning called for a return to school, parents greeted the announcement with
optimistic excitement. However no sooner was that feeling turned into one of
uncertainty and apprehension by a tirade of vociferous backlash of threats
(mostly from abroad) followed by reported incidents of assault on certain
schools. This is unfortunate and regrettable. The church and proprietors had
swiftly shown solidarity with the teachers at the inception of the strike. I
believe their intention then was to challenge the government to action and not
reduce the children to inactivity, and if after careful review and analysis (a
necessary element in every critical engagement) they (the church and
proprietors) have made an about-face, it is by no means a sin, but rather a
possibility that they see the education of these young men and women as urgent.
Perhaps now this is another act of stronger solidarity not only with teachers
but with school children as well, or maybe it is just a strategy re-think. It
is important to add that a change of heart is their right as it is the right of
everyone and should not invite the wanton deluge of insults on their character
and questions about their allegiance. These entities realise the urgency of
learning, education is an urgent affair. It does not take an erudite mind to
quantify its inherent transforming benefit; statistical information is replete
with data about it. And it isn’t by sheer design that learning is
compartmentalized into biological and chronological segments, those formative
and knowledge windows matter indeed, therefore time is a vital factor in the
learning process, and time has been lost and is being lost because of the
school boycott.
Much
reference has been equivocated about Nigeria and Ghana which experienced strikes
on its educational system in the past. These references are as contorted as the
opinions expressed.
But
there are other flash points, past and present not cited like DRC, Liberia,
Libya, Mali, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa etc. And far off Afghanistan,
Columbia, Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria etc. These are just a few
places that have known protracted periods of violence and socio-human
challenges but kept school doors open and education running. Nations which
stand up to these challenges have the bright results to show, those which are
overwhelmed by them present contrary evidence. Back to Nigeria! It is a country
that has been rife with strikes; labour, military, education and others dating
decades, the consequences of which have been historically noted. One such on
education was delivered by Prof. Noha Bisi Oyedeji; STRIKES KILLING EDUCATION
IN NIGERIA. He stated: “When strikes or students riot occurs, school activities
are disturbed, leading to some other distortions, such as lowered students’
academic performance, social menace by idle students, and……..programme
dislocation”. Then Ghana! Ghana records strike action as far back as 1919. In
his paper, THE CAUSES AND IMPACT OF LABOUR UNREST ON SOME SELECTED ORGANIZTIONS
IN ACCRA, Paul Kofi Amegee, looks at the broader social, psychological and
economic consequences, and observes similar effects like their West African
neighbour. These gentlemen proposed solutions to avert and resolve strikes,
some of which include dialogue, frequent and open communication between stake
holders and leadership from all sides. But clearly they assert overwhelmingly
that strikes have a negative outcome, such is the same on education in the
Southwest and Northwest regions as things stand.
Let’s
be clear, my position is for the return to school. My focus indeed is on the
erosive and decremental effects of the absence of education and by implication
the forces perpetuating it. (Not about its state or standard of it. Nor about
the wider Anglophone issue which was addressed in my aforementioned paper). It
is from this position that I cannot fathom the grand idea of sacrificing the
next generation’s education for any cause, especially knowing as clearly as can
be known that every cause needs the educated. No education, no legacy. No
future leaders. Lest it is forgotten, although seemingly ignored, Education is
a right, as much a right as freedom of Expression and Opinion. Trollers from
far and near have uitlised their rights to free expression and individual opinion
to subjugate the collective right to education for some, it is reprehensible.
These same voices have been fiery in their incessant calls for the continued
blockade to school resumption, ladened with threats to whoever dares to
challenge their orders. Remarkably, this vocal group which is quick to condemn
acts of assault by the government seems to condone similar acts by their
associates and surrogates. If they condone and perpetuate the violence of
torching and looting by their base, in the Northwest and Southwest regions,
then they cannot in the same breath castigate the violence of torturing and
maiming by the police and military. Startling though, is a fringe which does
not seem to see that alternative opinion is a reality, ideologically and
otherwise, which must be accepted. They instead are using the social media as a
bully-pulpit to blackmail and sabotage expressers of “unacceptable” opinions,
and also to disseminate fallacious information further aggravating this melee.
No wonder no significant progress has been made yet, even though the facts
point to a connection between education and economic empowerment, education and
health advancement, education and political dominance, education and social
influence, education as an agent of change, of knowledge, of transformation, of
vision, of purpose, of wisdom, of mission. Development is fueled by education;
there can be no development without education.
Therefore
it is not about resources but about education. Little wonder experts’
consistently list Education as a vital prerequisite for development. Why then
do some deny our children, youth (and some adults) the chance to acquire these
qualities and opportunities for advancement? Why?
There
are so many questions. So many whys: Why are all parents not on a boycott or
strike? Why have some parents enrolled their children in functioning schools in
other places? Why do Anglophones abroad keep working? Why are Anglophone
children abroad being educated? Why do we seem to be at war? Why has lifestyle
not altered in terms of entertainment/celebrations? Why has the government not
shown leadership? Why is there need for intimidation tactics? Why is the call
to resume school regarded as “surrender”? Why are other options for a
resolution ignored or unexplored? Why are there too many (mis)leaders? Why has
the government not heeded the call for the release of the arrested? Why is
nothing being said about the UNESCO-GCE connection? Why do some not see the
need for a strategy rethink? Why isn’t it acknowledged that the school boycott
was unintended and must be corrected? Why is the torching and assault carried
out mostly by uneducated youth? Why has the government not taken a bold and
people oriented decision? Why do some try to limit others to their (un)educated
level? Why is there confusion? Why isn’t it understood that harassment, arrests
and high-handedness are a sign of weakness? Why has it not been recognized that
education is power and influence? Why have the stake holders not embraced
dialogue as the sustainable path to a solution? Why is it not seen that the
prevention of violence at any cost is leadership?
On the
issue of violence, let me be forthright, I am not in any manner advocating
balance for violence by both sides, not by any stretch of the imagination. I indeed
strongly condemn violence in any form and from every direction. I do not see it
as a sustainable model for achieving any goal. As a matter of fact I hold the
government to a higher standard with regard to the maintenance of peace; after
all they are the custodians of these and other rights. I believe the government
was slow to react to the demands of the teachers which allowed cracks, becoming
gaping openings now hard to seal. This resulted in other actors jumping into
the openings thus diverting the contention. The government was not proactive;
it failed to swiftly seize a leadership opportunity when it presented itself to
begin to resolve the issues, so instead of being ahead of the problems they are
now chasing it. Rather than communicate with external components, they should
begin to talk with those on the ground and in the jails.
But
people do not go to school for the government, people go to school for personal
development and growth (although some go to school to be in government, and
lately, to be the government). If the government is failing its people by not
providing much expected quality education infrastructure, the people should not
fail themselves too by not educating themselves. It is thanks to the knowledge
gained from education that experts are able to analyze the educational system,
determine shortcomings and offer solutions? This process and schooling can go
on simultaneously, no break necessary. But a knowledge vacuum is being created
by the school boycott and the law of replacement has instantly jumped into
action gradually filling the gap with idleness and ignorance, a space where any
doctrine runs. We do not need to look far to see the consequence of these to
the youth; just take a glance up north and toward our immediate borders. Well
who knows, this may be the agenda of some, otherwise where in modern decent
human culture will a man use his children as shields in a dispute? The natural
tendency is to protect them, always. But that is the natural tendency, the
unnatural is what is playing-out here; where children and the youth have been
placed out-front, their education being used as a pawn, their very future being
compromised and “Future leaders” being unequipped for succession, thereby
rendering them perpetual followers.
Stories
about our forbears reveal that of a people who lived for each other and were
readily willing to give and not expect back. But today our community has
mutated, dominated by the greedy who expect to get always and not give. Our
local parlance tells the story of our present lifestyle: “I cam take my own”.
“Somtin noh deh foh me”. “Wusa my own tin deh?”. “You go leave me so?” etc.
That is why some are not hesitant to demand from and expect the youth and
children to give what is rightfully theirs, their education, as a bargaining
chip. These same people give no thought either to the debilitating economic
woes the continued school boycott is dealing the communities. No surprise! They
are not givers, and they are thoughtless! They have no consideration for the people
in the support services and supply chain to schools; food, uniform, books,
transportation, furniture, medication, equipment and more. They are breaking
their community, waging war against their own people, a verbal and economic
war, for now.
We
should develop our communities rather than destroy them and we must empower our
children, not disable them. It is time to change the narrative from one of hate
and divisiveness to one of dialogue and inclusiveness, after all this is an
academic matter, not a political one.
These
children can are hardly be describe as politically active nor are they yet
politicians like some of their parents.
Parents
are the key. They hold the balance of direction as the single most powerful
group. A group which cuts across all demographics, comprising teachers and
lawyers, the most affected subset. Parents by and large have been silent, the
silent majority, but their silence appears to be gaining traction and making a
loud noise. They have sacrificed and are willing to continue to do so for their
children to get uninterrupted education. They want their children back in
school and assert that: We should not limit the potentials of our children by
blocking them from going to school. Every child should have the chance to enjoy
the right to unrestricted education. Their opinion, wishes and desires must be
given urgent consideration, it is time to see what they want. It is time to see
what parents see, and they see the need for Education. Commentators,
contributors, activists, advocates, actors and observers should take critical
note. Here is empiric evidence not from home, not abroad. Not from Liberty,
South Carolina, but from Limbe, Southwest region. From “ground zero”.
This
sour situation makes me recall a conversation I had with my late father, keen
to know why
he choose to be a medical Doctor and how he could have made
such a decision way back then.
His
response was telling, he revealed to me that he had firmly set his mind on two
professions which he felt were the most likely to provide him the best
possibilities to affect and impact humanity. We know the one he pursued, the
other is; the teaching profession. (Of course there are many more professions
that will give anyone the chance to make a difference). But for one man, almost
a century ago, his choices were clear.
Parents
have made a choice, the choice is: BACK TO SCHOOL. We need teachers where they
are most effective; the class room, so they can continue to educate and affect
and impact humanity, and this will only happen if schools resume. Therefore
schools must resume! Thus I maintain that school resumption makes sense, NOT
surrender.
Mathew F. Gwan-Nulla
(+237) 699 55 839
(+237) 650427347
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