Bracing Up for Back to School:

Hundreds of Students Attend Holiday Classes in Kumba
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba
Schools abandoned for the past three academic years in Kumba because of the ongoing Anglophone have begun organizing holiday classes to signal hopes of reopening in the new academic year which kicks off this September 2019.
    The holiday classes which are going on uninterrupted by separatist fighters who have for the past three years imposed a ban on the holding of classes in the Anglophone regions according to Kumba city dwellers signals hope of a brighter future for resumption of classes.
Campuses of most of the deserted schools have been cleaned by school authorities and parents through community works during ghost town days. The cleanup campaigns in deserted campuses was launched weeks back by the Divisional Officer of Kumba III. Even security forces have entered the back to school campaign with the effect being a massive turnout on campuses organizing the classes.
    Some parents who spoke to this reporter on conditions of anonymity revealed they have register their kids for the classes in order for them to refresh their brains ahead of the school resumption.  “We are all begging the two warring parties to give peace a chance and allow these innocent kids return to school in order to have a future…we pray government creates an enabling environment that will ensure these kids school for the whole year by releasing those arrested and locked up in several detention facilities and calling for dialogue” a parent stated.

    “These children have been down for all these years because I don’t have enough money to send them to other regions like others. They play, sleep and eat double daily despite the hardship we are facing. Our prayer is for schools to resume” a parent told The Median adding that the kids are very happy attending holiday classes.
    On his part, one of the teacher participating in one of the schools organising the classes revealed they have had turnout of close to 150 pupils for primary section and over 200 for the secondary section. The teacher expressed optimism over more turnout especially as holiday classes are mostly organized in the month of August.