Briefs

Compiled by Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Mali Shuts Down Consulate in Douala

The Malian Consulate in Douala, Littoral region of Cameroon was on Monday 2 December, temporarily shut down, after irate youths in Nkomondo stormed the consulate to retaliate the killing of a 9-year old girl whose lifeless body was discovered in the shop of a Malian national. The Malian national is presently on the run. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds, it was reported. Sources said the little girl had gone missing for days. It is suspected she was kidnaped, raped and then killed by the Malian.

The irate youths reportedly vandalised businesses belonging to Malian nationals at the Douala Central Market.

B’da Varsity Lecturers End Two-day Strike

Lecturers of the University of Bamenda have ended a two day strike action they embarked on to air their grievances and difficulties faced as a result of the worsening security situation in the region, hindering them from properly doing their job. The lecturers who announced the strike action via a communiqué on Monday said, regular threats, attempts on their lives as well as kidnappings by gunmen have made it difficult for them to carry out their activities smoothly.

                The lecturers called for more protection and end to the sporadic violence that threatens the smooth function of school. The strike action disrupted classes in the university for two days. The strike comes amidst reports three lecturers and some students were kidnapped on Monday evening in Bambili. It comes barely weeks after that of taxi drivers in the region who were complaining of extortion from security officials stationed along the Bamenda-Bambili stretch.

New Mathematics Syllabus Launched

The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga, has launched a new edition of Mathematics syllabus in the Secondary Education sector. The launching took place at the Ministry on 3 December 2019.  The new syllabus which aims at making the teaching and learning of mathematics easier would affect both the English and French subsystems of education in the country.

                Richard Ketcheng Esoh, President of the Fako Association of Mathematics Teachers, detailed out the major changes in Mathematics in the English subsystem of education which to him if adopted will change the mentality of many students from fleeing away from mathematics lessons. On his part, Abel Kouetuoko Komolo, Pedagogic animator at a Government Secondary School in Yaounde took to the rostrum to explain the changes in Maths in the French Subsystem of education. Prof Nalova Lyonga revealed that the new syllabus is actually a rearrangement of the existing one with with objective of getting more students love the subject.