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| Prof. Fame Jacques Ndongo |
The newly created Higher Technical Teachers Training College, Kumba will go operational in October 2014. The competitive entrance examination to select 500 students for the first batch of students has been launched and would be sat on 27 August 2014. In an interview on the side-lines of a working and fact finding visit to Kumba on 5 July 2014, Higher Education Minister, Prof. Fame Ndongo assured among other things that all was set for the effective take-off of the institution and that all graduates of the school would be integrated into the public service. Excepts.
You are in Kumba to visit the sites of the newly created Higher Technical Teachers Training College, HTTTC. What are your impressions after this visit?
Permit me to first of all thank my colleagues of secondary education and public works, and the government delegate of Kumba city council who have surrendered to us some sites and structures – classrooms, workshops, offices etc. At the technical High school Kumba (Sofati) and the technical high school Barombi Kang just near by, we have good, well-equipped laboratories and workshops which the 500 students to be admitted for the first batch of the 1st and 2nd cycles of the HTTTC (ENSET) Kumba can make use of to acquire adequate competence. The entrance exams have been billed for 27 August 2014 and the official opening is programmed for October 2014. The pioneer provost, Pr. Joyce Endeley, the deputy provost, the deans of study, heads of division, and 14 heads of departments have all been appointed and have taken duty. They are committed, determined and full of enthusiasm. So, i can say with certainty that the school will take-off in October.
What about recruitment of lecturers?
The head of state has authorised a special recruitment for 30 teachers in all the fields of study offered at the school. The VC of the mother institution, UB, has already launched a request for applications from prospective and interested candidates. I hear that over 300 applications have already been received in Buea. So you see that the jury will have a wide spectrum to select from. I think this augurs well for the quality that is primordial for a school like the HTTTC. You should also be reminded that the Bachelors-Masters-PHd (LMD) system permits lecturers to take courses in more than one university. And do not forget that the officials that were appointed to head different services and departments at the school are also Higher Education teachers. They will also give lectures and supervise practical work.
You talk of 500 students to be admitted for the 1st batch. Is this number not small given the high demand?
It is true that an intake of 500 is insufficient compared to the demand and considering the huge number of students that leave technical high schools each year. But you are must know that the government does not have the means to support a very large in take. Already, the financial, logistical, material, technical and human sacrifices so far made by government to get the institution to kick–off in October are very enormous. Also, the constraints attendant with the eventual absorption of graduates from the school into the public service must be taken into consideration. I seize this opportunity to emphasise that all the graduates from the HTTTC Kumba shall be integrated into the public service, just like those from HTTTC Bamenda and ENSET Douala.
You were also in Buea to preside over the convocation ceremony of the 2nd batch of medical doctors trained at the UB health faculty. What was your impression after that occasion?
It marked a significant achievement for the government and especially the Head of State. Since 1993 the Faculty of Health Sciences at UB has trained specialists in nursing and medical laboratory technology. But it only started training doctors in 2006 thanks to a decision of the President. The 1st batch of doctors graduated in 2012 (after six years of training). The 2nd batch that graduated on 5 July 2014, did a 7-years training, as required by the new regulations on higher education that seek to normalise and professionalise university training. It should be mentioned that the Health Faculty of UB is only one among six medical schools accredited by government to train doctors in Cameroon after the July 2013 reforms in medical and pharmaceutical training. The reforms also impose a unique entrance exam for admission into the medical schools and another unique exam after the 6th year of study. It should be noted that only the very brilliant students would be allowed to do housemanship in public hospitals.
Will these new doctors be integrated automatically into the public service?
Yes of course? They will all be integrated including those from Bamenda, Douala, Yaounde. However, the batch that came in through the unique concours in 2013 and subsequent batches, would under take a national recruitment concours upon graduation before they can be integrated into the public service. Even those who did their training abroad will also sit the special recruitment concours if they want to join the public service.
You also presided recently, the convocation ceremony at the University of Yoaunde I. It was the first convocation ever in that university.
You know that apart from some specialised schools like the faculties of medicine and higher teachers training colleges (Ecoles Normales), most of our universities issue only end of course attestations at the end of degree programs. These attestations are very easily falsified, faked and altered. It was for this reason that the Prime Minister and the secretary-general of the presidency instructed me to make sure that degree certificates and not attestations are awarded to students at the end of their courses. That is why on Friday last week, 7000 students received their degrees at the Uni-Yao 1 (2009-2013 batches). They were graduates from the faculties of arts, letters and social sciences, science and the ecole normales superiere. Some of them had graduated and were already working. The certificates included Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D degrees.
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