Elung Paul rekindles hope, enthusiasm among youths in Tombel
The Minister Delegate to the Ministry of Finance was in his
native Tombel metropolis Friday to close free catch up classes he organized for
pupils and students. He also donated consignments of didactic materials to the
students,as part of his back to school rhapsody
By Doh Bertrand Nua on Special Assignment to Tombel
 |
| Minister Elung Paul Awards Prize to outstanding Nursery School Kid |
The Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, Elung Paul
Che, who doubles as the General Manager of the Hydrocarbons Prices
Stabilization Fund (CSPH) has once more demonstrated his love and concern for
his people and his unflinching resolve to fight poverty and social exclusion
among the populations of his native Tombel metropolis in the Kupe Muanenguba
Division. This was during a trip he made to Tombel on Friday last week to
preside over the closing ceremony of free catch up classes he patronized, and
also donate books, pens and other didactic materials to all the pupils and
students who participated in the holiday classes.
The
solo initiative of Minister Elung Paul was in continuation of a campaign for
schools resumption that he had started since several months ago, when
Anglophone teachers dropped the chalk and embarked on a sit-in strike, in
October 2016.
Addressing
the huge crowd that had gathered on the occasion, the characteristically soft
spoken and level-headed Elung first thanked the team of coordinators and the
teachers who volunteered to help their younger ones to redeem what they lost
during the long months of schools boycott. Elung would later turn and thank the
parents, who, not only saw the imperative need and importance to allow their
children to attend the two-month catch up classes in July and August, but also
took time off to massively attend the closing ceremony of the holiday
school.
To the
happy laureates of the day- the students and pupils, who massively turned out
for the classes, the Minister hailed them for the enthusiasm and seriousness
they demonstrated during the two months.
“Your
massive turnout and participation in the holiday classes speaks to the fact
that you value your future and that you are enthusiastic about improving and
integrating yourselves into active life through sound education, which is the
only sure route to a better life especially for those of us from the rural
enclaves of the country,” Elung enthused, reminding his hearers that as a rural
boy, he too went to the same primary school that the bulk of Tombel pupils are
attending today and which incidentally, is the venue for the closing ceremony
of the holiday classes.
Literally
enjoining the youths of Tombel to draw inspiration from him, Elung first paid
tribute to his alma mater, GS Tombel that laid a good foundation for him,
before he reminisced how thanks to education he has moved from very humble
beginnings to become Minister and General Manager in almighty Yaounde today.
Regretting
the seemingly irreparable damage already done to the lives of some Anglophone
students and pupils due the long months of schools boycott, Elung wondered
aloud if it is right to use children’s education as sacrifice for a far
reaching war of independence and/or whether it makes sense to use children’s
education as ransom to a pretentious liberation movement.
“The
last school year was a bad one for us, as the ill-inspired schools boycott and
violence did a great deal of harm to our children and families. This is
evidenced by the very poor results registered by our schools in the different
end-of-course examinations including the Government common Entrance, the First
School Leaving Certificate and the GCE O and A levels. There is no doubt the
results would have been better if the children were at school for normal
classes throughout the year,” Elung regretted, noting that while the school
boycotts were respected in the two English speaking regions, classes were
effective in schools in the rest of the country.
He
seized the opportunity to remind parents that education is a fundamental and
inalienable right for every child,and that anybody who deprives children of
their education, is not only violating their rights but is at once assaulting
the very foundation of the children’s future.
Furthering
his rhapsody, Minister Elung noted that “Anglophone children have paid the
biggest price in sacrificing a school year, with most of them having to repeat
classes not because of their making but simply as victims of the reckless
imaginations of some so called Anglophone leaders.”
He
therefore called on the teachers, parents, school proprietors and all other
stakeholders not to continue yielding to imaginary threats, and to join hands
and pave the way for a smooth, hitch-free back to school for pupils and
students come September.
Speaking
earlier, the inspector of basic education for Tombel, who was also the
coordinator of the holiday classes, thanked Minister Elung Paul for
single-handedly sponsoring the holiday classes and for rehabilitating and
reconstructingand equipping the Government school Tombel Groups I and II.
The
inspector regretted the nefarious effects attendant in the children’s prolonged
stay away from school; citing indiscriminate sex, unwanted pregnancies, drug
abuse, stealing, gambling, lies telling, late night movements, abusive use of
social media, general waywardness and many others.
Speaker after speaker at the event all took turns to condemn
school boycott and to re-echo the need for children to go back to school come
September 4.
The
events at the Tombel grandstand started not before some over 1000 pupils and
students had marched along the major streets of Tombel carrying placards with
messages such as; “we are tired of doing farm work and selling”; “education is
the only means to change the world, we want a better future for
ourselves”;“dear parents allow us resume school in September, education is our
only hope,”;“parents keep children out of politics” ete etc.
The
event was punctuated with poetry recitations, sketches and traditional dances.
Award of prizes to meritorious pupils and students and the donation of
consignments of didactic materials by the Minister crowned the landmark event.
Reactions
There’s renewed enthusiasm
-Etame Edwin Enongene, School Proprietor
I had
mixed feelings before about schools resumption for the new academic year. But
after observing the mad rush by students and pupils to register and attend the
holiday classes sponsored by Minister Elung Paul, my hope has been rekindled.
It is now clear that the students are determined more than ever before to go
back the school. And this only gives us additional impetus and encouragement as
we prepare to open our doors for school resumption on 4 September 2017. The
parents have also assured us through the PTA that they will bring their
children to school and that they will man security to protect the schools.
Vigilante groups have also been created to lookout for any strangers who may
want to in to threaten the students.
We are prepared for school resumption
-Ngwese Ebusa Philip, Vice Principal GBHS Tombel
We are
very prepared for the resumption of the new school year come September because
since the month of August we have been holding meetings, come up with school
rosters, done cleanups and assigned functions to those concerned all these
geared towards effective kickoff of the new school year. With the holiday
classes that have just ended in Tombel I can say for sure that schools will
resume in September because the pupils and students are very enthusiastic. The
parents themselves are ready because they have decided to overcome the fear of
threats created by the social media.
Parents and students have shown readiness
-Kobe Yvette Ekwoge, Teacher
Children in Tombel and their parents have been very happy
for the past months since Mr. Elung’s initiative of a summer holiday classes
started. The fact that parents allowed their children to attend the classes
only shows that they were not happy keeping the children at home. The two
months intensive classes have helped to drill the students on what they missed
out during the months of boycott. Through the holiday classes the children are
now ready and ripe to go to the next class because the zeal is still fresh in
them.
We have covered 40% of lost time
-Cecilia Dione Epie, School Principal GSS
After coordinating the holiday classes we realized that the
children had been missing so much and they expressed it through the holiday
classes. Their zeal and anxiousness made them to write a test and an exam
before the end of the holiday classes which helped to build them for the new school
year. The classes have helped the students and pupils to cover at least 40% of
what they lost. We are not afraid of any threat because vigilante groups have
been put in place and the parents have promised to take the children to school
themselves.
I have gained a lot
-Lawrence Njumbe Mayah, Upper Sixth Student
I decided to attend the summer holiday classes to catch up
with what I missed while staying at home due to the Anglophone crisis that
rendered schools ineffective. I was actually blank during this period of
staying home but now I am full with fresh knowledge. The holiday classes has
made me to be at least 75% prepared for the new school year because I have
covered much material while in the classes.
Metuge Maoline, Form Five Student
The holiday classes actually went on well even though we
could not get all the material we wanted because of time. Nonetheless we thank
our God Almighty and Minister Elung for everything. Now assured of my level of
preparedness for the new school year I can only pray that all goes well for a
hitch free academic year.
No comments:
Post a Comment