Five teachers trade unions in Cameroon have petitioned the
Head of State, Paul Biya, to revert an October 22 decree he signed reorganising
the General Certificate of Education( GCE) Board that has sparked controversy
within the Anglophone part of the country.
In a
four page memo made public over the weekend, the Cameroon Teachers Trade
Union(CATTU), the Baptist Teacher Trade Union(BATTUC), the Catholic Workers
Trade Union(CEWOTU), the Presbyterian Education authority(PEATU) and the
Teachers Association of Cameroon(TAC) sanctioned the missive.
Afuh
Stephen Kwah of PEATU, Valentine Semma of CATTU, Gilbert Likanyu of CEWOTU,
Emmanuel Ngam of BATTUC and Tameh
Valentine of TAC signed the document of behalf of their respective trade
unions.
In the
memo, the teachers tell Biya that individuals take upon themselves to craft
laws which violate State laws. The petitioners are banking on Law No 98/004 of
14th April 1998 on the guidelines for education in Cameroon as a substrate.
They cite article 15 (1) and (2) which states that, the country has two
educational systems -English and French sub systems of educations that will
operate side-by-side with their unique methods of evaluation and award of
certificates.
They
query the absence of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea(UB) on the
board of trustees of the GCE Board. They argued that, the institution has
played a vital role in vetting certificates.
“ There
is also the exclusion of education
agencies, worthy dependable partners in education… some who have been in
business longer than the government and whose counsel contribution can never be
underestimated. Equally Biya’s decree irrationally excludes parents whose
children are the consumers of the board’s products….Teachers and parents like
the agencies played the role of veritable watchdogs in the old dispensation”.
The memo reads in part.
The
teachers Memo to Biya is at odds with the reduction of the board from 17
members to seven. The authors said, “we consider the reduction and all the
exclusions to be irrational and expressive of a hidden agenda your Excellency”.
To the
five teachers’ trade unions, the GCE Board has been given a political
connotation. The suspect the constitution of the Board with a representative
from the presidency, Prime Minister’s office, Higher education, finance and
Secondary education ministries.
“The
GCE board as a para-public institution
with fabulous salaries entailed , means
that those who foot the bills , the parents through registration fees and state
subvention will be squeezed further …
why should an institution which depends solely or largely on
parents and the state suddenly be
transformed into a parastatal only because such is en vouge and not necessarily
because it is realistic” the trade
unions question in the memo.
In the
memo, the authors argue that, the name ‘GCE Board’ no longer captures the
essence of the institution. The claim there could be an attempt to obliterate
the word ‘Anglophone’ from anything related to the board.
They
have asked President Biya to take action even though the decree has already
been signed. “We turn to you your Excellency even though the decree has already
been published. Something can still be done today to this text that today
exists “. The teachers beg.
According
to them, something should be done to check rising indignation among the
Anglophone “masses who see this justifiably as a prelude to the dissolution of
English–speaking subsystem of education”.
However,
the teachers’ trade unions take delight in the fact that, the new decree has
expanded the scope of the board on the number of certificates it would award.
They see the decree as holding good news for the board workers who will see a
possible salary increase.
It is
unlikely that the regime will react. When the current Registrar Ako Dominic
Dang was appointed to the board, similar missives where written on grounds
that, his appointment did not follow due procedure yet nothing has changed till
date.
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