Selection of School Text Books:

Nalova Lyonga Recommends Transparency

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Prof. Nalova Lyonga Pauline Egbe

Prof. Nalova Lyonga Pauline Egbe, Minister of Secondary Education, has enjoined members of the National Council for the selection of textbooks to ensure transparency as they evaluate books to be approved for schools nationwide for the next academic year.

                She made the appeal on Monday 9 March 2020 while opening the 18th session of the council.

                “We have adopted a policy of one book so that most of the parents will be able to buy the book, to enable all the students in one class to have the book so that it shouldn’t occur that a student fails because they did not have the book,” Nalova said, adding, that the selected books will not however stop children from using books that are good for their level.

                “We always said that the teachers should ask them to read some very good books, but when it comes to exams, the material should come from one book,” she explained. She called on them to do their job without any influence and warned against bribery and corruption in the course of the session.

                Prof. Marcellin Vounda Etoa, Permanent Secretary of the Commission, said their work will take into consideration the contents of the textbooks presented as well as their scientific aptitude.

                “The Ministry of Secondary Education was the first to implement the competence-based approach in 2018. We evaluated text books for sixieme and troisieme. These are registered on the official list for a period of six years. Last year, during the 16th session of the council, we evaluated the textbooks for form 5 and this year, it is to focus on the classes of Premiere. We want to wrap up with the Upper sixth. This 18th session of the council also assesses textbooks for subjects that had not been provided in the quatrieme, troisieme, and seconde (form 3, 4 and 5)

                He added that they will also look at the pedagogic approach of the textbooks as well as the quality of language used. He further stated that the final selected books will not only be retained for their prices but for a combination of all aspects that will guide the judgment of the council to make their selection.

                The council will work on 54 books for the Lower and Upper Sixth classes and are expected to make the final selection while 114 textbooks have been submitted for evaluation for the class of Première for the French sub-system.