From
Michael Ndi in Bamenda
The
governor of the North West region, Adolfe Lele L’Afrique, has lashed out at mercenary
teachers who are making a mockery of the teaching profession.
During
the 21st edition of World Teachers’ day in Bamenda, the chief executive
officer of the region regretted that today’s teachers have abused the teaching
profession with impunity.
He
instanced the alarming cases of corruption in schools championed by teachers
and PTA executives, absenteeism, sexually transmitted marks and the fact that
teachers in complicity with their principals and delegates were abandoning
their jobs to go abroad for greener pastures; yet still receive their salaries
unperturbed.
On
behalf of the regional delegate of basic education, Susan Fon Nyang stressing
on this year’s teachers’ day theme, “Investing in the future, invest in the
teachers,” called on the powers that be to invest most in the teachers if they
want Cameroon to emerge by 2035.
She
added that teachers are like a candle which consumes itself in other to light the
way for others.
In a key note addresses, the authorities of the
Teachers Association Cameroon (TAC) and Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU)
equally frowned at falling standards of education in the country. “Today, our
GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level holders including even university graduates are unable to
write a common application or sustain a conversation in English because
corruption is the order of the day in Cameroon. People who come out of school
buy positions to be appointed head teachers or principals when in effect, a
teacher is suppose to teach for 15 years to be vice principal and 20 years to
be principal,” the trade unionists maintained.
Besides,
the TAC scribe, Tame Valentine harped on some teachers who bribe to be
transferred to schools in towns while the schools in the peripheries are
without teachers.
For
his part, TAC executive secretary general, Tasang Wilfred disclosed that over
150 colleges in the North West region do not have a single French teacher. He
raised the case of the University of Bamenda where teachers who are Francophones
teach in Pidgin-English and over 70% of the students admitted into Higher
Teacher Technical Training College are Francophones instead of Anglophones to
be able to teach in Anglophone schools.
Above
all, Tasang Wilfred questioned why the GCE board is yet to pay out of station
allowances for GCE markers and why duty post allowances are no more paid.
Both
trade unions called on all on teachers to join the teachers’ trade unions so
that together, they could speak as one and fight for their rights.
During
the church service that opened the celebration, Rev. Tat Mbuy opined that everybody has passed
through a teacher. The priest questioned why the government has deliberately
allowed teachers to continue walloping in precarious conditions and are reduced
to nothing in the country.
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