A Welcome Readjustment

COMMENTARY.

Measures being taken by education officials in the North West and South West Regions to enable pupils and students cope with the new school year and cover up what was lost last year are more than salutary. Disturbances of the last academic year in both regions led to schools running half-backed academic programmes and most pupils and students virtually kept out of classes. The issue of political activists taking the school system hostage because teachers’ trade unions and Common Law Lawyers presented grievances in relation to their various sectors resulted in upheavals and unrest that caused much harm to education.
Looking at the poor results of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board, CGCEB, for 2016-2017, it became imperative that something had to be done. The failure rate virtually dropped by half compared to last year’s results.  In fact, the Advanced Level GCE recorded 35.32% pass down from 66.52% in 2016, the Advanced Level Technical scored 22.37% against 54.33% in 2016 and the GCE Ordinary Level General Education results showed a 25.29 percentage pass this year drastically dropping from 62.17 in 2016. The GCE Technical O/L registered a 28.49 percentage pass as against 40.12 last year.
In all, students and pupils have been victims of a political chest game that they neither wished for, nor does it serve their interest. Missing out on one full academic year can leave some students with everlasting scars. Consequently, the decision to organise catch up classes and enable them better cope with the exigencies of their education challenges is laudable. Such a step will not only help to improve their academic level but, also boost their performance throughout the current school year.
In some denominational institutions, courses started in August, especially for students in examination classes who were out of school for the most part of last school year. Giving them the opportunity to resume this time in high spirit will certainly play positively in their results by the end of the academic year.
With such efforts, those who continue to be reticent about sending their children...