State University Diplomas : Steady Evolution In Issuance Process

Mechanisms put in place to ensure the constant award of diplomas to students at the end of their university studies, as well as statistics that show an evolution in the process in the last three years have been presented to Members of Parliament by the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo. This was during a plenary on June 16, 2023 chaired by the Senior Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Hilarion Etong. In essence, the Chancellor of Academic Orders was quizzed on the delays in the issuance of diplomas by authorities of State universities by Hon. Dissake Marguerite, and on the quality of higher education vis-à-vis the job market especially in technical fields by Hon. Jean Nintcheu. 
Providing clarification, Minister Fame Ndongo said an “Adhoc Technical Committee” was put in place, with its first meeting holding in September 2021 to find lasting solutions on the delay in the issuance of end-of-course certificates. Statistics for the last three years as presented by the Minister of State reveal that some 38,024 diplomas were issued during the 2019/2020 academic year, 42,595 in 2020/2021 and 50,335 in the course of 2021/2022, representing a general increase of 27,75 per cent. The Minister also revealed that there are 159,000 diplomas awaiting withdrawal by their recipients. With demand on the increase as days go by, Prof. Fame Ndongo said plans are afoot to digitalise the process and stakeholders are working rigourouly. 
He responded to Hon. Jean Michel Nincheu’s question by using four main points, namely; the quality of training offered in institutions of higher learning, pertinence on the curricular, quality of diplomas issued and the impact of the training offered in universities on development. The Minister of State explained that there is a national commission charged with the accreditation for the operationalisation of institutions of higher learning in Cameroon. “Before issuance operationalisation documents to a university, there is a fi...