Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: August Re-openings Gain Traction In North West Region

In an effort to safeguard the academic calendar from recurring political disruptions, several private and community-led primary and secondary schools across Cameroon’s Anglophone North West Region took the unconventional step of resuming full academic classes early in August. A full month ahead of the national school reopening schedule on September 7, 2026.

Front-loading Syllabus Delivery

The strategy aims to front-load syllabus delivery before anticipated region-wide "lockdowns" called by armed Anglophone separatists at the start of every academic year in September and October. In addition to early starts, institutions throughout Bamenda and surrounding subdivisions are deploying weekend shifts and digital learning platforms to recover lost contact hours caused by weekly Monday "ghost town" strikes.

Early Resumption As Academic Shield

Interviews with local educators, administrators, and residents reveal a growing trend of early resumptions across the North West Region. Particularly within private institutions and specialized inclusive centers.

Donga-Mantung Division

In Ndu, Donga-Mantung Division of the North West Region, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Nursery/Primary located inside the campus of the Cameroon Baptist Theological Seminary, CBTS Ndu, has a long time tradition of resuming much earlier. Same like the seminary. And so this year, the primary reopened for the 2026/2027 school year in early August.

Elsewhere in Ndu, King David Primary School also did same by beginning full-swing classes in August. All in a bid to catch up with workload coverage when disruptions begin. 

Boyo Division

In the Belo Subdivision of Boyo Division in the North West Region, several schools in the Mbingo area had already completed three weeks of full-scale instruction by early September 2026. Among those who operated full classes are CBC Inclusive School and Sign Language Center, Mbingo (Nursery and Primary); CBC Nursery and Primary School, Mbingo II. And Mount Zion Inclusive Academy, Mbingo (Secondary).

Catching Steam

Local administrators in Belo report that while early resumptions were tested by select institutions over the past two years, the practice has now been widely adopted by surrounding schools seeking to validate their syllabuses before movement restrictions take effect.

Urban Bamenda Stakes

A similar pattern is unfolding in Bamenda, the regional headquarters of the North West. Multiple primary and nursery schools in Nkwen area began operating full school days at the start of August 2026. They include Providence Kindergarten and Primary School, Ndamukong; EduCare Primary School, Mile 2, Nkwen; PNEU School, Foncha Street, Nkwen. And Giant Step Primary School, Mile 3 Junction, Nkwen, and Golden Star Primary School, Mbeshi Quarter, Mile 4, Nkwen.

According to community members, Providence Kindergarten and Primary School pioneered early August resumptions in Bamenda during the previous academic year. Its success in completing course modules prior to autumn disruptions prompted neighboring private schools to replicate the strategy this year.

Sunday Classes, Online Revision

Beyond autumn lockdowns, the ongoing conflict subjects the North West and South West Regions to mandatory weekly Monday shutdowns ("ghost towns"). Effectively stripping 20% of instructional time from the standard school week. To compensate, schools are implementing alternative scheduling and distance-learning models.

Weekend Makeup Sessions

While state-run public schools typically mandate extra classes on Saturdays to stay on schedule, several secondary institutions and public high schools - including Government High School, GHS Atiela in Nkwen - often organize supplementary catch-up classes on Sunday afternoons following church services. This arrangement allows students to cover complex curriculum topics in core subjects without violating Monday safety precautions.