The Committee that worked on the Educational Systems at the Major National Dialogue has stressed the need to respect the systems so as to train Cameroonians who will excell wherever they go.

According to the committee, any reforms taken in the educational systems should recognse the unique strengths and specificities of each subsystem and building on the strengths of each to train highly competitive Cameroonians.

Meeting for two days, the committee chaired by Prof. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma took time to work on four major aspects which can improve and reinforce the educational system in the country.

Discussions in the committee were inspired by realities on the ground where thousands of children of school age have been out of school for close to three years given that students and teachers have been targeted in the conflict.

Thus, the committee worke on four main themes which included ; identifying ways and means to pave a rapid back to school in the North West and South West Regions, propose mechanisms to bridge the gap and make up for the three academic years lost in these regions, examine whether all the grievances of the teachers’ trade unions expressed at the onset of the crisis had been satisfied and propose solutions to those that have not yet been addressed and make a global assessment of the Cameroon educational system and propose measures for the compatibility of the two major subsystems of education as provided by the law.

« The Major National Dialogue was a unique opportunity to build the Cameroon Educational systems thereby reinforcing the unity amongst the people of Cameroon, »Prof. Dorothy Limunga Njeuma said.

On schools in the North West and South West Regions, members of the committee agreed that concrete measures should be taken for peace to return so that back to school can be effective.

School Campuses need to be liberated froùm armed militia while measures need to be taken to rebuild damaged academic structures to facilitate school resumption in these region as well as relocate schools to safer areas, members of the committee recommended.

The rapid reintegration of ex combatants and their return to school, the recruitment of PTA teachers were some of the recommendations put forward by members of the committee.

These  amongst other they said will help encourage school resumption in the North West and South West Regions and make up for lost time.

The role of teachers’ trade union was also stressed and participants made recommendations for a strengthen relation between government ad these unions while working for a better organisation of the various teachers’ union.