By BAKAH
Derick
Blogger@hilltopvoices
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| Tasang Wilfred Executive Secretary General --CATTU |
11th
of February is the day French Cameroon annex English Cameroon. This is what
students who study History in the Francophone subsystem of Education Cameroon
are thought about the day now known as Youth Day in Cameroon. According to Dr. Jude Fokwang, “February 11
is the date on which a plebiscite was held in the former British Cameroons,
aimed at deciding its fate - gain independence by integrating with the Federal
Republic of Nigeria or the already independent French Cameroon.” He continues that “On
February 11, 1961, the Southern British Cameroons opted to join French Cameroon
while their counterparts in the North cast their votes in favour of joining the
Nigerian Federation” the latter is the version many Anglophone Cameroonians
and even historians subscribe to. Teaching students in Anglophone schools the
earlier version of this historic day is considered destructive; the Cameroon’s Teachers
Trade Union CATTU says.
Meeting in Bamenda February 4, 2015 to
examine the state of the Union CATTU, observed that “about 80% of
student-teachers” currently on the field on practice from the Teachers Training
College Bambili are Francophones. These
students according to CATTU are “subjugated to do teaching practice in some
secondary schools” in the Northwest Region in English in Anglophone schools. Considering
their language of origin and educational background, CATTU thinks that “this
action misleads learners and delays the progress of the classroom teacher.”
In an interview with Tasang Wilfred, the Executive
Secretary General for CATTU, He disclosed that in an effort to get the issues
resolved, he contacted Prof Nsamena Bame, Director of ENS Bambili who said the
issue is political and that he (Tasang) could not understand.
Citing the 1998 law on education which recognizes
two subsystems of education with English and French as languages of instruction
plus the non-mastery of the language and subject matter, CATTU believes that it
will be discouraging for leaners to learn key subjects like Mathematics,
Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geology etc. consequently the teachers union is
calling for the strict respect of the 1998 law, and that student teachers
should be allowed to practice in French and in the French subsystem of
education.
It’s also worth noting that students who
study in the Francophone subsystem in Cameroon have a very shallow knowledge of
the science subjects since they begin the studies only in High school while
their Anglophone subsystem counterparts begin studying from first year in
secondary school Mr Tasang affirms.
CATTU also raised issues concerning the
posting of teachers from ENSET Bambili. The union said “Teachers of English
expression earlier posted to Francophone Regions and Schools be redeployed to
Anglophone regions/schools otherwise the purpose of their training is defeated”