The heavy dependence on public service for jobs would gradually phase out given recent development in the Secondary Education sector.
Secondary Minister Prof Nalova Lyonga
Secondary Minister Nalova Lyonga is steering a very significant drive in Cameroon’s education system, aimed at providing skills to students in preparation for the world of work.
Employment opportunities in the private sector depend more on skills than certificates.
Initiatives to reform the curriculum, reflect a deliberate move away from theoritical instruction towards a more practical, skills-oriented approach that prepares students for the realities of the job market upon graduation.
At the heart of the new curriculum is experiential learning. Students, particularly those in technical and vocational institutions, are increasingly engaged in hands-on training across various industries. It is now common to find learners gaining real-world experience in automobile garages, carpentry workshops, construction sites, and even microfinance institutions. These placements are not merely symbolic; they are structured to help students develop practical competencies, understand workplace dynamics, and make informed career choices early on. By exposing learners to actual job environments, the system equips them with both technical know-how and confidence, qualities that significantly improve their employability.
Agriculture has been given renewed emphasis as part of the curriculum reform project. School farms are becoming active learning centers where students are taught how to cultivate crops and rear animals. This initiative is designed to spark interest in agribusiness and ensure that students who may pursue agriculture at higher levels are grounded in its practical realities from an early stage. Beyond food production, these school-based agricultural projects introduce students to entrepreneurship, sustainability, and resource management.
The reform extends to Teachers Training Colleges as well, where future educators are now required to acquire practical agricultural skills. Trainee teachers learn how to grow crops, raise poultry, and manage small-scale farms. This approach ensures that when they are deployed to schools, they teach from experience rather than theory alone. By incorporating such competencies in teacher education, the government aims to create a ripple effect where practical knowledge is continuously transferred to younger generations.
This curriculum overhaul is also a strategic response to a long-standing socio-economic challenge, the overwhelming preference for civil service jobs among graduates. For decades, many young Cameroonians have viewed government employment as the most secure and prestigious career path, leading to intense competition for a limited number of positions. The new approach seeks to gradually change this mindset by demonstrating that viable and rewarding opportunities exist outside the public sector.
Another groundbreaking reform that response to contemporary realities is the creation of Artificial intelligence centers across the country starting with pilot centers in Limbe and Yaounde. The creation of Artificial intelligence centers is a step in the right direction reflecting relevance and international trends. The exposure of students to what the Minister refers to as Intelligent classroom, is appreciated by educationists who follow closely developments in the field.
Public reaction to these strategic innovations has been largely positive. Many see it as a timely strategy that addresses both unemployment and the skills gap in the economy.
This not withstanding, there are growing calls for the government to ensure the sustainability of these initiatives. Stakeholders emphasize the importance of continuity, consistent funding, proper monitoring, for the project to have desirable outcomes.
Ultimately, the success of this reform process will depend on maintaining quality leadership. This reforms have the potential of addressing critical issues such as. unemployment.
These reforms are said to reflect current trends and contemporary global realities in a fast evolving world. They also have the potential of transforming the economy.
Education must solve problems of national development and respond to emerging challenges of the times. The new Cameroon shall be defined by the quality of education and those who pilot it.
By Ignatius Nji /Boma Christopher
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
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