Education as a bait in the Anglophone Crisis



This is 4 academic year that schools in the English speaking regions of Cameroon have been shot down with only a few effectively running in some safe neighborhoods within the regions. 3/4 of schools especially in the rural areas are host to Stae and Non-Stae Armed groups instead of children who are in dire need of education.



Teachers went on strike in November 2016 and which was the 2016/2017 academic year due to the fact that the education system of the English sub-system was experiencing a serious drop with little or no curriculum that was meant to empower and equip the children for the reality of life. Teachers rights had been violated to the extent that very important subventions meant for them had been cut off, French speaking teachers with little or no mastery of the English language were sent to teach subjects to English speaking children in language that only God knows how the children would understand. The teachers wanted these and many issues affecting education in Cameroon resolved but unfortunately, the strike was taken from them and turned out to be used against them and the very kids whom they were fighting to provide the best kind of education to..



Teachers and children are being kidnapped and maimed for daring to go to school. They are asked huge sums of money before they are released and if they cannot afford to pay the ransom, they are killed. Yet, education is so important and our children are deprived of this fundamental rights because they feel that the government will give in to their demands. Unfortunately my government does not care about the the education of the children because she hasn't done anything yet to resolve the issues raised by the teachers. Our children's education is now at a standstill.



As a teacher, I have taken upon myself to help these children have an education by doing what I call Home Teaching Program. We get teachers and parents to volunteer and we try to teach the children. The separatist groups saw this as a challenge, threatened us to stop and ended up cutting off the right leg of one of my staff members. We aren't stopping but will continue because we are taking the program to neighboring cities out of the regions that have our displaced children who badly need an education. 



I remember my days of Rural Science and Domestic Science. These subjects brought out our various skills and we knew exactly who was great at whatever and who would make money with the skills which we acquired during these lessons. I remember me sewing my 1st night gown in primary 5 and wore it till I got to form 3. I remember me doi g embroidery and learning all different types of stitches in those early primary school days. Helas!!!! None of these exist these days. Everything has changed. We have brought in all the beautiful ideas in a crazy manner that gets our children more confused and overloaded. Instead of coming up with beautiful curriculum to help our children, we have decided to make them become illiterate.



How does our children stay at home, resolve the Anglophone crisis? We will continue to look at means of giving an education to these children, especially with the love and support of people of goodwill. 




https://youtu.be/nvXP0h7t7os

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