Steadfast Efforts For Better Education

Cameroon long caught the vision and has been striving to live up to expectation, despite challenges. From independence till date, there has been significant progress in the quality and quantity of educational facilities in the country to sharpen citizens to stand the test of time. In effect, a chunk of the State budget is being devoted yearly to the education sector. At all levels of the country’s educational system, new infrastructure are increasingly being built and more teachers trained and deployed to handle the educational needs of the growing population.
Moving from the hitherto Ministry of National Education to now three where basic, secondary and higher education needs are better handled by specialists in the sector reflects the importance the highest authority of the land attaches to youth training. Understandably so as general and technical education equip learners with critical thinking skills to propose solutions to socio-economic, political, and environmental problems. This makes them assets!
Faced with the competitive job market where education does not immediately guarantee a job for the learner, the government of Cameroon has also been embracing vocational training which has specialised programmes crafted to empower desiring citizens with the necessary skills for a specific profession or career path. Creating a whole ministry to take care of vocational training is testament to the Head of State’s desire to better polish the youth.
Indeed, President Paul Biya’s determination to have a youthful population well empowered for today and tomorrow was once again demonstrated in his message to them on the occasion of the 59th Youth Day celebrated across the country yesterday February 11, 2025. Like in previous related speeches, the Head of State showed mastery of youth problems when he told them,   “I know that, as with all young people worldwide, your education and training mean everything to you. Understandably, you are particularly concerned about your entry into the labour market.” And he does not only end at recognising the legitimate aspirations youth have about their education and getting themselves gainfully employed thereafter. This explains why government efforts, under him, remain unwavering to ensure that with each passing year, the training opportunities are getting better and better in terms of quantity and quality.
“The school and university landscape continues to expand and diversify with the establishment of new primary, secondary and higher education institutions. New specialized courses are regularly introduced in government secondary schools and universities. The professionalisation of training curricula is ongoing in all types of education systems to provide young graduates with the requisite technical skills likely to facilitate their access to the labour market,” President Paul Biya said. This is the way to go and all must toe the line. 
These efforts are visible. From one State university in 1982; Cameroon counted 11 in 2024 with specialised schools therein that better train students on specific fields. Similarly, opening up the education domain to the private sector actors shows the desire of the Head of State to multiply and diversify training options to get youths apt for any challenge. The country as at last year counted over 500 private institutes of higher learning, from none four decades ago. But ...