Cameroon: Government throws bait towards anglophones to increase GCE participation

A Special recruitment of 70 Science teachers into the Higher teachers training College ENS Yaounde has been launched by the Ministry of Higher Education. The entrance exam targets  candidates of the GCE 2017 Session who would have passed in Science subjects. 35 places are up for grabs in mathematics while the rest goes to the other subjects.  

By launching this "concours," observers say Government is trying woo candidates in the North west and south west regions who are dragging their feet to take the exams. The GCE practicals which started this week has registered a timid turn out in the anglophone regions owing to the crisis. And officials fear the situation might be the same during the written phase. They believe that Government is therefore using this entrance exam to swell GCE participation.

Government went ahead with official exams despite the teachers strike in the english speaking regions which has kept children away from school for 6 months. Critics raised fears over the physical and mental preparedness of candidates in these regions but that has not detered government who is using every means to encourage students to take the exams.  The minister of secondary education, Jean Ernest Massina Ngalle Bibehe was in the two regions where he gave specific instructions for a good conduct of the exams which is now under threat fom unknown arsonists and "mysterious" forces of nature.