Instructions here and there to teachers, last-minute assessment of school infrastructure, this is the order of the day at many primary and secondary schools across Cameroon as Head Teachers and Principals await the start of the 2024/2025 school year in barely a week’s time.
At a private secondary school downtown Yaounde, the Principal, Maxmillianus Nalionge Ewoko says the administrative and teaching staff answered present this Monday, 2nd September 2024.
“We have been preparing for the past two months to make sure the environment is conducive. Our preparation has been triadic in nature at the level of staffing, infrastructure and pedagogy. Infrastructurally, we’re making sure that the classrooms are clean, with chairs, tables, blackkboard and everything set including the lighting system,’ he explains.
He added that the security cameras and the biometric systems have been checked as well.
Another aspect under check at the school campus is the bus service for the transportation of students.
Teaching and Administrative Staff Set for Challenges
The Principal says that at the level of staffing all is well.
“Some teachers had to drop from the staffing list for one reason or another so we recruited more teachers to reinforce the existing personnel of the school,” he notes.
“We also looked into the auxiliary staff to make sure the drivers are okay, the cleaners are set and the security officers too are ready for the new school year,” Maxmillianus Nalionge adds.
“Also, following our calendar of activities, we organised a capacity building workshop during the first staff meeting wherein the teachers got the code of conduct of the school, and received instructions from the administration on how we expect the academic year to look like.
Busy August Period
In this school downtown Yaounde, students of Form Five and Upper Sixth already started their August course, two weeks into the month. Today, Monday 2nd September 2024, we had a career orientation for Form Four and Lower Sixth students, to guide them on what series they should opt for in line with their career choices,” adds the Principal.
These activities do not cancel the normal routine of registration of students and orientation for parents on a daily basis.
With these activities unfolding, Maxmillianus Nalionge is sure that the his school is ready to receive students come 9th September 2024, the date of the official reopening of primary and secondary schools in Cameroon.
Eleanor Ayuketah Ngochi
