‘Administrators using us as punching bags!’ – Anglophone teachers cry out

By David Atangana

Teachers in the troubled English speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have said some administrators are using them as punching bags.

The All Anglophone Teachers Trade Union, AATTU, cried out in an address to the government in Bamenda today October 5th, 2022 during the commemoration of this year’s edition of International Teachers’ day.

Addressing Adolf Lele L’Afrique, representative of state in the North West region, the teachers said it will be dishonest to not talk of their plights in the face of the armed separatist conflict plaguing the two English speaking regions.

“We will be untrue to ourselves if we do not sincerely talk about the plight of teachers in the North West and South West Regions” the teachers said crying that, “Some local administrators are using teachers as punching bags”

Condemning such treatment from administrators, they warned that they “… are no commoners. Our lives matter a lot”

Narrating their plight, they revealed that they are pressurized to be present at work “even when hierarchy knows that it is difficult and risky on particular days and periods, given the palpable, very visible security challenges we face each day in these our crisis-stricken regions”.

“Many teachers have suffered inhumane salary suspensions even when they had been present at work. Some are still suffering these heartless suspensions” AATTU lamented.

According to the All Anglophone Teachers Trade Union, the risk encountered by teachers is enough to warrant their protection and not administrative sanctions.

“Many of us are threatened, kidnapped, tortured and some have even been killed – for the simple fact that we are teachers” the teachers cried out, adding that, “those of you who are supposed to protect us instead endanger our lives with administrative fiats, many of which are avoidable”

“We are working under too much pressure and this may cause a snap in us. Our appeal is that you treat us in a humane manner” AATTU appealed.

In solidarity with the industrial strike action called for by teachers of francophone extraction, AATTU, said though they did not sign, they sypmathise with them and need government to look into the problems raised.

On the other hand the teachers saluted government efforts in addressing many of their problems. They however said alot still have to be done reminding government to convene the long awaited National Education forum where educational problems will be discussed and laid to rest with solutions.

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