Anglophone Teachers’ Unions Appeal for End to Attacks on Schools

By David Atangana

Teachers of English expression under the umbrella of the All Anglophone Teachers Trade Unions have called for an end to attacks on schools in Cameroon’s crisis-stricken North West and South West regions.

They urged for a smooth resumption of academic activities in these regions on Monday, September 9, 2024, in line with the national school calendar.

Their appeal comes amid threats of lockdowns issued by Anglophone separatist fighters ahead of the school year.

Since the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis in 2016, academic activities have been severely disrupted in these regions, with attacks on schools, teachers, and students becoming frequent.

The armed conflict began when corporate demands from teachers and lawyers over the erosion of the Anglophone educational and legal systems were hijacked by extremists advocating for independence.

This led to a school boycott imposed by separatists, who also targeted educational stakeholders.

In a letter addressed to the population of the Anglophone regions, signed by the President of the Teachers Association of Cameroon (TAC), Tameh Valentine, and the Secretary General of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU), Sema Valentine, the unions called for a reflection on the damaging effects of the school boycott strategy.

“We appeal to all actors in these regions to reflect on the consequences of school boycotts at the beginning of each year for the past eight years,” the letter read.

The teachers stressed that education, which they described as “a gift from God,” should be safeguarded from attacks.

The unions expressed frustration that the original cause for educational reform in the English-speaking regions has been derailed, with devastating consequences for students and teachers.

“Eight years since the crisis began in the North West and South West regions, following calls for educational reforms, the situation has only worsened. Attacks on school infrastructures, learners, and teachers have pushed an already fragile education system into further disarray,” they noted.

Other Sectors Unaffected

The teachers also lamented that while other sectors involved in the 2016 strikes—such as health, agriculture, and the judiciary—have resumed operations, education remains under siege.

Anglophone lawyers have returned to court despite not all their grievances being resolved.

“Other services—health, agriculture, the courts, police stations, energy and water resources, and town planning—are operating in the hinterlands, but only the schools remain stifled,” the letter observed.

The ongoing threats to education infrastructure, learners, and teachers have resulted in thousands of children losing years of education, with no hope of catching up.

Hundreds of teachers are also unable to fulfill their professional duties due to safety concerns.

Effect Of Ghost Towns

The school boycotts, combined with the separatists’ declarations of “ghost towns,” have had a significant negative impact on students.

While children in other parts of the country resume school as scheduled, those in the Anglophone regions are forced to start later, leading to disrupted academic programs.

They called on the population of the two regions to make a choice to protect and promote structured teaching and learning by making all school zones and actors safe.

“We appeal to all actors to avoid using schools and the challenging situations of schooling for propaganda or to test and promote power and influence,” the letter concluded.

Kate Bih contributed to this report.