Fight against teacher absenteeism: Nalova Lyonga’s approach rebuked, considered vulnerable

By Amina Hilda

Some teachers have rebuked measures by Cameroon’s Minister of Secondary Education, Nalova Lyonga to fight teacher absenteeism as they consider it vulnerable. According to them, the system is porous and does not protect teachers from malicious reporting by unknown persons.

The collective of teachers in Cameroon believes that the Minister of Secondary Education is shirking her main responsibilities and looking for a simple way out, which will make scapegoats of some hardworking teachers.

In an open correspondence, addressed to the Minister of Secondary Education and written by the Collective of Teachers of Cameroon, they are indignant at the treatment inflicted on them, in particular with regard to the denunciation of regular absences and the bonus of quarterly return.

This supposes that a third person, “teacher or not, Cameroonian or not, who would have your name or your number and an internet connection, could stand up to denounce you as a case of irregular absence even if it means causing you damage without ever being identified or worried,” read the open letter to Nalova Lyonga.

The collective of teachers in Cameroon has called for the cancellation of the said press release.

“The manipulation of the careers of State agents is a highly sensitive area to be entrusted to volunteers or simple private actors; the risk is too high for such management to turn into arbitrariness, regulations of accounts,” the release added.

In a press release made public last week, the address www.minesecdrh.cm was made available by the Education Minister to report, anonymously, teachers in a position of irregular absence. 

All those aware of teachers absent from their workstations were urged in the release to report it.

The case of teacher absences has been an endemic problem affecting the Cameroon education section, with many of them traveling abroad, while still receiving their salaries.