HTTTC Kumba graduates still in the ‘cold’ after completing studies

By Tata Mbunwe

Graduates from the Higher Technical Teachers Training College, HTTTC, Kumba have said they are eagerly waiting to be deployed after completing their studies.

Although public graduation ceremonies were cancelled for this year, ENSET and ENS Bambili had already graduated their students before the suspension of graduation ceremonies.

After graduating in July this year, a student of HTTTC Kumba says they expected Government to absorb them into the civil service by October or November as was the case with the 2018/2018 batches of graduates.

“We have been waiting for our posting to come out. We are eager to deliver what we have been trained for. Staying at home for five months is really discouraging as our parents and friends are mocking at us,” an HTTTC graduate told MMI.

This year, more than 200 students were admitted into the institution to replace the graduating batch.

HTTTC Kumba is under the University of Buea which is controlled by the Higher Education Ministry, but after graduation, the graduates are being employed by the Ministry of Secondary Education.

To them, MINSEC has been slow in making recruitments this year and this has bothered them as to whether they will have to stay longer before they are even employed.

In the Basic Education sector, some of the student teachers, after graduation, would have to stay for about seven years before they are recruited into the civil service.

Meanwhile, thousands of Government schools, especially in remote villages, lack trained teachers, with some schools having just three Government teachers for about 150 pupils.