The Divisional Officer (DO) for Menchum Valley Subdivision in the North West region, Foncha Azise Christian, has ordered the traditional ruler of Benagudi, to shut down the “Community Secondary School Benagudi – Essimbi”.
He argues that the school, whose principal is Mr Oteh Francis Wajukuon, is operating illegally.
The DO’s decision is contained in a letter dated September 12, addressed to the Fon of Benagudi, in which he stresses the need for traditional rulers to shut down schools operating in the Subdivision without proper authorization.
He stated that traditional rulers have allowed illegal schools to remain open “in flagrant violation of my numerous verbal and written warnings addressed to you (Traditional Rulers of Menchum Valley Sub-division) on the illegal nature of this activity which has strictly been prohibited by the State”.
The DOs’ move is surprising, according to commentators, given that the administrator is expected to deploy state forces to enforce the closures, rather than obliging traditional rulers to do so.
Community schools were instituted in Cameroon’s English-speaking by separatist leaders, after they imposed a boycott on government schools.
The separatists have attacked dozens of government and private schools, and enforced school boycotts since what is now known as the Anglophone Crisis started in 2016.
The community schools are mostly located in interior communities, where children who have no option of relocating to other areas are forced to attend.
Lacking government approval, the community schools have been providing education in defiance of regulations aimed to ensure standards and safety in educational institutions.
In Menka, a village in Santa Subdivision, children attended such schools without writing any public exams.
“I had to send my children to Bamenda when I realized they were unteaching them in the community school around us,” said Lucy, a mother of six in Menka.
“Children write no public examination and therefore we have only primary school drop outs,” said Mr. Peter (not his real name) another parent in Kongfune-Pinyin.
Although the phenomenon of community schools is a troubling one for most parents concerned about the future of their children, the move by the Menchum Valley DO to get traditional rulers close down illegal schools has drawn mixed reactions from both the public and education stakeholders.
Some traditional rulers, who prefer to remain anonymous, expressed concern about being tasked with duties that traditionally fall within the State’s jurisdiction.
One traditional leader commented, “Our role is to preserve our culture and maintain peace, not to enforce laws. This should be the job of the government and its agents.”
The issue of illegal schools has been a growing problem in the North West and South West regions, particularly since the onset of the Anglophone Crisis.
Many parents have resorted to sending their children to schools that operate outside the law due to the insecurity while others claim it provides an alternative in rural areas where government schools are scarce or non-operational.
With the government waging a fight against community schools, while separatists oppose government schools, many are anticipating the possibility of a future in the English-speaking Regions without educated people.
