On a surprise visit to schools in Yaounde this Tuesday, January 21, the Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Pauline Nalova Lyonga, ordered the temporary closure of five schools for violating regulations and standard requirements for secondary schools in Cameroon.
Notably, the proprietors of these clandestine schools reportedly removed a seal Minesec placed on them at the start of the school year for operating without authorization.
Accompanying the Minister on her surprise visit to schools was Center Regional Governor, Naseri Paul Bea, and secondary education actors.
The decision suspending five schools in the middle of a school year worries parents whose children are in the affected schools.
They fear that the decision will interrupt their children’s education and lay waste to the resources they have already invested for this school year.
Some suggested that the Minister should have sanctioned the proprietor of the school rather than interrupting the education of students.
“I think they should have just placed an economic sanction rather than placing the students outside,” commented a parent.
Minister Nalova’s ‘Clean School’ Campaign
Furthermore, it should be noted that, at the beginning of the 2024/2025 school year, Minister Nalova Lyonga ordered the closure of 172 private secondary schools in Cameroon.
The decision was part of Minesec’s policy to standardize the education system by cleaning out unauthorized institutions.
She closed most of these schools for operating without authorisation from the Ministry of Secondary Education.
Some also failed to meet minimum standards requirements for infrastructure, safety and teacher quality.
Meanwhile, others failed to comply with administrative regulations governing private educational institutions.
The closures of these schools continue to generate debates among parents, school proprietors, and education stakeholders.
While some praised the move as a step toward raising education standards, others expressed concerns about the impact on students.
Many of these students have had to seek alternative schools after the academic year had already begun.
