The Cameroon General Certificate of Education, GCE, begins in less than three weeks, but out-station allowances of last year’s Ordinary Level examiners are yet to be paid.
The GCE Board Registrar, Dominic Akuh Dang, has continued to ignore complaints by the disgruntled markers and examiners about non-payment of their allowances nearly one year since they marked the exam.
A GCE Ordinary Level examiner told MMI they are unhappy that their out-station allowances for last remain unpaid, as they prepare to start supervising this year’s GCE practicals.
“We have just about two weeks to start GCE 2023, yet no news about of out station allowances for teachers who marked Ordinary Levels,” she complained, adding that the GCE Board has failed to address their concerns despite numerous complaints.
“We have received no official statement from the GCE Board and we are worried… It is funny that they pay Advanced Level more than a month ago and nothing is said about Ordinary Levels,” she added.
This Examiner is not the only person who has raised concerns of non-payment of allowances.
Several other GCE O/Level examiners who have spoken to MMI in the past months also raised the same issue of non-payment of out-station allowances.
“The GCE board is still to pay the out-station allowance for Ordinary Level examiners after 10 months since we marked,” another GCE 2022 marker complained.
Discriminatory approach
The GCE Board, few weeks back, satisfied Advanced Level markers and examiners by paying their out-station allowances.
But this has not been the case for Ordinary Level examiners, whose grievances are yet to be addressed.
A 2022 GCE O/Level marker who spoke to MMI regretted the GCE Board’s discriminatory approach in paying the allowances.
“They paid Advanced Level examiners two weeks ago. They used to pay Advanced Level examiners first and after about three days they will pay the Ordinary Level examiners,” he said.
“GCE practicals will start next week, and they expect examiners to invigilate and mark happily. The discrimination done by the GCE Board this time around is not fair. Why are they given more privileges to Advanced Level examiners? Are we not marking the same exams?” he lamented.
Registrar ignores examiners
MMI has reported on the poor treatment of GCE examiners for several months now, but the GCE Board has issued no official statement to explain the issue, as teachers kept complaining.
The Registrar, Dominic Akuh Dang, has also maintained sealed lips over the issue.
“The earlier they start paying our outstation allowance the better.
Examiners keep resigning every year because of the way the GCE board keeps treating them… You can’t beat a child and you expect the child not to shout,” an examiner said.
In 2021, while launching GCE marking session at BGS Molyko, Buea, the Minister of Secondary Education, Nalova Lyonga, told the Registrar to ensure examiners and markers were remunerated on time, given the effort they invest in the exam’s success.
But it appears the GCE Board has disregarded the Minister’s instruction two years on.
