Teachers in Cameroon Condemn Rights Abuse, low pay

Teachers in the littoral region have condemned what they call abuse of their colleagues by some parents and administrators in Cameroon. Taking the example of Nathan Forngang a 36-year old English teacher Government school Avebe in the South region of Cameroon who was arrested and detained for mentioning the name of opposition leader Maurice Kamto in one of his lessons.

Teachers in Douala say using a competence approach method to teach is not a crime and arresting their colleague for such reason is bad Faith. A vast majority of them demanded that all charges against him should be dropped without preconditions.

Some of the teachers teachers who gathered at the Besseke Ceremonial grand in Douala to commemorate the international teachers day expressed frustrations that the noble teaching profession has been relegated to the background in Cameroon, with teachers being offered miserable salaries.

“I feel highly frustrated when I meet my former pupils these days, working in big ministries, earning big, driving big cars and I am still on the same spot several years after. I don’t feel jealous, I feel happy for them, but also frustrated at the lives we live as teachers” Maddam Musike a primary school teacher.

“A teacher should be the most highly paid in our country, after a medical doctor, because of the role we play in building the nation”, another teacher told Mimi Mefo info.

The 25th international day in Douala was presided at by Governor Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Dibouas, who called on young teachers not to give up despite the challenges and difficulties.

The turnout at the main ceremonial grand in Douala observers say was low as compared to the 2018 edition.

In other parts of the nation, precisely in the Anglophone regions, teachers day celebrations were very timid or even failed to take place at all in some areas. In Bamenda, amba fighters scared teachers from taking part in the day’s celebrations at the Commercial Avenue.

With fighting going on in some parts of Bamenda, this year’s teachers day was not celebrated at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue.

The event that did not exceed an hour, is said to have taken place inside the fence of the regional delegation of secondary education up station Bamenda opposite the CRTV house amidst tight security.

It was held in the absence of the Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, go ernor of the region who was represented by the Inspector at the governors office.

A few teachers reportedly turned out for the march past a majoroty of whom were from the public sector.

Bamenda like some towns in the English speaking regions it should be noted have for the past week been characterised by insecurity, as amba fighters had announced a lockdown due to the national dialogue. Gunshots are said to have been heard throughout the week in several different areas of the two regions.

Mimi Mefo Info

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