MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATION
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION
IN PRELUDE TO THE RESUMPTION OF CLASSES FOR THE 2020/2021 SCHOOL YEAR IN CAMEROON
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JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
MINCOM - MINESUP - MINEDUB - MINESEC
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT OF
H.E. RENE EMMANUEL SADI
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION
Yaounde, 30 September 2020
The Minister of State, Minister of Higher
Education;
The Minister of Basic Education;
Madam the Minister of Secondary Education;
Madam the Secretary of State to the Minister of Basic Education;
The Secretary of State to the Minister of
Secondary Education;
Distinguished Media Professionals;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Allow me to thank you for your presence to this joint press conference which will mainly focus on the
resumption of classes for the 2020/2021 school year at all levels of education in Cameroon.
Deemed necessary and prescribed by the Prime
Minister, Head of Government, His Excellency Joseph DION NGUTE, this press conference is intended to inform the entire national educational community on the specific measures which the Government of the Republic plans to take in order to guarantee the health safety of both the pupils, and students as well as the teaching and
administrative staff in the current context still marked by the coronavirus pandemic.
In this regard, I am particularly delighted to welcome once again, in this Auditorium of the Ministry of Communication, the Members of Government who are primarily in charge of the education, training and care of young Cameroonians, notably, the Minister of State,
Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques FAME NDONGO, the Minister of Basic Education, Professor
Laurent Serge ETOUNDI NGOA, Madam the Minister of
Secondary Education, Professor Pauline NALOVA LYONGA,
Madam the Secretary of State to the Minister of Basic Education, Dr KILO Vivian Asheri, and the Secretary of State to the Minister of Secondary Education, Mr Boniface BAYAOLA.
I am pleased to wish them a very warm welcome here.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
As earlier mentioned, this Government Communication aims to better inform and reassure the various stakeholders of the national educational community on the measures taken so far by those responsible for the different levels of education, that is to say, the Members of Government here present, in order to allow the pupils, students, as well as their trainers, to start and witness the smooth resumption of the 2020/2021 school year, without running the risk of jeopardizing their health as a result of the COVID-19.
It needs to be recalled that the future of the Nation fully relies on the comprehensive and well-accomplished training of our young pupils and students.
As we know, the HEAD OF STATE personally attaches the highest importance to all matters that relate to the training of his young compatriots, and to a meticulous and successful organization of the school year in our country. It is a requirement that cannot be compromised.
It is for this reason that despite the pandemic which was already a call for concern a few months ago, the Government had decided to organize a partial and welltargeted resumption of classes, with a view to complete the 2019/2020 school year for pupils and students in exam classes.
The challenge was to ensure the participation of all in the end-of-year exams, preserving the health and lives of pupils, students and teaching staff.
We can assert that this challenge was squarely addressed, given that the resumption of classes and the organization of the end-of-year exams which followed, could be ensured without any major incident which could be detrimental to the health and life of our young learners or the teaching staff.
It is in this light and considering both the need for classes to resume in a context where the coronavirus pandemic is still present, and the absolute requirement to implement all the measures taken to cope with this pandemic, that the Government has decided to set the start of the school year on October 5, 2020, for nursery, primary and secondary school pupils, and on October 15, 2020, for learners in Higher Education.
In so doing, as the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC and the Prime Minister, Head of Government, have kept reminding us, it should be noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been defeated, let alone eradicated in Cameroon.
However, in the same manner that we are equally saying it, in all objectivity and responsibility for the information of all our fellow citizens, for no one to be mistaken, the same applies to the assessment of the situation done in all objectivity, as indicated during the joint press conference granted on September 16, 2020, by several senior officials of the administrations in charge of the implementation of the national response strategy against the coronavirus in our country. This allows us to commend the results recorded by Cameroon, thanks to the response plan put in place since the month of March 2020, under the Very High Impetus of the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA.
These results are indeed remarkable, in as much as, the health response itself is concerned. The control of the pandemic has resulted in a stabilization of data relating to the number of patients under treatment and the rate of contamination.
As of September 24, 2020, we have a recovery rate of 94% and a case-fatality rate of 2%.
Again, as of the same date:
- Out of Twenty Thousand Seven Hundred and Twelve (20,712) cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Cameroon,
- Nineteen Thousand Four Hundred and Forty-Four (19,444) people had recovered, and unfortunately;
- Four Hundred and Eighteen (418) deaths had been recorded.
In the light of these data, we can assert without any presumptuousness that Cameroon has been able to cope with the situation and can be considered in Africa and even in the world, as one of the countries whose response has been quite remarkable and efficient.
Nevertheless, as it has been earlier indicated, our efforts must be maintained, and further enhanced, so that the coronavirus pandemic in Cameroon can be contained in negligible proportions if not totally eradicated. This is the legitimate ambition of the Government.
It is in this regard that Very High Instructions from
the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA, have been enacted, so that all the appropriate barrier measures should be taken by all administrations in charge of the different levels of education, so as to allow a smooth back to school and the resumption of the academic year.
The presence at this press conference of the
Ministers concerned, namely, the Minister of State,
Minister of Higher Education, the Minister of Basic Education and the Minister of Secondary Education,
Madam the Secretary of State to the Minister of Basic
Education and the Secretary of State to the Minister of Secondary Education in charge of Teacher training, will surely work to keep the general public, including parents, pupils, students, as well as the entire educational staff, abreast of the measures that have already been taken at all levels for the effective resumption of classes in optimal safety conditions.
In this regard, and subject to the exhaustive presentation expected from the Members of Government invited to this press conference, I can indicate as far as Basic Education is concerned, that there are some innovations announced on the pedagogical level which mainly focused on:
- blended learning, which emphasizes on the flipped classroom method of teaching, that is to say, the realization of pedagogical projects, in groups and faceto-face, will be done simultaneously at school and at home, with the support of parents or guardians.
-distance learning, with the creation of distance learning centres already planned in regional chieftowns.
It should be underscored that the caring of students in rural areas will not be left out in this protocol, notwithstanding the difficulties in accessing radio signals in many of these rural areas.
At this level, the Government intends to favor the development and provision of educational materials, such as “Activity Booklets”, for the benefit of young learners.
In addition, daily teaching practices will naturally be adapted to the special context relating to the prevention and response against the coronavirus in Cameroon, for all nursery and primary levels, and for all classes.
Day-to-day information will also be given to young learners on everything related to the compulsory and systematic wearing of masks.
Likewise, teachers will be called upon to show good example, through the compulsory and systematic wearing of masks.
In addition, respect for physical distancing measures as well as the form of greetings by students among themselves, or between students and teachers, are some of the important aspects provided for in the protocol of the
daily educational practices put in place by the
Government, to ensure a safe return to school, and as well as a hitch-free school year at the level of basic education.
The same applies to secondary education, where, in both health and educational terms, the package of measures taken by the Government covers all issues related to the safety of learners and the entire educational community.
This involves, among others, the disinfection of schools, the provision of sanitary kits in sufficient quality and quantity, the multiplication of water and hand washing points, and the equipment of schools with surveillance cameras.
Distance learning will also make it possible to compensate for the lessons not taught in class.
With regard to higher education, the 2020/2021 academic year will be structured around the three watchwords prescribed by the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA, namely, quality assurance, professionalization and employability.
The measures taken by the Government, particularly in the areas of academics, health and research, should allow students to be in a safe environment, and to benefit from the facilities offered by the optimization and maximization of university digital technology, which is a guarantee of increased distance education and reduction in physical contact for members of the university community.
Ladies and Gentlemen;
While acknowledging the presence of the Heads of the Ministries in charge of the education sector in Cameroon, I am pleased to welcome them once again to this joint press conference.
Presently, I am highly delighted to give them the floor. They shall, in turn, throw more light and details on the state of preparations for the resumption of the
2020/2021 school and academic year in Cameroon.
Thank you for your kind attention.
The Minister of Communication,
(Signed) René Emmanuel SADI
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