The country lives to the rhythm of school years disrupted by mood swings from teachers, who consider the measures taken by the government to respond to their numerous demands unsatisfactory. Unions have high hopes for the planned holding of a “National Education Forum”, supposed to set the benchmarks for a new policy in the sector. On this subject, the impatience and skepticism of the “chalk lords” are met by the assurances of the public authorities.
5 mins
From our correspondent in Yaoundé,
Statement: “insufficient”. This is the assessment of the government by teaching unions, who have once again included the strike on the program for the school year launched on September 4, 2023. Since then, secondary school teachers have reactivated the slogan of “chalk dead.” In practice, some go to their home schools without giving lessons, while others prefer not to go at all.
Three weeks later, the effects and scale of this peaceful protest, which took place over a large part of the national territory, were not yet comparable to the walkout which, under the leadership of the OTS movement (On a Trop Supporté), had disrupted the course of lessons from March 2022, to the point of raising fears of a blank year. The public authorities then made commitments to respond to the demands of angry teachers.
Made in September, only a few promises were kept according to the unions: updating of salaries taking into account advancements, payment of reminders of salary supplements, payment of the full salaries of newly recruited teachers, among others progress recorded. The only thing is: teachers, while welcoming these measures, are nonetheless hoping for a review of the payment schedule for reminders of promotions, which would extend until 2025, according to an option that we lend to the government.
Powerless public authorities
Beyond these demands and the government’s short-term responses, unions are interested in structural measures. One of them concerns the effective application of the “Special status of the teacher”, the text of which has nevertheless been signed since the year 2000. The list of complaints is more extensive: “ The payment of the bonus for educational facilitators abolished since 2006, that is to say almost 17 years; the index rescaling from 1140 to the 1400 index; the contractualization of all technical education teachers; automation of advancements; the effective payment of relief costs for all teachers assigned or transferred; the increase in the documentation and research bonus by 15 000 CFA francs at 40 000 CFA francs; the creation of a fund for the protection of health at work », explains Jean-Marc Bikoko, a trade unionist who has faded under the harness, and president of the Public Sector Trade Union Center (CSP).
For many years, the education sector has been plagued by recurring crises. The public authorities seem powerless to provide definitive solutions to the problems raised by unions and other protest movements. The president of the CSP gives his explanation: “ The demands of teachers are recurrent because for years, all generations combined, the government has in no way provided suitable solutions to the multiple demands that the actors of this profession have always raised. Now retired, it’s incredible that I recognize myself in all their demands. It is therefore nothing more and nothing less than a lack of political will. »
Many teachers have high hopes for the organization of a “National Education Forum” (FNE). Since 2018, the holding of this major gathering of actors in this field seemed all the more imminent as we hoped for an acceleration of the timetable in this area, after the establishment, at the end of 2016, of the crisis in the English-speaking zone of the country , triggered, among other factors, by demonstrations by the teaching staff.
“ Measures taken in recent years show the same inconsistencies »
More than group therapy, trade unionists find numerous and important advantages in this “National Education Forum”. According to Mbassi Onoa, secretary general of the Cameroonian Federation of Education Unions (FECASE), this body should bring together all stakeholders in the sector, to analyze in depth the problems that arise, deliberate and propose the new direction of the education in Cameroon. Moreover, ” basically, there is consistency in acting on the global and the specific at the same time, so that we do not end up with the inconsistencies of current reforms. They can only be perceptible when all points are examined at the same time. Example : when we decide to move to the skills approach which requires more funding in terms of materials for its implementation (laboratory, work materials, video projector, etc.) and at the same time reduce the budget of the sector, there is an inconsistency here which can only be identified within the framework of an overall examination. The same is true of the measure on free primary education, which was taken in a context of underfinancing of education and which, ultimately, is more expensive for parents. All the measures taken in recent years present the same inconsistencies. The other advantage for the status of the teacher is that the analysis of the system and the reforms that must be implemented will justify the bonuses that the unions will propose. », Specifies the union official.
The organization of the expected Forum is a source of controversy. Trade unionists suspect the government of favoring the “2020-2030 education strategy”, the drafting of which has reportedly been completed, and awaiting validation from the World Bank. According to the public authorities, they fear the risk of seeing this “strategy” called into question by the results and resolutions of the FNE. Yet, ” the government is in favor of holding the Forum. As proof, unions have received facilities aimed at collecting information on the ground in preparation for this meeting. The most recent information provided to the Ministry of Higher Education (in charge of organizing the Forum, Editor’s note) last July. The next step, as we suspect, is the synthesis of the file for a re-examination with the stakeholders before this important deadline. », confides a government source. What to convince the skeptics? Nothing is less sure.