New PHS Kumba PTA President poised to build a stronger relationship between parents and school.

Following the putting in place of the new Executive Committee of Parent Teachers Association of PHS Kumba recently during the 52nd Annual General Assembly of the body, its new President Makia Albert Enow has expressed his intention his intention to focus on improving on the relationship between the parents and the institution.

Principal PHS, Kumba

The new President who is also President of the Southwest Farmers Cooperative Union SOWEFCU said PHS Kumba was an institution that he knew very well. « Firstly, I knew the school as a student and then as an Ex-student and now I am not only a Parent but the President of the PTA. My assignment is to build a strong relationship between the parents and the school to see that the school continues to grow and to improve on both the infrastructure and the morals of the children. »

He further said his intention was to see that the students sent to PHS Kumba studied in a very serene atmosphere. He intends to attain this objective by providing them with an enabling environment in terms of putting in place certain supportive measures like improving on their beds and completing the school fence that they dwelt on reasonably during the assembly. »These and other things like feeding and the environment in which they feed include what we have to look into to make sure that the students live comfortably » Makia Albert Enow explained.

Makia Albert Enow

On that extra thing that he planned to bring in to ensure that PHS Kumba PTA justify its existence, he said he was going to put his mandate under accountability, transparency and honesty. He said when there is accountability to the people, good results were assured.
Concerning the issue of the health fee, he said the parents had been complaining about it.

 

PHS Kumba PTA Executive Committee

« They pay it yearly, and I think the problem here is that of accountability. So I think we are going to study that and see the genesis of it all. The parents are complaining about the end results of the whole initiative and so there is something wrong somewhere » he chipped in.

PHS Kumba PTA President and Vice President

Nana Njenji Evaristus, Principal of the institution said the major highlights of the 52nd Annual General Assembly was the ushering in of a new Bureau. « Most of the Executive Members have done their full term of office that is two years renewable once; therefor we had the task of setting up a new Executive Bureau to pilot the affairs of this association for the next two years. I must say that the school is also supposed to undergo serious changes and so it is the responsibility of this new Bureau to effect these changes. We are talking about conflict in the road use because we have the same entrance with the Church Center and the Mbongue Road Congregation. This exposes our children to passers bye and people who have nothing to do with the institution. We are as such doing a type of enclosure. We plan to complete the fence so as to isolate the school from the main road that goes to the Church Center so that in future, students will stay on campus and they will not have contact with students outside. »

Elizabeth Foundation Primary and Nursery School, Kosala, Kumba

Elizabeth Foundation Nursery School Kids     

 

 

Mother Agnes Memorial Bilingual Nursery and Primary School, Kumba

 

Mother Agnes Memorial Bilingual Nursery and Primary School- ECOLE BILINGUE MATERNELLE ET PRIMAIRE MERE AGNES DE KUMBA- School Entrance at Barombi Kang.      

Pupils on escortion at the Lava Flow Site on the West Coast Area in Limbe II. A Geographically enriching tour.              

Lava Flow site- Limbe II       

Head Teacher Mother Agnes Memorial Bilingual Primary and Nursery School.

The Pre-Nursery  at Mother Agnes Memorial BNPS

In the Computer Laboratory.         

The spacious environment that houses the primary school.       

The Administrative Block and the Higher Primary School Classes.       

The inner Campus in which is nestled the Nursery with the French Section.         

Madame Njikam doing what she loves best. Molding and making kids grow in the right way.      

 

Nursery Above and primary just below them.          

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« We are optimistic that the GCE Ordinary level results will be better at the end of this academic year »

-Ngundu Francis Mokomba, Regional Delegate of Secondary Education for the Southwest Region.

Ngundu Francis Mokomba, Regional Delegate of Secondary Education for the South West Region , Cameroon

You began the year with a Regional Sector Conference. We are in the first Quarter of the Academic Year and the First Sequence Exams just rounded through. What were the salient points that were raised during this Sector Conference?

Usually at the beginning of each year is launched  at the National Capital and in that launching, the Minister gives guidelines and the path to follow in a given academic year. We organize a Sector Conference during which we high light and give directives. As far as the Sector Conference for the Academic Year 2015-2016 is concerned it was packed full because we decided to present papers. The directives were given and it was realised that it was better to give out these directives through the presentation of papers.  Papers were presented on periodic documents. This highlighted how they have to be  presented. Papers were  presented on assiduity, punctuality to work and the ideal school environment. When you get to some schools, you find the environment very inviting while in other schools you have nothing attractive.  The rich question and answer session was an indication of how attentive people were during the paper presentations.

We notice that while the the GCE Advance Level results were good, the Ordinary level on the other hand were continuously going down. What do you think can explain this trend ?

It will be easy  though presumptuous to say that it is because the Ordinary Level Examinations have more candidates because they are found every where unlike  High Schools that are not as many as the first cycle establishments.  Lack of teachers may be one of the key factors militating against good results for the ordinary level. Otherwise, it would be difficult to find out why the GCE Advance Level which is supposed to be more difficult presents a better percentage than the Ordinary Level. Quickly one can say that since teachers are fewer in many suburb schools which have just the first cycle , they could not perform very well. We could also say that for sometime now, we’ve been noticing this decline even in township schools as far as the GCE Ordinary Level is concerned. That means we have to start looking at subjects like English Language. Is it that the setting has some difficulties that is more complex and that the ideas are not being understood. The teachers also may not have mastered how to set questions for their children which might explain what is happening that too many students are failing the ordinary level English and other subjects. The subject associations have taken this up and they are trying to give seminars and find out reasons why this is happening. We are very expectant and we think that at the end of the academic year when exams are written this year, we are optimistic we will get better results because we are tackling it very seriously.

Some quarters are of the opinion that the source schools like the primary schools send in very bad products. Pupils who are supposed to have passed the Common Entrance in List A end up not being able to read and write and pose enormous problems in secondary school. 

I think those with this view have a point. Many times, you find a child who has passed in List A because he’s been able to tick the Multiple Choice questions and pass but when it comes for interviews its a problem. Just to fill out some forms, write their names and where they come from becomes a problem. Sometimes, the examination itself does not reflect the real picture of what the child is. It is true that many schools don’t groom the children well before they come to secondary school but this however is not to accuse all teachers of the Basic Education  though it is true that some teachers don’t do their work. There is also a lot of corruption and fraud during some of these exams and so they don’t give the right picture of who has passed and I have continued to tell my principals that List A should not be the cut off point. Even in township areas they should interview even List B children. You will be surprised at how brilliant some of them could be. Among them you will find better students than some who have passed in List A. List A deceives people some times and presents a wrong picture of the pupils concerned.  Another problem that disturbs our education irrespective of whether it is the primary or secondary schools is this tendency for teachers not to complete their syllabuses. When this happens, the child suffers as he or she moves forward. So we have this carry over or this back lash of problems that we inherit at every given situation. The solution is doing your work well. When this is well done all problems are solved. That’s why you see children from a particular school doing well at all times. This is simply the result of working well.

A dominant segment of teachers in colleges in rural areas are PTA or temporal teachers. This group of teachers have a lot of problems which if not solved can affect the secondary school family significantly.

You know that the personnel of Secondary Education is an elitist kind of personnel. Somebody has gone to the University and maybe gone to the professional school after that. He expects to live within minimum comfort and when such a person is employed and sent to a village where there are no lights, water and good houses,That teacher will do every thing to leave that village within the shortest possible time  using all types of methods. Sometimes when a young married lady is posted to a remote area it usually seems unfair to separate such young couples. This repulsive nature of the working conditions in rural areas makes people to run away. There is also this problem of us having expanding a little bit too much. We bit more than can chew and so we have less teachers to manage so many schools and so the nature of expansion did not take account of feeder schools in some areas. As such there is usually a problem of population stagnation in many of these schools as well.

There is been a lot of talk about the competence based approach. The simple person out there may want to know what this means..

It is an approach of pedagogy that deals with the way teaching goes on. Competences are abilities so you teach the children in such a way that they see the use of what they are learning. They kind of appreciate the competences that they are supposed to use. in doing certain things. You get the children down to earth to practice what is thought. The children have so many competences and you will be able to create artists, thinkers, you name it. The goal here is to create creative people. Getting children to see the benefits of different competences and giving them an opportunity to learn as they see the use of these competences. It is simply teaching by competences and making teaching practical. A paper was done on this in the sector conference to try and demystify the concept. It is simply bringing down learning to the practical.

Do you have any message for the educational family?

We run a social service and you know what you feel like when you go to a hospital sick and you are poorly treated. It is the same way a parent or a student may feel if he came to a school and was not welcome or poorly treated. Therefore teachers should be very receptive to both students and parents and should make teaching and learning affordable   and interesting in such a way that both the student and the parent will feel like part of the educational community.

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Refurbishing of PTA and newly recruited Secondary school teachers rounds up in Meme.

The Divisional Delegation of Secondary Education in Meme Division has rounded up a series of workshops geared towards the refurbishing of PTA teachers as well as newly recruited staff of some secondary schools. This initiative geared towards the improvement of the quality of lessons that are dispensed in schools was the brain child of the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education John Akwo Eyoh alongside his very dynamic staff to improve upon the quality of education in the Secondary Education Sector. This series of workshops rounded up in GHS Ekombe Bunji and brought together some 92 PTA and newly recruited teachers from within the Mbonge Sub Division.

A cross Section of some resource Persons at the Work shop at GHS Ekombe Bunji- Mbonge Sub Division

Ebini Peter Mbayak of the Divisional Delegation of Secondary Education Kumba, Meme explained that the necessity of this refurbishing programme was because it had been noticed that P.T.A. and newly recruited teachers hadn’t the mastery of the teaching methodology. The seminar was therefore organised to give them some back ground knowledge on how to carry out lessons in their classes and how to handle minor and major problems. “I think the seminar was very okay and the participants left satisfied praying that we should organise more of such seminars.”
Commenting on the feedback from the teachers, he said “the feedback was very impressive but for the fact that some of them complained about their salaries and the way some Principals threat them in the various schools and I think we will look for ways to seek solutions to that.”
Madame Mofo Yebmeni Emerencia, Ngewoh, the Divisional Pedagogic Adviser for Teacher Training Colleges another resource person said the two-day workshop that took place at Government High School Ekombe Bunji was “a pedagogic seminar for the training of PTA teachers to help improve upon their teaching methods.” Madame Yemeni presented a paper on Lesson Preparation, Presentation and Evaluation and also handled the treatment of Pedagogic and Administrative documents. The participants she said were caught up in the presentation since it succeeded to catch their attention. “Lots of questions were answered and the seminar was quite successful from what the participants said.” She expressed the desire for such seminars to be organised in future considering the satisfactory note on which this years’ proceedings rounded up.
The Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Meme said the teaching force in the rural areas is dominantly made up of PTA teachers and that without them, efforts to improve upon quality education in the rural segment of Meme Division would be a failure. Listening to the many salary related problems of the PTA teachers, he promised to do his best to look into their problems but reminded the teachers that any agreement that any agreement they entered into with any principal should always be documented. It was only in such situations that the Delegation could be of help if the teacher found himself in a difficult situation.
This laudable initiative took the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Meme John Akwo Eyoh and his team of experts to the Government Bilingual Teacher Training College GBTTC Kumba, Government High School Konye and Government High School Ekombe Bunji.

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An Address Presented by the Principal of Government Bilingual Teachers Training College Kumba Mr. Jingwa Tambo George on the occasion of the graduation and Prize-Giving Ceremony of Student Teachers of the College on the 15th of October, 2015.

Jingwa Tambo, Principal GBTTC, Kumba

It is once more another moment of joy and pleasure for me to welcome me to this solemn occasion marking the end of the journey of another batch of  Grade One Teachers from this mother institution of the South West Region. I am highly impressed by your massive turn out and the zeal expressed in joining us today to wish fare well to these young teachers.

I feel very highly honored by the presence of the Senior Divisional Officer for Meme who has on several occasions availed himself to all educational gatherings of the Division.

My gratitude also goes to the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education who has given up all other office exigencies to attend this professional academia.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2014-2015 School year which started on the September 8, 2014 ended in July 2015 but the graduation ceremony following the ministerial circular no. 22/12/MINESEC/SEESEC-EN/CAB of 23/08/2012 on the organization of Graduation Ceremonies in G.T.T.Cs and G.T.T.T.Cs fixed mid October as the graduation period.

The School enrollment for 2014-2015 school year was 358 students. 239 registered for the Teacher Grade One Certificate Examination (CAPIEM) and 238 were successful giving a percentage pass of 99.58 percent.

Distinguished personalities, Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2014-2015 school year witnessed a number of pedagogic activities notably seminars, practical teaching, evaluation i.e. sequence tests and examinations. In all, the emphases was on Competence Based Approach which advocates learning  and teaching based on learning outcomes. The goals and objectives of this approach are defined in terms of precise measurable description of knowledge, skills, and behavior which students should poses at the end of a course of study.

Pedagogic Seminars were organised at the start of the school year and participation was excellent. Syllabus coverage was also excellent. The Mock Grade I Examination was conducted hitch free. The school participated in the FENASCO Games at the Divisional, Regional and National Levels winning some bronze medals.

The Seniour Divisional Officer, Distinguished Invitees, Ladies and Gentlemen, here you find young teachers, who have undergone a systematic training and have fulfilled the course requirements and are now qualified to enter the teaching profession. We are satisfied with the quality of training given them and can assure you that they are academically and professionally equipped to embrace the task of the profession. They can be likened to a ripe fruit that has been detached from the tree to find new life on some fertile ground elsewhere.

My dear young teachers, today marks the end of that seemingly long and tedious journey you embarked on some three, two and one year ago. It is the end of the course but not the end of learning. The end of this course should be the opening up of new horizons from which you will gradually build up an independent attitude characterised by research and discoveries.

Upon graduation, we shall expect you to uphold the good name of the institution, the good lessons you learnt, the hard work and friendly atmosphere we encouraged. Be committed to the profession and preach the goodness which your alma mater incarnates. You must work hard to defend your grade and the certificate you have obtained. You must always be present in school except for the case if illness and permission. You must be aware that some other offices may open and close at the whims of the occupants but classrooms open and close with the bell. Avoid idleness, gossips, escapism and blackmail at job side.

To the few ugly and deviant cases that surfaced during the period of training, I advise them to take the advice and corrections we gave. As they are entering the society, it will no longer be the principal and his collaborators but the Law Enforcement Officers.

To the staff that trained these young teachers, I wish to thank them for a job well done. The task was a herculean one but they worked relentlessly and the result is what we find here today.

Professional colleagues, my dear teachers, as professionals and pedagogues, we should continue to strive for excellence in the discharge of our duties. Excellence which stands for what is of value, worth, good should always be our watch word. We should endeavour to put up humility and a good attitude that would lend credibility to our educational attainment.

Ladies and Gentlemen, apart from our perennial problems of dilapidated structures, lack of a school bus and land matters, the new one has surfaced being the shortage of staff in the Francophone section of the school which started last year. Unfortunately, T.T.Cs do not have P.T.As which could have employed some P.T.A. teachers while waiting on government. We however thank the Regional Delegate of Secondary Education who posted a teacher to the section this year.

Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, before this address runs out, I wish to thank all those whose actions towards this college have been collaborative and supportive.

I wish you a happy stay with us and journey mercies back to your various destinations after the occasion.

Long Live GBTTC Kumba

Long Live the Ministry of Secondary Education-MINESEC

Long Live The Republic of Cameroon.

Nominal Roll of Principals at GBTTC Kumba

Information not available (1926- 1932)

1. E A Cadles       1932
2. Wilson Plant     1932
3. A. Hunt Cooke  1934
4. W.E. Holt          1936
5. W.C. Low          1942
6. R. Day              1943
7. J. F. Heaney     1945
8. S. A. Baloogun 1945
9. J.C.M. Ball        1947
10. E.W.Liord          1948
11. G.M. Amey        1950
12. E.K. Martin        1952
13. A. Farmer          1953
14. T.O. Ejinunmi    1954
15. N.C. Kay           1954
16. P.J. Toogood     1957
17. D. Emerson       1959

18. E. Manley     1960

19. D. Mengot     1961

20. Mbuagbaw     1961

21.O.H. Vernon Jackson   1961

Closed: 24/11/1962

22. F. Kynaston-Snel   1964

23. J. Divine                 1968

24. T. Efesoa                1969

25.  P.C. Fonso             1971

26.  E. Time                   1974

27.   Paul Fondeck         1985

28.  J.E. Time                 1991

Closed    1991

29. James Enongene N.  1994

32. Esemu Lawrence F.    1998

GBTTC

33. Ebai Maurice A.           2002

34. Ela-ah Teddy F.           2004

35. Jingwa Tambo George 2006

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Images of 22nd Edition of Teacher’s Day Celebrations

World Teacher’s Day Celebrations at the Common Wealth Avenue in Kumba, Cameroon. The Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education in Meme Akwo John Eyoh doing it here with the Delegate for Basic Education Sabas Atem and other key authorities that graced the occasion. 

The Seniour Divisional Officer for Meme Division in the Grand Stand at the Kumba Common Wealth Avenue seen here with Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council Victor Ngoh Nkelle as well as the Divisional Officers of the three Sub Divisions that constitute the city of Kumba and the respective Mayors thronged the Grand Stand.

An occasion that assembled every one and brought them to celebrate with the educational Sector. Tacit confirmation of the place education and the teacher occupies in Society. The Meme Educational Family assembled every one.                                                                                            

World Teacher’s Day was equally an occasion during which the authorities of CCAS Kumba shepherded by the Principal Mwelle Kunz Mbai used to give awards to certain members of staff in recognition of hard work.

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“GLOBICCOL has brought the average Kumba child to the heart of secondary education” -Achere Adolf Ayuk, Principal GLOBICCOL , Kumba

Can you shed some light on the creation of Global Bilingual Comprehensive College?

Achere Adolf, Principal GLOBICCOL, Kumba

Since its creation GLOBICCOL has remained a partnership school created by seasoned teachers who decided to come together to see how they could solve the problem of the less privileged especially those that Government Schools consider unfit for admission. In 2005, 19 of them came together but prior to this, they’d been having meetings five years before the creation in 2005-2006. The main objective behind its creation was education for all so that we see how we can work with those students who’ve been rejected by Government institutions. We panel beat them, bring them closer and create study groups which will permit us to know them better and so better solve their problems. Since its creation, the school has been making wonderful results because of these innovations.
Historically, Kumba is not particularly an academic town you will bear with me. What role do you think you have played in the evolution of the educational landscape of this town down the years?
We are taking Kumba towards a positive side. What we have discovered when we started with this institution is that majority of our students in Meme Division lack the foundation. The basic aspect of education is forgotten in Meme and majority of these parents who are farmers just send the children to schools where they should not be. In most of these so called big schools, there is no follow up. Now we decided to work in synergy with the students and their parents and we discovered that they don’t have the basic aspects. Parents fail to see that they have a role to play in the follow up process. That’s why in the filling of admission forms, the contacts of parents or guardians are usually of paramount importance.

Legendary schools in Kumba like Saint Francis College, Presbyterian High School, CCAS Kumba among others did not seem to have the average Kumba student at the heart of its agenda..
We have brought them to the center stage of education in Kumba because of what we do here. We counsel and we work in groups to which teachers are assigned. When we notice weaknesses in any students we assign teachers to them.
As an expert what suggestions can you give to solve the problem of the dwindling results that have been experienced at the GCE Ordinary level in the country as a whole?
As an examiner now for over 12 years I have discovered one thing. The students we are training lack the language power to support the examinations for which we are preparing them. This is something that cuts across all other subjects. Majority of them use the Pidgin English and their language teachers find themselves loaded with a lot of work. Once the language problem is adjusted, it affects the students’ performance in all the other subjects.
What measures are you putting in place to tighten security?
We have had seminars on security especially during the sector conference in Buea. There was also a sector conference in Kumba during which we were schooled on how to handle these issues. We are equally putting in place the use of the metal detector and we have made the security man to know that every person entering the gate must be identified before entering the school compound. When you doubt any person entering the gate the authorities should be immediately called. There is no reason why you should keep the bag of somebody who has entered the gate and visitation has been limited.

What new thing do you intend to do in the school during this academic year?
We need to fortify the computer laboratory; for we have discovered that GLOBICCOL is growing and we now have what any other big school in Kumba has in terms infrastructural facilities. When the year started the inspectors from Buea were very happy with the take off.
What message do you have for the educational family?
For us to meet up with the demands of the present dispensation, we need to work in synergy. Parents should know that a child sent to school needs follow up. They should equally know that when they put a child in school they should also buy the text books especially for literature, Mathematics, English Language and French Language. Children need these texts to enhance the working in synergy with their teachers. Presently children are abandoned without textbooks. I am calling on parents to sacrifice and buy textbooks for their children.

22nd Edition of the World Teachers’ Day: Meme Teachers call on New Secondary Education Minister to improve their lot.

Akwo John Eyoh: Meme Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education.

Inherent in the utterances of the educational authorities especially the Secondary educational family in Meme Division on the 22nd edition of World Teachers’ Day, was the constant call to the new Minister of Secondary Education, Jean Ernest Ngalle Bibehe Massena  to improve on the lot of the teachers. In accordance with the theme of the celebrations, they called on the minister to empower the teacher for the society to become sustainable.
Commenting on the theme of the 22nd edition of the World Teacher’s Day, Muelle Kunz Mbai, Principal of CCAS Kumba said the theme was very timely especially at this time when teachers were reclaiming their status. Empowering the teacher according to him meant that the teacher should be given the necessary tools to work with so as to feel comfortable in his teaching environment.

Mwelle Kunz Mbai, Principal,CCAS, Kumba

It’s only in this way he said, that a sustainable society can be guaranteed. Stating that the theme of this year’s teacher’s day was timely he said “I think the teacher has been able to show the light because everything that we see in society passes through the teacher. Many of the children we have trained have grown to become bigger than us which is a good sign. We train children to become better than us and I think our happiness is when we see the children become better than us.”
Reacting to the appointment of a new Minister of Secondary Education, Muelle Kunz Mbai said “My message to the new Minister of Secondary Education is preceded by thanks to my former Minister Mr. Louis Bapes Bapes for the good work he did in the education community throughout his stay in that Ministry. In fact some of the things he did shall remain in our minds for quite a long time. Somebody is now in his shoes and we will like to thank the President of the Republic for placing confidence in our new minister. I think from his previous back ground he is somebody who can manage that Ministry very well. I wish him good luck and I think that the education community is happy to receive him.”
Referring to the keynote speech of the Divisional Delegate of Secondary Education for Meme he said he hoped teachers were aware of the things Mr John Akwo Eyoh outlined in it. The Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education he explained stated what was expected of the teacher by the government. He said according to the Meme Secondary Education Delegate “the teacher in some cases has not lived up to expectations and as you should have noticed that the Divisional Delegate toke out time to outline some of the short comings of the teachers and how some have failed to live up to what is expected of them in terms of assiduity, protracted absences, sexually transmitted marks and many other vices. In spite these short comings, the teacher has been able to make a mark because of the results that have been recorded. The Divisional Delegate made us to know that from the results of the last examinations, the results were above water mark and I think it’s something to congratulate.”

Nanah Njenji Evaristus, Principal PHS Kumba.

Nana Njenji Evaristus, Principal  of Presbytarian High School Kumba chipped in that the main component of the central message is that teachers have the responsibility to build the nation through the medium of imparting knowledge to young ones so that tomorrow’s Cameroon will be stronger than it is today. According to him, “it is a message which gives the teachers the opportunity to use the knowledge they have to do things following the ethics of the profession without thinking of remuneration and benefits. It is a profession in which you want to give your all to ensure that the future is better armed to build a strong nation.” He called on teachers to exercise patience when handling children because they are in the formative stage and copy anything they see and hear. “At this age when they copy wrong things, they will do wrong things. We should be cautious in whatever we say or do around them. We should permit them inculcate things that will help them contribute to nation building in future. That’s why teachers are role models in the move towards emergence in 2035. We should be exemplary characters around and away from our students.”
As concerns the appointment of a new minister for Secondary Education, he said change is the most permanent thing and hoped that this change would bring better things. “We hope that he will handle the Ministry in such a way that the ideas that are in place now can be tailored in such a way that we have a balance between the expectation of teachers and what he also expects from the teachers. Teachers should be given the benefits that they deserve which we think that we need and also to be able to force us to give what we are supposed to give the children.”

David Ottu Orock, Principal, GTTTC Kumba

David Ottu Orock, the Principal Government Technical Teachers Training College Kumba said “teachers should always know that they form the core of the reforming society which changes with technology innovations and so teachers should always remain a role model and be at the center of each change that is taking place.” He said as teachers, they were always trying to catch up with what was expected of them. What is holding teachers down he said was the absence of scientific infrastructures like schools in the rural areas catching up with all the techniques. The Government is working progressively and I am sure we will get there.”
To the new Minister of Secondary Education, he simply said, “we have a strong Technical crew. He is just coming in and if he works with them he will get all what is expected of the Ministry and he will put things right.”

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« The Academic and Physical outlook of GBHS Kosala has been greatly transformed » Principal

Mbencho Andrew Tazi, Principal GBHS Kosala (left) with resource persons on National Guidance Counseling Day.

Government Bilingual High School Kosala in Kumba II is one of the fastest growing Public Sector establishments in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Located in an area which was not known to be strong in the schooling department less than 20 years ago, this reporter decided to catch up with the principal on National Guidance Counseling Day to get a feel of how the establishment was evolving and specifically to get an insight on how the school participated in the National Guidance Counseling Day activities. Mbencho Andrew Tazi, the Principal and seasoned school administrator in this encounter with Francis Ekongang Nzante Lenjo of Cameroon School News among other things said he got to GBHS Kosala in 2009 at a time when the environment was far from looking academic. Despite the daunting challenges he and his team have gone a long way to transform not only the academic outlook but also the physical appearance of Lycee Bilingue de Kosala. So far much has been done to transform the place into an academic environment.

How did the transformation process of this establishment take place?

In collaboration with my staff, we started planting the trees and arranging the paths and so far we have given the institution the look that it needs. In terms of population, when we got here we had about 960 students but today we are talking about 2500 going to 2600 students. You can see that we have done our little best. It may not be the best for every body but we have worked hard to make the place what it ought to have been.

Mr Mbencho Andrew Tazi, Principal GBHS Kosala, Kumba II

From every indication, the response to education in Kosala has certainly improved with the existence of GBHS. How do you think it has been reflected in the results?

You are right because when a school is not the best in terms of results, students run away from such institutions. We have tried over the years to make the results the best. You might like to know that in terms of Government Schools with a good population we were the first in the Kumba Municipality at the A Levels. At the A Levels, the results were also very good.just like at the Probatoire and at the Breve examinations where we did a good job. Because of that, many students want to come in today. Many people will accept that many years back parents were not aware of the necessity of education. In PTA Meetings we have tried to tell them how education is more important for children. Look at a dying parent even on your dying bed you admire your child when he is well educated and has some educated friends with whom you are sure they will come to bury you. But when the child stays at home with you, it is terrible. Our children must be an improvement on us. The parents have been very enthusiastic and have been participating and have contributed enormously towards the education of the children and the improvement of the school campus. If you look round you will notice that most of the work around here is done by the PTA which is lead by one Mister Arrey Besong Napoleon. He has been very effective.

It is a young establishment. How far do you think the school is gone infrastructurally?

Infrastructurally, I think we have gone far because we are almost coming to a stop. Give us a few years and we will be through with most of the projects. I met the school in Lower Sixth and we needed the Upper Sixth so work has been continuous. We also needed the Science Block and I think the sciences are very important for any institution. Today we have two science buildings and I think that they have even improved upon the results because the results are generally better with the science than with the arts. I met the Bilingual class in Quatrieme today they are in Terminale. We have been trying over the years to have infrastructure for the additional students that keep coming in. Every year we have about five classrooms that we need to build. We have halls but I think given the level of the school we will not need too much again in terms of classrooms. We now have Terminale which is for the Francophones and Upper Sixth Arts and Science. Consequently, except we are increasing the stream, we might not need too many classrooms again in the future. Although we have the problem of special Bilingual Training Section for Sixieme and for Form One. We are now in Form Two and Cinquieme for the Francophones. Every year we will be adding a class as the students come into the next class progressively.

How involved was your establishment in the National Guidance Counseling Day?

I must tell you that I was very proud of my counselor because he invited Lawyers, Medical Doctors, Administrators. The Divisional Officer was here and Engineers were invited as well and these people talked to the students. You could see the excitement on the faces of the students. This implies that the Guidance Counseling Section is very important because they orientated the students and told them the importance of belonging to different professions of the society. I was very proud of the resource personalities: the barrister, Medical Doctor, the Divisional Officer for Kumba II and the Engineer. The input was impressive and they told the students that they did not come from the richest families in the society but hardwork pushed them to the positions that they occupy today.

In that are you already implying a message for the students on this National Guidance Counseling Day.

Most certainly. When I move round and I see my ex-students very highly placed, I feel very proud and I think that’s the role of a teacher. If students work hard they will certainly attain the positions of the resource persons who talked to them. We have told them that when you don’t plan to succeed you unknowingly plan to fail and I think from that day most of the students have been planing to succeed and the success will be a general success.

What advancements have been realised in the security aspect of the establishment? 

We were one of the first schools to get the metal detecting gadget here in Kosala and I think here in Kumba II. We have given our children, staff and parents guidelines on the in and out movement from the school. We have told them that the security of every body in this educational community is of paramount importance. For the new Minister of Secondary Education I think he should be a square peg in a square hole. We the administrators of the school should continue to collaborate. I call on the staff to do the best and make the greatest sacrifice and to the children my advice is that of hardwork.