The problem that exists in the Cameroonian education system especially in elementary and secondary education is the problem of quality teaching and that of quality learning. The basic problems in the elementary schools are related to language skills acquisition. Such skills include inability to write, spell, speak and understand. The writer has taught in secondary schools and in the teacher training college for close to 12 years and attests to the fact that students on entry to secondary school class cannot write their notes, cannot speak and understand even what they may read. They are very much unable to read a printed text to a level of understanding and response.

Because of this problem, the students are only interested in playing as they face learning difficulties. Play is an alternative to learning the curriculum.

The root of the education problem in Cameroon stems from the multiple problems. Firstly the high levels of poverty. The parents are unable to afford for text books considering the poverty level and also the high rate of unemployment of school products. Generally there is a problem of parental apathy for continuous investment in education. Considering that financial resources are hard earned and the immediate benefits of education are not clear and forthcoming.

Secondly the fact that most secondary school teachers do not have professional qualifications. This is due to lack of professionally trained teachers in the secondary schools though government has intensified the training of professional teachers for the secondary schools now. But the number is still inadequate to meet the current need of the school population explosion in the country.

Thirdly due to the quality of teaching. Communication skills, social skills, professional skills, study and reading skills are skills that most teachers in Cameroon do not posses at the elementary school teacher level.

The problem is multifaceted and due to the background of the prospective teachers and trainers, which are weak due to the various schools they have attended before becoming trainers. Also due to the quality and duration of training that the teachers receive in the training centres. In addition, the resources necessary for quality teaching are not available. For example relevant and related text books, at each level of education for both teachers and learners to begin the teaching/learning process are not available. The available text books are not contextualised. They are foreign in origin and have not been adopted for the Cameroonian child's needs. Sometimes new teachers beginning teaching find it difficult to proceed in their task of teaching, because of dearth of text books for schools.

RUDEA's (profile) vision for Cameroon consist of three parts. Firstly to improve the quality of education in Cameroon, secondly to initiate rural/urban community projects and thirdly to provide civic education to rural and urban populations.

1. Improving the Quality of Education in Cameroon

The Problem:

i) Poor quality of teaching directly affects the quality of learning negatively in Cameroon schools.

Training of staff for child health, social welfare and education will improve qualit of education in schools through qualitative staff training in intervocational skills in health social welfare and education, skills in child health; skills in child social welfare and skills in child education.

ii) School Textbook Writing:

Textbooks that are relevant and related to the Cameroon socio-economic, political and cultural context are not available. The Cameroonian school teachers will be given textbook writing skills to begin the project of writing textbooks for the Cameroon schools system. This will be done through training seminars with experienced volounteer teachers from volounteer services interested in the project. This project will go to all divisional headquarters of every political division in Cameroon where teachers will be invited to participate in text book writing skills seminars.

The ultimate goal is to provide school textbooks at low cost to parents in RUDEA Bookshops nationwide. The project will seek for funding from donors who are interested in this project to publish the school textbook and dispose to parents at low cost. About 95% of pupils in our elementary and secondary schools in the rural communities do no have textbooks. Teachers do not have resource text books for teaching. This makes teaching and learning cumbersome as well as ineffective. This is an effort to reduce poverty in most Cameroonian homes.

iii) Poverty and unemployment could have a negative impact on the learner in school. These could bring about indiscipline, delinquent behaviour which may negatively affect school progress.

The solutions are:

a. Rehabilitation of the child in school and home through the mediation sessions by counsellors will improve school performance.

b. Regular counselling at school-community counselling centres would enhance progress and quality education.

c. Rehabilitation of the child in school and home is through the counsellor in a number of sessions.

To achieve these end RUDEA aim to:

a. Establish ITINIST-CHESOW (International Intervocational Institute for Staff Training in Child Health, Education, Social Welfare).

b. To set up community-school counselling centres. These centres will be manned by intervocational staff trained in ITINIST-CHESOW with self reliant skills. They will regularly carry out action research with the school children, teachers, parents and school administrators to identify school delinquents with the help of teachers and school administrators and do a regular follow up to the homes to rehabilitate the delinquent child to ensure progress in academics and social performance.

iv) Creation of creative teaching schools (CRET-SCHOOLS): Teachers equipped with effective skills through ITINIST-CHESOW will be required to teach in CRET schools. The schools will impart in the child effective language and communication skills, intellectual, social, economic and physical health skills, skills for self reliant living. The curriculum for staff training will have built-in self reliant skills in the trainees who will in turn pass same down to learners of basic and secondary education in Cameroon.

CRET schools will be equipped with libraries, didactic materials and equipment to enhance effective teaching and learning hence improving the quality of education at the levels indicated. These skills will be emphasized:

· Language skills

· Social skills

· Economic skills

· Functional intellectual skills

· Physical health skills

· Citizenship skills

The above skills are grossly lacking in our schools.

2. Initiation of Rural/Urban Communities Projects

Problem:

Some rural communities in Cameroon are enclaved with no access roads in and out of the places. Such enclaved communities need special focus in the area of health and health education at the level of mutual participation by members.

Encouragement to preserve and protect the environment through

a. Agricultural activities for food sufficiency in the rural communities with a view to feed the urban people as well

b. Preservation and protection of touristic potential in areas found

c. Health support for the rural communities

RUDEA's Intervention

Will work with local NGO's to encourage mutual health programmes and cooperative farming groups to enable food sufficiency in the rural and urban communities in Camerooon. This effort will reduce poverty and unemployment and disease. "Food is medicine that ensures good health" as people are well fed on a balanced diet. This requires the total and full participation of the rural citizens in the project.

Development of touristic sites in the rural communities is another effort to alleviate poverty and unemployment. This will also curb rural exodus and the enhancement of development in the communities in question.

3. Civic Education to Rural and Urban Populations

Problem:

Ignorant to the policies of the incumbent government could be a very serious setback to social, economic and political development. Most citizens in the rural communities are grossly ignorant of their rights and freedoms in the society. The urban community's citizens, about 40% are ignorant of their rights, freedoms, duties and responsibilities towards government and towards fellow citizens evident by frequent assaults on individual persons. Civic education is required for rural-urban peoples in such domains as basic health principles, basic principles of the law, participation in the political activities, criminality in society, property acquisition (land).

RUDEA's Intervention

RUDEA would organise an ongoing civic education training seminars to the rural and urban communities on basic health habits, civil participation in the good governance programme, democratisation and elections, criminal procedure code, land acquisition laws, functions and role of civil and traditional authorities and citizenship, role of rural-urban people toward food sufficiency programmes, eradication of disease, poverty and illiteracy in rural communities, seek sponsorship to fund so organised training seminars on an annual basis. Facilitators to the seminars will be catered for by RUDEA and sponsors.

If you would like to discuss some of the problems or solutions, or if you would like to be involved in RUDEA's activities either financially or as a volunteer (and RUDEA is in need of volunteers both in Cameroon and in their home countries), please leave a comment below or contact RUDEA via our Kabissa profile page.