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| Apah Itor Johnson |
The number
of secondary schools and Higher Institutions of learning (of the English
Language Sub-system) in the Northwest Region far out numbers those that are
found in any other Regions of the country. This is also reflected in the
quantity and quality of results at the end of each academic year. This
therefore permits us to better appreciate the responsibilities of a Regional
Delegate of Secondary Education in the North West Region. Apah Itor Johnson
caught public attention following the way he handled secondary education during
the volatile period that the sector sailed through during the Anglophone crises
which engulfed two academic years (2016-2017 and 2017-2018) with students going
to school only partially.
This encounter with
the seasoned educationist from the Southwest Region takes us into the heart of
his craft during the heart of the Anglophone crises in Cameroon. The following
encounter also took place during a meeting that brought together all the
Principals of Secondary Schools in the Region which he had convened.
…………………..
You came into the Region when the English
Educational Sub System was at a cross roads…
I was installed as Regional Delegate
of Secondary Education for the North West Region on the 23rd of
August 2017. It has certainly been a
tortuous road towards school reopening. If things have improved up to this stage, I
must thank all stakeholders for the present state of things. At a certain point
we realised that we were not supposed to have left everything in the hands of
the teachers and the parents so we brought in the school administrators. We
brought in everybody and that’s why we have not stopped concerted efforts with
the parents and the students who are at the center of it all. This will involve
confidence building because what happened is that confidence was completely
destroyed and the parents and teachers developed mind sets which were different
from what you expected them to be. We therefore have to do everything necessary
to convince everyone concerned of the necessity to go to school.
Your school
principals are also assembled today in what is considered a very important
meeting. What are the main issues being discussed?
From time to time we need to bring
them together for rehearsals but this rendezvous is more than just rehearsals.
I have been here for four months during which I have realised that they cannot
operate in ignorance. We felt that it was necessary that we gave them some
training. We realised that it had come to a stage where we don’t need trials
and that principals really needed to know what they were doing. This workshop
will build them up and make them work confidently.
What has
been done to make sure that schools reopen in the private sector?
We always involve all the sectors in
meetings that we hold here. Every time that we come together we make sure that
the private sector is present. We invite private education secretaries so that
all decisions and actions that are carried out are enforced in both the public
and private educational sectors. That is why I am always present every time
incidents occur in the private sector. When there was a fire incident at the
Sacred Heart College at Mankon in Bamenda I was there and when the same thing
occurred at Presbyterian Secondary School Bafut, I was also there. The private
sector has come to help the government whose responsibility is it to educate
Cameroonians.
My orientation has always been to
work with stakeholders in the sector to build secondary education and keep our
children in class, guarantee quality education and protect the children from
unnecessary distraction. We are aware that for this to be done, certain
prerequisites or preconditions must be met with. That’s why we have not stopped
working.
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