Towards a Socialised Curriculum: Growing preference for Anglo-Saxon education among french-speaking Cameroonians
By Synthia Lateu
In the quest for a more specialized curriculum, French-speaking Cameroonians are increasingly turning to the Anglo-Saxon education system for their children. This trend is gaining traction, with parents citing the advantages of this system over the French subsystem.
Muna, a mother we met in Douala, the economic capital, and her husband have chosen to send all their children to the English subsystem of education, despite being French-speaking. They are drawn to its structure.
“With the Anglo-Saxon subsystem, specialization begins in secondary school. The child knows exactly what they want to pursue, whether it’s scientific studies, and the lessons are in-depth,” she explained.
This shift is becoming more common across French-speaking towns in Cameroon. Initially motivated by the belief that it would be easier to guide his children through the French subsystem as a teacher, Calam Ngala sent all his children to the French system. However, he now admits that if given another chance, he would choose the English system.
“The French system is somewhat weak in its courses, while the Anglophone system allows children to integrate easily into active life. It enables them to be bilingual and more specialized, unlike the French system, which tends to group everything together,” Ngala confided.
Another parent, Guseiga Ivor, believes both educational systems are equally effective but favors the Anglo-Saxon approach. He noted that parents are guided by aspirations for their children in the national and global job market. A Cameroonian from the Northwest Region, he emphasized that his choice to direct his children toward the Anglo-Saxon system was motivated by the opportunities it offers, not by his origins.
According to Dr. Gilbert Ngimndoh, a history teacher at the University of Douala, this trend, influenced by the country’s history, fosters bilingualism and multiculturalism.
“The origin is traced from 1961 when the federal constitution instituted the two subsystem in Cameroon from where Cameroon become a bilingual country. ” He said ” Sending the children to the English subsystem of education doesn’t mean that they won’t speak French again”
However, the reverse is rarely observed; few English-speaking parents send their children to the French subsystem. Dr. Gilbert agrees, noting, “If it occurs, it can be less than 2%, and that and that 2 % depends on where that parent can be for example you can be sent to a region where there’s no accessibility to the English subsystem of education in that case you are forced to send your children to the French subsystem. ” He added that, English speaking Cameroonians are generally comfortable with their subsystem, which is highly sought after in the country.
The challenge now lies in balancing the strengths of both educational systems to ensure that all children receive a comprehensive and enriching education.
