North West: Cameroon Teacher’s Trade Union begin back to school campaigns
The Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU in collaboration with the Cameroon Education For All Network, CEFAN have begun initiatives for effective school resumption in the North West region for the coming academic year.
The initiative started recently with the engagement of some stakeholders in Bamenda on back-to-school campaigns and how the population can be convinced of the importance of education.
During a focus group discussion in Bamenda chaired by the regional coordinator of CATTU, Semma Valentine, in the presence of personalities like representatives from state institutions, entrepreneurs, quarter heads, media personalities, and others.
The come together according to them, is a follow-up to a survey carried out by CEFAN in 2021 on the impact of the crisis on education in the region.
During the event, the various stakeholders discussed the various techniques and advocacy strategies that can be delivered to increase the awareness campaign for back-to-school in the crisis-hit region.
Participants were grouped and back-to-school messages were crafted. They also proposed better ways how to protect education in the region.
According to Semma Valentine, the project is also aimed at shaping government policy and increasing the number of children who will go back to school by September.
“We came here today to brainstorm and see how we can build our capacity in terms of advocacy and accountability for quality education and massive back to school,” Semma Valentine said.
Semma added that the proposals will be made as a report and sent to the government for study and implementation.
While revealing the shocking statistics of children who dropped out of school as a result of the crisis, the Regional Coordinator also challenged parents in the region to send their children to school.
“We are crying out loud to parents that we cannot continue holding back the education of our children. While the crisis is on, I don’t think we should continue standing in the same spot. Education cannot wait, we must send our children to school,” Semma added.
In the end, participants endorsed the initiative to yield results come September. Gambo Rekeatu just like many others promised to take the message back to their communities.
