CATTU Gives Gov't Ultimatum On Anglophone Education

By Peterkins Manyong

The Cameroon Teacher's Trade Union, CATTU, has given government up to March 26, 2009, to salvage Anglophone technical education or face dire consequences.

Speaking during the launch of CATTU's programme of activities for 2009, Simon Nkwenti, CATTU National Executive Secretary General, regretted the situation of Anglophone technical education, which, he said, is very pathetic. "2009 will see us change strategies.

We will be more focused, reactionary and proactive. To say the least, we will be more aggressive," Nkwenti said.He said the first phase of his union's programme will be to meet parliamentarians on February 16, arm them with the pathetic facts about the Anglophone educational landscape. "This will give them the opportunity to prove that they are truly the people's representatives," Nkwenti added.

According to CATTU Scribe, the D-Day is March 26 when a decisive grand conference on Anglophone Education will take place. "This will be the day when either the government reasons or we cease to reason," he warned.

He prayed government to understand that CATTU's action that day will be purely a pedagogic and academic matter, not a political one. Other CATTU activities for 2009, he enumerated, include; pressure on government to grant ENS Annex Bambili a second cycle and create a University for the Northwest.

The year, he added, "will see the coming into existence of TESCOS, a teacher's bank and the holding of CATTU's General Assembly on October 2 and 3 and the revision of the 1979 text on exams like the FSLC certificate and the BEPC."

Nkwenti recalled that CATTU, created in 1996, has registered significant achievements, which, according to him, include negotiating and obtaining some allowances for teachers, aided in the recruitment of teachers and coordinated civil society activities etc. He said CATTU is the only vibrant teachers' trade union.

He, however, noted that government has contributed in the creation of schools and contributing to give certificates more credibility. Speaking earlier, Nathaniel Tanifum, another CATTU member, likened the Union at 12 years to Jesus Christ who began teaching at the same age. He was optimistic about CATTU's future in spite of the huddles.

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Comments

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This paper is full of threats that will become concrete action if the government "fails to reason." But we have not been told exactly what CATTU will do so that we will know if they carried out their promises. Try and you will see! The question is: and I will see what? We are tired of hot air. The Biya regime is used to people peddling empty threats. Lets be a bit more ingenous.