They are following a new school calendar provided by Prime Minister Head of Government Joseph Dion Ngute on the instructions of the Head of state.
According to a circular from the prime minister’s office, the 2020-2021 back-to-school date is known. The school year will start on October 5, 2020. The announcement was made on Thursday, May 14, 2020, by Joseph Dion Ngute through the high instructions from the head of state, President Paul Biya. This information came through the weekly inter-ministerial meeting by videoconference.
For Secondary schools, the academic year will start on October 5, 2020. Some voices especially that of teacher’s trade unions have been heard since these new school year will fall on the day of the celebration of International Teacher’s Day. The start of the academic year will follow ten days later, on October 15, 2020.
In addition, the head of government indicated that the educational calendar will be read-adjusted. As of June 1, 2020, school doors and gates got opened. Note should be taken that school and classes were suspended since March 18, 2020, because of threats from COVID-19.
With the resumption of schools and classes for examination classes, teachers will, therefore, have the month of June right up till mid-July to do the last revisions, July-August for the official exams. For now, school resumption is still facing some challenges in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, due to the on-going socio-political crisis that started in 2016. For instance, on the 1st of June 2020, only a few schools in safer areas resumed and under very tight security. The case of Nkambe in the Donga Mantung, a Division of the North-West, remains outstanding as all the schools in Nkambe resumed on the 1st of June.
As of now, the turnout is gradually increasing, though most of the students and pupils of examination classes cannot wear their uniform as was the case before 2016 in the North-West and South-West Regions. However, after a week into the new school year 2021-2020, it is believed things are gradually getting back to normal and more children will join their friends in schools, especially as very important competitive exams will be coming up soon.
