World Bank Workshop on School Textbooks Abidjan,

Transcript:World Bank Workshop on School Textbooks Abidjan,:
World Bank Workshop on School Textbooks Abidjan, July 27-29, 2015 CAMEROON NATIONAL TEXTBOOK POLICY FOR A QUALITY EDUCATION Presentation Outline Overview of Cameroon Where Have We Come From? Where Are We Now? Key Aspects of the Textbook Policy Perspectives: What Are We Aiming For? Overview of Cameroon Located at the bottom of the Gulf of Guinea in Central Africa, Cameroon is a transitional location between North, West, East, and Southern Africa. Due to this location, Cameroon is very diverse, both in the human and natural realms. This diversity inspired the nickname “Miniature Africa.” French and English are the country’s two official languages, a legacy of French and English colonization. Area: 475,000 km2, with a population of 20 million inhabitants with an average age of 22.1 years; GDP per capita: 1224 USD ; 43.6% of the population is under 15 years old; There are 4,136,912 primary-school-aged children, of which 1,934,436 are girls (46.76%) ; Gross school enrollment rate of 118%, 113% for girls, and the net rate of 93.5%; The primary school completion rate is 75%; There are 94,328 primary-school teachers, 49,588 of which are women; There are 18,135 primary schools, 11,906 of which are public. Overview of Cameroon (continued) Where Have We Come From? When Cameroon gained independence, it was part of OCAM and its education system used, with help from the monolithic political system, the same textbooks as all of the other francophone countries (Mamadou and Bineta), with an exception in Catholic schools, which used their own; Once it left OCAM, Cameroon created the Center for Textbook and Teacher Guide Publication and Production (CEPMAE - Centre d'Edition et de Production de Manuels et Auxiliaires de l'Enseignement) to produce and distribute books to schools. The book title was the same throughout the entire system; In 1970, with support for la Francophonie (ACCT) the government established the Center for Publication and Production for Education and Research (CEPER - Centre d'Edition et de Production pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche) to replace the CEPMAE. The book title was still the same throughout the entire education system and was sold at an affordable price; The situation changed in the 1990s with democratization and structural adjustment policies. Where Have We Come From? In 1990 Cameroon was placed under structural adjustment. Among the consequences: 60% of public servants had their salaries reduced; Layoffs of public servants; The closure of state enterprises. The social situation worsened, unemployment