Academicians Work Under Precarious Situations.
Every year, on the 5th of October, teachers in Cameroon join their colleagues worldwide to celebrate the International Teachers’ Day.
The commemoration of the day is to portray the important role the teachers play in the society, their responsibilities and values. The day is to honour teachers round the world for their role in the economic development of their countries, provision of education and moral values. Many teachers globally enjoy the day with much zeal and enthusiasm.
The celebration of this day is always done with mix feelings in Cameroon as the importance and values of those who have trained people of all works of life have been down trodden and their personalities put to shame. Most of the teachers in the country today especially those exercising their duties in private academic institutions are maltreated, abused, insulted and even disgraced by the proprietors or proprietresses who considered themselves as demi gods or more human than the teachers promoting the core values in our society.
Celebrated under the theme “Teachers at the Heart of Education Recover,” in order to acknowledge the teachers for their tireless efforts even at the most difficult moments such as pandemic COVID 19 pandemic and lockdowns, some teachers in Cameroon are working under precarious conditions. There is no gainsaying that, at times, they are beaten up by the uniform men, asked to swim in the mud by security officers who are supposed to be their protectors.
A day like this dedicated to the custodians of knowledge would have been celebrated with a lot of honour, joy, respect and appreciation for their wonderful work in promoting education, in Cameroon. The values of these teachers in some areas have been reduced to sham. In the North West and South West Regions of the country, they are hunted, kidnapped, beaten and even killed. In these regions, the one time noble profession is now that of regret as none wants to be identified as a teacher again.
The hardworking persons who help the young kids grow in knowledge and also prepare them for a brighter future are looked down by those they have thought. Therefore, of what importance is the celebration of this day in Cameroon? It is high time the government look into the situation of teachers especially those working with the private institutions.
By Takang Bisong.
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