There is a great outcry for the professionalization of the Cameroon education especially at higher levels of learning. Many critics see the system without technical backups, development of skills and know-hows. To them Cameroon higher institutes of learning produce more job seekers than creators and as such not a good factor for the development of the Cameroonian economy.
I partly adhere to this but see the problem from a different angle. The problem to me is not only with the educational system but also with the lack of supportive and accompanying measures to it.
It is not enough to educate or train people if there aren’t proper measures to accompany and help them implement their skills.
I strongly believe that much has not been done to complement the present educational system and so the society does not benefit from it properly. This if not handled properly will not solve the problem of unemployment even if it is professionalised as many think.
A NEW EDUCATIONAL CONCEPTION
There is a conception problem in Cameroon as far as education is concerned that should be handled at lower levels which is that of being educated for jobs. This is where parents and guidance counsellors play a greater role. There is the need to induct our children from secondary levels and even lower on the importance of education that is primarily to acquire skills and know-hows that can help develop the society and not just to become civil servants or work for companies.
Education for the development of skills will make us not send children to learn what they may not be fit for just because of modern trends and urgings. Today most parents send their children to school and push them to go for subjects that they think will be highly needed in companies for employment instead of following their children’s skills.
The background desire of most students in higher institutes is to get a job or write public exams and be integrated into public services. This alone creates a lack of cooperative ties between students that can’t help them develop start-ups that can turn into huge businesses in the future. This conception leaves the students with individualistic drives with none eager to cooperate with the other as there is no such need.
In developed and highly professionalised educational countries like US and Asian countries, projects are initiated by the associative drives of students at higher levels. Let’s take the case of facebook that was developed by two Harvard university students (roommates) that has turned to a big and huge business today.
If students are educated to use their skills in the development of the society and themselves, the need to cooperate with one another will be greater in them and shall give room to the development of start-up projects that can create jobs among themselves.
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CAMER VERITAS 