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National Pedagogic Inspector of Informatics
Ministry of Secondary EducationRepublic of Cameroon
Tuesday March 4, 2008SITE 2008Las Vegas, Nevada
Integration of Information
Technology into the School
System of Cameroon
Lawrence Kambiwoa Nunatcho
Hubert H. Humphrey FellowPennsylvania State University
United States of America
AbstractStatus ReviewCurrent Approaches: Developments
Multimedia Resource Centers (MRC) Non-State Funded Computer Laboratories Other Institutionalized Measures Undertaken to Diffuse IT
Current Approaches: ChallengesPrevious Approaches: Evolution & Impact ofImprovement for the Future
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)
ConclusionThe Next StepReferences and Acknowledgement
Outline
AbstractChallenges:
- Provide diverse opportunities for every
learner and teacher to stimulate creativity
& collaboration
- IT infrastructure are expensive to set up
As a result, we need:
- Innovative solutions which promote use of
IT on one-to-one basis for each learner in
Cameroon;
- Government to assume appropriate
measures, adopt XO, involve teachers &
the public
Following the 1998 Law on Education:
Scientific and technological advancement
is the responsibility of the State
Use legislative and regulatory mechanisms
organize educational activities, and
elicit contributions from parents, for
example
acquire and implement XO in all schools
November 30, 2001 - two MRC inaugurated
(Fig.1):
• Lycée Général Leclerc, and GBHS Essos
Yaounde
Status Review
Status Review, Cont’d
Figure 1: A screen-shot of the Multimedia Resource Center in Government Bilingual High
School, Bertoua.
Two methods of granting access
Government funded multimedia
resource centers in selected public
schools;
Business entities sign formal contracts
with Heads of Schools for an annual fee
Current Approaches: Developments
Multimedia Resource Centers
In the first phase 2001 – 2006, 17 MRCs
went operational (Fig. 2);
During the second phase (2006 - 2011),
a number of MRCs will be constructed and
interconnected to the pilot schools;
The National Pedagogic Support Unit
will be designated to take a central role in
populating didactic content and hosting an
e-library.
On Aggregate, about 77 students to 1 computer
SchoolsFigure 2: Schools having a multimedia resource
center
Nu
mb
er
of
Stu
den
ts o
r C
om
pu
ters
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 160
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
200082726420257953482660
1457
5258
1118
1709
4890
832
21333809211622194396
60 60 60 53 60 27 60 30 30 60 25 60 60 50 60 60
Number of studentsNumber of computers in MRC
Schools placed in their order of MRC creation
Non-State Funded Computer Labs
Implementation of Ministerial Circular of
November 7, 2005 on the provision of agreement
to business entities to manage school computer
labs.
Schools charge extra exorbitantly on fees.
Number of computers in use never
proportionate to the student population.
Lack of teachers of IT or access to computer
lab, generates rioting and chaos on campus.
The government has constructed a
number of Tele-centers in rural communities
of difficult access; committed itself to the
NEPAD e-School Project through a
Memorandum of Understanding with some
consortia to implement the pilot phase in
selected schools; and the Head of State
earlier in 2001, invited Cameroonians of
goodwill to promote technological
development.
Other Institutionalized Measures to Diffuse IT
Current Approaches: Challenges
1 computer to over 30 students; In 6 years, 17
MRCs put in place meaning there will be only 58
MRCs by 2022 ; Equipment and software are
expensive & scarce, impedes learning and
training of IT teachers;
IT program is mandatory nationwide, not
achievable (about 15% coverage); Limited
interaction with devices;
Community Tele-centers have computers < 10,
thus it promotes hate and rural exodus; NEPAD e-
School project raised iota of hope but
inadvertently, promoting IT inertia in the school
arena.
Previous Approaches: Evolution & Impact-Progressively create and setup other centers;-A platform for creating and sharing e-
pedagogic resources;-APLON (Fig. 3) is mandatory for the
management of pilot MRCs;-100 teachers received in-service training in
early 2007.However, the impact is not felt within the
school arena- Government has endorsed IT teacher training
and the first set are expected in schools by 2010.
Figure 3: A screenshot of partial use of APLON
To reading, writing and arithmetic of the past has
now been added use of IT which is purported to
enhance our learning, workflow, and creativity;
Prioritize the goals of literacy as underscored by
the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals :
Engage our school children and educators into
one-to-one (Fig. 4) computer use with
responsibility, and
Urge and promote collaborative learning within
school and across borders.
Improvement for the Future
Figure 4: Prototype of the OLPC XO
The integration of IT into the school system of
Cameroon has been institutionalized but it has
not been invested to create an impact on the
technological growth in the education of the
common child.
However, by judiciously urging parents and
teachers to make contributions to the OLPC
concept, we will quickly have more students and
teachers interacting with the technology of their
time so that by 2015 we will become participative
in this e-age.
Conclusion
9-to-11 year olds
11-to-13 year olds
Class 5 Class 6 Form 1Form 2
Senior Primary classesSecondary school beginners
(are determinants for(General Education, Technical
secondary schools) Education and Workforce)
National Estimates1,500,000 pupils 1,000,000 students
Composition of National Committee
Ministry of Basic Education Ministry of:
(1) Secondary Education, and(2) Vocational and Professional Training (Workforce Education)
The Next Step
Next Step, Cont’d- National Private Education Secretariat- Civil Society
- Representative from the Ministry of Economy and Finance
- Representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister
- Embassy of the United States of America in Cameroonrepresenting the OLPC Foundation
First year: A consignment of 2,500,000 required by September 2009
Second year: A consignment of 1,000,000 required by September 2010
Third year: A consignment of 800,000 required by September 2011
Subsequent years: A consignment of 800,000
For teachers and trainees, a consignment of 50,000 required for thefirst year and 5,000 in subsequent years.
ReferencesLaw N°98/004 of 14th April 1998 To Lay Down Guidelines
for Education in Cameroon, Ministry of National Education
Archive.
Ministerial Circular N°26/05/MINESEC/IGE/IP/Info of 7th
November 2005 Specifying the Modalities of Obtaining an
Agreement to run a Computer Lab in Schools, Record
Book of the Inspectorate of Pedagogy for Informatics.
Ministerial Order N°000197/MINESUP/DDES of 07
September 2007 Bearing the Creation and Opening of the
Computer Sciences and Classical Letters Discipline at the
Higher Teachers Training College of the University of
Yaounde 1, www.minesup.gov.cm
URL for the One Laptop Per Child: www.olpc.org
AcknowledgementsWe are thankful to the Minister of Secondary Education, for having
commissioned us in the Inspectorate of Pedagogy for Informatics to follow-up
and control Multimedia Resource Centers in schools. We are also indebted to
the Secretary of State whose coordination meetings and feedback on various
commissioned assignments to these centers have helped us to put this piece
of work together.
Also, we owe much gratitude to the Hubert H. Humphrey program for
committing registration to the SITE International Conference at Las Vegas,
USA. In fact, we are very much delighted with the critic of the material
expressed by Dr. Syedur Rahman, Director of International programs at the
College of Education, Pennsylvania State University.
Finally, we would like to also appreciate the remarks made by Mrs Ogork
Susan, National Pedagogic Inspector of English as well as Mrs Doh Vivian,
teacher trainer, for skimming through the original manuscripts.
In all, your remarks or comments were closely followed while setting this
piece of work.