Lack of school infrastructure and pedagogical initiative

The recipe for a good education is based on a number of key indicators. In addition to teachers and learners, quality infrastructure is key to better learning. These elements are not always guaranteed, especially in a developing country like Cameroon.

In view of the infrastructure deficit, some teachers and educational players are taking initiatives to ensure the transfer of knowledge to the younger generation. For more up-to-date information, we spoke to two teachers working in the far north of Cameroon. To preserve their anonymity, we will refer to them by the letters X and Y.

Conditions for access to education

Education is essential to the building of any society. In this respect, one of the objectives of the UN (United Nations) is to ensure access to quality education in all countries of the world. However, there is still an imbalance in terms of access to quality school infrastructures.

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the regions most affected by this infrastructure deficit. In Cameroon, the Far North (comprising three regions: the Far North, the North and Adamaoua) and the East are generally considered to be disaster areas in terms of educational infrastructure. You only have to go there and listen to the players in the sector to understand the reality. In this vein, in 2024 the Adamaoua Council expressed its interest in removing this region from the ZEP (priority education zone).

The Far North of Cameroon is an area frequently beset by a number of difficulties. From the outset, drought very often dictates its law. According to a recent UNESCO study on Cameroon entitled "The situation of children in Cameroon", the northern regions are the most affected by climate change, with a direct impact on education. Given their proximity to the desert, temperatures can exceed 50 degrees in the shade, particularly in the Far North, and when rainfall occurs, flooding can ravage livestock, crops and even homes. In 2024, for example, flooding had a significant impact on the start of the new school year; in fact, the Mayo-Danay department was seriously affected, as some 2,000 pupils had to make special efforts, such as using dugout canoes to get to school.

Initiatives to overcome infrastructure difficulties

Faced with the lack of infrastructure, many teachers who are passionate about their profession have not given up. They resort to temporary means to ensure continuity of learning. In addition to traditional methods, existing classrooms are being reconfigured and digitized.

• School under the tree: in view of the lack of infrastructure to accommodate learners, school under the tree is still the norm. In the absence of classrooms, educators use temporary equipment to make frames to accommodate learners.
  
  In other circumstances, classes are held outdoors, often under a tree. For them, the most important thing is to pass on knowledge, as is the case at the Djefatou bilingual high school in northern Cameroon. Despite the desertion of some teachers, others, more concerned about the future of the learners, are hard at work for the children's future.
  
  
• Reconfiguring existing classrooms: even though there are classrooms in some schools, there are not enough of them. To remedy this, the educational players are taking provisional measures. They separate small classrooms with a brick wall to obtain more rooms.
  
  Questioned on this issue, teacher X of French for English speakers at the Tignere bilingual high school in the Adamaoua region, recalls that this is a solution used in their establishment to temporarily resolve this deficit.
  
  
• Digitization: using the WhatsApp social network. With overcrowded classrooms and not enough space to accommodate the learners, teachers are turning to digitalization by sending lessons to students via WhatsApp. Learners can then access and read the course from home. Afterwards, teachers schedule explanation sessions.
  
  When asked about this, teacher Y from the Goundaye technical high school in the Mayo-Kani department, in the Far North region, says: "Today, the Android phone is the most widely shared thing. It's true that we're in areas where there isn't even electricity, but we're struggling with the connection. It's very unstable, but from time to time, it's there... For example, with the children in first grade, I sometimes prepare their lesson and send them to their group. When I come back, I explain..."

The added value of these initiatives

As we know, learning is all about the learner. Adversity in this type of context is a catalyst capable of transforming a previously constraining situation into a strength, particularly in terms of reinforcing the learners' mindsets. In fact, a motivated teacher in this educational environment will create even more motivation in learners. As a result, they will work together to achieve their goals.

The ability to step out of one's comfort zone for the sake of one's profession is a message sent by teachers in this region. They demonstrate that through resilience, you can continue to build even in less favorable environments. After this experience, they can serve as references for young future teachers, and their testimonies will be engraved in our memories.

Illustration: Jhon DL - Pixabay

Sources

Situation of children in Cameroon
https:// www.unicef.org/cameroon/media/3141/file/2025-Situation%20des%20enfants%20au%20Cameroun_FR_FINAL2.pdf.pdf

Goal 4: Ensure equal access to quality education for all, and promote lifelong learning opportunities - Sustainable development - https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/fr/education/

Grand-Nord: the Adamoua regional council wants to take the region out of the priority education zone ( ZEP)
https:// www.stopblablacam.com/societe/1901-11783-grand-nord-le-conseil-regional-de-l-adamaoua-veut-sortir-la-region-de-la-zone-d-education-prioritaire-zep

Back to school under water in Cameroon's Far North region
https:// www.voaafrique.com/a/rentr%C3%A9e-scolaire-sous-les-eaux-dans-la-r%C3%A9gion-de-l-extr%C3%AAme-nord-du-cameroun/7777215.html

School under the tree at Djefatou bilingual high school (North region) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWFNamzj0y0