Cameroon 
report
CAMEROON
Overview
Cameroon is among the sub-Saharan African countries that are making enormous progress in the use of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the various development sectors, including education. Private schools introduced ICTs into their curricula in the 1990s, but there is no specific policy guiding the teaching or use of ICTs in education, which has lead to each private school applying its own teaching method or program. ICTs were officially introduced into education in 2001 by the president. The Cyber Education project launched since then by the government targets two sectors: secondary and tertiary education. Primary schools are not yet concerned. The project started a slowly, but is now gaining speed. The French government plays a great role in the implementation and is a major partner both financially and technically.
Major achievements include establishing multimedia resources centers (MRCs) in universities, professional and technological schools, and some government secondary schools; training monitors to manage MRCs; creating learning platforms; interconnecting the six state universities, and establishing training units in professional schools and universities, some of which are now operational. However, such projects rely mainly on external funding, thus putting their sustainability into question. Moreover, government secondary schools have poor purchasing power, and no budget has been allotted to them to support ICT-related activities in schools. Most computers used in schools are donations. Private schools have not been involved in the project, thus creating a gap between the two educational systems. Most of the online learning resources accessible through the government secondary school learning platform CAM-EDUC are in French, thus constituting a handicap for the English-speaking community. Moreover, all those online resources are based in Europe, indicating the need for empowering the national stakeholders to enable them to produce online learning materials corresponding to the local environment.
Country Profile
The Republic of Cameroon (République du Cameroun) is situated in Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. It has an area of 475,440 sq km and a population of approx 18.5 million. The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul Biya.1
The Education System
Cameroon has a public system of schools and universities, but there are also some schools and universities that are run by private investors. Others are run by religious organizations, mainly Christian churches. There are, however, a few Koranic schools. Both French and English are used in schools.
Infrastructure
Private schools introduced ICTs in their curricula in 1990, 1998, and 1999, even before the government decided to introduce them in 2001. Some of them are using high technology to connect to the Internet either through VSAT or special lines. However, the teaching is informal, and there is no record of the level of ICT penetration in those private schools. Actual figures are available only for government secondary schools. According to the learning platform CAM-Educ established by CFA Stephenson, the project on the use of ICTs for teaching and training targets two sectors: secondary schools and tertiary education. In 2000, there were 920 government secondary schools, and as of February 2007, only 17 of them, or 2%, have been equipped with MRCs. Currently, about 60,000 students are connected to about 1,000 computers.
ICTs in Education
Private schools are generally equipped with computer rooms. But in the framework of the Cyber Education Project, MRCs are being established in government secondary schools and are equipped with a local area network (LAN), servers, word processing software, and peripherals such as printers, scanners, and CD-Rom. They also generally have video projectors, videotapes, televisions, and Internet connectivity, some of which is through VSAT. Students and teachers are mainly trained to use computers for word and photo processing, accessing the Internet, consulting e-mails, and participating in e-forums. Some also use CD-Roms for playing games and watching or reading various multimedia documents. Through the learning platform, students and teachers have access to didactical and other learning resources. Students participate in chats through Yahoo Messenger and discussion groups, the latter often being used for conferences, especially by pupils involved in SchoolNet forums.
Some private schools offer distance training in connection with foreign universities in Canada, the US, and France through the use of CD-Roms, the Internet, instant messaging software, e-mail, and video-conferencing. Universities, technological and professional training schools are also connected to the Internet, and most of them have MRCs. They are also equipped with distance training facilities, of which two or three are already operational.
Current ICT Initiatives and Projects
ICTs in education are provided by the government, NGOs, the private sector, including individuals and enterprises, development and international organizations, such as UNDP and UNESCO, parastatal companies and agencies such as the Cameroon Telecommunications Company (CAMTEL), the Agence Nationale des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (ANTIC), and the National Agency. Until very recently, CAMTEL was the only Internet service provider for government secondary schools and universities in Cameroon, but private investors such as the Mobile Telephone Network are now coming on board. NGOs like SchoolNet Cameroon have and are still contributing to the establishment of MRCs by training teachers and students in the use of ICTs and by organizing eforums.
Project: Cyber Education Project in Secondary Schools and Universities (Tertiary Education)
The Cyber Education Project aims to use ICTs to support training in secondary and technical schools and in higher education (universities).
· Organization(s): Cam-Educ
· Funding source: Cameroon government
· For more information: www.cam-educ.com/
Project: Cyber Education Project in Secondary Schools
· Organization(s): MINEDUC12 (now called MINESEC, the Ministry of Secondary Education), prepared this project, for which the following actions were planned for first phase (2001-2007)
Project: The COMETES Project
Its main objective is to develop professionalism through distance learning and training. It involves five state universities, three technology institutes, and two engineering schools.
· Organization(s): Implemented by a project coordinator in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), the Association des Universités Francophones (AUF), the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), and CFA Stephenson (France).
· Funding source: The COMETES Project is funded by the French
· For more information: www.projetcometes.org; www.cometes.uninet.cm
Project: The AUF Program
Has a distance-training program called Campus Numérique Francophone which covers French-speaking countries of Africa, including Cameroon. Students and teachers who register benefit from distance learning programs, and partners are also trained to handle distance-training courses.
· Organization(s): The Association des Universités Francophone (AUF)
· Funding source: AUF
· For more information: http://foad.refer.org
Project: The Commonwealth of Learning ICT and Literacy Program.
In the framework of its ICT and delivery program, supports its member countries to facilitate the use of ICTs in their educational programs. For example, in 1998, a study sponsored by COL helped to evaluate the possibility of setting up a remote teaching program in Cameroon.
· Organization(s): The Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
- Funding source: COL
· For more information: www.col.org
Project: The Computer and Internet Literacy in Schools and Community Centers (CILS.CC) Cameroon
CILCS.CC is aimed at equipping secondary schools and community telecentres with computers.
· Organization(s): In November 2003, MINEDUC signed an agreement with the International Children's Foundation (ICF), a local NGO, for a three-year project
· Funding source: In the framework of the project, ICF was supposed to support the government initiative regarding the supply of computers to needy schools; install and network computers in partner schools and community centers; contribute to the training of students in their school's Web site design; maintain ICT equipment; mediate for the arrival of Internet ambassadors in each school and centre; mediate for the twinning of the local school or centre with an entity in the US; and train schoolteachers and community centre managers for the ICT focal point.
· For more information: www.worldcomputerexchange.org/partner_plans/Cameroon-Min-Letter3.jpg
Project: SchoolNet-Cameroon (ISC)
ISC is a non-profit organization that enables young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. ISC is part of the International Education and Research Network and SchoolNet Africa (iEARN). ISC facilitates collaborative projects where communities of learners collectively develop on-line content related to school. curriculum. It provides training to teachers in the integration of ICTs across the curriculum.
· Organization(s): SchoolNet-Cameroon (ISC)
· Funding source: Currently, it is seeking to sign an agreement with MINESEC and plans to distribute 200,000 computers to Cameroon schools. SchoolNet also works in collaboration with ROCARE, the African Teachers Network (ATN), and the UNDP in the framework of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development- Information Technology Project.
· For more information: www.iearn.org and www.schoolnetafrica.net
Project: The ROCARE Project (Réseau Ouest et Centre-Africain de Recherche en Education)
Professional scientific, non-political, and non-profit association. Its missions are to promote the African expertise in order to positively influence educational policies and practices. The ROCARE co-ordination unit is hosted by ISFRA (Institut Supérieur de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée).
· Organization(s): ROCARE works in partnership with the Ministries of Education of West and Central Africa, universities, teacher-training schools, research centre; the Association for Development and Education in Africa (ADEA); Educational Research Network for East and Southern Africa (ERNESA); Southern Africa Development Council (SADC); UNESCO; the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), the Academy for Educational Development (AED)/SARA/USAID; Winrock International; AUF; the Centre Interuniversitaire Paul-Gerin-LaJoie de Développement International en Education (CIPGL), and the University of Québec, Montréal.
· Funding source: IDRC.
· For more information: www.rocare.org
Project: The TICAD project
TICAD works to close the digital divide in Cameroon. Managed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the TICAD-based initiatives have boosted the spread of ICTs in the country.
· Organization(s): UNDP/TICAD Initiative
· Funding source: Since 2003, UNDP has provided support to the Cameroonian government for the formulation of a national ICT policy, strengthening of human and institutional ICT capacity, and enabling the private sector to maximize business opportunities offered by ICT for increased South-South co-operation. In this regard, the UNDP, along with UNECA, provided support to the Cameroonian government for the preparation of its NICI policy plan.
· For more information: http://www.cm.undp.org/Gouvernance_Ticad.htm
Project: The World Computer Network
Distributes computers to organizations in developing countries. A great number of computers have been distributed to Cameroonian schools through local NGOs.
· Organization(s): The World Computer Network
· Funding source: The cyber education project is implemented with financial support from the French and covers secondary schools, universities, and technological and professional training schools.
· For more information: www.worldcomputerexchange.org/
Project: The Demonstration project is the first phase of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative
Aims to ensure that all schools on the continent are equipped with ICT facilities with teachers trained to use them. The Demonstration project is led by the e-Africa Commission in partnership with the Cameroon ministry of Education.
· Organization(s): The NEPAD e-School Demonstration Project
· Funding source: Two private sector consortia led by Microsoft and AMD. Implementation will begin in the last half of 2007.
· For more information: m-jean-patrice@caramail.com
Project: Internet-based Learning of African Languages.
The project aims to teach African languages, especially Cameroonian, through the Internet. The project was announced in 2004, but nothing has moved forward since then.
· Organization(s): This project was developed by Professor Emmanuel Tonye, lecturer at ENSPT (École Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique), Professor Emmanuel Soundjock Soundjock, lecturer at the Faculty of letters at the University of Yaoundé, and Jacques Mbede from ENSPT in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
· Funding source: Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon and the Centre Régional de Recherche et de Documentation sur les Traditions Orales et pour le Développement des Langues
· For more information: http://www.lets.africa-web.org/Publi/TONYE_6.pdf
Project: PROTEGE QV (which means promotion of technologies that guarantee environment and a better quality of life)
Cameroonian NGO created in 1995. It aims to promote individual and collective initiatives to induce rural development, to protect the environment, and to improve the well being of the community.
· Organization(s): PROTÉGÉ QV E-learning Initiatives
· Funding source: Some of their projects have been financed by Global Knowledge Partnership, the World Bank, the French Cooperation in Cameroon, the United States Embassy, the Japan Embassy, and the Commonwealth.
· For more information: www.protegeqv.org
1 www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html, accessed may 19th 2008.
profile
CAMEROON
Overview
Cameroon is among the sub-Saharan African countries that are making enormous progress in the use of the Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the various development sectors, including education. Private schools introduced ICTs into their curricula in the 1990s, but there is no specific policy guiding the teaching or use of ICTs in education, which has lead to each private school applying its own teaching method or program. ICTs were officially introduced into education in 2001 by the president. The Cyber Education project launched since then by the government targets two sectors: secondary and tertiary education. Primary schools are not yet concerned. The project started a slowly, but is now gaining speed. The French government plays a great role in the implementation and is a major partner both financially and technically.
Major achievements include establishing multimedia resources centers (MRCs) in universities, professional and technological schools, and some government secondary schools; training monitors to manage MRCs; creating learning platforms; interconnecting the six state universities, and establishing training units in professional schools and universities, some of which are now operational. However, such projects rely mainly on external funding, thus putting their sustainability into question. Moreover, government secondary schools have poor purchasing power, and no budget has been allotted to them to support ICT-related activities in schools. Most computers used in schools are donations. Private schools have not been involved in the project, thus creating a gap between the two educational systems. Most of the online learning resources accessible through the government secondary school learning platform CAM-EDUC are in French, thus constituting a handicap for the English-speaking community. Moreover, all those online resources are based in Europe, indicating the need for empowering the national stakeholders to enable them to produce online learning materials corresponding to the local environment.
Country Profile
The Republic of Cameroon (République du Cameroun) is situated in Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. It has an area of 475,440 sq km and a population of approx 18.5 million. The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul Biya.1
The Education System
Cameroon has a public system of schools and universities, but there are also some schools and universities that are run by private investors. Others are run by religious organizations, mainly Christian churches. There are, however, a few Koranic schools. Both French and English are used in schools.
Infrastructure
Private schools introduced ICTs in their curricula in 1990, 1998, and 1999, even before the government decided to introduce them in 2001. Some of them are using high technology to connect to the Internet either through VSAT or special lines. However, the teaching is informal, and there is no record of the level of ICT penetration in those private schools. Actual figures are available only for government secondary schools. According to the learning platform CAM-Educ established by CFA Stephenson, the project on the use of ICTs for teaching and training targets two sectors: secondary schools and tertiary education. In 2000, there were 920 government secondary schools, and as of February 2007, only 17 of them, or 2%, have been equipped with MRCs. Currently, about 60,000 students are connected to about 1,000 computers.
ICTs in Education
Private schools are generally equipped with computer rooms. But in the framework of the Cyber Education Project, MRCs are being established in government secondary schools and are equipped with a local area network (LAN), servers, word processing software, and peripherals such as printers, scanners, and CD-Rom. They also generally have video projectors, videotapes, televisions, and Internet connectivity, some of which is through VSAT. Students and teachers are mainly trained to use computers for word and photo processing, accessing the Internet, consulting e-mails, and participating in e-forums. Some also use CD-Roms for playing games and watching or reading various multimedia documents. Through the learning platform, students and teachers have access to didactical and other learning resources. Students participate in chats through Yahoo Messenger and discussion groups, the latter often being used for conferences, especially by pupils involved in SchoolNet forums.
Some private schools offer distance training in connection with foreign universities in Canada, the US, and France through the use of CD-Roms, the Internet, instant messaging software, e-mail, and video-conferencing. Universities, technological and professional training schools are also connected to the Internet, and most of them have MRCs. They are also equipped with distance training facilities, of which two or three are already operational.
Current ICT Initiatives and Projects
ICTs in education are provided by the government, NGOs, the private sector, including individuals and enterprises, development and international organizations, such as UNDP and UNESCO, parastatal companies and agencies such as the Cameroon Telecommunications Company (CAMTEL), the Agence Nationale des Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication (ANTIC), and the National Agency. Until very recently, CAMTEL was the only Internet service provider for government secondary schools and universities in Cameroon, but private investors such as the Mobile Telephone Network are now coming on board. NGOs like SchoolNet Cameroon have and are still contributing to the establishment of MRCs by training teachers and students in the use of ICTs and by organizing eforums.
|
Project: Cyber Education Project in Secondary Schools and Universities (Tertiary Education) The Cyber Education Project aims to use ICTs to support training in secondary and technical schools and in higher education (universities). · Organization(s): Cam-Educ · Funding source: Cameroon government · For more information: www.cam-educ.com/ |
|
Project: Cyber Education Project in Secondary Schools · Organization(s): MINEDUC12 (now called MINESEC, the Ministry of Secondary Education), prepared this project, for which the following actions were planned for first phase (2001-2007) |
|
Project: The COMETES Project Its main objective is to develop professionalism through distance learning and training. It involves five state universities, three technology institutes, and two engineering schools. · Organization(s): Implemented by a project coordinator in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), the Association des Universités Francophones (AUF), the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (France), and CFA Stephenson (France). · Funding source: The COMETES Project is funded by the French · For more information: www.projetcometes.org; www.cometes.uninet.cm |
|
Project: The AUF Program Has a distance-training program called Campus Numérique Francophone which covers French-speaking countries of Africa, including Cameroon. Students and teachers who register benefit from distance learning programs, and partners are also trained to handle distance-training courses. · Organization(s): The Association des Universités Francophone (AUF) · Funding source: AUF · For more information: http://foad.refer.org |
|
Project: The Commonwealth of Learning ICT and Literacy Program. In the framework of its ICT and delivery program, supports its member countries to facilitate the use of ICTs in their educational programs. For example, in 1998, a study sponsored by COL helped to evaluate the possibility of setting up a remote teaching program in Cameroon. · Organization(s): The Commonwealth of Learning (COL)
· For more information: www.col.org |
|
Project: The Computer and Internet Literacy in Schools and Community Centers (CILS.CC) Cameroon CILCS.CC is aimed at equipping secondary schools and community telecentres with computers. · Organization(s): In November 2003, MINEDUC signed an agreement with the International Children's Foundation (ICF), a local NGO, for a three-year project · Funding source: In the framework of the project, ICF was supposed to support the government initiative regarding the supply of computers to needy schools; install and network computers in partner schools and community centers; contribute to the training of students in their school's Web site design; maintain ICT equipment; mediate for the arrival of Internet ambassadors in each school and centre; mediate for the twinning of the local school or centre with an entity in the US; and train schoolteachers and community centre managers for the ICT focal point. · For more information: www.worldcomputerexchange.org/partner_plans/Cameroon-Min-Letter3.jpg |
|
Project: SchoolNet-Cameroon (ISC) ISC is a non-profit organization that enables young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to engage in collaborative educational projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world. ISC is part of the International Education and Research Network and SchoolNet Africa (iEARN). ISC facilitates collaborative projects where communities of learners collectively develop on-line content related to school. curriculum. It provides training to teachers in the integration of ICTs across the curriculum. · Organization(s): SchoolNet-Cameroon (ISC) · Funding source: Currently, it is seeking to sign an agreement with MINESEC and plans to distribute 200,000 computers to Cameroon schools. SchoolNet also works in collaboration with ROCARE, the African Teachers Network (ATN), and the UNDP in the framework of the Tokyo International Conference for African Development- Information Technology Project. · For more information: www.iearn.org and www.schoolnetafrica.net |
|
Project: The ROCARE Project (Réseau Ouest et Centre-Africain de Recherche en Education) Professional scientific, non-political, and non-profit association. Its missions are to promote the African expertise in order to positively influence educational policies and practices. The ROCARE co-ordination unit is hosted by ISFRA (Institut Supérieur de Formation et de Recherche Appliquée). · Organization(s): ROCARE works in partnership with the Ministries of Education of West and Central Africa, universities, teacher-training schools, research centre; the Association for Development and Education in Africa (ADEA); Educational Research Network for East and Southern Africa (ERNESA); Southern Africa Development Council (SADC); UNESCO; the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC), the Academy for Educational Development (AED)/SARA/USAID; Winrock International; AUF; the Centre Interuniversitaire Paul-Gerin-LaJoie de Développement International en Education (CIPGL), and the University of Québec, Montréal. · Funding source: IDRC. · For more information: www.rocare.org |
|
Project: The TICAD project TICAD works to close the digital divide in Cameroon. Managed by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the TICAD-based initiatives have boosted the spread of ICTs in the country. · Organization(s): UNDP/TICAD Initiative · Funding source: Since 2003, UNDP has provided support to the Cameroonian government for the formulation of a national ICT policy, strengthening of human and institutional ICT capacity, and enabling the private sector to maximize business opportunities offered by ICT for increased South-South co-operation. In this regard, the UNDP, along with UNECA, provided support to the Cameroonian government for the preparation of its NICI policy plan. · For more information: http://www.cm.undp.org/Gouvernance_Ticad.htm |
|
Project: The World Computer Network Distributes computers to organizations in developing countries. A great number of computers have been distributed to Cameroonian schools through local NGOs. · Organization(s): The World Computer Network · Funding source: The cyber education project is implemented with financial support from the French and covers secondary schools, universities, and technological and professional training schools. · For more information: www.worldcomputerexchange.org/ |
|
Project: The Demonstration project is the first phase of the NEPAD e-Schools Initiative Aims to ensure that all schools on the continent are equipped with ICT facilities with teachers trained to use them. The Demonstration project is led by the e-Africa Commission in partnership with the Cameroon ministry of Education. · Organization(s): The NEPAD e-School Demonstration Project · Funding source: Two private sector consortia led by Microsoft and AMD. Implementation will begin in the last half of 2007. · For more information: m-jean-patrice@caramail.com |
|
Project: Internet-based Learning of African Languages. The project aims to teach African languages, especially Cameroonian, through the Internet. The project was announced in 2004, but nothing has moved forward since then. · Organization(s): This project was developed by Professor Emmanuel Tonye, lecturer at ENSPT (École Nationale Supérieure Polytechnique), Professor Emmanuel Soundjock Soundjock, lecturer at the Faculty of letters at the University of Yaoundé, and Jacques Mbede from ENSPT in Yaoundé, Cameroon. · Funding source: Ministry of Higher Education of Cameroon and the Centre Régional de Recherche et de Documentation sur les Traditions Orales et pour le Développement des Langues · For more information: http://www.lets.africa-web.org/Publi/TONYE_6.pdf |
|
Project: PROTEGE QV (which means promotion of technologies that guarantee environment and a better quality of life) Cameroonian NGO created in 1995. It aims to promote individual and collective initiatives to induce rural development, to protect the environment, and to improve the well being of the community. · Organization(s): PROTÉGÉ QV E-learning Initiatives · Funding source: Some of their projects have been financed by Global Knowledge Partnership, the World Bank, the French Cooperation in Cameroon, the United States Embassy, the Japan Embassy, and the Commonwealth. · For more information: www.protegeqv.org |
1 www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html, accessed may 19th 2008.
Return to the world map.
- COLLÈGE DES LAURÉATS (BONAMOUSSADI)
- ECOLE LES CHAMPIONS FCB DE MEMIAM
- ECOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE DE YAOUNDÉ
- ECOLE PRIMAIRE ET MATERNELLE LES OISELETS
- LONGLA COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE
- LYCÉE BILINGUE DE YAOUNDE
- LYCÉE CLASSIQUE ET MODERNE DE MVOMEKA'A
- LYCÉE GÉNÉRAL LECLERC
- LYCÉE JOSS
- LYCÉE TECHNIQUE DE BAFOUSSAM
For assistance, or further information, please click on the 
icons throughout the Observatory, or "Help" in the upper right corner or contact info@observatoiretic.org.
To leave a comment, or suggest a modification, please click on the 
icon associated with the appropriate indicator, or contact info@observatoiretic.org.