Visionary Reports

 The Minister of Secondary education has explained that the new shifts system will apply  only to populated schools

The Minister of secondary education Prof. Nalova Lyonga has emphasised that the new educational paradigm   that has been put in place is in a bid to keep the new corona virus out of the school milieu. She has challenged the educational community in the Littoral region to step up the fight against Covid 19 while respecting barrier measures.

 She was speaking in Douala on Wednesday October 14 in a meeting with educational stakeholders aimed at sensitising them on the new study plan. During the meeting Prof Nalova Lyonga appreciated  some schools who are operating in strict Covid 19 barrier measures, she said that the Covid 19 pandemic is very much present as such all must put hands on deck to keep Covid 19 away from the school milieu. She made it clear that parents must come on board and work with school authorities in the fight against Covid 19 and the education of their children.

The 2020/2021 academic year pegged under the theme “Teachers, Students, Parents all together against Covid 19 instituting a new paradigm”, Minister Nalova Lyonga explained that with the Covid 19 pandemic the education community have to change strategies to meet up with the challenges reasons why they have put in place a system were by children come in shifts  and distance learning has  to be  effective. Mounting the rostrum, the secretary general in the ministry of Secondary Education, Prof. Fabien Nkot explained that as per the shifts system,  the first  shift will run from 7:30am to 12:30pm while the second shift will run from 1:00pm to 5:pm.  He said this will only apply to populated schools that have more than 50 students per class. He added that  the three remaining house will be reserved for distance education which will need the assistance of parents at home.  Prof Fabien Nkot disclosed that as far as distance education is concerned, students will be served with lessons through  disc drive, USB key, printed format, videos and audios. He called on parents to allow their children to study while at home and not get them involved in domestic work when it’s time to study. It should be recalled that prior to the meeting the minister paid a visit to  some schools in the region to evaluate the barrier measures in place.

By Gina ESONG

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“Parents must accompany their children with the new dispensation” Prof Nalova Lyonga Minister of Secondary education

“The Covid 19 pandemic has caused us to start a new mode of teaching that is to say teaching from a  distance or distant teaching and face to face teaching . With distance education, parents must accompany their children throughout the education process. So it is important for parents to understand how the distance education will be done so they can accompany their children. After visiting some schools I realised that the level of preparedness as per the distance education is very good. I want school authorities not to see education as a business but a platform where  the  basis of the society are constructed.

 I have order that all school canteens should be open. School authorities should ensure that the canteens are clean and those selling in the canteen are respeting barrier measures. This will help keep the children within the school premises and will avoid them moving out to buy foodstuff from out of the school to eat which will expose them to Covid 19.

Collected by Gina ESONG