Minister Nalova Lyonga insists technical education key to technological dev’t.

The minister noted that government is committed to promoting and sustaining science and technology education, adding that the sector remains crucial to the growth and development of the country.

She was speaking Wednesday January 3, 2024, while chairing an evaluation meeting of the official kick-off of activities on the campus of the newly commissioned Government Bilingual Technical High School Nsam, Yaounde.

The minister, accompanied by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Secondary Education in charge Teacher Training, Bayaola Boniface, and the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea, were on the campus of the Nsam technical school for an on-the-spot assessment of the resumption of school activities for the second term.

It was the first time the minister went visiting the school since it was officially commissioned in December last year, by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute.

Speaking during last week’s meeting, Minister Nalova Lyonga said the country’s education family was particularly grateful to the Head of State for making technical education a priority.

The endowed varsity don noted that the contribution of technical education to the growth of nations cannot be over emphasised.

“We are very happy to have this school. This is a new school, with new attitudes and new equipment that the Head of State has made possible for all his children in Cameroon, be it West Cameroon or East Cameroon if you like to use it in that way,” the minister said during the meeting.

She regretted that: “For a long time, we had lost the value of our technical education and for any country that wants to be advanced technologically speaking, you have to have your technical studies right up to the notch of it. This is what the Head of State has done for us and we are here today…to ensure that we help the Principal to get all the little steps that she needs to put in place to make sure that classes begin smoothly and effectively”.

“We are thanking the Head of State and we are telling him that the money he has made available to put this institution in place, we are going to watch over it,” Minister Nalova Lyonga assured.

Meanwhile, speaking earlier, the Principal of Government Bilingual Technical High School Nsam, Halleson Mary Epse Amabo, had presented a litany of challenges to the minister and her delegation.

She told the ministerial delegation that the difficulties currently being faced are mainly infrastructural. 

“We also have problems of security. The school is quite large, about five hectares of land with about 18 structures that have to be watched over. The issue of security is already being taken care of by the guards that we have,” the Principal explained.

She continued that: “Another issue is the little finishing of the infrastructure. You know, security has to do more with doors and windows and many other outlets where thieves can be prevented to get in. There is some little fragility with the doors and windows. We think more can be done to fortify them”.

“Another issue is electricity. Electrical works have not yet been completed. In the technical boxes, there are still flying cables. We still have same in classrooms and many other areas that pose a danger, both to the students and us,” she said before adding that “…another great issue is water problem, which I think with the boreholes that have been dug, we only need to do some little more work on it so that students can have potable water everywhere on campus”.