CBC-SEEDP salutes inclusiveness of entrance exams into NASLA.

Awa made the observation following the release of results of the entrance exams into the school that trains local administrators. 

The Programme Manager expressed gratitude to the Director General, DG, of NASLA, Tanyitiku Enohachuo Bayee, for ensuring transparency in the entire process.

Besides his longstanding interest in ensuring inclusiveness in the training model of NASLA given the impact its trainees have on local development in the current decentralisation drive, the SEEPD Program Manager commended the openness of NASLA.

In the last session of the entrance exams, he said the management of NASLA was opened to inclusiveness though the lone candidate with disabilities who wrote the exam did not succeed.

This year, Awa expressed delight that constant collaboration with NASLA while upholding standards has seen three candidates who are persons with disabilities succeed in the entrance.

The SEEPD Program Manager told The Guardian Post that: “NASLA ensured that the standards were kept at the same level for all candidates which is very important. So, the candidates with disabilities who succeeded merited it. They worked so hard to have gone through both the written and the oral sessions of the exams”.

Having signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with NASLA in 2020, Awa intimated that “the impact of the partnership is the results of openness and the political will, exercised by the authorities of NASLA. The Director General is a key actor in promoting disability rights in Cameroon”.

Besides lauding the NASLA Director General’s commitment to promoting inclusiveness and disability rights, Awa said, Tanyitiku Bayee happens to “have been one of those who even took part in drafting of the April 13, 2010 law, protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and so he holds in very high regards the law”.

He was categorical that the NASLA DG “kept the doors wide open, exercised a lot of patience in the conduct of the exams and everything he did created an enabling environment for those candidates and that is what inclusion is all about”.

He explained that SEEPD is collaborating with NASLA to introduce a module on inclusion and support the school “in organising inclusive competitive entrance exams”.

Awa sounded upbeat that: “These two streams of collaboration would in a long-term lead to significant changes at the level of communities in the country as a whole”.

Besides the MoU, he said SEEPD has supported NASLA with a braille machine (embosser) and has built their capacity on how to use it to facilitate learning and teaching for persons with visual impairment. 

At this level, he also showered praises on the NASLA DG for being open to reviews on the school’s policies and the conduct of its exams and training in relation to giving persons with disabilities the chance to be part of the local development chain.

As part of the fruitful partnership, he said SEEPD had “also conducted an accessibility assessment in the entire campus and shared the findings with the leadership of NASLA”. 

Adjusting to needs of learners with impairment 

Looking forward, the Programme Manager stated that “we are constantly advocating for the leadership to include in its annual budget provisions to progressively improve on the infrastructure”. 

He shared the view that if NASLA opens its doors “to learners with various impairments, it is only important that the infrastructure is adapted to the needs of the diverse population they will have on campus”.

Building interest of persons with disabilities 

Despite trying but couldn’t get any successful candidate with disabilities in the last entrance exams session, Awa disclosed that: “In the second session, we used an instrumental approach. We went beyond just organising inclusive entrance exams to promoting the idea of the exams among potential candidates with disabilities who may have an interest in taking the exams but are constrained by the financial requirements to register”.

As part of this method, he thanked NASLA for having extended registration deadlines that made it possible for candidates with disabilities to register for the entrance exams.

He further credited the leadership of NASLA, specifying that: “We worked together as partners and as we speak, we have three successful candidates into NASLA this year precisely cycle B”.

Awa concluded by thanking the Minister of Decentralisation for his will in mainstreaming inclusion in decentralised structures. 

About SEEPD Program

It is a program of the CBC Health Services funded by an international organisation, Christian Blind Mission, cbm, that crusades disability inclusiveness in all development initiatives. 

The program and its partners are focused on improving the wellbeing of persons with disabilities in the North West Region and beyond.

Actors have through the program been partnering with stakeholders for a consistent disability approach in development at all levels. 

Areas of focus have been; medical, rehabilitation, inclusive education, livelihood, gender and child protection, advocacy, research communication among others.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3207 of Friday August 23, 2025