Secondary Education: Minister Nalova Lyonga says bilingualism window to cultures, technologies.

She was speaking in Yaounde, Friday, February 3. This was during the closing ceremony of the 18th edition of the National Bilingualism Week.

The annual event which is celebrated every first week of February, is aimed at promoting the use of the country’s two official languages, English and French.

Minister Nalova Lyonga used the event to salute the work done by some of her collaborators in the promotion of bilingualism at the level of schools.

She maintained that her ministry will continue to thrive despite the efforts by some individuals, to ridicule their ground breaking achievements.

“We have showed you a good demonstration. Our schools are going up. We are not going down. If you want your school to go down, it will. If you want your school to go up, it will. I am not forcing any principal or anybody,” Nalova Lyonga said.

She also encouraged students to take their English and French language studies seriously in other to increase their chances of succeeding in a competitive society like Cameroon.

The event was punctuated by a bilingualism debate under the theme: “The effective promotion of official bilingualism is a window to cultures and technologies, a human capital development tool for the emergence of Cameroon by 2035”. 

Panellists of each camp composing of five persons each, argued for and against the assertion. The students, drawn from several schools around the country, thrilled the public with their pertinent points, respect of debate structure and mastery of language.

While those supporting the notion argued that bilingualism was the key to drive the country to development, the opposing team firmly disagreed, as they remained convinced that even those monolingual had a part to play in the country’s emergence.  

While handing over prizes to students who took in the debate, the member of government, who was visibly impressed by their presentation, said she was going to work very closely with them.

Innovations underway

Minister Nalova Lyonga also announced that thanks to the support of one of its partners, certain innovations will be introduced in schools which, she stressed, must be implemented as from tomorrow Tuesday, February 7. She said the innovation is a software which will be used to manage a number of activities in schools.  

“Every school need to download the pack. That is a pack on how to manage secondary education. We have just shown you a little bit, the one of passing papers through to teachers or to any other office. That is to say we have added value to these children when they will graduate. Not only those who are doing office automation,” she said.

There are also plans to introduce a one student, one teacher, one parent, one computer project in future. Other activities which took place during the closing ceremony of the National Week of Bilingualism included the screening of a documentary on the origin of bilingualism in Man-O-Bay, Bimbia, presentation of poems on bilingualism, sketch on drugs and violence and traditional dances.

It should be recalled that, weeklong activities marking the celebration of the 18th edition of the National Bilingualism Week were launched in Mbandjock, Upper Sanaga division of the Centre region, Monday January 30.

It was presided over by the Secretary of State in in the Ministry of Secondary Education, in charge of Teachers Training, Boniface Bayaola. He was accompanied by top ranking officials of the ministry.