Centre Region: Minister Nalova Lyonga assesses infrastructure dev’t in schools.

The minister’s field visit took her and delegation to the length and breadth of the city of Yaounde.

Accompanied by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Secondary Education in Charge of Teacher Training, Bayaola Boniface, Minister Nalova Lyonga, throughout the visit painstakingly listened with rapt attention to current infrastructure problems faced by the various schools visited.

At the Government Bilingual Technical College, GBTC Mewoulou, where Minister Nalova Lyonga made her first stop, she was presented a litany of problems by authorities of the school.

She had observed with discontent the suspension of construction works of permanent classrooms for the school.

With most of the students receiving lessons in tattered makeshift structures, the minister immediately ordered resumption of the construction exercise.

She had insisted that in order to guarantee sound education, students most study in very clean and comfortable environments.

The school principal had also presented the problem of floods on campus, stating that due to the phenomenon, students sometimes don’t have access to the classrooms.

In response, Minister Nalova Lyonga charged her collaborators to look into the situation and provide solutions to the menace in record time.

It was a similar problem which confronted the Minister upon arrival at the Government High School, Elig-Essono, where an ongoing surface terracing project nearby campus has blocked waterway causing flooding in the area.

Most of the classrooms of GHS Elig-Essono, it was gathered, are frequently inundated every time it rains in the city of Yaounde.

The Minister, after a lengthy chat with authorities of the school, immediately charged her close collaborators to schedule a meeting with the family carrying out construction works adjacent the campus of GHS Elig-Essono.

It is believed the planned meeting will proffer solutions to the drainage issue affecting the government establishment.

Earlier, in the day, the Minister of Secondary Education was presented similar hiccups when she visited the Government Secondary School, CES Mendong.

She was ushered into a sparklingly clean campus with students taking lessons. She had meanwhile frowned at the overcrowded nature in most of the classrooms.

Before departing, Minister Nalova Lyonga gave firm instructions for the respect of the 50 students per class as instructed by government.

Meanwhile, at the Government Bilingual High School Yaounde, GBHS Essos, the exchanges between the Minister and Principal of the historic college, Tambe Agbor Teddy Tabekwere, appeared relaxed.

The Minister was pleased to notice that the school has been making efforts in promoting academic excellence and sports.

She was introduced to a modern multipurpose sports complex which, the principal said, could host more than two collective games simultaneously.

“Our intention is that, the school should serve as a base where young people will practice sports and which experts can come and detect talents from here,” Tambe Agbor Teddy, who led the Minister in a guided tour of his campus said.

“We are going to sign an agreement with the Centre Regional Basketball League. They are going grant the best students here scholarships and identify schools abroad to finance schooling for the children,” he disclosed before stating that “…so at the same time, we want to improve academic excellence and sports”.

Pointing at the sports complex, the Principal told his august guest that: “Today, this area has been transformed into two volleyball courts, two basketball courts and a lawn tennis and a handball court. So this a multipurpose complex”.

“…in terms of infrastructure, we roofed the seven block classrooms that was blown off by wind. We also provided pavement on footpaths on campus so that teachers and students don’t move on mud anymore. We also provided tables and chairs to each of the classrooms. This is to improve the conditions for teaching and learning for the education community,” she stated.

“In the month of August, we drew a project which we consulted the Koreans, this project has been launched,” he concluded.

Professional training

Minister Nalova Lyonga had Monday also visited the project site where a giant infrastructure is being erected to host the newly-created Ekounou Vocational Secondary High School.

She was received by engineers of a Turkish firm, the company charged with the construction of the modern structure. A three- storey building has already sprout up from the surface of the earth and is taking shape.

However, the Minister was presented a litany of problems faced, which the engineers said, has slowed down works on the site.

They had meanwhile promised to realised the project on record should the problems be looked into. The Minister before leaving the site, told the engineers, a technical team will look into the problems presented.