Teachers Called to be Patient, Fight Corruption

Scores of teachers gathered at the 20th May Boulevard yesterday to commemorate the 16th edition of the World Teachers?? Day. Being the main actors in schools, that first place where kid??s behaviour and future educational success is shaped, the role of a teacher in the society cannot be over-emphasised. Amidst difficult working conditions, teachers worldwide especially those in Cameroon have not relented in their efforts in educating young people and adults for active and responsible participation in society. In a bid to show a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation for the vital contribution

that teachers make to education and development in the society, Cameroon yesterday joined the world to commemorate the 16th World Teachers Day. During commemorative activities at the 20th May Boulevard in Yaounde, the Minister of Secondary Education, Louis Bapes Bapes called on teachers to exercise patience for their working conditions will be ameliorated while urging them to fight corruption not only in the school milieu but in the society at large. Highlighting the national theme of celebration which was ??Pedagogy for Moralising Behaviour,?? Minster Louis Bapes Bapes said the theme falls within the greater ambitions slogan of the Head of State, especially as the fight against corruption is a major focus in his politics. That is why the minister said teachers should not only fight corruption but that before claiming to be teachers of morals, they have to be models in terms of dressing. The Minister also used the occasion to acknowledge the role of teachers in the society some of who exercise under deplorable conditions (lack of salary, classroom, no housing accommodation, lack food and medical allowances). He stressed that ??without teachers, children could have been left to discover the world on their own??. As such, Louis Bapes Bapes said authorities should use October 5 as a day which reminds them of the need to put in place the adequate resources necessary for teachers to execute their role in the most modest way. In a joint speech read at the 20th May Boulevard in Yaounde from the Director General of UNESCO, authorities from UNDP, ILO, UNICEF and Fred Van Leeuwen, General Secretary of Education International, the need to invest on teachers now was stressed. The speech revealed that the current global financial and economic crisis is increasingly straining on education budgets around the world. That is why the UNESCO boss and his peers said it is critical to seek mechanisms that protect teachers and ensure that education investments match demand. As teachers and pupils thrilled the happy crowd present at the 20th May Boulevard in songs, dance and ballet display, one thing that teachers hope for is a change in their special status as teachers.Brenda YUFEH, CT

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