Admission Challenges Amplify School Reopening Fever

Most parents are impatient as they wait for long to enroll their children.

Since the start of admissions on September 2, the day schools also officially reopened, the process of enrollment seems to be presenting some surmountable difficulties. Douala has recorded a flutter of complaints from parents who must forsake job for at least a day to queue up in front of Admissions Office past noon.

In campuses of most public schools, mums and dads are discussing whether they will send their kids to school early, on time, or hold them back. Is your child equipped for school? Will he/she be able to keep up academically with necessities so far provided? All or one of these is the perennial question many parents agonise over: "Salaries aren't enough", "I'm still embarking on getting money for it", "I prepared for my kids months before now", etc. In the area of finance, their little bundle of joy may be able to get children start school in the next intake.

But all of this depends on the preparedness of a parent, guardian or generous sponsor. To give parents equal enrollment opportunity and take the pressure off their neck, government set a uniform admission period between September 2 and 30. GBHS Deido seems to present an uncommon challenge. For a parent whose child is getting into an official examination class, or transferring from another school, or is entering Lower Sixth, how to get them admitted is one of the most difficult challenges to overcome.

In her effort to meet admission requirements for her 2 children --a handwritten application, report cards, photocopy of GCE slip and birth certificate-- Yossa Emilie is obliged to forsake work for 3 days. She told CT on Wednesday at the campus that each time she introduced herself in the Admissions Office, she is quickly advised to exercise some patience outside, usually queuing up at the corridors of the administrative block till evening.

Although the media has spent much time talking about school readiness with parents well before reopening, struggles to equip children for school, get them admitted and registered on the roll still pose as a new urgency. On the other hand, some parents accuse certain administrators of collusion with Admissions Committee and are accepting, demanding bribes with smiles on their faces at the expense of government efforts towards "Education for all" and war against corruption.