SIEF to improve education in Cameroon

The International Fair for Education and Training, abbreviated in French as SIEF, was recently launched in Yaounde to improve the educational system of Cameroon by adapting training to the current needs of the job market.

During the press conference to launch the fair, stakeholders identified a number of issues plaguing the educational system in Cameroon, which they said need to be confronted. Among the issues is the current cry of unprofessionalism even in so called professional schools.

For the desired improvement they proposed; the need for intensive research that would enable stakeholders know the appropriate point to begin, the need for Cameroon to draw up a project to revamp its education and training, the need for competition among schools, adaptation of trainings to the needs of enterprises, among others.

The International Fair organised at a time when the quality of education in the country is being questioned, is billed for November 21-25 this year at the Palaise des Sports and has as theme; “Quality Education and Training through a Concerted and Sustainable Development for an Emerging Cameroon.”

While planning to address the present challenges, it has as major objective to define the contribution of education and training in the emerging African Project and Cameroon in particular.

Organised by the Pan African Institute for Development, PAID, and the Association for the Development of Excellence and Quality in Education and Training, ADEQ, under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education, the fair’s target is not only limited to universities and professional schools.

SIEF targets basic and secondary schools, in the public and private sectors, international development organisations, employers firms and human resource cabinets, decentralised authorities, teachers, students, pupils, trainers, employers and the public, as a whole.

Speaking during the launch, the representative of the Minister of Higher Education said it is imperative that everyone understands the key role education and training has in the achievement of emergence and added that all the ministries involved need to reinforce cooperation.

The promoter of the fair, Dr. Jean Etoundi Ateba, insisted that Cameroon needs to have a new vision of the system and insisted that professionalism must be at the centre. He added that quality education and training for basic and secondary school leavers must not be left out.

The Turkish Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Omer Faruk Dogan, assured Cameroon of his country’s willingness to support her improve on her educational system. He urged Cameroon to be positive and open to their contributions, given that Turkey had once travelled on the same road.

A Senior Indian Manager, Ripu Daman Malik, said Cameroon and India, being colonial brothers, have a lot in common, including educational challenges. To him, SIEF is an opportunity to utilise for emergence.

SIEF 2014 has a landmark project to label schools and training centres in the country.