By Bathsheba Everdine
Teachers in Bamenda gathered on October 5, 2024, at the esplanade of the Regional Delegation of Secondary Education to observe the 30th edition of World Teachers’ Day, despite the specter of violence and uncertainty overshadowing their commitment.
Under the theme “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” educators passionately called for a renewed focus on their rights and the urgent need for a supportive educational environment amidst the ongoing crisis that has left countless schools shuttered and communities traumatized.
The occasion was a poignant reminder of the invaluable role teachers play globally, particularly in conflict-affected areas. They urged stakeholders to take decisive action by ensuring safe learning spaces, increasing funding for education, and fostering inclusive decision-making processes.
The loss of lives and the disruption of education have left deep scars that will take generations to heal, yet teachers continue to show remarkable courage and resilience, often at great personal risk.
“Every child deserves access to quality education,” asserted Professor Pauline Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Secondary Education, acknowledging the challenges faced by educators since the introduction of specific examinations for the Anglophone subsystem in 2019.
However, seven years later, many technical education teachers still grapple with inadequate curricula, turning their classrooms—once sanctuaries of learning—into sites of distress.

Minister Lyonga further emphasized, “No teacher should go where they will be killed,” highlighting the dangerous conditions under which many educators are forced to operate.
Teachers expressed their dismay over punitive actions from civil administrators, such as the suspension of salaries for those who refuse to teach in unsafe conditions. The case of the Sub-Divisional Officer for Ngoketunjia, who halted the salaries of over a thousand teachers for not teaching in “empty campuses,” highlights a growing trend of neglect and abuse.
The National Executive Secretary of the Cameroon Teachers’ Trade Union (CATTU), Mr. Semma Valentine, lamented that teachers’ voices remain unrecognized by the government and the public.

Amidst this turmoil, teachers’ trade union leaders emphasized the urgent need for the government to sign the special statutes meant to protect teachers, address the ongoing threats of violence and kidnapping, and ensure decent salaries for those shaping the future of the nation.
The non-signing of the special statutes of the teaching profession, which was meant, first and foremost, to put an order in the profession has never been respected, teachers continue to be killed for simply trying to do their job and yet many others are kidnapped and huge ransoms extorted from them. The Punitive transfers in both public and private sectors are a serious worry.
A teacher who raises his/her voice to criticize the establishment is transferred, without thinking of what that sudden transfer means to the teacher and the family, as well as to the students he/she left behind. Salaries paid to teachers in private and confessional schools are shockingly low.
The minimum wage for teachers in the country stands at 44,000 FCFA while a bag of rice is sold for 43,000 FCFA. So far, the trade Unionist are calling on the government to ensure the operationalizing of these collective conventions, which had been prepared but not functional, should ensure that decent salaries are paid to these nation builders, salaries that will enhance their dignity and boost their morale.
As the crisis deepens, teachers continue to bear the burden of ensuring education persists in the face of adversity. Their unwavering commitment to their students, even amid grave risks, demands not just recognition but robust support from all sectors of society. The population who they serve is expected to unite to champion their cause, advocating for safe learning environments and just compensation, so that those who dedicate their lives to shaping future generations are not left to navigate these perilous waters alone. It is a shared responsibility to honour their courage and ensure that the promise of education remains a beacon of hope for every child, regardless of the challenges that lie ahead.