Teachers’ Unions in Cameroon warn the government on the risks of reopening schools on June 1, especially since the coronavirus continues to spread across the country. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister on May 20, the unions set out a list of conditions they require so that the resumption of school activities takes place without great danger for students and teachers.

Teachers propose that the government delays the resumption of classes if necessary, starting from secondary schools with the final year classes, to avoid having many students on campuses at a time. They suggest that authorities organize examinations based on up-to-date coverage of school programs and to equip all examination centers with equipment for the fight against Covid-19.

They also ask the government to distribute protective masks and hydro-alcoholic gels for all teachers and pupils, restrict class size to 24 students at the most, initiate the daily disinfection of schools, and allocate special premiums for teachers for the extra workload and risk imposed by the new context.

The Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, announced on 15 May that the schools that will reopen on June 1 will be subject to a strict health protocol: hand washing, compulsory wearing of masks for students and supervisory staff, respect for social distancing measures, limiting the number of students per class (50), etc.

As a reminder, schools and universities, as well as vocational training centers, have been closed since 18 March. This measure was taken to control the spread of the coronavirus.

P.N.N