Lawrence Kambiwoa Nunatcho Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow Pennsylvania State University United States of America

1. Integration of Information Technology into the School System of Cameroon Lawrence Kambiwoa NunatchoHubert H. Humphrey FellowPennsylvania State UniversityUnited States of America National Pedagogic Inspector of Informatics Ministry of Secondary Education Republic of Cameroon SITE 2008 Las Vegas, Nevada Tuesday March 4, 2008

2. Outline • Abstract • Status Review • Current Approaches: Developments • Multimedia Resource Centers (MRC) • Non-State Funded Computer Laboratories • Other Institutionalized Measures Undertaken to Diffuse IT • Current Approaches: Challenges • Previous Approaches: Evolution & Impact of • Improvement for the Future • The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) • Conclusion • The Next Step • References and Acknowledgement

3. Abstract • Challenges: • Provide diverse opportunities for every learner and teacher to stimulate creativity & collaboration • IT infrastructure are expensive to set up • As a result, we need: • Innovative solutions which promote use of IT on one-to-one basis for each learner in Cameroon; • Government to assume appropriate measures, adopt XO, involve teachers & the public

4. Following the 1998 Law on Education: • Scientific and technological advancement is the responsibility of the State • Use legislative and regulatory mechanisms • organize educational activities, and • elicit contributions from parents, for example • acquire and implement XO in all schools • November 30, 2001 - two MRC inaugurated (Fig.1): • LycéeGénéralLeclerc, and GBHS EssosYaounde Status Review

5. Status Review, Cont’d Figure 1: A screen-shot of the Multimedia Resource Center in Government Bilingual High School, Bertoua.

6. Current Approaches: Developments • Two methods of granting access • Government funded multimedia resource centers in selected public schools; • Business entities sign formal contracts with Heads of Schools for an annual fee

7. In the first phase 2001 – 2006, 17 MRCs went operational (Fig. 2); During the second phase (2006 - 2011), a number of MRCs will be constructed and interconnected to the pilot schools; The National Pedagogic Support Unit will be designated to take a central role in populating didactic content and hosting an e-library. Multimedia Resource Centers

8. On Aggregate, about 77 students to 1 computer Number of Students or Computers Schools Schools placed in their order of MRC creation Figure 2: Schools having a multimedia resource center

9. Implementation of Ministerial Circular of November 7, 2005 on the provision of agreement to business entities to manage school computer labs. Schools charge extra exorbitantly on fees. Number of computers in use never proportionate to the student population. Lack of teachers of IT or access to computer lab, generates rioting and chaos on campus. Non-State Funded Computer Labs

10. Other Institutionalized Measures to Diffuse IT The government has constructed a number of Tele-centers in rural communities of difficult access; committed itself to the NEPAD e-School Project through a Memorandum of Understanding with some consortia to implement the pilot phase in selected schools; and the Head of State earlier in 2001, invited Cameroonians of goodwill to promote technological development.

11. 1 computer to over 30 students; In 6 years, 17 MRCs put in place meaning there will be only 58 MRCs by 2022 ; Equipment and software are expensive & scarce, impedes learning and training of IT teachers; IT program is mandatory nationwide, not achievable (about 15% coverage); Limited interaction with devices; Community Tele-centers have computers < 10, thus it promotes hate and rural exodus; NEPAD e-School project raised iota of hope but inadvertently, promoting IT inertia in the school arena. Current Approaches: Challenges

12. Previous Approaches: Evolution & Impact • Progressively create and setup other centers; • A platform for creating and sharing e-pedagogic resources; • APLON (Fig. 3) is mandatory for the management of pilot MRCs; • 100 teachers received in-service training in early 2007. • However, the impact is not felt within the school arena • - Government has endorsed IT teacher training and the first set are expected in schools by 2010.

13. Figure 3: A screenshot of partial use of APLON

14. Improvement for the Future To reading, writing and arithmetic of the past has now been added use of IT which is purported to enhance our learning, workflow, and creativity; Prioritize the goals of literacy as underscored by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals : Engage our school children and educators into one-to-one (Fig. 4) computer use with responsibility, and Urge and promote collaborative learning within school and across borders.

15. Figure 4: Prototype of the OLPC XO

16. Conclusion The integration of IT into the school system of Cameroon has been institutionalized but it has not been invested to create an impact on the technological growth in the education of the common child. However, by judiciously urging parents and teachers to make contributions to the OLPC concept, we will quickly have more students and teachers interacting with the technology of their time so that by 2015 we will become participative in this e-age.

17. The Next Step

18. Next Step, Cont’d

19. Thanks Lawrence Kambiwoa Nunatcholxk229@psu.edulawrence96k@yahoo.com

20. References Law N°98/004 of 14th April 1998 To Lay Down Guidelines for Education in Cameroon, Ministry of National Education Archive. Ministerial Circular N°26/05/MINESEC/IGE/IP/Info of 7th November 2005 Specifying the Modalities of Obtaining an Agreement to run a Computer Lab in Schools, Record Book of the Inspectorate of Pedagogy for Informatics. Ministerial Order N°000197/MINESUP/DDES of 07 September 2007 Bearing the Creation and Opening of the Computer Sciences and Classical Letters Discipline at the Higher Teachers Training College of the University of Yaounde 1, www.minesup.gov.cm URL for the One Laptop Per Child: www.olpc.org

21. Acknowledgements We are thankful to the Minister of Secondary Education, for having commissioned us in the Inspectorate of Pedagogy for Informatics to follow-up and control Multimedia Resource Centers in schools. We are also indebted to the Secretary of State whose coordination meetings and feedback on various commissioned assignments to these centers have helped us to put this piece of work together. Also, we owe much gratitude to the Hubert H. Humphrey program for committing registration to the SITE International Conference at Las Vegas, USA. In fact, we are very much delighted with the critic of the material expressed by Dr. SyedurRahman, Director of International programs at the College of Education, Pennsylvania State University. Finally, we would like to also appreciate the remarks made by MrsOgork Susan, National Pedagogic Inspector of English as well as MrsDoh Vivian, teacher trainer, for skimming through the original manuscripts. In all, your remarks or comments were closely followed while setting this piece of work.