By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – The Archbishop of Bamenda, His Grace Andrew Nkea, has called for an effective and peaceful school resumption in Cameroon, particularly in the conflict-affected North West and South West and Far North Regions. Archbishop Nkea emphasized the importance of education in shaping the country’s future and appealed to all stakeholders to prioritize the safe return of students to classrooms.
The call for school resumption comes at a critical time as many schools in Cameroon, especially in the Anglophone regions, have been severely impacted by the ongoing separatist crisis. Since 2016, numerous schools have been shut down, teachers have been threatened, and students have been forced out of the educational system due to insecurity and violence.
Archbishop Nkea also called on parents to support the return of their children to school and encouraged teachers to remain dedicated to their profession despite the difficult circumstances.
His Grace Andrew Nkea, Archbishop of the Bamenda Archdiocese said: “My main message to all the people of the Northwest and the Southwest regions, where we have been having this socio-political crisis affecting schools especially, is that everyone should put hands on deck. Teachers, parents, businessmen, motorbike riders, everybody should put hands on deck to ensure that children have a smooth going back to school and that the children can study in a calm, peaceful and quiet atmosphere. This is very, very important for all of us.”
“Education is very important for every individual citizen of this country. And therefore, you can give a man anything in the world. Without education, you have left him empty.”
Since the crisis in the North West and South West Regions escalated in 2017, families have fled their homes. They are living as internally displaced persons (IDPs) in other parts of the country, making it difficult for their children to access education. Archbishop Nkea has constantly been calling on the government, the Church, and humanitarian organizations to provide more support to these displaced students.
Archbishop Andrew Nkea added: “And our insistence is that children should go to school and parents should not be afraid to send their children to school. They should not be afraid to ensure that their children have a proper education because the future of those children and the future of this country itself depends on the children who have gone to school.”
