Meva’a Ondo was the first ever indigenous Principal of the Bilingual Grammar School, as it then was. And the general mood of the event marking the institution’s Golden Jubilee was apparently best captured by him.

“The initial model of bilingualism… is it still there?”, he wondered. He asked further: “What is the type of bilingualism being promoted today, relative to the bilingualism promoted in those days?”

Mr. Meva’a was one of hundreds of personalities as well as ex-students who had converged on the Molyko campus of the institution for the celebrations, on Saturday, October 25.

He acknowledged that the problems raised during the event could only have been expected, before employing hindsight to state that the institution was primarily created to promote bilingualism, biculturalism, national unity and mutual understanding through the two languages in the country.

The question here however, is, how are these modern day “bilingual students” preoccupied with the issue of bilingualism, when on the celebration of 50 years of bilingualism for an emerging Cameroon under the theme “Cameroon from National Unity to National Integration”in their institution, the occasion witnessed a timid turnout especially the current students whose only representatives were the school choir, the school band, traditional dance and ballet groups?

What happened to the rest of the students? Would they have been deliberately kept out in the cold? Are they not interested in bilingualism? We were told by non other than some of the ex-students that the structures in place are rather promoting its occupants as opposed to the beautiful idea of bilingualism.

Be that as it may, activities marking the 50th anniversary of BGS began on Thursday, October 23, with a walk to Man’ O War Bay, the first cite of theinstitution, planting of 50 trees,the laying of the foundation stone of adream ultra-multi media Centre and the setting up of the anniversary monument.

On the next day, the BIGSEA had a grand debate on the anniversary theme done in both languages. Saturday marked the end of the celebrations with most participants describing the event as akin to a birthday party.

According to Casey-Troy Ndamnsa, the celebration was well organized on paper but poorly effected, considering the fact that each BIGSEA member contributed at least FCFA 25,000 or even more, and that members were poorly treated during the occasion.

He added that most BIGSEA members could not make it to the ceremony due to the late and rather poor publicity.

The hitches caused mostly by the organizing committee and other shortcomings notwithstanding, the National President of the BIGSEA Fritz Gerald Nasako, said he was satisfied with all that had been done and wished that the association works relentlessly in promoting partnership with the school’s administration so that it can always be the best.

As for the first ever indigenous Principal, the Jubilee provided an occasion for sober reflection.

“…These are questions I don’t have an answer to, I have to go back and think about it.”