The governor of the North West region, Adolfe Lele L’Afrique, has lashed out at mercenary teachers who are making a mockery of the teaching profession.

During the 21st edition of World Teachers’ day in Bamenda, the chief executive officer of the region regretted that today’s teachers have abused the teaching profession with impunity.

He instanced the alarming cases of corruption in schools championed by teachers and PTA executives, absenteeism, sexually transmitted marks and the fact that teachers in complicity with their principals and delegates were abandoning their jobs to go abroad for greener pastures; yet still receive their salaries unperturbed.

On behalf of the regional delegate of basic education, Susan Fon Nyang stressing on this year’s teachers’ day theme, “Investing in the future, invest in the teachers,” called on the powers that be to invest most in the teachers if they want Cameroon to emerge by 2035.

She added that teachers are like a candle which consumes itself in other to light the way for others.

In a key note address, the authorities of the Teachers Association Cameroon (TAC) and Cameroon Teachers Trade Union (CATTU) equally frowned at falling standards of education in the country.

“Today, our GCE ‘O’ and ‘A’ level holders including even university graduates are unable to write a common application or sustain a conversation in English because corruption is the order of the day in Cameroon. People who come out of school buy positions to be appointed head teachers or principals when in effect, a teacher is supposed to teach for 15 years to be vice principal and 20 years to be principal,” the trade unionists maintained.

Besides, the TAC scribe, Tame Valentine harped on some teachers who bribe to be transferred to schools in towns while the schools in the peripheries are without teachers.

For his part, TAC executive secretary general, Tasang Wilfred disclosed that over 150 colleges in the North West region do not have a single French teacher. He raised the case of the University of Bamenda where teachers who are Francophones teach in Pidgin-English and over 70% of the students admitted into Higher Teacher Technical Training College are Francophones instead of Anglophones to be able to teach in Anglophone schools.

Above all, Tasang Wilfred questioned why the GCE board is yet to pay out of station allowances for GCE markers and why duty post allowances are no more paid.

Both trade unions called on all teachers to join the teachers’ trade unions so that together, they could speak as one and fight for their rights.

During the church service that opened the celebration, Rev. Tat Mbuy opined that everybody has passed through a teacher. The priest questioned why the government has deliberately allowed teachers to continue walloping in precarious conditions and are reduced to nothing in the country.