What is an Education system?

Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially in a school or university, while a system is a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method. An education system, therefore, is a functional method used to teach in a school. 

Usually, an education system is established by the state. For this reason, different countries have different education systems they adopt. 

Cameroon’s Education System

Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English as its official languages. As a result, its education system subdivides into a French and an English system. However, each citizen is at liberty to choose which subsystem to follow. Also, some institutions, especially at the primary level, are taught in both languages. The French and English systems are both divided into nursery, primary, lower secondary, higher secondary, and tertiary (university) levels. The secondary levels further divide into General and Technical Education for the two systems. Therefore, each pupil after primary school chooses which one to continue with. Primary education is the only compulsory level of education in Cameroon. Nonetheless, secondary education is encouraged by the government for everyone. 

Private institutions that meet the state requirements can operate alongside the state. For this reason, many private schools function alongside public schools in Cameroon.

Classification of the Educational System in Cameroon

Nursery education is the lowest and an optional level of education in Cameroon. It consists of a pre-nursery for one year and a nursery for two years. Children usually attend nursery education between the ages of two and five. After nursery education, it is compulsory to attend primary education which runs for six years, usually recommended to start at age six. Lower secondary education runs for five years after primary school in the English system, and four years in the French system. Whereas, higher secondary education runs for two years in the English system and three years in the French system. In total, every student is expected to spend seven years of secondary education in both the French and English Systems. Afterward, students can continue to the university. It could be two years for a Higher National Diploma (HND), or three years for a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree takes two years to obtain after a bachelor’s degree. Lastly, a doctorate degree (Ph.D) takes at least three years after a master’s degree to obtain.

Conclusion

The education system of Cameroon is a unique one. It is subdivided into a French and an English system because of the bilingual nature of the country. These two systems further divide into General and Technical Education at the secondary level. In addition, the two systems have different time frames for lower and higher secondary education, but in total take seven years each to complete. Overall, the education system in Cameroon is divided into nursery, primary, lower secondary, higher secondary, and tertiary (university) levels. However, only the primary level is compulsory.