Creative Writing Contest Vol. 15| Education: What do you think about the number of subjects and content of the subjects students study in Cameroon?

Warm greetings fellow steemians

Hope y’all are having a good time wherever you are and I pray for those in difficult times, God will make a way.

I will be talking about my point of view on the number of subjects and the contents delivered to pupils and students in Cameroon.
photo from newsafcgtn.comsource
The educational system in Cameroon is built up more like a “pyramid” in such a way that general knowledge is provided from base on almost all aspects of learning and as the learning community moves from one stage to another, specialties sprout out. Within specialties, there is still some level of general knowledge but at this point dwelling in the circle of a particular professional aspect. Professionalism is mostly practiced at the stage of postgraduate studies.

The system of education in Cameroon warrants that a pupil be given general knowledge on all the spheres of academics in order to bring out the best in a child. Choosing a direction at a tender age may of course be influenced by a lot of circumstances such as parental desire, environment, tender desires of a child which may all forgo the innermost passion of the child as well as the child’s ability to carry on. With the many subjects delivered to Cameroonian pupils and students, they are guided as well as improved on those unseen potentials within them. Notwithstanding, too many subjects may leave a pupil confused instead of being informed. So, the curriculum has been designed to guide and develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills in learners, setting a learning foundation emphasizing on Mathematics, Science, Engineering, and Technology which is formally known as the STEM system.
source
Looking at the STEM system, it is easier to develop the potential of a learner in each sector paving a way for a good preference for that learner amongst the other sectors. Instead of primarily choosing a direction without enough facts for ability to carry on, learners will be allowed to follow the best sector that suits them. At any point, a learner can change or transfer from one sector to the other due to the vast general knowledge acquired due to the many subjects studied under the curriculum of the Cameroonian system of education. This is an added value to every Cameroonian learner.

I’m an ideal example of the product of Cameroonian system of education. I started off from the technical sector from form one and due to orientation performance I was given wood works as a well understood section of the technical education for me to study. When I had CAP (in wood works), I realized I’m better off with chemistry which was off course just a glitch added to wood work during my CAP days. One would say chemistry to a wood works professional sounds stupid and unnecessary. Just because of the chemistry knowledge, I ventured into industrial chemistry and became the best student in my department for probatoire and Baccalaureat. At that point I could see a lot more in chemistry for me. Due to my good understanding in chemistry, I decided to focus on the chemistry of the Earth. This led me into Geology, Mining, and Environmental Science.

Right now I’m a holder of BSc in Geology, Mining, and Environmental Science and currently doing a postgraduate study on Geochemistry under Mineral Exploration where I’m doing perfectly well as one of the best. Just looking at my story, imagine me starting up in wood works as a professional sector and limiting myself only to things that concerns wood works, I would’ve lost a lot of potential and so will Cameroon as a state.

That would’ve limited and blindfolded the chemistry knowledge in me.

Many subjects are helpful and at some point distracting. This should not make us think the system is a bad one. The only things I see that may seem awkward is the application of foreign systems or books into our system embedding some sort of foreign culture into an African system. With that said, the Cameroonian system of education applies these formats to maintain international standards so as to keep learners from Cameroon in a world standard even though at some points the system lacks what it takes to keep to paste. Cameroon's system of education is one of the best in Africa and this comes from the diverse system starting from STEM.

Thanks for reading🤝
Thanks to @thegreens for this wonderful opportunity that made me to study more