END OF SECOND TERM ATMOSPHERE IN THE NW AND SW REGIONS OF CAMEROON

Schools in the Northwest and Southwest regions have endeavoured to follow the academic calendar though some schools began closing on Wednesday 27th March 2024, and many have fully closed Thursday 28th March as instructed in the school calendar.

Other schools in the Southwest, are reported to have closed a week ago in order to carry on a popular exam in English speaking schools known as Mock. According to some “examination students are not to have second term holidays they are to use the holidays for bookwork or tests as the Mock to prepare them better for the upcoming GCE Examinations for thé 2023/2024 academic year” says a principal in a school in the Southwest region.

The tension from students when collecting report cards is always felt. The atmosphere is always filled with students up and down the streets trying to dodge collecting report cards, while others are anxiously waiting to get theirs to celebrate with their parents. A teacher in Buea explains “On days like this, you see lots of students and pupils on the road , causing traffic. When they find out that report cards have been given, they now come to school and start disturbing to collect their report card personally without their friends around”.

The second term is a very crucial period in the school academic year. It is the second shortest term after the third term. As the kids go for holidays , they have two weeks to prepare for the third term as it resumes on April 15th 2024 according to the academic calendar but in schools in Northwest and Southwest they resume on April 16th 2024. That is after the Monday ghost town since activities do not go on that day.

Within these holidays, parents are strongly advices to follow up their kids so they don’t relax and discover that they are not ready for the third term promotional exams because as school starts, they have like a month in school before they close and the examination class students begin their GCE Exams which includes the practicals for science students and written part for all.

Delia Nyadi