The country’s educational landscape has been enriched with new colleges of general education, new technical education colleges, new high schools and new bilingual high schools. The Prime Minister, Head of Government, unleashed the pleasant information package last Monday, July 12 in a series of decrees.

As usual, the news expanded like wild fire to the nooks of the country. But as it has always been the case, jubilations were simultaneously accompanied by interrogations. When will the new schools go operational? On which site will they be built? When will the teaching staff be appointed? Who will build the school? Curiously, these are questions that could not be raised prior to the creation of the schools. That the creation of new schools and the raising of others to higher institutions, are acts which surely translates the listening ear of the government to the needy desires of the population, should raise questions amid celebration is something to ponder on.

Is the decision to create new educational institutions wrong? Certainly, no one will give a monosyllabic “No” as an answer to this. Where then is the trouble? The answer is simple. Education is such a necessary but complex development tool that has put both government and the population in almost perpetual disagreement. Due to its complexity, the education sector has forced itself into the political arena with politicians using it as a powerful tool of asserting power. And so, bringing schools to the community has become top priority of many politicians. A parliamentarian for instance who fails to bring a school to his constituency is considered a failure. Several localities abound where populations with barely 5,000 people are provided with two or more colleges.

Bringing schools closer to the people is surely a laudable initiative. Where the shoe pinches most, is taking schools to where there are virtually no people and depriving a larger population from such basic right. The urban populations of Yaounde, Douala, Bamenda, Garoua, Bafoussam and other big cities are certainly not rejoicing. In spite of their fast growing population, they have not been able to receive any new institution for the past years. This explains why all schools in these cities are overflowing with student population. Traffic in Yaounde for instance gets completely disrupted when schools like Lycée LeClerc, Lycée Biyem Assi, LBA and Lycée Essos close classes.

Detractors and enemies of education have argued of lack of space. But the town keeps expanding at almost exponential rate with private houses shooting up like mushroom. Why should we have space for private houses and none for our children to study? While lauding government’s effort at bringing educational establishments closer to the people, it is important at the same time to underscore the importance of giving everyone equal opportunities. It is a question of tailoring action to march needs.