The following is a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office after the June 27, 2013 cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister, Head of Government, Mr Philemon YANG, today Thursday 27 June 2013 as from 11:00 a.m. chaired an important Cabinet Meeting in the main building of the Prime Minister’s Office. In attendance were the Vice Prime Minister, Ministers of State, Ministers, Ministers-Delegate and Secretaries of State.

Two items featured on the agenda:

1. The statement of the Minister of State in charge of Tourism and Leisure, on “the National Leisure Development and Promotion Strategy”;

2. The reports of Ministers in charge of secondary education and basic education on the “Conduct of the 2012/2013 academic year and organization of official examinations of the 2013 session in the secondary and primary cycles”.

Before the agenda items were considered, the Head of Government’s special statement conveyed the recent instructions of the President of the Republic on tde implementation of Government work.

The statement of the Minister of State for Tourism and Leisure charted the broad lines of the National Leisure Policy which has taken a new orientation since Government was re-organized on 9 December 2011.

He especially showed the complementarity between tourism and leisure, especially internal tourism, but deplored the proliferation of certain activities that are detrimental to the sector. Next, he dwelled on the many pyscho-social socio-economic benefits of leisure and the numerous clear economic spinoffs, especially in terms of job creation.

The Minister of State indicated that the assessment of leisure in Cameroon is characterized by numerous deficiencies such as the absence of a legal framework, the weakness or non-existence of a culture of leisure and the glaring dearth of infrastructure.

Based on Cameroon’s Vision 2035, the Minister said the objective was to develop healthy and educative leisure activities that are accessible to the great majority and that can foster the well-being and happiness while contributing to the country’s economic development through modern infrastructure.

To do that, a number of the priority intervention areas are targeted: leisure and holiday activities on the one hand, and developed leisure spaces, on the other.

In the short-term, the Ministry of Tourism and Leisure intends inter alia to prepare a legal framework of leisure activities, revive holiday exchange programmes and launch various studies including those geared toward creating theme parks in Yaounde and Douala, two holiday villages in Sangmelima and Garoua; two giant marine and fresh-water exhibition aquariums in Douala and Limbe; developing a holiday village in Buea; laying out a recreational park in Ebolowa and developing two swimming stations in Maga and Lagdo.

At the end of the ensuing discussions, the Head of Government asked the Minister of State for Tourism and Leisure to expedite the implementation of the leisure policy, especially by (i) preparing a master plan for the development of theme parks; (ii) implementing the leisure development plan in Cameroon; and (iii) organizing pilot holiday camps in each of the ten regions.

The proceedings continued with reports on the conduct of the 2012/2013 academic year and the 2013 examination sessions.

The report of the Minister for Secondary Education presented a satisfactory assessment of the school year, marked by higher education offer that benefited over 1,800,000 students. This was thanks to the creation of 106 Government secondary schools, 87 Technical, Industrial and Commercial Colleges and 6 Technical Education Teachers’ Training Colleges ; the transformation of 95 Government secondary schools into high schools and 25 technical colleges into technical high schools; the opening of 119 general education secondary schools and 90 technical schools; the effective opening of the Technical Teachers’ Training School of Garoua as well as Grade 1 Teachers Training Colleges in Baham, Poli and Yokadouma; and the issue of authorizations to create, open and extend private schools to many developers.

Special emphasis was laid on the quality and relevance of teaching and the grant of CFAF 900 million as State subsidy to 466 schools.

It is in this context that official examinations of the secondary cycle were conducted hitch-free, with the first session of the bilingual BEPC reserved for students who took the Special Bilingual Education Programme implemented in 44 pilot schools. The oral part has been suppressed in some technical education examinations where all candidates are now tested in theoretical and practical aspects. This novelty will make certificates more credible.

Statistics on candidates that registered for 2013 examinations are as follows: for competitive entrance and other examinations under the Department of Competitive Entrance and Other Examinations and Certification (DECC): 528,898 candidates against 446,635 in 2012; for examinations under the Office du Baccalauréat du Cameroun (OBC): 320,815 candidates against 306,092 in 2012 and for examinations organized by the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Board: 154,913 candidates against 142,248 in 2012. The Minister gave assurances about the marking exercise that has already started since the results will be published by the end of July.

In her report, the Minister for Basic Education indicated that her ministry’s action plan for the 2012/2013 academic year is being adequately implemented for the benefit of 3,840,611 pupils in Government and primary schools. Since the resumption of school, scheduled actions have been implemented satisfactorily, especially in 170 schools hit by floods in the Northern part of the country in 2012.

In pre-school education, 33 nursery blocks and 20 classrooms in 13 nursery schools were constructed for over CFAF 1 billion.

Educative offer has continued to increase: 332 new nursery schools, 399 Government primary schools and 222 new private schools were created and opened. Votes have also been transferred to local authorities for the construction of 683 new classrooms, rehabilitation of 99 classrooms, construction of 10 fences, construction of 100 latrine blocks, equipment of 683 classrooms with 22,220 desks and 300 science micro-kits.

The Minister also underscored the efforts made, in conjunction with the National Anti-Corruption Committee, to enforce the presidential decision on free education in Government primary schools.

With regard to this year’s examination session, the Ministry of Basic Education registered 270,213 candidates for the CEP and 90,525 candidates for the First School Leaving Certificate. The results of CEP will be available in all the 10 regions latest on 28 June 2013.

After noting these two reports, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministers concerned to ensure that marking is completed and results proclaimed at the scheduled date. He also prescribed other measures as part of the preparation for the school resumption for the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Cabinet Meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m./-

Yaounde,

(s)Louis Paul MOTAZE,

Secretary-General of the

Prime Minister’s Office