Learning

Helping children, youth and adults learn and develop life skills

Approximately 32 per cent of boys and 22 per cent of girls enrolling in primary schools in Cameroon currently reach grade five (usually children aged 11). There are many reasons why children drop out of school, including chronic poverty, which makes it difficult for communities to build and maintain schools and prevents families from buying school supplies.  At the same time, the government has halted further employment of teachers.  Between 60 and 80 per cent of rural teachers are therefore employed by Parent Teacher Associations, which cannot afford to pay or train them regularly.  As a result, many teachers are poorly motivated, which has a negative impact on the children’s education.

In response to this, a number of projects were completed last year:

• 20 new classrooms were built with Plan’s help for 4,900 students
• 39 schools received furniture and equipment
• 140 teachers took part in training to improve their teaching skills
• 510 children received school supplies