The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga has blamed the drop on decreasing student commitment, citing growing distractions from television, negative peer influences, violence, early sexual activity and drug use disrupting learning environments.
The Minister of Secondary Education, Prof Nalova Lyonga says between 2021 and 2024, pass rates for secondary school official examinations fell sharply from 65% to just 37%. This downward trend affects both Francophone and Anglophone education systems across the country. The decline represents a continuation of worsening results since 2020, when the pass rate stood at 47% during the pandemic period. Senator Pierre Flambeau Ngayap and other parliamentarians have described the situation as an unprecedented educational crisis requiring immediate attention.
Prof Nalova Lyonga identified multiple factors contributing to this academic deterioration. She noted decreasing student commitment, with growing distractions from television, negative peer influences, violence, early sexual activity, and drug use disrupting learning environments. These issues, now more prevalent than in previous years, have become significant obstacles to educational achievement. Additional challenges include poor time management among students and widespread disciplinary problems in schools. The minister observed that these behavioral issues were less prominent in past years but now substantially impact daily classroom operations and national academic performance.
The continuous decline in exam results has raised serious concerns about the quality of Cameroon’s education system. With pass rates falling below previous lows, education stakeholders are calling for comprehensive reforms to address the systemic issues affecting student outcomes. As the debate continues, the focus remains on developing solutions to reverse this troubling trend and safeguard the educational future of Cameroon’s youth. The situation highlights the need for coordinated efforts between educators, policymakers, and communities to strengthen the country’s academic foundation.
