Cameroon joins Global Alliance for Literacy to strengthen national education initiatives

The Central African country has officially entered the list of 31 countries that seek to enhance their national literacy programs. This was as a result of the membership registration after declarations by the Global Alliance for Literacy concerning its annual meeting that took place in Yaoundé during International Literacy Day 2024. As stated, among those who attended the event were officials including Cameroon’s Secretary of State to the Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Asheri Kilo Fofung.

In her speech, Ms. Fofung pointed out membership in GAL would fill up Cameroon’s policies on literacy. “Cameroon stands to benefit vastly from this cooperation in terms of subsidy, teaching, and amenities that will support the country’s literacy progress,” she said. She added that Cameroon is committed to improving the literacy percentages “in collaboration and collective international effort”.

While acknowledging the view of this country regarding literacy, Fofung pointed out that not only the aim is to read and write but the goal stretches much further. “One day, every Cameroonian should have the opportunity to learn how to read and write. We also want much more because literacy is about one’s cultural and personal growth,” she explained. She added that incorporating artificial intelligence is an added component to be integrated into this country’s literacy framework. The world is nowadays going towards AI, and we wish that after learning to read and write, Cameroonians would get directly into the AI systems.

The annual meeting of the GAL also provided the member countries with the opportunity to discuss ways of improving literacy efforts at the national level. Some agenda items were developed with the purpose of shaping effective policy directions as well as improvements in literacy programs in different sectors. Other issues entailed member reviews of approaches and tools for evaluating literacy learning outcomes through the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning’s RAMAED program, which aims at ensuring that all educational activities have impact and are measurable.

Gal joining represents a Cameroonian decision towards literacy in seeking other wide social and economic development. Joining this worldwide effort serves to enhance the education infrastructure of the country, an opportunity to be assisted through the literacy objectives to better the lives of citizens.

It is hoped that it would enhance Cameroon’s drive toward holistic literacy with the prospect of further, and even fast-paced, progress in education and technology.