Tech-MODE for Agricultural Education and Improved Livelihoods in ...

STAKES AND CHALLENGES FOR TECH-MODE IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION IN CAMEROON
For reasons of educational culture and administrative tradition, none of the
agricultural educational institutions is considered higher education institutions in
Cameroon. Three reasons account for this. First, the minimum entry qualification
into the schools are not GCE Advanced Level or equivalent levels. Second, the
organizational structure of the schools does not correspond to higher education
nomenclature. Third, the institutions are under the control of supervisory
Ministries and not under the control of the Ministry of Higher Education.
The issues at stake are quality assurance and accreditation. It is argued that unless
these schools are subjected to the rigour and culture of university education on
these two scores at a minimum, they do not qualify as higher education institutions.
Higher education institutions
Of Cameroon’s six public universities, the University of Dschang (UD) is the only
institution of higher learning with a clear mandate for higher education and training
in agriculture. However, the University of Ngaoundere is also mandated by official
government policy (MINESUP, 1993) to offer training in the processing of animal
by-products (milk, butter, cheese and yogurt). Ngaoundere is also venturing into
beer and wine research purely for educational purposes. All training at the University
of Ngaoundere is by residential mode (face-to-face).
9 Distance education in higher education
The University of Dschang (UD) “is a pioneer and remains Cameroon’s best
institution of higher learning in agricultural education and training…committed to
excellence in agricultural teaching, research and outreach” (University of Dschang,
1996:1)
Distance education at UD started with a visit by an official from Dschang to the
University of Guelph (UoG) in 1988. Between 1989 and 1990, teams from UD and
UoG jointly wrote a proposal that was submitted to the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) for funding. The proposal “to establish a sustainable
distance education project to train Cameroonians for a diploma in tropical agriculture”
was approved for funding in April 1991 (University of Dschang, 1998).
This initiative evolved from a project to a programme in the Faculty of Agriculture
and institutionalized as a programme at the University of Dschang subsequently
(Nji, 1999). The Programme consists of 20 agricultural training courses in both
English and French written, produced and delivered in Dschang by a team of faculty
trained in distance education methodology both in Guelph and in Cameroon between
1992 and 1996. Three options were on offer: Crop production, Animal Production
and Agricultural Management. Further details of this programme are as follows.
Registration
Enrolment into the programme is open to anyone who is interested in studying
agriculture. There are no minimum educational requirements, age limits or
TECH-MODE FOR AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION AND IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA: COUNTRY CASE STUDIES ■ 33