Education Department

Presbyterian Education Authority (PEA)

YEAR OF FOUNDATION
SECRETARY OR DIRECTOR
CONTACT INFORMATION
1968 Mr. BABONI Joseph Che peaedusec@yahoo.com

Moto:

High, Moral, Quality Education

The following list outlines the diferent Education Secretaries who have worked with the PEA Since 1968. It also includes the duration of their respective terms of office.

SECRETARY

TERM OF OFFICE

  1. Mr. Eugene A. Ekiti
1st September 1968 to 31st August 1986
  1. Mr Abel N. Sumbele
1st September 1986 to 31st August 1994
  1. Mr. Chrispus Tunyi
1st September 1994 to 4th December 1997
  1. Mr. Baboni Joseph Che
1st January 1998 to 30th May 1998 acting
  1. Mr. Baboni Joseph Che
1stJuly 1998 to date

    The Presbyterian Education System in 2004 stands as follows:

  • The Proprietor of the schools is the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon represented by the Moderator, the Rt. Rev. Nyansako-ni-Nku.
  • The Presbyterian Education Secretary Mr. Baboni Joseph Che, is the administrative head.
  • The Managers of Schools

Mission Statement:

The Mission of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon is to proclaim the good news of God, through Jesus Christ, in word and action. The proclamation of this good news includes THE PREACHING OF THE WORD, TEACHING, HEALING AND LIBERATING THE PEOPLE OF GOD FROM SIN. (Luke 4:18-19).

In this wise the Presbyterian Education Authority (PEA) shall strive to;

a) Provide devoted, sustainable and affordable high moral, quality Education to all, at all times within available resources.
b) Provide such Education wherever and whenever possible and under appropriate conditions in a supplementary and complementary rather than competitive manner, and in compliance with all status governing Education in Cameroon.
c) Provide particularly Education, which is society based.
d) Provide Education to the young people of the urban and the rural areas of Cameroon.
e) Fulfill this Mission with a deep commitment to human dignity and basic human rights, and the moral and ethical obligations of the Education profession.

The Presbyterian Education Authority (PEA) is out to proclaim the Good News of God through Jesus Christ in the TEACHING MINISTRY, of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon is the historical and constitutional successor of the BASEL MISSION CHURCH IN KAMERUN, established in 1886 as an external arm of the Evangelical Missionary Society of BASEL (BASEL MISSION) in Switzerland. It maintains the spiritual and theological continuity of that Church, and upholds the Reformed Tradition.

The Basel Mission (B.M)

The Basel Mission is an Evangelical Missionary Society founded in Basel, Switzerland, in 1815. The main objective of it was the propagation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the world. The Mission Society was already at work in India, Indonesia, North Borneo, Hong Kong, Ghana and Nigeria before Kamerun in 1886. In every station, mission stations and schools were built. When the Germans annexed Cameroon in 1884, the English Baptists, who had established in the Coastal towns and villages of Cameroon, found it very difficult to work under them.

The Basel Misison was persuaded to take over the work of the English Baptist Missionaries. This was reluctantly accepted and the first Basel Mission Missionaries arrived Cameroon on the 23rd December 1886. These were Gottlieb Munz, Yohannes Bitzer,Christian Dilger and Frederick Becher.

Photos Of Some Eraly Missionaries

Gottlieb Munz Yohannes Bitzer Christian Dilger Frederick Becher

Photos Of The Early Mission Stations

The Mission Stations that were taken over from the English Baptist Missionaries included Bimbia, Douala and Ambas Bay

Bimbia Douala Ambas Bayr Frederick Becher

Between 1886 and 1897, Basel mission Stations were established at Bonaberi in 1889, Buea in 1891, Lobetal in 1892, Nyasoso in 1896, Edea in 1897 and Bombe the same year, 1897.
Bonaberi Buea Lobetal Nyasoso Edea Bombe

Between 1900-1914, stations were established in Bali in 1903, Foumban in 1906, Bagham in 1909, Bangwa in 1911, Besongabang, Ndogbea, Bandzun and Bana in 1913, Babungo in 1914, when the First World War broke out.

Bali Foumban Bagham Bangwa Besongabang Ndogbea Bandzun Bana Babungo

Education And The Arrival Of Early Missionaries

It should be well noted that before Missionaries came to Cameroon, many communities had operated systems of Education that were efficient and very useful even though informal. Various classes of people were produced such as Craftsmen, Artists, Poets, Traditional Doctors, Good farmers and Political thinkers who administered the people.

Formal Education began after the Missionaries had entered the Cameroon Society and were establishing stations. The Basel Mission took over four schools namely: Bethel, Victoria, Bakundu Banga and Mungo. After the take over, Basel Mission Missionaries began to open vernacular schools along side the stations. The first primary school patterned on the Missionary model was established by the English Baptist Mission at Bimbia in 1844, and the first by the German Government was in 1888. The Basel Mission Missionaries regarded Education as a necessity for effective Evangelization. They needed the new converts to be able to read and write, and to understand the Bible. Where a Congregation was formed, a school was also created. The schools were to train catechists, teachers, pastors for congregations, Christian clerks, traders, artisans and future leaders of Cameroon.

During the period of the First World War, school work as well as Church work suffered great set backs, and when the war ended in 1919, Missionaries were allowed to return to Cameroon.

By 1925, there were 114 vernacular schools, with a total enrolment of 3.207 pupils. In 1929, three English Primary schools were opened in Buea, Besongabang and Bali. In 1931, Nyasoso Basel Mission School was opened. As the number of English schools increased, that of the vernacular schools decreased.

The first teachers were Europeans. They were later on joined by teachers from Ghana, Nigeria and eventually Cameroon. The first Cameroonian teachers were untrained. After sometimes they were given a short In-service Training Programme called (E.T.C.) Elementary Training Course. They were trained to be teachers as well as catechists. They combined the functions of teaching with that of preaching.

The Colonial Government compelled the Churches to organize the school curriculum in such a way that the needs of the state were taken care of. The needs included moulding people for the various clerical jobs, such as Clerks, Secretaries, Messengers, Court Judges and many others.

Government opened a Teacher Training Centre at Kumba. The Basel Mission was allowed to train some of her teachers there. When the Second World War ended, the number of Basel Mission schools and untrained teachers increased tremendously.

In 1944, the Basel Mission opened a one year Teacher Training Centre called (PTC) Preliminary Training Centre at Nyasoso. A few of the teachers were given preliminary training on how to control and teach the pupils. The grade of teachers was “C”.

A Teacher Training Centre (TTC) was opened in 1946 in Bali and was transferred to Batibo in 1947. In 1961, the first Basel Mission Teachers’ Training Centre for women was started in Bafut and latter on transferred to Mankon in 1962. it was called Basel Mission Women’s Teachers’ Training Centre.

The need for a Basel Mission College has been expressed in many meetings since 1929. In 1949, the first Basel Mission College was opened in Bali, now called CPC Bali.

Between 1945 and 1961, many primary schools were opened in Cameroon by the Basel Mission. The schools were divided into two groups. Assisted and unassisted schools. Assisted schools were authorized by the Government to exist and were given Grants-in-Aid, to pay the salaries of the teachers, equip and build the schools.

Unassisted schools were those not authorized by the Government to exist and were not given any Grants-in-Aid. The Missionaries paid the teachers’ salaries and equipped the schools. They were not assisted by the government.

BASEL MISSION PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN 1961

No TYPE OF SCHOOL No. OF SCHOOLS ENROLMENT STAFF
1 Primary schools 171 30.000 1.014
2 Colleges 1 256 15
3 Teacher Training Centres 2 170 10
4 Administration Supervisor = 2 - Manager = 12
Total …………… 174 30.426 1.051

The Basel Mission started with Secondary school Education in 1949, when CPC Bali was opened. It was only for Boys. The need for a second Basel Mission College was high since girls were not accepted for CPC Bali. In 1963, another secondary school was opened in Kumba. Again, only Boys were admitted. In 1964, Girls were admitted into the Basel Mission College Kumba. It was the first co-educational institution in the former West Cameroon. In 1964, a third Basel Mission College was opened at Besongabang.

In 1964, the Basel Mission had three colleges with an enrolment of 540 students and 34 teachers. Between 1964 and 1994 secondary Education expanded as follows: In 1972, PTTC Batibo became PSS Batibo and in 1989, it became PHS Batibo. WTTC Mankon, in 1980 became PSS Mankon.

In 1988, PSS Bafut was opened and in 1989, PCHS Kumbo was acquired from late Pa Sakar. In 1990, PSS Andek and PSS Nkambe were opened. PHMC was opened in 1989 and in 2000 it became PGSST Bafut and PCSS Buea in 1994. For the year 1999, we opened a Girls’ Secondary School (PGSS) Limbe only for girls and Presbyterian Secondary school (PSS) Wum. In the year 2001 we opened PSS Nkwen.

Present Day Presbyterian Education System And Administration

ADMINISTRATION

In 1968, the Basel Mission schools were handed over to the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon then controls the school system by a Committee called Presbyterian Education Authority (PEA) and the Proprietor being the Moderator of the Church.

The administrative work of the Committee is carried out by the Education Secretary who is appointed by the Church.

EDUCATIONAL SET UP

The Table bellow illustrates the Basel Mission school that were handed over to the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon in 1968:

SCHOOLS

NUMBER

ENROLMENT

STAFF

1949 1968 2006 1949 1968 2006 1949 1968 2006
NURSERY - - 31 - - 1.851 - - 70
PRIMARY 81 234 134 7,389 49,306 38,730 410 1.324 896
SECONDARY 1 3 14 57 601 8.619 20 60 410
TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE 1 3 1 58 469 106 10 31 10

TOTAL

83

240

180

7.504

49.306

49.306

440

1.415

1.386

The table displays the Number of schools, Enrolment and Staff in 1949, 1968 and 2004.

NURSERY & PRIMARY EDUCATION

The Primary and Nursery schools of the system are grouped into administrative regions known as Managerial Areas.

No. Administrative Regions No. of Schools Enrolment Manager or Inspector
Nursery Primary Pupils Staff
1 Buea Area 5 16 5.108 126 Chief Tangwe Abenego
2 Kumba Area 11 28 8.027 194 Mr. Ekoi Peter
3 Bamenda East 6 22 8.238 180 Mr. Foncham Frederick
4 Bamenda West 3 20 5.885 134 Fube John
5 Bamenda North Area 3 20 5.564 130 Mr. Ndipen Joseph
6 Kumbo Area 3 28 5.908 132 Mr. Ndeh Christopher
Total 31 134 38.730 896 &snb

The Managers are pedagogic animators as well as Inspectors of Education at their regions. They are all answerable to the Education Secretary.

SECONDARY EDUCATION

No NAME OF SCHOOL YEAR OF CREATION TOTAL ENROL STAFF NAME OF PRINCIPAL IN 2006
1 CPC BALI 1949 705 40 Mr Awantu Samuel
2 PHS KUMBA 1963 987 44 Mr. Bokwe Hans
3 PHS BESONGABANG 1964 325 21 Mr. Effim John
4 PHS BATIBO 1972 784 29 Mr. Mbaku Henry
5 PSS MANKON 1978 1.028 49 Rev. Fomuso B-F Henri
6 PTTC MBENGWI 1981 106 10 Mr. Ambe Walters
7 PSS BAFUT 1988 980 39 Mr. Njita Wilson
8 PCHS KUMBO 1986 208 23 Mr. Kimah Constantine
9 PSS ANDEK 1990 282 21 Mr. Nana Evaristus
10 PSS NKAMBE 1990 193 12 Mr. Akah Jacob
11 PCSS BUEA 1993 935 32 Rev. Dr. S.E. Ntoko
12 PGSST BAFUT 1980 207 23 Mr. Afu Stephens
13 PGSS LIMBE 1999 701 29 Mr. Njie Samuel Kale
14 PSS WUM 1999 263 14 Mr. Etchu Jack Mendi
15 PSS NKWEN 2001 1.021 34 Mrs. Che Christina
TOTAL 8.725 420

Our Secondary schools for the 2006 end of course examinations did excellently well.

DETAILED GENERAL RESULTS FOR 2006 G.C.E

No SCHOOL O/L A/L
SAT PASSED % SAT PASSED %
1 CPC BALI 65 63 96.92 54 53 98.15
2 PHS KUMBA 60 61 98.89 91 74 81.32
3 PHS BESONGABANG 35 28 80.00 31 21 67.74
4 PHS BATIBO 63 63 100 66 58 87.88
5 PSS MANKON 97 97 100 80 80 100
6 PTTC MBENGWI - - - - - -
7 PSS BAFUT 90 89 98.89 89 85 95.51
8 PCHS KUMBO 27 27 100 25 23 92.00
9 PSS ANDEK 21 17 80.95 - - -
10 PSS NKAMBE 25 25 100 - - -
11 PCSS BUEA 106 104 98.11 - - -
12 PGSST BAFUT 19 16 84.21 - - -
13 PGSS LIMBE 106 104 98.11 - - -
14 PSS WUM 43 41 95.35 - - -
15 PSS NKWEN 78 78 100 - - -

The B.M And P.C.C's Education Objectives

The objectives of the Basel Mission and thereafter the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, in Education are the same and are as follows:

  • The transmission from each generation to the next the truth about God, the creator as she understands and believes.
  • To bring such enlightenment that would save people from ignorance, want, prejudice and decease.
  • To provide the necessary skills required for the development of the self and community in accordance with her greatest interest

With these objectives in mind, the PCC is charged with the commission, to make the truth entrusted to it available to each generation. Each new generation must be taught the truth that sets the mind free and be challenged to live at its fullest, and best, and so fulfill the purpose of God. The Church therefore stands at the very core and center of the Christian ménage bidding the Christians in obedience to Christ to seek truth and to see that the young are truly nurtured in His way.

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©:2007 Presbyterian Education Authority P.E.A

Endorsed: Synod