Traditional rulers of the Southwest Region, under the umbrella of the Southwest Chiefs’ Conference, SWECC, have decried the marginalisation of Anglophone students seeking admission into the University of Buea, UB.
According to them, Francophone students are given easy access to study in UB than their Anglophone counterparts.
The custodians of tradition urged Government and officials of UB to scrupulously respect the admission requirements of UB, especially the clause that prescribes a pass in English Language at the GCE Ordinary Level.
The Chiefs also said Francophone students seeking admission into UB must sit a competitive entrance examination written in English and not the so called immersion programme.
The Chiefs raised the issue in Buea on Monday, July 17, during an executive meeting of SWECC, chaired by its President, Senator Nfon VE Mukete, Paramount rulers of the Bafaws.
The meeting brought together SWECC executive members from the various Divisions, but for Fako Division that boycotted the meeting.
According to the Chiefs, the entry rules into UB are unfavourable to Anglophones.
They said many Anglophones are denied entry into UB on the premise that they did not pass the English Language exam at the GCE Ordinary Level, whereas the students have studied, written and passed exams using the English Language.
“But Froncophones who can barely speak English, take a few weeks of preparatory classes and are admitted into UB.
The very administration allows lecturers who can barely speak English to lecture students, and sometimes do so in French or Pidgin.”
To the Chiefs, the law prescribing English Language as a requirement for Anglophone students should be repealed and replaced to suit the present needs of the people.
They suggested that if the administration wants to do justice, the English classes and test taken by the Francophone students should also be taken by Anglophones who failed English Language at the GCE Ordinary Level.
Culled from the post newspaper
