Through a series of strategic initiatives led by the Government, with technical support from UNESCO Central Africa, the country is deploying significant resources to ensure that no learner is left behind (‘Leave No One Behind’). These major advances form part of the direct implementation of the National Policy on Inclusive Education (PNEI) and are funded by the global Education Cannot Wait (ECW) fund through its Multi-Year Resilience Programme (PPR).
1. In Yaoundé: Evidence-based approaches and a culture of diversity to tackle school dropout
The assessment is clear and calls on all stakeholders to take action: According to data from the 5th Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM 5), approximately 2,932,576 children, adolescents, and young people of school age between 4 and 18 years old were out of school during the 2020-2021 school year.
L’exclusion commence très tôt dans le système éducatif camerounais : 419 228 enfants d’âge scolaire de cinq ans, soit près d’un enfant sur deux (47,8 %), ne bénéficient d’aucune activité organisée d’éveil préscolaire. Dans l’enseignement primaire, 1 014 644 enfants (20,4 % des enfants d’âge scolaire de 6‑11 ans) ne sont pas scolarisés. Au premier cycle du secondaire, 401 348 adolescents (15,5 % d’adolescents d’âge scolaire de 12-15 ans) sont exclus, tandis qu’au second cycle, la proportion atteint 32,2 %, soit 517 751 jeunes d’âge scolaire de 16‑18 ans. Par ailleurs, pour les élèves ayant eu la chance d’accéder à l’école, un nombre important se trouve en situation de sur-âge, facteur de risque majeur d’abandon/décrochage scolaire : (i) 469 243 élèves du primaire (9,4 %) ont 14 ans ou plus ; (ii) 236 758 élèves du premier cycle secondaire (15,6 %) ont 18 ans ou plus ; (iii) 185 977 élèves du second cycle secondaire (25,6 %) ont 21 ans ou plus.
Face à ce défi, une cérémonie officielle s’est tenue à Yaoundé pour présenter les conclusions d’une étude d’envergure nationale sur la situation des enfants et jeunes adolescents en dehors du système scolaire (OOSC) et des élèves à risque d’exclusion (DROC).
Bringing together around a hundred participants — including ministerial authorities (MINEDUB, MINESEC, MINESUP, MINEFOP, MINJEC), technical and financial partners, civil society and the media — this event highlighted reliable data to help better target and refine national public policies.
Alongside this mapping of vulnerabilities, emphasis was placed on strengthening the learning environment. The ceremony thus provided the setting for the official handover of the National Framework for Socio-Cultural and Sporting Activities (in the form of a Practical Guide for Facilitators on the promotion of cultural diversity and inclusion). This framework aims to standardise and revitalise extracurricular activities, sport and the arts, which are recognised as powerful drivers of resilience to encourage pupils to persevere and remain in school.
In Kribi: A landmark regulatory framework establishing criteria and procedures for the referral and provision of medical, educational, and social care to persons with special needs in educational or training institutions.
As a direct follow-up to these grassroots initiatives, the city of Kribi hosted a crucial strategic workshop focused on embedding inclusion within the institutional framework. From 15 to 19 June 2026, more than 60 experts from 10 sectoral ministries, 12 civil society organisations and specialist bodies came together to draft a groundbreaking regulatory text.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/inclusive-education-cameroon-multi-year-resilience-programme-ppr-takes-major-step-forward-tackling?hub=701
