This ambition cannot remain a mere aspiration; it requires scientific rigour and highly precise measurement tools to ensure that no one is left behind. The Support Programme for the Professionalisation of the Teaching Profession in Cameroon (PAPMEC), supported by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), is the driving force behind this transformation.
The journey to measure this transformation through learning assessment began amid the bustle of 25 classrooms across the country, where experts from the Learning Achievement Pilot Unit and UNESCO captured the daily realities of teaching. This journey continued during the lively workshop held in the town of Soa from 25 May to 2 June 2026, which became a veritable hive of reflection. Through plenary sessions and thematic working groups, specialists discussed every cognitive competency in the primary school curriculum in order to transform field observations into a solid Reference Framework that ensures the objectivity of the measurements and has been validated by MINEDUB’s highest authorities.
Beyond the development of a technical document, this Reference Framework now serves as the compass for producing reliable data on primary school pupils’ learning over the next four years, guiding education policies and supporting the professionalisation of teachers, which is the central objective of PAPMEC.
This progress illustrates the joint commitment of MINEDUB, UNESCO and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) to equipping Cameroon with evidence based management tools that support the sustainable transformation of the education system.
UNESCO Supports the Development of Innovative Tools to Measure Pupils’ Learning in Cameroon
Following the validation of the Reference Framework, another decisive step has been taken in preparing the first national learning assessment. UNESCO continues to support the Ministry of Basic Education in equipping Cameroon with reliable instruments for measuring pupils’ learning outcomes and informing decisions aimed at improving the quality of education.
As part of this process, assessors, pedagogical inspectors, teachers from the French speaking and English speaking subsystems, as well as learning assessment specialists, met in Douala from 8 to 17 June 2026 to develop the national assessment tools. Participants developed item banks in French, English and mathematics, contextual questionnaires for pupils, teachers and schools, as well as the various data collection instruments. All these tools were developed in accordance with the previously validated Reference Framework and international learning assessment standards.
The work followed a participatory approach that combined technical expertise, collective review and the progressive validation of the various instruments. This approach helped ensure the quality, relevance and adaptation of the tools to the Cameroonian education context, while preparing the next phases of testing and field deployment.
By providing robust and contextualised tools, this activity is helping to equip Cameroon with an assessment system capable of identifying learning difficulties, improving understanding of the factors that influence academic performance and guiding interventions to promote the success of all pupils. It forms part of the Support Programme for the Professionalisation of the Teaching Profession in Cameroon (PAPMEC), funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and implemented by MINEDUB with UNESCO’s technical support, with a view to sustainably strengthening the quality of learning and supporting the transformation of Cameroon’s education system.
read more: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/transforming-education-cameroon-new-compass-assessing-learning-outcomes-over-next-four-years?hub=701
