Partially substantiated rumor has it that the Americans who had resuscitated GTC Ombe in 1962 planned to upgrade it into a polytechnic for the formation of full-fledged engineers. Such plans, if they ever existed, as well as the City and Guilds examinations rapidly faded into oblivion and became no more than an entry in the annals of history as part of the many casualties of the political developments that culminated in transforming the Federal Republic of Cameroon into a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon, in 1972.

The emergence of a unitary Cameroonian state ushered a new era with unprecedented consequential changes to Ombe. For starters, Francophone administrators and teachers with no proficiency in the English language were assigned to replace their Anglophone technical education counterparts. The initial round of replacement, including the replacement of the Principal, Chief of Works, General Warden and many workshop heads and teachers occurred in September 1974. This is when a heavily distorted version of Pidgin English ‘officially’ became the de facto medium of instruction in workshops and classrooms at Ombe. This period also marked the onset of the incessant disappearance of some the institution’s most valuable pieces of equipment, including rare tools and machines that distinguished it from its peers throughout Cameroon. These had been used to train the privileged students who passed through the institution since its founding in 1952.

Thus, September 1974 can be viewed as the point at which Ombe began losing its once highly treasured allure. Paradoxically, this is also the time when technical education in Anglophone Cameroon witnessed a significant increase in the number of state-owned and operated government technical secondary schools. Another irony in this connection is the fact that the quantitative increase in the ranks of these schools was never matched by a corresponding increase in the number of Anglophone technical teachers. Consequently, Francophone technical teachers continued to enjoy an inexplicable numerical superiority over their Anglophone peers in the Anglophone regions.

“Thus, September 1974 can be viewed as the point at which Ombe began losing its once highly treasured allure”.

By the mid-1980s, examinations, particularly the City and Guilds of London Institute for which Ombe was noted, had been replaced with French equivalents such as the Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnel (CAP), the Baccalaureate Technique (Bac-Technique). These were later replaced with the Technical General Certificate of Education (Technical GCE). Efforts to integrate these examinations into the Anglophone subsystem have left much to be desired. Apart from this, the technical schools are graduating individuals that are illprepared for roles as technicians. What is the way forward? This is the perennial question that must perforce be addressed in any meaningful initiative to ameliorate the quality of graduates from Ombe and cognate institutions “Thus, September 1974 can be viewed as the point at which Ombe began losing its once highly treasured allure”. 5 especially in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon. To this end, the following recommendations are proffered.

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❖ Prohibit the use of Pidgin English as a language of instruction in technical (and of course, other) schools. Therefore, proficiency (preferably, native fluency) in written and verbal English must be instituted as a pre-requisite to teach in the English sub-system of education in Cameroon.

❖ Invest in efforts to arm students with the skills necessary function with facility in their respective industries.

❖ Reinforce students’ competence in technical and general education.

❖ Endow students with digital skills by expanding their access to digital technology including digital hardware and software.

❖ Align technical and vocational education course offerings to 21st century labour market demands.

❖ Accentuate the importance and need of entrepreneurship and work readiness skills in the 21st century labour market.

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By the mid-1980s, examinations, particularly the City and Guilds of London Institute for which Ombe was noted, had been replaced with French equivalents such as the Certificat d’Aptitude Professionnel (CAP), the Baccalaureate Technique

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My talk begs the following hard-to-ignore questions. Is there a role for OOSA, North America in efforts to rebuild Ombe’s image? If so, what is this role? The response to the former question is resoundingly in the affirmative. To address the latter, it is necessary to appreciate the reciprocal relationship between the alumni of an institution and the institution. The relationship is reciprocal because they have a mutual need for each other. Whether known or unbeknownst to its authorities, Ombe needs the support of its alumni, qualified as all who have ever attended the institution. For the institution, it can view its former students as constituting its most loyal supporters and ideal role models for its current students. As for the alumni, by lending a helping hand to the institution to become successful and attain greater heights, they are enhancing the value of their Ombe-issued diplomas and other credentials. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the two parties—OOSA-North America and Ombe—to collaborate in initiatives to restore the institution’s image and notoriety.