Earth Science Education in Cameroon: a case study from the University of Buea

Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English being the official languages. This bicultural status is linked to pre-independence colonisation of the territory. Consequently, two educational systems exist in formal schools, colleges and the university sector. Studies of Earth Science Education curricula in these systems show completely divergent approaches in colleges and at the Tertiary level. An assessment of the factors that influence these divergences shows their relationship to the cultural background and to available expertise. From 1962 to 1992, Earth Science Education at the Tertiary level was limited to the unique University of Yaoundé and was based on the French system, even though the University served both systems. The curriculum was not related to the major priority needs of the country with respect to its natural or mineral resources and this handicap is being felt today. However, the creation in 1993 of six independent government universities in the country, with one — the University of Buea — being of an ‘Anglo-Saxon’ tradition, has resulted in the development of varied curricula in Earth Science Education in five of these universities. The varied approach is aimed at meeting manpower needs in priority areas of the subject in future. A comparison of the Earth Science curricula from 1993 to 1998 in the Universities of Yaoundé I, Douala and Buea is used to identify the divergent approaches and the expected advantages of each curriculum. A more detailed evaluation of the curriculum in the University of Buea is used to highlight the attempt being made to train geoscientists who will be capable of exploiting the natural resources of the country and equally ensure the conservation of the environment for future generations.