CBC Health Services donates Another Braille Embosser to Cameroon GCE Board
The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services’ Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SEEPD) program has handed over a Braille Embosser and an Acoustic Hood worth over 7 million FCFA to the Cameroon General Certificate of Education, GCE Board. The objective of the donation is in line with the partnership framework aimed at supporting the Board in mainstreaming disability in the organization and conduct of end of course examinations in the country. The handing over ceremony was held on March 2, 2022, at the premises of the GCE Board in Buea of the Southwest Region of Cameroon.
In his handing over address, the Director of CBC Health Services, Prof. Tih Pius Muffih indicated that the move is coming ten years after an initial donation of an Everest-V4 Braille Embosser was given to the GCE Board to facilitate large scale production of examination questions for candidates with visual impairment across the national territory. Compared to ten years ago, Prof. Tih noted that with more candidates with visual impairment writing the GCE exams and requiring an advanced technology that facilitates exam preparation by the Board, there is a need for an advanced technology. The Everest-D V5 Braille Embosser is a stich in time as it further embosses 400 A4 pages per hour, automatic booklet format printing with horizontal and vertical printing options whereas the Everest Acoustic Hood donated alongside provides a cost-effective solution for housing 99% of the natural noise made when using the Braille Embosser.
GCE Board Registrar applauds CBCHS for supporting the Board to foster inclusion in Exams
The Registrar of the GCE Board, Dang Akuh Dominic, in receiving the equipment, highlighted that, it will facilitate work for students with an impairment especially those with vision loss. “It has been very challenging organizing exams for students with visual impairment and every attempt made to get someone competent to facilitate the process for the Board has been difficult. No government subvention has ever been given to handle this concerns and no funds are available to set up a special center to handle such. That is why I am thankful you have come in. Your input is very useful and you are an indispensable partner. The effective brailing of scripts for students with visual impairment will allow for evaluation to be done at same wavelength,” Dang Akuh intimated.
Mr. Dang amongst other things solicited the CBC Health Services to construct a resource center on the premises of the GCE Board to enhance inclusion in the organization and conduct of inclusive end of course exams. His initiative to make the examination environment conducive for students with impairments and many others with impairments was appreciated and noted by the CBC Health Services’ Director.
SEEPD Program Manager, Mr. Awa Jacques Chirac, for his part, noted that the program has put in place a technical team at the disposal of the Board to provide orientation on the effective use and management of the equipment. After the handing over, the technical team immediately went to work, providing training to six staff of the Board assigned by the Registrar.
It should be noted that in the last quarter of 2021, the collaboration between the GCE Board and CBC Health Services led to a learning research, aimed at understanding the challenges of organizing inclusive end-of-course exams by the Board. The findings from that research which was welcomed by the Register and presented during the handing ceremony by the SEEPD Program Education Advisor, is hoped, will lead to the development of a strategy document for the organization and conduct of inclusive exams by the Cameroon GCE Board.
CBCHS & GCE Board staff poised to make GEC exams inclusive
The handing over ceremony brought together some key staff of the GCE Board, the SEEPD Program Manager, Education Advisor, Program Officer, and the media who saluted the gesture from the CBC Health Services
The donation was just one of the series of actions by the CBC Health Services through its SEEPD and EDID Programs in collaborating with educational stakeholders in Cameroon to foster inclusive education. In the past years, thanks to advocacy from the CBC Health Services, the GCE Board over the years has made intentional efforts to ensure the effective inclusion and participation of learners with disabilities in end of course exams organized by the Board. Some of these efforts include; allocating additional time to candidates with disabilities, creation of special exams centers in some regions of the country like in Baptist High School Buea, Government Bilingual High School Bamenda, with the most recent being at Lycee Classique de Bafoussam which has been refurbished and equipped, thanks to support from Liliane Foundation in the Netherlands, and assigning scribes for candidates with manual dexterity challenges.
The SEEEPD Program acknowledges the support of the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).