The Divisional delegates of Basic Education, Secondary Education, as well as the heads of vocational schools have until September 20 to enforce a directive from the Senior Divisional Officer of the Meme division, Chamberlain Ntou’ou Ndong. The latter, in a letter of September 5, instructed these officials to seize the heads of schools so that they only let in “students in school uniform”. “A grace period is granted from September 5 to 20, 2022”, specifies the administrative authority for which this measure aims to “avoid criminals in schools in the division of Meme”. However, the Senior Divisional Officer does not specify how the lack of uniform contributes to insecurity in schools.
Since the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis at the end of 2016, schools have regularly been the target of attacks by separatist militias. In October 2020, a group of assailants attacked the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy, killing eight students. And last February, Ambazonia Restoration Forces (ARF) militiamen claimed responsibility for the attack on Queen of the Rosary College Okoyong in Mamfe with no casualties.