The University of Buea (UB) has announced its readiness to make distance learning more realistic come next academic year. This was the result of a workshop which took place recently in UB.

For three-days participants from Cameroon, Nigeria and Britain were involved in a brainstorming workshop on the theme "Course Writing Driven for Distance Learning " . The workshop provided an opportunity for participants, mostly teachers, to excel in the execution of their teaching profession. The participants also resolved to provide the course content before August 31 and to start effective teaching immediately when schools re open. Meanwhile, the university library will be entrusted to have products for distant learning to ease research. ASTI (Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters) on its part, will be charged with translating the courses in the different languages. Both the first and second semester courses were worked on to ensure effectiveness and continuity next academic year.

Organised by the Faculty of Education, experts from the Commonwealth, Nigeria and Cameroon presented discourse on various topics such as, " Teacher mobility and Commonwealth Teacher recruitment protocol". Presenting her paper, one of the resource persons Dr Roli Johnson,(from the Commonwealth) disclosed that the status of teachers has been eroded, devalued; adding that the teaching profession is no longer considered as first choice. She said most young people get into teaching as the last resort.

Talking to CT, the Dean of the Faculty of Education Professor Theresa Tchombe revealed that distance education will do a great job for UB. She was optimistic that the staff of her faculty are ready and can write the courses. She remarked that " We are ready. Come next year we will launch our programmes."