The Yabassi Technical and Professional Agricultural High School came first on the ranking of public technical schools and 15th generally in the 2018 edition of the yearly national classification issued by the French education examination board, Office du Bac. This is an exploit given that the school went operational barely two years ago and is not yet exploring its full potentials. Created in 2016 as fruit of Sino-Cameroon cooperation, the school disposes of ultra modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art logistics.

From a distance the campus looks like a jewel in the jungles. In the words of the principal of the school Bang Njenjock David, “we have infrastructure found nowhere else in Cameroon.” The success of the Yabassi technical and Agricultural High School is testimony to the fact that when there is an enabling environment, results follow. Of course, this without taking away the dedication and determination of the staff and students.

The school has a total of 20 buildings comprising administrative offices, classrooms, workshops, refectory, multimedia centre, laboratories, library and dormitories. It also has recreational facilities such as a football field, basketball, handball court and a tennis court. There is a standby generator of 375kv/a capacity and a water tank of 250,000 litres. The institution also has logistic equipment consisting of six tractors two excavators, automobile engine training platforms, incubators for chicken with a capacity of 1,400 eggs and broilers. There is also a solar panel to supplement for electricity. The school offers courses in the production of cereals, roots and tubers, vegetables, piggery, poultry, aquaculture, processing and conservation of agricultural products as well as the maintenance of agricultural equipment. Entrance into the school is by competitive exams and open to holders of the First School Leaving Certificate or its equivalent for the first cycle and holders of the ‘O’ level or its equivalent for the second cycle. The school falls within government’s new vision for technical education that trains youth who can be self employed or create jobs instead of seeking for jobs after school.

Their classification on top of the charts is due to the performance in the Probatoire exams only where 70 of the 79 candidates who went in for the exams passed, giving them a score of 88.61 per cent. The principal says they will target 100 per cent in the Baccalaureate exams with their first batch of students to sit for the exams this year. He says their ranking is a source of pride and a call to service. So therefore they will be striving to do better in the future.

While expressing gratitude to President Paul Biya for having offered such a jewel to the people of Nkam Division, like the proverbial Oliver Twist, he asked for more. The school needs an increase in its running budget so as to be able to take care of the piggery, poultry, establish demonstration farms as well as warehouses for the tractors, chicken incubators….