Secondary School History Curriculum Reform in Cameroon and China

Abstract

China has embarked on various curriculum reforms, including History subject curriculum reform. The goal was to set up quality education throughout the country. To meet this goal, the Chinese authorities have set up a comprehensive modern curriculum system. The content of the curriculum has been a part of the success of quality education and has contributed a great deal to political, economic and cultural development in the country. Every country, including China and Cameroon, has a strong ambition on strengthening secondary education, which is usually carried out by the introduction of curricular reforms. The history subject curriculum reform has as its intention the introduction of changes in relation to the content and method of teaching the subject with the ultimate goal of establishing quality education. However, according to available data in Cameroon, along with the existence of persistent low access to education, there is also the implications of poor knowledge acquisition by students, indications of the weaknesses in the curriculum reform implementation process and by extension of the education system (Cameroon, 2013 P44). This article attempts a comparative study exploring the history curriculum implementation process in both China and Cameroon. Data was collected through official documents, field observation and interviews. The study shows that in terms of content of history curriculum, the common goal is to adapt the content to the new vision of education in both countries. The history subject teaching method is intended to have the student at the center of learning in both countries. On the strategy for implementing the new history curriculum reform, the preparatory phases were clearly elaborated by the Ministries of Education in the two countries, the difference is at the level of implementation of the history curriculum reform by the regulatory bodies charged with the implementation roles. The collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the bodies such as National Center for School Curriculum and Text Book Development (NCCT) and Research Centers for Basic Education Curriculum (RCBEC), and Normal universities allow the taking into account of national, regional and local realities in the implementation of the new curriculum in China. In Cameroon, collaboration exists between the regular schools and the Ministry of Education through the General Inspectorate of Education. However, because of centralization; regional delegations and division delegates can only apply resolutions from central administration without cognizance of the existing realities of the local environment in which the curriculum reform is implemented. The Chinese experience as shown by the study can be a reference to Cameroon in terms of collaboration for implementation from the central to the regional governments.

Keywords: Cameroon; China; Curriculum Reform; History subject