The Republic of Cameroon recognises the importance of education in the overall development of the country. The education system is being re-structured at all levels to meet the country's needs. The two major recommendations were the establishment of free compulsory basic education and the training of competent teachers. This is followed by tertiary education in various institutions. The concerns of educationists and the public at large included the lowering of education standards due partly to lack of teachers and lack of access to education at various levels.
Access decreases and facilities worsen as one goes up the ladder.
Non-availability of qualified teachers aggravates the situation. One of the greatest needs of the nation, therefore, is to train teachers for the empty classrooms dotted all over the country. The Ministry of National Education had attempted to solve the problem through Distance Education from 1967 to 1994. The programme targeted both qualified and unqualified teachers and it sought to upgrade the qualifications of professional teachers and provide non-professional teachers with basic professional training. The programme failed mainly because of poor funding and non-availability of appropriate learning materials.