Sahel EDU

The vocabulary of the anglophone school in Cameroon, with French and Arabic equivalents

Anglophone and bilingual schools in Cameroon use English vocabulary that francophone heads and parents meet without always knowing it: GCE, Form, term, Principal, Bursar. This glossary defines each term, gives its francophone equivalent where one exists, and its Arabic translation. Actual duties always depend on the rules of each school.

GCE Board exams and entrance exams

The anglophone sub-system takes its end-of-cycle exams with the GCE Board, based in Buea, while entrance exams and the primary certificate come under the ministries.

GCE Board (Arabic: مجلس الشهادة العامة للتعليم): the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board, which runs the GCE Ordinary Level, the GCE Advanced Level and the TVEE technical exams.
GCE Ordinary Level, or O Level (Arabic: المستوى العادي): the exam taken in Form 5, at the end of the first cycle, comparable in level to the French-style BEPC. In general, grades A, B and C are pass grades.
GCE Advanced Level, or A Level (Arabic: المستوى المتقدم): the exam taken in Upper Sixth, at the end of the second cycle, comparable in level to the baccalauréat. In general, grades A to E are pass grades.
TVEE (Arabic: امتحانات التعليم التقني والمهني): the Intermediate and Advanced exams of the anglophone technical stream.
FSLC (Arabic: شهادة إتمام الدراسة الابتدائية): the First School Leaving Certificate, taken at the end of Class 6 and run by MINEDUB; the francophone equivalent is the CEP.
Common Entrance (Arabic: مباراة الدخول إلى الثانوي): the secondary school entrance exam, run by MINESEC, equivalent to the entrance exam to 6e.
Mock exam (Arabic: الامتحان التجريبي): a practice paper set before the official exam, sometimes nationally for primary.

Classes and levels

The anglophone structure does not follow the francophone one: the first cycle lasts five years and the second cycle two.

Nursery One and Nursery Two (Arabic: الروضة الأولى والثانية): the two years of nursery school.
Class 1 to Class 6 (Arabic: الأقسام من الأول إلى السادس الابتدائي): primary school, organised in three levels of two years: Level I, Level II and Level III.
Form 1 to Form 5 (Arabic: السنوات من الأولى إلى الخامسة من الثانوي): the lower secondary cycle, ending with the GCE Ordinary Level.
Lower Sixth (Arabic: السنة الأولى من الدورة الثانية): the first year of preparation for the GCE Advanced Level.
Upper Sixth (Arabic: السنة الثانية والأخيرة من الدورة الثانية): the second year, ending with the GCE Advanced Level.
Year 1 to Year 7 (Arabic: السنوات من الأولى إلى السابعة في التعليم التقني): the anglophone technical stream prepares for the TVEE Intermediate and then the TVEE Advanced.

Management and supervision

In a bilingual school you meet both vocabularies. The equivalents below are approximate: exact duties are in the school’s own rules.

Principal (Arabic: رئيس المؤسسة): runs an anglophone secondary school; the francophone equivalent is the proviseur or principal.
Vice Principal (Arabic: نائب رئيس المؤسسة، ويقابله الناظر): the Principal’s deputy, often in charge of studies and teaching; the francophone equivalent is the censeur.
Headteacher (Arabic: مدير المدرسة الابتدائية): runs a primary or nursery school.
Discipline Master (Arabic: مسؤول الانضباط، ويقابله المراقب العام): in charge of discipline, absences and late arrivals; the francophone equivalent is the surveillant général.
Bursar (Arabic: المقتصد): in charge of the school’s finances and equipment; the francophone equivalent is the économe or intendant.
Form Master or Form Mistress (Arabic: الأستاذ الرئيسي): the teacher who follows one class; in primary, the term is Class Teacher.
Head of Department (Arabic: رئيس القسم البيداغوجي): a teacher who coordinates a subject or a group of subjects.

Assessment and the report card

The year is divided into three terms, and regular assessments are called sequence tests in many anglophone schools.

Term (Arabic: الفصل): one of the three periods of the school year: first, second and third term.
Sequence (Arabic: التقويم): an assessment period within a term; common practice has two per term.
Continuous assessment (Arabic: التقويم المستمر): regular assessments carried out throughout the year that count towards the results.
Report card or report booklet (Arabic: كشف الدرجات): an end-of-period document with the marks for each subject, the average, the rank and the remarks.
Mark (Arabic: الدرجة): the numerical result obtained in a subject; the word grade means the band, A to F for example.
Class council (Arabic: مجلس القسم): a meeting of a class’s teaching team that reviews the results and decides on promotion.
Composition (Arabic: الاختبار الكتابي): the written paper at the end of a term or year; the official calendar gives its dates.

Documents and school life

A few more words complete the list; they come up in dealings with parents and authorities.

PTA (Arabic: جمعية أولياء التلاميذ والمعلمين): the parents’ and teachers’ association, which brings parents and teachers together around the school; the francophone term is APEE.
Disciplinary council (Arabic: مجلس التأديب): the body that judges serious faults and decides on the heaviest sanctions.
Leaving certificate (Arabic: شهادة المغادرة): a certificate of departure asked for when enrolling in another school; the francophone term is exeat.
Attendance register (Arabic: سجل الحضور): the book in which the teacher notes presences and absences at each session.
Honour roll (Arabic: لوحة الشرف): the list of students distinguished by the class council for their results.
Unique student number (Arabic: رقم التسجيل الموحد): the student’s national identifier, asked for in exams.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GCE Ordinary Level and GCE Advanced Level?

The O Level is taken at the end of the first cycle, in Form 5; the A Level at the end of the second cycle, in Upper Sixth. Both are run by the GCE Board.

What are the equivalents of the BEPC and the baccalauréat in the anglophone sub-system?

The GCE Ordinary Level and the GCE Advanced Level hold the same place in the pathway, at the end of each cycle. These are matches of level, not equivalences of diploma.

Are the Vice Principal and the Discipline Master the censeur and the surveillant général?

They roughly correspond: the first follows studies, the second discipline. Their exact duties vary from one school to another.

Does a bilingual school use both vocabularies?

Yes. Each section keeps its own, for example term and report card on the anglophone side, trimestre and bulletin on the francophone side.

Does Sahel EDU handle the anglophone sub-system?

Yes, with GCE grading scales for the school to confirm, an English report card and terms. The coefficients of cycles other than the general upper cycle are for the head to confirm.

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