The President of the republic has signed three decrees renaming and reorganising three professional schools in the country. According to the decree the nomenclature of the Advanced School of Post and Telecommunications changed to the Advanced School of Post, Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies, SUP PTIC. Two other decrees reorganised the Advanced School of Public Works and the National Institute of Youth and Sports.

In the new dispensation, all the three higher institutions of learning will provide professional and practical training in information and communication technologies. Besides their traditional missions the colleges will also be capable of creating training and research centres and incubators within their respective areas of competence through a joint decision signed by the supervisory Ministry and the Ministry of Secondary Education.

The institutions have also been empowered to carryout research and provide refresher courses and specialised training to personal in the public and private sectors. The decree also adds that the Director and deputy of each of the schools will be appointed for a period of three years renewable twice. The reorganisation is in line with the Head of State in his 2015 end of year address to the nation for a bridge the digital gap. According to experts the youths will be empowered to take advantage of the development avenues offered by the digital economy to propel Cameroon to emergence.

The Professional Education reforms have been preserved by pundits as the fruits of the National Strategic Plan for the Digital Economy by 2020 that was elaborated and adopted in August 2016. At the Advanced School of Post, Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies, SUP PTIC students will be trained in the domains of Post, Techniques of Electronic Communication, Network Security and Information Systems, Electronic Communication and the Management of Postal Enterprises, Rules and Regulations governing Postal and Electronic Communication with the context of the Bachelor – Masters – Doctorates system.

The Advanced School of Public Works that maintained its name will provide professional and academic training in; Civil Engineering, Rural Engineering, Topography and Surveys, Urbanisation, Environmental Engineering, Geo-Techniques, Hydraulics and Transport. The third decree signed by President Paul Biya this 26th October 2016 reorganises the National Institute of Youth and Sports, and expands its scope of training top include Professional and University training in domains of Science and Technology of Physical and Sporting activities, Animation, leisure and Civic Education.

CRTV