The Crisis of Ethics in Higher Education in Cameroon.

Paper to be presented at the CODESRIA 10^th General Assembly held in Kampala, Uganda on the Theme : Africa in the New Millennium

December 8 – 12, 2002

It goes without saying that, education is the foundation of development and democracy in every culture and on any continent. Laura Bush (2002) noted that education is the key to a more peaceful and prosperous future for all countries and is especially important in areas of conflict or extreme poverty, where it "can help children see beyond a world of a hate and hopelessness". Education produces "greater understanding and tolerance" and invites greater equity. "Because it gives our children the tools they need to succeed in today’s global economy". Previously, Condoleezza Rice (2002) observed that, "education humanizes us and help us to reach into our better selves-promoting understanding and tolerance among people of different races, religions, and ethnicities". As such, education has always been a central mechanism for transmitting skills and values required for the sustenance of societies (Lebakeng & Phalane 2001 : 25).

This paper assumes that higher education plays a vital role in formulating, disseminating, or sustaining ideas that influence and shape both the socio-economic and political developments in Cameroon. As producers of ideas and active participants in the political process, because of their position as teachers in institutions of higher learning – the veritable source of skill man power and future leaders – intellectuals are able to pass along ideas that would influence the pattern of present and future generations and politics (Oyeleye Oyediran 1993 : 221) and development (Kamto 1993). Furthermore, as purveyors of ideas, higher education and more especially intellectuals could be described as Alatas describes them, as the rational segment of the educated elite, which proffers a conscious and intelligent choice of solutions to problems faced by the developing societies (Alatas 1997 : 15 , Sindjoun 1999 : 6).

The crisis of ethics in higher education in Cameroon is taking place against the background of the upsetting of the values scale (Njoh Mouelle 2002) and generalized corruption which not only leads to a misallocation of resources but also erodes the moral fabric of the society. It undermines democracy and subverts the rule of law (Kyarimpa 2001). Bribery, extortion, fraud, kickbacks, and collusion in general have resulted in retarded economies, predator elites and political instability in developing world (Klitgaard 1991).

Unethical behavior is increasingly recognized as a preeminent problem in higher education in Cameroon. This paper deals with dilemmas faced by the actors of higher education and explores the reasons for their unethical behavior. It looks at the cost of unethical practices (Steinberg & Austern 1990 : 2). Thus the central problem is to know whether university should always adhere to its environment while running the risk of compromising itself ? Or does using academic standards imply a failure to respect cultural diversity and national integrity ? (Donalson 1989). What moral obligation does University has to the society ?

Some unethical behavior are due to poor treatment lecturers received from university’s administrators. University should maintain ties relations with the society (Akilagpa Sawyer 1998), without scholars jeopardizing academic liberties otherwise known as University autonomy, ethics, sense of purpose, mission and history.

In fact, the genesis of this paper is a series of participant observation in the university milieu, interviews and focus group discussions. Putting emphasis on the social construction of the ethical crisis in higher education (Berger & Luckman 1986) and empirical study of the university’s actors behavior rather than abstract theories, thoughts or feelings (Roskin 2000 : 27, Donald 1998), the paper examines how self interest, personal relationship, ethnic and national interests and fairness hardly fit together. Finally, this paper discusses the implications of the crisis of ethics in the university community in the wake of democratization and reform of the higher education in Cameroon.

The paper is divided into tree sections. Section 1 is devoted to the historical background and the context shaping unethical practices. Section 2 portrays the unscholarly behavior scenarios in its various forms. Section 3 discusses the consequences of the crisis of ethics in higher education and in the society at whole. The conclusion remark examines the measures that can be put in place to curb unethical practices in higher education and highlights recommendations that could improve the efficacy of the measures aimed at controlling corruption vis-a-vis the future of the country.

Cameroon in its current form is an upshot of diverse historical landmarks. Like every great people, cameroonians have witnessed their country evolve from the epic heroism of resistance to colonial rule to the challenging task of nation building today. In reminiscence, symbols of the "Rio Dos Cameroes" and the "Chariot of the gods", remain glued to the collective consciousness. When the early European explorers encountered tons of prawns at the Wouri estuary the Portuguese word, "Camaroes" eventually became Cameroon. The gigantic active volcano known today as Mount Cameroon was then referred to as the Chariot of the gods. The struggle of early nationalists in harmony with a Continental resistance to colonial rule, touches on the patriotic fibre of a people in quest of national sovereignty (Cameroon Tribune N° 7692/3981). With Independence in 1960, Reunification in 1961 and later Unification in 1972, the nation and its people embarked on a resolute journey towards development and state building.

In tracing the high point between the discovery of the country of prawns by early European explorers and independence of Cameroon in 1960, the 42 years that separate 1918 and 1960 acquired the tag of anomaly. During these four decades also, the people of Cameroon were placed under the rule of two European powers – United Kingdom/Great Britain and France. The demise of German colonial rule at the end of World War One and the concluding Treaty of Versailles saw the implementation of a League of Nations mandate that foisted division on a people. An arbitrary line was dividing families, tribes, clans and a nation. Reunification and Unification strove to erase the scars imposed by these 42 years of division of a peace loving people.

Although English and French languages and culture imbibed during the years of separation were maintained, a lot has been done in erasing the scars of colonial cleavages, and to reinforce a national heritage that, as a matter of collective survival, will for ever remain one and indivisible (Forje 1981). English and French languages remain enshrined in the Constitution as a collective heritage, a screaming barometer reading of a nation and a people with one destiny, facing the challenges of underdevelopment, education and poverty. Bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria, Cameroon plays a major role in the stabilization of the Central Africa region. It gives access seaway in to many neighboring countries such as Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville). Its population, estimated at 15.900.000 based on 475 440 sq km total area, is often distinguished into binary linguistics and religious categories such as Francophone and Anglophone, Muslims dominating the Northern part of the country and Christians in the South ; yet, its ethnic composition is far more complex, more than 230 tribes. The country is also known as "Africa in miniature".

Before independence in 1960, most Cameroonians did higher studies in foreign universities (abroad). In October 1961, higher education was introduced in the country through the National Institute of University’s Studies in Law, Letters and Economic Sciences with only 213 students. After a reshuffle of the different faculties, the Federal University of Cameroon was created in 1962. In 1973, it was rebaptized University of Yaounde. The University population was estimated at 1677 in 1966/67 and 7746 in 1976/77 academic years. In 1977, four University centers were opened in four different regions of the country with, each, its specialty : Buea, translation and interpretation ; Douala, commercial studies ; Dschang, agronomy ; Ngaoundere, agro-industrial sciences. Local realities and needs were taken into consideration in the choice of these options.

In 1986, the university population was estimated at 19 598 students and 44 551 in 1992/93 academic year. This population growth was not been followed with the development of infrastructures or neither of personnel. In 1991/92 academic year, the University of Yaounde has 37 215 students based on a campus built for a maximum capacity of 7 000 students.

The University reform of 1993 saw the creation of six state universities : the University of Yaounde was divided into two universities, University of Yaounde I and University of Yaounde II ; the University centers were transformed into full fresh universities, University of Buea, University of Douala, University of Dschang and University of Ngaoundere. Created in 1991, the Yaounde Catholic Institute was recognized by the state as Catholic University of Central Africa along side other private institutes of higher learning such as Institute Siantou, Institute Ndi Samba and the Advantist University of Nanga Eboko.

Sources : Annuaire statistique de l’enseignement supérieur au Cameroun 2001, MINESUP/DPRC/Cellule de la prospective.

Cameroon by its Constitution has always been a multi-party country, but in practice, Cameroon has always been one-party state ruled by a very strong presidential regime (Aletum 2000 : 147). Due to the wind of change that stated from Eastern Europe and blew as far as to the continent of Africa, and the action of intellectuals, the multi-party system started in Cameroon with the formation of political parties and political associations in 1991.

Since 1990 a democratization of appropriation of the state’s resources can be observed. Three factors can be identified : generally, people had exaggerated expectations from the democratic changes ; secondly, members of the elite who had previously been excluded from one-party system small patronage network saw their chance and tried to gain access to the state’s resources ; thirdly, oppression and control mechanisms that had kept corruption under control have collapsed (Callaghy, Kassimir & Latham 2002). These factors contributed to an increase in corruption, unethical behavior, patronage and other illicit means of appropriation. Such practices have spread from top to bottom with disappointed junior officers imitating their superiors – usually with less success ( Anders 2001 : 5). They also lead to systemic corruption : "A situation where wrong-doing has become the norm, and the standard accepted behavior necessary to accomplish organizational goals according to notions of public responsibility, trust and general interest has become the exception not the rule. In this situation, corruption has become so regularized and institutionalized that organizational supports back wrong-doing actually penalize those who live up to the old norms" (Caiden & Caiden 1977 : 306, Ayee 2001: 3). External code of ethics is contradicted by internal illegal practices in higher education in Cameroon.

This paper is an empirical study on the embeddedness of unethical practices in higher education and this approach is better suited to understand the unscholarly behavior than normative approach based on Western ethics and legal reasoning. By adopting an empirical perspective, the presentation does not pass moral judgement on the crisis of ethics in higher education in Cameroon, although it recognizes its harmful effects (Chabal & Daloz 1999). Despite movement towards democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy.

Ethics is concern with promoting the interest of others (Dienhart & Curnutt 1998). According to DeGeorge (1982 : 12), ethics can be defined as "a systematic attempt through the use of reason to make sense of our individual and social moral experience in such a way as to determine the rules which ought to govern human conduct. Ethics is the concerned with the process by which we clarify what is right and wrong and by which we act on what we take to be right. It involves the use of reason in determining a proper course of action". In effect, the search for ethics is the search for moral standards (Kyarimpa op. cit).

The last decade of the 20^th century has seen a dramatic increase in unethical behavior in higher education in Cameroon. From the inner circle of the University administration to the lecturers and students, scandal after scandal has been followed by indictments and convictions detailed in the banner headlines in newspapers. The University reform of 1993 almost witnesses the unethical fallout. In early 1993, there was also a crash salaries of civil servants. The range of unethical and corrupt practices covers almost every aspect of the life of the University. This involves improperly accepting gifts for academic favors leading to "sexually transmissible marks, selling of examination question and manipulation of results".

When it is only the dishonest and unscrupulous students who passes exams by offering bribes, even honest students will follow suit, not because they are themselves unscrupulous, but because they want to remain in the higher education system. Some students also invest their energies in the pursuit of illicit favors passing their exams not through hard work but through fraud, bribery, dishonesty and collusion.

University’s administrators vie to capture positions of monopolistic disbursement, spending their time and energies not on productive activities but in unproductive pursuit of rents. Or they divert their jobs in such a way as to gain monopoly power over clients resulting to the conflict opposing students, lecturers, parents and the administrators (Olukoshi & Oyekanmi 2001 : 2). They also spend an increasing amount of their time looking for ways to secure bribes and extort payments, rather than exerting themselves in fulfillment of their academic duties (Chachage 2001 : 12).

In fact, mistrust becomes cynicism. And this is the inevitable result for both public and internal reactions to mistrust and venality. Ordinary citizens in and out of the University are led to expect that higher education is not a right but a scare commodity whose supply and prices are controlled by market forces and the entrepreneurial activities of officials (Olukoshi & Oyekanmi op. cit.). Even when real merit is rewarded, even when an actor has done excellent service, in private conversation people denigrate these virtues and pass rumors, or tell jokes about illegitimacy, nepotism and other covert practices that they know or they have "heard" about in connection with this person career and academic background (Klitgaard op. cit. : 45 ; Moukoko Mbondjo, 1993).

Furthermore, a number of reasons have emerged as contributing to the flourishing of unethical behavior in higher education in Cameroon. The prevalence of unscholarly behavior in higher education milieu is also the result of the difficult task of insulating politics from the University. Intellectuals have been more involved in public policy making during Biya regime than during Ahidjo rule (Kom 1993 : 122). On the other hand, intellectuals and higher education have run into more serious conflicts with Ahidjo than Biya governments.

The growth in unethical practices in the 1990s was accentuated by the close relationship between government and university’s administrators on the one hand and "students civil servant" who usually engaged in corrupt acts on the other. Administrators in the words of Werlin (1994), are inevitably guided by politicians who, however, altruistic they may be, are motivated by the need to seek themselves and their supporters special advantages. Such advantages directly or indirectly divert public resources to private gains (cited by Ayee 2001). As Caiden (1988 : 4) points out, probably with Nicolo Machiavelli in mind : "Why should anyone take on the burdens and responsibilities of public leadership if there were no personal advantages, no compensating reward ?" An administrator who seek to escape such political pressure may be, quite correctly, seen as insubordinate and untrustworthy. Administrator, after all, have a duty to be responsive to their political leaders in as much as administrators have themselves no political mandate. But, University’s administrators had became politicians, struggling for higher salaries and promotion. This situation has transformed University to a heavy autocratic bureaucracy (Kontchou 1984). If administrators cease to compete among themselves within their agencies and with colleagues of other agencies, they are likely to become listless and useless.

Lecturers who are supposed to set examination questions and marked answer sheets are sometimes being bribe by some students in order for them to take decisions which are in the interest of those students, especially in view to ameliorate their status or position of the students civil servant.

In addition, the resilience and increasing scale of moral decadence has been attributed to the disruptive nature of 1993 university’s reform and the weakness of the remedies against fraud. Prosecution of fraudulent cases have been hampered by the laws of evidence, especially the accomplice rule which states that the evidence of an accomplice most be corroborated by independent evidence before a conviction can be based on it ; and that every report should be signed by two supervisors whereas in some examination hall there is only one supervisor.

People also commit unethical acts for many other reasons, reasons as varied as greed and ideology. Defenses for why they do contribute to moral decadence in higher education range from being under pressure, the influence of economic hardship and that such act is the only way of surviving, professed or real ignorance of the university regulations, personal reasons.

The state in Cameroon is weakened and fails to enforce the rule of law and implement public policies. Social networks based on kinship, patronage, in turn are very strong and have invaded the state which is used as a resource. They play an important role for the social security of the population. Due to the weakness of public institutions and the lack of social justice, people are forced to rely on support provided by informal networks in times of distress. Lecturers are not only holders of academic titles, they are also tied in a web of rights and obligations in their social networks.

Therefore, corrupt behavior by university’s administrators and lecturers has to be considered in the context of their role in these informal networks. They may violate ethical values by responding to their social obligations. Any analysis ignorant the role of ties based on family and tribal bonds, kinship, patronage and friendship will not contribute to a comprehensive assessment of the crisis of ethics in higher education in Cameroon.

Finally, ethical degeneration in higher education is not only due to individual moral decade, but can also be attributed to structural factors, which are beyond the individual. Most people justify their ethical wrong actions by appealing to our history and ethical relativism. Ethical relativism, is the belief that actions that are immoral in some places or circumstances are moral in others and that one can make moral judgements only by taking into account the context in which an action occurs. Moral concepts, insofar as they possess objectivity, gain legitimacy only through the habit and attitudes of a giving culture in turn, all intercultural comparisons of values are meaningless. For example, it makes no sense to claim that the Western practice of locking thieves up is preferable to the Moslem practice of chopping up their hands. Americans moralize about freedom and democracy, Shiite Moslems moralize about revealed truth of Islam, and both Jews and Palestinians moralize about the right to a homeland. Nevertheless, the consequences of unethical behavior in higher education in Cameroon are enormous.

According to Uchendu (1979 : 281), "in modern Africa, one can not discuss access to wealth and power without discussing formal education. Education policy whether seen broadly in its cultural aspects, or more functionally as the training in skills, is in modern Africa, a basic political issue". This observation is as relevant today as it was in 1979. Individuals and governments continue to attach great importance to education, both for conferring present and future social privileges and national development. Indeed, the legitimacy of most governments rests on their capacity to provide education and its social and economic dividends (Muwanga 2001). The crisis of ethics in higher education broadened educational governance in Cameroon calling into question the traditional division of the specific natures between the state or more especially the society and the university.

Education is a vital component of any society. As Thomas Jefferson wrote : "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never shall be". In contrast to authoritarian societies that seek to inculcate an attitude of passive acceptance, the object of higher education is to produce citizens who are independent, questioning, and analytical in their outlook, yet deeply familiar with precepts and practices of Ethics. Chester E Finn, Jr., once noted that : "People may be born with an appetite for personal freedom, but they are not born with knowledge about the social and political arrangements that make freedom possible over time for themselves and their children … Such things must be acquired. They must be learned" (usinfo.state.gov March 30, 2002). In the same line, Condoleezza Rice affirms that : "Yet in too many places in the world, educational systems fuel old hatreds instead of opening new opportunities. People are not born to hate. They are taught to hate" (op. cit.).

From this perspective, it is not enough to say that the task of education in general in a democratic society is simply to avoid the indoctrination of authoritarian regimes and provide instruction that is neutral concerning ethical values. That is difficult: all education transmits values, intended or not. Students can indeed be taught the principle of ethics and in spirit of open inquiry that is itself an important ethical behavior. At the same time, students should be encouraged to challenge conventional thinking, unscholarly practices with reasoned arguments and careful research. There should be vigorous debate, but the restoration of ethics should not simply ignore events or facts that are unpleasant or controversial. Moreover, the ground rules of the higher education must encourage tolerance and civility in academic debate. In any democratic society, government used higher education as a catalyst to engage the best ideas and energy of the people in a liberal process that is interactive and inclusive. Ensuring every student the highest quality education is essential if the society/state is to remain strong and competitive in today’s economy and to take advantage of the vast opportunities of the Information Age (The 2000 Democratic National Platform : 4).

Unscholarly behavior leads to academic alienation and psychological instability of both university’s administrators, lecturers and students. Corrupt or unethical practices have the effect of poisoning the well of the public trust and confidence in higher education, popular disaffection with illicit activities in the university sector. They erode the positive participation of students, lecturers, university’s administrators in socio-political live of the country. Ethics, transparency, accountability, and social equity are basically maters of conscience, hence higher education and its actors must attend to shape the social conscience through the practice of these values.

The problem of unethical practices in higher education persist, however, and will continue as long as government authorities continue to tolerate and, even worse, contribute to the problem. The fact that government leaders and some parents continue to encourage unethical practices is crucial. Government executives and managers carry the primary responsibility for leadership in developing and maintaining an ethical climate in the society. That they have failed is evident from opinion-poll results (Titi Nwell 1999).

Even though a number of effort have been made to control unethical practices in higher education by improving the system – greater transparency and accountability – more effective oversight and punishment – and by building an academic culture intolerant of fraud, these have produced mitigated result.

The future of higher education in Cameroon depends on the acknowledgement by all that illicit activities in the university milieu is a crime of calculation, not passion. Transparency must be enhanced. The probability of being caught must increase, and the penalties for unscholarly behavior must rise. The possibilities of combating or reducing corruption in the country in general involves a certain amount of "cultural engineering" and establishment of a "national integrity system", which must take corruption as a high-risk and low-return undertaking (Ayee 2001).

It is important to note that it is not viable to change people’s ethical and moral standards without changing the socio-cultural and economic environment that gives rise to ethical and moral decadency (Kyarimpa op.cit.). This calls for a decent living wage for lecturers, quality education for students, introduction of modern managerial skills, the computerization of the universities, reduction in national poverty levels, and gradual change of the cultural values that hamper ethical growth in higher education, in the society.

Responding to the challenges of ethics, integrity, dedication, loyalty, impartiality, professionalism, accountability and financial credibility as the pillars of the behavior of university’s actors is difficult in the present environment. But they are bound to accept the Old Testament admonition, "do not pervert Justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous" (Deuteronomy 16 : 19). In fact, the University is a unique social domain/space, a principal avenue for knowledge production and dissemination that plays a very significant role in the socio-economic and political development of any nation (Aseka 2001 : 17). This paper contends that higher education is the doorway to a productive and satisfying life for the citizens and is an essential ingredient for a healthy democracy, economy and stable work force in every society in the times of globalization where knowledge has supplanted physical capital as the source of wealth and technology. Finally, the integrity of universities depends on the exercise of ethics and academic freedom as foundation of university autonomy which make it "a platform where intellectuals freely debate burning scholarly concerns without feeling hindered by any barriers, including linguistic ones, or treated with suspicion by any body" (Olukoshi 2000 : 4).

AKILAGPA SAWYER (1998), "Faut-il brûler l’université africaine" Bulletin du CODESRIA, 9^ème Assemblée Générale, "Globalisation et Sciences Sociales en Afrique", N°3/4.

ALATAS, S.H. (1977), Intellectuals in developing societies, London, Frank Cass.

ALETUM, T. Michael (2000), Political Sociology, Yaounde, ED. Patoh.

ANDERS, Gerhard (2001), "Rules of Networks, Kinship and patronage : civil servants in Malawi as providers and recipients of social support", AAPS Congress, Paper presented at the African Association of political Science (AAPS) 13^th biennial congress under the theme "African Politics in the new Millenium : Facing the challenges" held in Yaounde, Cameroon, June 19-22, 2001.

Annuaire Statistique de l’Enseignement Supérieur au Cameroun (2001) MINSUP/DPRC/Cellule de la prospective.

ASEKA, Eric M. (2001), "Conflict Resolution in Higher Education in a Globalising Africa : The Case of Moral Authority and Leadership integrity in Management of Universities", CODESRIA Bulletin N° 3 & 4, pp. 17-22.

AYEE, Joseph R.A. (1994), "A code of Ethics for public officials : the Ghanaian experience; 1992 – 96)", International Review of Administrative Sciences, Vol. 63, N° 3, September, 1994, pp. 365-375.

AYEE, Joseph R.A. (2001), "Corruption and the future of the public service in Africa", AAPS, Congress, op. cit.

BERGER, Peter ; LUCKMAN, Thomas (1986), La construction sociale de la réalité. Paris, Meridien Klincksiek.

BIKAS C. SANYAL (dir) (1999), "Evaluation et Enjeux de l’enseignement supérieur du Cameroun. Eléments pour un plan stratégique de développement", Paris, Institut International de planification de l’éducation (IIPE) UNESCO, Mai 1999.