Le college international la gaiete de 1996 a 2016 : un cas d’integration par l’ecole ?

Abstract

The choice of this theme is of proven scientific importance because the ‘‘Collège international la Gaieté’’ is a benchmark establishment in term of training and integration. It is a secular establishment and member of OPEL, it is known for its iron discipline, its satisfactory results and its strong involvement in the fight against unemployment among young Cameroonian and foreign graduates. As a result, it appears both as a factor of economic development and as a driving force for national, sub-regional, regional and international integration. However, like all schools, whether public or private, the CPG faces many problems. Thus, to better reconstruct the historical facts in time and space, we have opted for a diachronic methodological approach based on analyses over a broad period, the collection and processing of data, the starting point of this collection being the CPG, the basis of all information relating to the structure itself in the interval of our historical division, namely: 1996-2016. Furthermore, the multidisciplinary approach involving other sciences such as Sociology, Geography, Educational sciences and Political science which are combined with history, allowed us to better understand the behaviors of different actors and to better interpret maps, pedagogical canons and diplomatic purple. Constructivist and integrationist theories respectively considered as historical constructions carried by actors and as policies promoting social integration. Similarly, transnationalism allowed us to understand the interdependence of State and no-State actors on the international scene. Therefore, the presence of foreign students at the CPG is the result of Cameroon’s foreign policy. In short, this work allowed us to discover the CPG is a partner of the Cameroonian government in education, a driver of economic development and a real actor of national and international integration. Also, the disparity between the staff from the West Cameroon region and those from other regions allows us to conclude that there is a policy on voluntary exclusion of non-natives within this institution, or pure and simple tribalism.