The List of 105 Illegal Private Secondary Schools, Shut Down by the Cameroon Government Ahead of 2026/2027 Academic Year
The Ministry of Secondary Education (MINESEC) has announced the closure of 105 illegal private secondary schools across Cameroon ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year. The decision follows the signing of three Ministerial Orders by the Minister of Secondary Education aimed at strengthening compliance with national education laws and protecting the quality of secondary education.
According to a press release issued by the Ministry on 20 July 2026, the affected institutions were found to have failed to comply with the legal requirements governing the establishment, opening, and extension of private secondary schools in Cameroon. The closures take immediate effect and will remain in force throughout the 2026/2027 school year.
The Minister urged parents, guardians, and the general public to exercise caution when selecting schools for their children, emphasizing the importance of enrolling students only in institutions that have received official authorization from the Ministry of Secondary Education.
The decision was taken following inspections and investigations carried out by the National Control Brigade for Private Secondary Education Schools (NCBPSES), as well as reports submitted by the Directorate General of Secondary Education (DGSE), the Directorate of Technical and Vocational Secondary Education (DTVSE), and the Ministry’s decentralized services.
Legal Basis for the Decision
The closures are backed by Decision No. 1/96/27/16/MINESEC/SS/SG/DAJ/DGSE/DTVSE/NCBPSES of 03 July 2026, which cites several legal instruments regulating education in Cameroon, including:
- The Constitution of Cameroon;
- Law No. 98/004 of 14 April 1998 laying down guidelines for education in Cameroon;
- Law No. 2004/022 of 22 July 2004 regulating the organization and operation of private education;
- Decree No. 2008/3043/PM of 15 December 2008 establishing the procedures for organizing and operating private education institutions;
- Other decrees governing the organization of the Government and the Ministry of Secondary Education.
Article 1 of the Decision states that the affected schools are being closed due to deficiencies and violations of the legal procedures required for establishing and operating private secondary schools, in accordance with Article 24 of Law No. 2004/022 and Articles 31 and 32 of Decree No. 2008/3043/PM.
Ministry Calls for Vigilance
The Ministry has reiterated its commitment to maintaining standards within the country’s education system and ensuring that all private secondary institutions operate within the legal framework.
Parents have been advised to verify the legal status of schools before enrolling their children to avoid disruptions to their education. The Ministry noted that information on authorized institutions can be obtained through its official website or any decentralized office of the Ministry of Secondary Education.
List of Schools
The Ministry has published the names of the 105 private secondary schools affected by the closure order.
The full list of the banned schools is provided below:
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
