The Status of Academic Freedom in Cameroon

Abstract Academic freedom is seen as the freedom of teachers, students, and academic institutions to pursue knowledge wherever it may lead, without undue or unreasonable interference (Nelson, 2010). This chapter looks at this concept of academic freedom and argues that the centralized system of education in Cameroon constitutes an abating factor for academic freedom. That is, emphasis is placed on the health of academic freedom noting that colonialism, politics, religion, undemocratic and corrupt government, as well as the control of social media and civil liberties play a significant part in stifling academic freedom. Information is drawn from the literature in the field, recent research, and current events in the country. This chapter describes the challenges and variables at work that have led to the decline of academic freedom in the country, revealing the fact that educators who carry out research, teach or communicate ideas or facts that are inconvenient to the parents, faith organizations, and the ruling political party find themselves likely to be fired from their jobs, targeted for public defamation, and even detained in maximum security jails. It further points out that academic freedom is important to the development of a country and a country which does not allow freedom risks promoting bad, irrational, and toxic ideas (Sayer, 2017). Since the right to academic freedom is under attack, there is a danger of stifling original, beneficial, and innovative ideas from researchers, and Cameroon misses out on the benefits of the academic freedom.