Reflection on the Levels of Action of Actors in the Cameroonian Education System in a Context of Decentralization: Collective Construction or Power Games in Secondary Education?

This study provides an insight into the nature of the relationships and interactions of the actors involved in the decentralization process in Cameroon's education sector. Decentralization as a governance modality takes into account the development of relations between the center and the periphery in the management of local affairs (Abouem à Tchoyi & Mandou ,2021). This model of governance brings a new player to the fore: decentralized local authorities, including the regions responsible for secondary education. This new form of State is accompanied by a set of principles and mechanisms, enabling legislators to perceive it as the fundamental axis for the promotion and development of democracy and good governance at local level. The State is no longer the sole and exclusive actor in a decentralized system. The main question is whether decentralization promotes collective construction, or is it merely a representation of the power play between stakeholders in secondary education? The process of subjectivation brought about by decentralization should be addressed, with an emphasis on the interactions between the various players involved in the decentralization process in secondary education. The required methodology is based, on the one hand, on a theoretical framework outlining the principles of decentralization and the powers devolved to the regions in terms of education: and, on the other hand, on an analysis of the texts on decentralization in order to highlight the forces at play, the possible interactions and the interplay of the actors in the educational chain.