Abstract
English is one of two official languages in Cameroon and it is used as L2 from pre-school to university. It therefore implies that the language is crucial in the academic achievement of primary school pupils. Success in the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) Examination marks the end of the primary cycle and possession of the first education certificate which opens the way to several avenues. However, failure in the English language paper would hardly lead to success in the examination. In addition, the majority of careers require success and competence in the English language. The English language paper then is High-Stakes, with great washback effects not only for pupils and candidates but also for various stakeholders. Recently, there have been loud cries on the disparity existing between English language results and language use of primary school students. The trend seems continuous right up to higher education. The question has been raised as to how to explain the mass success rate in English language in the FSLC Examination given the poor level of communication of students. Many reasons and explanations have been suggested for this state of affairs, such as the policy of education for all, the young ages of pupils, inadequate teaching materials, inadequate teacher training and development, and poor parental support. This chapter takes a critical look at the involvement of classroom teachers in the development, organisation, administration and marking of the English language paper in the FSLC Examination. The chapter attempts to examine the roles and duties of classroom teachers, and whether their involvement enhances or reduces the validity and reliability of the examination.
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Tante, A.C. (2018). A Critical Analysis of Teacher Involvement in the English Language Paper of the First School Leaving Certificate Examination (FSLC) in Cameroon. In: Xerri, D., Vella Briffa, P. (eds) Teacher Involvement in High-Stakes Language Testing. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77177-9_3
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