English-medium instruction in an English–French bilingual setting: issues of quality and equity in Cameroon

Despite its multilingual nature Cameroon’s educational system provides for full immersion into either French-medium or English-medium education from the first year schooling. Following political tensions in the early 1990s the country decided to reaffirm its commitment to promote bilingualism in the educational system with the outcome being the implementation of various forms of bilingual education models across the country, including, in recent years, a dramatic rise in the number of children from ‘Francophone’ homes enrolling in English-medium schools. This paper examines this rising interest in English-medium instruction (EMI) in a country where French is still the language of political power and administration and where there is still very little evidence that even ‘Anglophone’ children sufficiently benefit from EMI. Drawing from an analysis of data collected from school children, parents, teachers and a school inspector, this article reveals existing complexities, challenges and possibilities arising from the current trend and presents a holistic picture of the realities of EMI in this immensely multilingual country.