A story of inequality: The critical issue of children without birth certificate in Cameroon

In Cameroon, possessing a birth certificate is essential for the transition to secondary school. All students must have a birth certificate to sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination, resulting in the Certificat d'études primaires - CEP) for the francophone subsystem and the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) for the anglophone subsystem.

However, according to the latest statistical yearbook published in early 2024, 1.67 million pupils are without a birth certificate. This represents approximately 29.02% of all school children. The issue is more pronounced at the primary level (30.1%) compared to the pre-primary level (11%). Alarmingly, nearly half (47.1%) of children in rural areas and priority education zones lack birth certificates. The table below illustrates the scale of the problem. 

In Cameroon, children without a birth certificate can lose between five to six years of schooling because they cannot take the CEP/FSLC in the third cycle (CM1/Grade 5 and CM2/Grade 6), even though completion of the 1^st cycle of secondary school is the requirement for integration into productive society.

The prohibitive cost of registration is a financial disincentive for low-income families. In Cameroon, obtaining a birth certificate is a painstaking, multistep process, entailing not only financial costs but intangible costs as well. The uneven distribution of registration centers, especially in rural or remote areas, further exacerbates the problem. Meeting the requirement to obtain a birth certificate when the child is more than six months old is an uncertain journey for Cameroonians, as described below. 

On average, Cameroonians spend CFAF 32,700 ($ 59.5) to obtain a birth certificate, a prohibitive sum in a country where the minimum wage is CFAF 41,875 ($ 71.1) and where 25.7% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 PPP a day. This situation may explain why many children do not have this crucial document.

The lack of birth certificates and the resulting exclusion from examinations significantly contribute to the stagnation in completion rates in Cameroon despite efforts to address this issue during the previous decade.

Providing identification for each child is a core goal targeted through SDG 16.9, which intends to provide legal identity for all free birth registration by 2030. The cost of inaction is very high. A Policy Note by the Cameroon Education team estimated income losses among children who were unable to take the primary school leaving examination because they did not have a birth certificate at nearly 683.76 per year. Expected national income losses in Cameroon over a life cycle could hover around $5,476.612,404.

To support the government in addressing this issue, a multi-sectoral World Bank team, in collaboration with UNICEF, has engaged in a strong policy dialogue over the last two years. Support has been provided through World Bank instruments, to enable updates to the civil registration law to allow for digitalization and process simplification, a comprehensive diagnostic with recommendations to resolve all civil registration challenges holistically, providing incentives at the decentralized level for increased birth registration, and a special operation to provide those children who cannot sit for exams this year with a birth certificate. This highlights the value of holistic approaches that consider various dimensions of a problem and demonstrates the importance of collaboration across different sectors to address complex issues.

The special operation, conducted from April 1 to 30, 2024, aimed at mass issuance of birth certificates to all students who could not take exams due to the lack of a birth certificate. This operation was the result of collaboration between the World Bank team, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry of Education. To support the success of this operation, the Ministry of Basic Education (MINEDUB) extended the deadline for application submission to the CEP and FSLC exams. Instead of the end of February (the yearly official deadline), the students received a waiver and could apply until the end of April 2024. This extension allowed students to obtain their birth certificates in time to complete their application files.

While the special operation successfully addressed the problem this year, finding a definitive solution to this issue is imperative.

In the face of mounting development challenges, decisive action is critical to ensure all boys and girls in Cameroon have access to quality education right now, while continuing to focus on their successful completion of secondary school and transition into the labor force in the medium term.

 5 Ways to Create Change:

1. Holistic Approaches: Addressing the birth certificate issue requires a multifaceted strategy involving various sectors, including education, digital development, justice, and social protection.
2. Collaboration: Effective collaboration between international organizations, government ministries, and local communities can lead to successful interventions.
3. Accessibility and Affordability: Ensuring that birth registration processes are accessible and affordable is crucial for increasing registration rates.
4. Policy and Legislative Support: Enacting and updating supportive policies and laws are fundamental to streamlining processes and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles.
5. Long-term Solutions: Temporary measures can provide immediate relief, but sustainable, long-term solutions are necessary to address systemic issues.