Availability of Material Resources for Effective Implementation of the Policy of Automatic Class Promotion in Public Primary Schools in the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon

As a policy response to the prevalence of high repetition rate in Cameroon primary schools, the government through the ministerial order No. 315/B1/1464/MINEDUB of 21st February 2006 introduced automatic class promotion in these schools.Data reveal that this policy is ineffectively implementedas there is a significant and relatively high repetition rates in Cameroon primary schools even in classes where automatic class promotion is allowed (MINEDUB, 2016). A study (Author, 2018) indicates that this policy is just fairly effectively implemented. This study intends to show the extent to which the availability of material resources in these schools with respect to the instructional materials and physical facilities accounts for the ineffective implementation of this policy. A survey was carried out wherein a questionnaire and an interview guide were used for data collection. Four hundred and fifteen (415) teachers returned completed copies of questionnaire while 25 basic education stakeholders were interviewed. Data analysis reveals that the material resources available in schools understudy is grossly inadequate despite the significant positive relationship between availability of material resources and the effective implementation of the policy of automatic class promotion. Also, inadequacy in material resources is more acute with the availability of instructional materials than physical facilities. It is recommended that the government should conduct need assessment of public primary schools in terms instructional material and physical facilities and ensure the provision of these resources in these schools. Parents and other educational stakeholders should assist the government in the provision of educational resource materials.