Our History
In 2002 an idea was born to collect books and deliver them to a learning centre in Kumba, Cameroon, (birthplace of John Eta) where local students could come to study and access books not available to them in any other way. Funds were raised to open the centre by 2004 and a few books were transported there by Mr. Eta.
In the summer of 2005, some senior students and parents traveled to Kumba, to deliver more books and 2 computers to the learning centre. It seemed that the Learning Centre was not well used and so the idea became a school. That September, Eta College – Kumba, A School for Bright and Gifted Children opened with 8 students in Form 1. The school is situated on the Eta Family compound and, at that time, had room for about 60 students and three forms.
Eta College enrolment continued to grow and in March of 2007, plans were finalized for the construction of a new school to be built on the Eta property. Intensive teacher training and control of spending became the charity’s top priorities.
In September 2008, Phase I of the new school opened and included Forms 1 – 4. Because Eta College provides a different learning methodology, enrolment growth was and continues to be controlled by adding new students to Form 1 only. This is to prevent massive cultural readjustments each year with staff and existing students.
In Spring of 2010, the Cameroon Ministry of Education publicly endorsed our Integrated Sciences and Integrated English curriculum at the annual Education Forum held by the Cameroon Government. In June, Eta College – Kumba students wrote O-Level (Form 5) exams for the first time. Two of our graduates ranked in the top 15 in all of Cameroon. It was the first time in the history of the Town of Kumba that any local student had ranked in the top 15 in the country.
In October 2010, an additional floor was added to the school building which allowed for two more classrooms and a general assembly area. Additional resources for transportation were also acquired.
In June 2011, the charity sent a container filled with books and additional supplies for the school.
In subsequent years, the school acquired a fully equipped science lab, a computer lab, a 19 seat school bus (especially useful for the students who live an hour away on foot as school begins at 7:30AM), additional land for future development, and a block wall fence around the school to ensure the safety and well-being of the staff and students. The school also became a certified GCE facility.
In 2015, the second and third floor was added to complete the building. Designated chemistry, physics and biology labs, a new computer room and library were created along with new classrooms. Annual teacher training and expenses control continued.
During the summer of 2016, a generator was installed to ensure power continuity and a new well was dug to ensure a steady flow of water. That fall, the Primary School began operating out of our Secondary School premises.
In the Spring of 2017, the students wrote their GCE’s and Eta College International had a 100% pass rate. It was the only school in Cameroon to do so.
Since then, we have begun construction of the Primary School and continue to achieve a 100% success rate in our GCE marks and standing.
The purpose of the school is to foster academic and moral uprightness for high quality students. Small class sizes in an enriched environment allow students to explore, expand and refine the elements within the cultural construct to develop dialogue and cultivate leadership, invention and creativity. The school’s focus is on fast learners who are capable of leadership, social interest and ethical behavior.
Eta College – Kumba has grown to 215 Secondary School students and 399 Nursery/Primary students. It continues to offer an enriched learning environment for Nursery, Primary grades 1 to 6 and Secondary School Forms 1 through 6.
