St. Pius X Colleges, Tatum

St. Pius Xth Colleges or complex, located in the Diocese of Kumbo in the North-West Region of Cameroon is so called because it is a conglomerate of three institutions operating on one campus with one set of staff. This is the Teacher’s Training College, the Teacher’s Technical Training College and the Secondary and High School. Since its foundation in 1959 as the St. Pius Xth Teacher’s Training College, this complex has evolved dramatically to what we have today over the past sixty years. It started as the lone Catholic Teacher’s Training College for the preparation of elementary or primary school teachers in the entire English-Speaking section of Cameroon coterminous with the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda currently made up of five Dioceses. Its current status came in 19719 with the authorization by the then Minister of Education 480/J2/3384.MINEDUC/SG/DEP/SECP/SCAFES/SCAFEP.

By the year 2000, with more similar institutions opening and the enrolment of St. Pius Xth TTC dropping, the Proprietor decided to open a Secondary and High School to maximize the use of existing solid structures and human resources that were already underutilized. Hence the St. Pius Xth Catholic College Tatum was authorized to go operational as a private institution by the then Minister of National Education by order No. 480/J2/3384 of 20th November 2000. In the same year, seeing the need for vocational or professional education for young Cameroonians, the St. Pius Xth Catholic Technical Teacher Training College was started through the decision No. 367/J2/3384 MINEDUC/SG/DEP/SECP/SCARES/SAFEP/. On the 1st of September 2004, the running and administration of St. Pius Xth Colleges Tatum was handed over to the Marist Brothers of the Schools.

Vision, mission, philosophy of the schools

The Schools aim to offer education of the highest quality by :

• Providing a full range of courses and services
• Enabling all individuals to achieve their potentials6
• Supplying suitable premises and resources
• Encouraging access to educate throughout life
• Fostering genuine partnership in education 
• Promoting equal opportunity and social justice
• Supporting economic growth and prosperity

Educational Levels

• a) The Catholic Secondary School prepares students for the five-year Ordinary Level G.C.E and two-year Advance Level G.C.E certificates
• b) The General Teacher Training College (TTC) prepares primary school teachers for the Grade One Certificate qualification known in French as CAPIEMP
• c) The Technical Teacher Training College (TTTC) prepares secondary vocational school teachers for the Grade One technical certificate qualification known in French as CAPIET.

Subjects Offered

a) The Catholic Secondary School throughout the seven-year program from Form One to Upper Sixth offers the following subjects: English Language, English Literature, French, Mathematics, History, Geography, Economics Religious Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Philosophy, Commerce, Accounting, Home Economics and Computer Sciences.

b) The TTC whose duration ranges from one to three years depending on the entry qualification offers the following subjects: Pedagogic Supervision, Legislation & School Administration, Curriculum Studies, Mathematics, History, Statistics, Nursery Option, General Pedagogy, Child Psychology, Religious Knowledge, Professional Ethics, Didactics, Geography, Research, Health Education, English Language, Philosophy & Sociology of Education, Educational Policies & Comparative Education, French, Productive Arts & Home Economics, Environmental Education, Music, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Agriculture.

c) The TTTC whose duration equally ranges from one to three years depending on the entry qualification offers the following subjects: Home Management, Legislation and School Administration, Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Business Management, French, Sciences of Education, Nutrition, Technical Drawing, Mathematics, Social Life, Pattern Drafting, Mother and Child Care, Work Organization, English, Religion, Consumer Education and Sewing.

Co-curricular activities

The following clubs are functional in the three colleges:  
(a) The drama Club, which encourages public speaking, fluency in speech, Creativity among many other values, (b) The traditional dances Club, takes care of all the acceptable cultural values in addition to playing the roles of animating and entertaining during school occasions. (c) On the one hand, The Choral Music Club, as the name implies, takes care of choral music, which largely aims at entertaining and animating at School ceremonies and organized public occasions as well, on invitation. (d) Furthermore, there is the French Club, with the main aim of encouraging the students to speak and write the French Language in and out of campus. The club instils in the students, values of the most cherished Bilingualism in Cameroon, leading to National Integration. (e) Finally, there is The Arts and Culture Club. At this level, with the guidance of an expert, the students learn skills in handwriting, drawing and painting and to an extent, embroidery.

St. Pius Xth colleges function more like a family with members of all ages ranging from the staff, the students of the training colleges and the secondary and High School. The quality of our staff, being teacher trainers have a high reputation for excellence and high professional standards. It is for this reason that some parents highly cherish our school for their secondary school level children despite the remoteness of the school from the urban center.