The Department of General Secondary Education (DGSE) is in charge of General Secondary Education such as Government Secondary Schools (GSS) Government High Schools (GHS) in both government and  private sectors.

General Secondary Education has two main series : Arts and Sciences.

The duration of studies is five (5) years for the 1^st Cycle and two (2) years for the 2^nd Cycle. After five years of studies, students sit in for the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE OL) examination. In the seventh year, students sit in for the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE AL) examination in any chosen series.

Students who have completed secondary school education can continue their university studies in Higher Institutions like :

• State Universities (Yaounde, Douala, Buea, Bamenda, Ngoundere, Maroua, and Dschang).
• Higher Teacher Training Colleges-HTTC (Yaounde, Douala, Kumba, Bambili, Ebolowa, Bertoua and Maroua).
• Engineering Schools (Yaounde, Douala, Maroua)
• National School of Agro-Industrial Sciences (ENSAI) Ngoundere
• Higher School of Economics and Commercial Sciences (ESSEC) Douala
• Tourism Schools
• Hotel Management Schools.

The list continues.

The Department for Secondary Technical and Vocational Education is in charge of Technical Secondary schools, namely, Technical High Schools (GTHS) and Technical Colleges (GTC). A distinction is made between the Government Technical College (GTC) and Girls Technical Colleges (GGTC). The two types of fields are : Tertiary Sciences and Technology (STT) and Industrial Sciences and Technology (IND).

The duration of studies is 4 years for the First Cycle and 3 years for the Second Cycle. At the end of the First Cycle, CAP (Certifiact d'Aptitude Professionnel) is awarded meanwhile by the end of the Second year of the Second Cycle, students obtain a Technical Probatoire Certificate which corresponds to the field of study chosen in the class of seconde. Then in the final year of studies students obtain a Baccalauréat or the Technical Certificate corresponding to the field.

However, students who have successfully completed their Secondary School can go to one of the Higher institutions listed below :

• • • Higher Technical Teachers Training College : HTTTC (Douala, Kumba, Bambili, Ebolowa)
    • Engineering Schools 
    • ENSAI
    • ESSEC
    • Mining schools
    • Tourism schools
    • Hotel Management schools
    • State Universities (Yaounde, Douala, Buea, Bamenda, Ngaoundere, Dschang, Maroua)

The list continues.

Teacher Training Colleges are vocational training institutions responsible for the basic training, advanced training or refresher training and the specialisation of teachers of General or Technical Education.

There are two types : Government Teachers Training College (GTTC) and Government Technical Teachers Training College (GTTTC).

The duration of training varies from one to three years. Holders of Technical and Vocational Education Examination Advanced Level (TVEEAL) spend one year, and holders of Technical and Vocational Education Examination Intermediate Level (TVEEIL) spend three years.

At the end of this training, as their choice may be, the student teachers sit in for a certificate examination called Teachers Grade 1 Certificate known in its French acronym as CAPIEMP or a Technical Teachers’ Grade 1 Certificate known as CAPIET in French. Holders of CAPIEMP are those endowed with professional skills to teach nursery or primary school pupils, while holders of CAPIET  teach in Technical Education Colleges, SAR/SM and Rapid Vocational Training Centres.