Akateh Setup

Welcome to the Comprehensive Akateh Setup Guide for Cameroonian Schools

This interactive guide is designed for founders and administrators who are new to the Akateh school management system. It provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for setting up Akateh specifically for educational institutions in Cameroon, covering Primary Schools, Secondary/High Schools, and Colleges. Use the sidebar to select the educational level you wish to configure. Our goal is to make this process clear and straightforward, even if you have no prior experience with Akateh.

What is Akateh?

Akateh is a powerful, ready-to-deploy school management platform designed specifically for Cameroonian institutions. It's your complete digital backbone, centralizing everything from admissions and academic tracking to finances and communication. Akateh's flexible design ensures it perfectly adapts to any Cameroonian school setting, whether it's a primary, secondary, vocational, or higher education institution, seamlessly supporting both Anglophone and Francophone systems. Mature and proven, Akateh is poised to elevate your school's operational excellence.

Why This Guide?

Setting up Akateh can be complex. This guide translates the specific requirements of the Cameroonian education system and Akateh's features into an intuitive, interactive checklist. We'll show you exactly how to configure the system to align with local standards and national educational policies.

Understanding the Cameroonian Education System

Before you begin, it's crucial to understand the Cameroonian educational landscape. This guide is built around these core principles:

  • Anglophone System: Focuses exclusively on the British-derived educational structure, including GCE examinations.
  • Academic Calendars: Differentiates between the September-June calendar for Primary/Secondary/High School and the October-July calendar for Colleges.
  • Grading Scale: All levels use the 0-20 numerical grading system, with 10/20 as the typical pass mark.
  • School Roles: Maps directly to common administrative and teaching roles prevalent in Cameroonian institutions.
  • Bilingual Context: Akateh supports multilingual interfaces, which is crucial for the bilingual context of Cameroon, even for Anglophone schools where French is often taught as a subject.

Quick Start Guide: Overview of Setup Steps

After installing Akateh, follow these general steps to set up your Cameroonian school:

  1. Log In: Use your admin credentials to access the Akateh dashboard.
  2. Configure System Settings: Set the school name, address, currency (XAF), timezone (WAT), and enable English and French for multilingual support. (Admin > System Admin)
  3. Set Up Academic Structure: Define the academic year (e.g., September to June for primary/secondary, October to July for colleges) with the appropriate number of terms. Create year groups (e.g., Class 1-6 for primary, Form 1-5 for secondary, Bachelor Year 1 for college) and form groups. (Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years/Terms/Year Groups, People > Form Groups)
  4. Add Users: Register all staff (e.g., Headmaster, teachers, administrators), students, and parents. Link parents to students to grant them controlled access to their child's information. (People > Staff, People > Manage Families)
  5. Define Curriculum: Create courses like Mathematics, English, French, Science, and other subjects, ensuring they align with Cameroonian standards and your school's specific programs. (Learning & Assessment > Planner or Admin > School Admin > Manage Courses)
  6. Configure Assessments: Set the 0-20 numerical grading scale (with a pass mark of 10/20) and create markbooks for tracking student performance. Ensure the system can record and report national examination results such as FSLC and GCE. (Admin > Markbook Admin, Assess > Formal Assessment)

For more detailed guidance, contact us at info@akateh.com or call +237 67X XXX XXX.

Primary School Setup: Step 1 - System Configuration (Primary School Calendar)

The first critical step for an Primary School is to align Akateh's calendar with the national academic year. Primary education typically spans six years (Class 1 to Class 6) and follows a September to June academic year, structured into three terms. For example, for "Buea Primary School," the academic year 2025-2026 would be configured as follows:

Understanding and Setting Up Terms

In Akateh, "Terms" are smaller, manageable instructional periods that divide an "Academic Year." They are essential for structuring your school's calendar, assessments, and reporting cycles.

For Primary Schools in Cameroon, the academic year typically runs from September to June and is structured into three terms:

  • First Term: September - December (e.g., September 1, 2025 - December 20, 2025)
  • Second Term: January - March (e.g., January 5, 2026 - March 20, 2026)
  • Third Term: April - June (e.g., April 6, 2026 - June 30, 2026)

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years.
  2. First, create your academic year (e.g., "2025-2026") with its start and end dates.
  3. Then, within that academic year, go to Manage Terms.
  4. Define each term (e.g., "First Term", "Second Term", "Third Term") with its specific start and end dates, ensuring they align with the Cameroonian calendar, including holidays like National Day (May 20).

Primary School Academic Year Timeline (Sept - June)

This chart visualizes the standard three-term structure of the Cameroonian primary academic year. You must define this in Akateh under Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years and Manage Terms. Hover over points to see key periods.

Defining School Days and Activities (Primary School)

Within the Admin > School Admin or Admin > Timetable Admin sections, define the regular operational days of the school week (e.g., Monday through Friday), with a schedule like 8:00 AM - 3:30 PM, including breaks and lunch. Establish any recurring school activities or non-instructional periods (breaks, lunch, assembly times). This provides the essential structural context for the timetabling module to function accurately. Remember to mark school holidays and national observances to ensure accurate scheduling and attendance.

Multilingual Support

Enable English and French in Admin > System Admin > Manage Languages for bilingual operations, allowing users to select their preferred language. This is crucial for Cameroon's bilingual context, even in Anglophone schools where French is often taught as a subject.

Primary School Setup: Step 2 - Establishing Primary School Structure

Now, you will model your primary school's academic hierarchy in Akateh. This involves mapping your classes (Class 1-6) to Akateh's "Year Groups" and organizing them into "Form Groups." This structure is essential for enrolling students and managing classes effectively.

Understanding and Setting Up Year Groups

"Year Groups" in Akateh represent the distinct academic levels or cohorts that make up your school's organizational structure. They define the progression of students through your institution.

For Primary Schools in Cameroon, these correspond to "Classes" (e.g., Class 1, Class 2, ..., Class 6). Create in Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups, with names like "Class 1" and sequence 1.

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups.
  2. Create a separate Year Group for each academic level in your school (e.g., "Class 1", "Class 2", ..., "Class 6").
  3. For schools with both Anglophone and Francophone sections, consider creating distinct year groups or using clear naming conventions (e.g., "Primary 1 (Eng)", "Sixième (Fra)") to differentiate.

Mapping Cameroonian Primary Levels to Akateh Year Groups

Map your primary school classes (Class 1-6) to Akateh's "Year Groups" at Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups. This chart visualizes the progression.

Understanding and Setting Up Form Groups

"Form Groups" (sometimes called Roll Groups) in Akateh represent the specific classes, homerooms, or student cohorts within each defined "Year Group." They are the practical units for daily operational activities.

In Primary Schools in Cameroon, these are your actual teaching classes where students are grouped together (e.g., "Class 1 Red," "Class 6 Blue"). Set up in People > Form Groups, assigning form tutors like "Mrs. Amina" for Class 1A.

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to People > Form Groups.
  2. Create individual form groups for each class within your Year Groups (e.g., if you have "Class 1" as a Year Group, you might create "Class 1A," "Class 1B," etc., as Form Groups).
  3. Assign a form tutor and, if applicable, a designated classroom to each form group.

Departments and Curriculum Definition for Primary School

After setting up Year Groups, create Departments and define your curriculum:

  • Departments: Go to Admin > School Admin > Manage Departments. For primary schools, a single "Primary Section" department may suffice.
  • Curriculum Definition: Create core courses like Mathematics, English, French, and Science, aligning with Cameroonian primary standards. This can be done through the Learning & Assessment > Planner module or by managing courses directly under Admin > School Admin > Manage Courses.

Primary School Setup: Step 3 - Configuring Akateh's Core Systems (Grading for Primary)

Primary schools in Cameroon use the 0-20 numerical grading scale. You must configure Akateh's Markbook and Formal Assessment modules to use this scale.

Setting Up the Grading System (Primary)

Navigate to Admin > Markbook Admin to configure the grading scale. This table shows the standard conversion. Ensure your school's official grading policy, which you must communicate clearly to all students and staff, matches this structure.

The 0-20 Scale for Primary

This table shows the standard conversion. Ensure your school's official grading policy matches this structure.

Score (0-20) Letter US GPA Description Visual
18-20 A 4.0 Excellent
16-17.9 A- 3.7 Very Good
14-15.9 B+ 3.3 Good
12-13.9 B 3.0 Satisfactory
10-11.9 C 2.0 (Pass) Pass
0-9.9 F 0.0 (Fail) Fail

Primary School Setup: Step 4 - User & Role Management (Primary School Staff)

Effective user management in Akateh is achieved through a robust system of roles and permissions. You will create custom roles that match the real-world responsibilities of your primary school staff. This ensures each user has access only to the information and tools they need. Configure roles at Admin > User Admin > Manage Roles and assign permissions at Admin > User Admin > Manage Permissions.

Interactive Primary School Role & Permission Guide

Select a common primary school role below to see its recommended Akateh configuration and access scope.

Adding Staff Members and Establishing Family Relationships (Primary School)

Once roles and permissions are defined, populate the system with actual users:

  • Adding Staff: Go to People > Staff or Admin > User Admin > Manage Users. For example, add "Mr. John Doe" as Headmaster. You can add individual staff members or use System Admin > Import from File for bulk uploads. Assign their appropriate custom roles.
  • Establishing Family Relationships: Navigate to People > Manage Families. This links parent users to their student users, granting parents controlled access to their child's information and enabling communication via the Messenger module.

Primary School Setup: Step 5 - Student Management (Primary School)

This phase involves managing your primary student lifecycle within Akateh, from customizing your application form to formally enrolling accepted students into their classes. A well-organized student database is crucial for effective school management.

The Student Management Process (Primary School)

①

Admissions Module

Configure People > Admissions and use the Form Builder (Akateh v26+) to create customized application forms for primary school entry, capturing details like name, birth certificate, and parent's contact.

→
②

Enroll Accepted Students

Once an application is accepted, formally enroll the student. This means assigning them to the correct "Year Group" (e.g., Class 1) and "Form Group" (e.g., Class 1A). For example, enroll "Amina Bello" into Class 1A.

Crucial Custom Fields for Primary Schools

To make Akateh truly work for your context, you must add custom data fields to student profiles under System Admin > Custom Fields. This is not optional for proper record-keeping.

Primary School Setup: Step 6 - Rollover & Reports (Primary School)

Once an academic year concludes, Akateh provides essential tools for promoting students to the next year and generating comprehensive reports on school performance. These are vital for administrative efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

Student Rollover (Promoting Students)

The "Rollover" function is crucial for promoting students from one academic year to the next. This saves significant time and effort compared to manual re-enrollment. For example, promote students from Class 1 to Class 2.

1
Access Rollover: Navigate to Admin > User Admin > School Year Rollover.
2
Configure Promotion: Follow the on-screen prompts to select the current academic year and the target year. You can specify how students are promoted (e.g., all students in Class 1 move to Class 2).
3
Review & Confirm: Always review the proposed changes before confirming the rollover to ensure accuracy.

Generating Reports (Primary School)

Akateh offers various reporting capabilities to track student progress, attendance, and other key metrics. These reports are essential for internal analysis and external reporting to educational authorities. For example, generate attendance and grade reports in Assess > Reports, filtering by Class 1 for First Term results.

1
Access Reports: Navigate to Assess > Reports.
2
Select Report Type: Choose from available report types (e.g., attendance reports, grade reports, student demographics).
3
Filter & Generate: Apply filters (e.g., by year group, term, or specific student) and generate the report. You can often export reports in various formats.

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 1 - System Configuration (Calendar)

This section outlines the setup process for a Secondary and High School in Cameroon, such as "Bamenda High School." This covers the 7-year program from Form 1 to Upper Sixth. The academic year runs from September to June, structured into three terms.

Understanding and Setting Up Terms

In Akateh, "Terms" are smaller, manageable instructional periods that divide an "Academic Year." They are essential for structuring your school's calendar, assessments, and reporting cycles.

For Secondary and High Schools in Cameroon, the academic year typically runs from September to June and is structured into three terms:

  • First Term: September - December
  • Second Term: January - March
  • Third Term: April - June

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years.
  2. First, create your academic year (e.g., "2025-2026") with its start and end dates.
  3. Then, within that academic year, go to Manage Terms.
  4. Define each term (e.g., "First Term," "Second Term," "Third Term") with its specific start and end dates, ensuring they align with the Cameroonian calendar. Include GCE examination periods in the calendar.

Secondary/High School Academic Year Timeline (Sept - June)

This chart visualizes the standard three-term structure of the Cameroonian secondary/high school academic year. You must define this in Akateh under Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years and Manage Terms. Hover over points to see key periods.

Defining School Days and Activities (Secondary/High School)

Within the Admin > School Admin or Admin > Timetable Admin sections, define the regular operational days of the school week (e.g., Monday through Friday). Establish any recurring school activities or non-instructional periods (breaks, lunch, assembly times). This provides the essential structural context for the timetabling module to function accurately. For example, use Admin > Timetable Admin to create a weekly schedule, e.g., Mathematics for Form 1A on Mondays 8:00-9:30 AM, taught by "Mr. Paul." Remember to mark school holidays and national observances to ensure accurate scheduling and attendance.

Multilingual Support

Enable English and French in Admin > System Admin > Manage Languages for bilingual operations, allowing users to select their preferred language. This is crucial for Cameroon's bilingual context, even in Anglophone schools where French is often taught as a subject.

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 2 - Establishing School Structure

Now, you will model your secondary and high school's academic and organizational hierarchy within Akateh. This involves configuring Year Groups, creating Departments, and setting up Form Groups. This organization is essential for accurate student enrollment, academic progression, and class management.

Understanding and Setting Up Year Groups

"Year Groups" in Akateh represent the distinct academic levels or cohorts that make up your school's organizational structure. They define the progression of students through your institution.

For Secondary Schools, these correspond to "Forms" (e.g., Form 1, Form 2, ..., Form 5). For High Schools, these correspond to "Lower Sixth" and "Upper Sixth."

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups.
  2. Create a separate Year Group for each academic level in your school (e.g., "Form 1", "Form 2", ..., "Upper Sixth").
  3. For schools with both Anglophone and Francophone sections, consider creating distinct year groups or using clear naming conventions (e.g., "Form 1 (Ang)", "Sixième (Fra)") to differentiate.

Mapping Cameroonian Secondary & High School Levels to Akateh Year Groups

Map your Forms (1-5) and High School levels (Lower/Upper Sixth) to Akateh's "Year Groups" at Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups. This chart visualizes the progression.

Understanding and Setting Up Form Groups

"Form Groups" (sometimes called Roll Groups) in Akateh represent the specific classes, homerooms, or student cohorts within each defined "Year Group." They are the practical units for daily operational activities.

In Secondary and High Schools in Cameroon, these are your specific classes (e.g., "Form 1A," "Upper Sixth Science"). For example, create "Form 1A (Science)" and "Form 1B (Arts)," and set up with form tutors.

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to People > Form Groups.
  2. Create individual form groups for each class within your Year Groups (e.g., if you have "Form 1" as a Year Group, you might create "Form 1A," "Form 1B," etc., as Form Groups).
  3. Assign a form tutor and, if applicable, a designated classroom to each form group.

Departments and Curriculum Definition for Secondary & High School

After setting up Year Groups, create Departments and define your curriculum:

  • Departments: Go to Admin > School Admin > Manage Departments. Organize by subject (e.g., "Mathematics Department", "Science Department"). For example, create a "Science Department" for Physics, Chemistry, Biology.
  • Curriculum Definition: Create courses like Mathematics, English, French, and other subjects, aligning with Cameroonian secondary and high school standards. This can be done through the Learning & Assessment > Planner module or by managing courses directly under Admin > School Admin > Manage Courses.

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 3 - Configuring Akateh's Core Systems (Grading)

Secondary and High schools in Cameroon use the 0-20 numerical grading scale, with examinations often carrying more weight than coursework. You must configure Akateh's Markbook and Formal Assessment modules to use this scale.

Setting Up the Grading System (Secondary/High)

Navigate to Admin > Markbook Admin to configure the grading scale. This table shows the standard conversion. Ensure your school's official grading policy, which you must communicate clearly to all students and staff, matches this structure.

The 0-20 Scale for Secondary & High School

This table shows the standard conversion. Ensure your school's official grading policy matches this structure.

Score (0-20) Letter US GPA Description Visual
18-20 A 4.0 Excellent
16-17.9 A- 3.7 Very Good
14-15.9 B+ 3.3 Good
12-13.9 B 3.0 Satisfactory
10-11.9 C 2.0 (Pass) Pass
0-9.9 F 0.0 (Fail) Fail

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 4 - User & Role Management (Secondary/High School Staff)

Effective user management in Akateh is achieved through a robust system of roles and permissions. You will create custom roles that match the real-world responsibilities of your secondary and high school staff. This ensures each user has access only to the information and tools they need. Configure roles at Admin > User Admin > Manage Roles and assign permissions at Admin > User Admin > Manage Permissions.

Interactive Secondary/High School Role & Permission Guide

Select a common Anglophone secondary or high school role below to see its recommended Akateh configuration and access scope.

Adding Staff Members and Establishing Family Relationships (Secondary/High School)

Once roles and permissions are defined, populate the system with actual users:

  • Adding Staff: Go to People > Staff or Admin > User Admin > Manage Users. For example, add "Mrs. Fatima" as Head of Science, with permissions to manage department courses. You can add individual staff members or use System Admin > Import from File for bulk uploads. Assign their appropriate custom roles.
  • Establishing Family Relationships: Navigate to People > Manage Families. This links parent users to their student users, granting parents controlled access to their child's information and enabling communication via the Messenger module.

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 5 - Student Management (Secondary & High School)

This phase involves managing your secondary and high school student lifecycle within Akateh, from customizing your application form to formally enrolling accepted students into their classes. A well-organized student database is the heart of your school management system.

The Student Management Process (Secondary & High School)

①

Admissions Module

Configure People > Admissions and use the Form Builder (Akateh v26+) to create customized application forms for secondary/high school entry. These forms should include fields for GCE O-Level results for Form 1 entry.

→
②

Detailed Enrollment

Formally enroll students into their specific "Year Groups" (e.g., Form 1, Upper Sixth) and "Form Groups" (e.g., Form 1A). For example, enroll "John Ngwa" into Form 1A (Science), ensuring students are enrolled into appropriate sections.

Crucial Custom Fields for Secondary & High Schools

To make Akateh truly work for your context, you must add custom data fields to student profiles under System Admin > Custom Fields. This is not optional for proper record-keeping.

Secondary & High School Setup: Step 6 - Rollover & Reports (Secondary & High School)

Once an academic year concludes, Akateh provides essential tools for promoting students to the next year and generating comprehensive reports on school performance. These are vital for administrative efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

Student Rollover (Promoting Students)

The "Rollover" function is crucial for promoting students from one academic year to the next (e.g., Form 1 to Form 2, or Form 5 to Lower Sixth). This saves significant time and effort compared to manual re-enrollment. Handle promotions, considering repeats or stream changes.

1
Access Rollover: Navigate to Admin > User Admin > School Year Rollover.
2
Configure Promotion: Follow the on-screen prompts to select the current academic year and the target year. You can specify how students are promoted (e.g., all students in Form 1 move to Form 2).
3
Review & Confirm: Always review the proposed changes before confirming the rollover to ensure accuracy.

Generating Reports (Secondary & High School)

Akateh offers various reporting capabilities to track student progress, attendance, and other key metrics. These reports are essential for internal analysis and external reporting to educational authorities, especially for GCE O/A-Level performance. For example, generate GCE performance reports in Assess > Reports, filtering by Upper Sixth for A-Level results, aligning with MINEDUC standards.

1
Access Reports: Navigate to Assess > Reports.
2
Select Report Type: Choose from available report types (e.g., attendance reports, grade reports, student demographics, GCE performance summaries).
3
Filter & Generate: Apply filters (e.g., by year group, term, or specific student) and generate the report. You can often export reports in various formats.

College Setup: Step 1 - College Foundations & Academic Calendar

This section provides a comprehensive guide for setting up Akateh for a post-high school college in Cameroon, such as "University of Buea." This includes aligning with the two-semester university calendar and understanding entry requirements.

Understanding and Setting Up Terms

In Akateh, "Terms" are smaller, manageable instructional periods that divide an "Academic Year." They are essential for structuring your school's calendar, assessments, and reporting cycles.

For Colleges (Higher Education) in Cameroon, the academic year typically runs from October to July and is structured into two distinct semesters:

  • Semester 1: October - February
  • Semester 2: March - June (with final exams in July)

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years.
  2. First, create your academic year (e.g., "2024-2025") with its start and end dates.
  3. Then, within that academic year, go to Manage Terms.
  4. Define each semester (e.g., "Semester 1," "Semester 2") with its specific start and end dates, ensuring they align with the Cameroonian college calendar.

College Academic Year Timeline (Oct - July)

Colleges in Cameroon adopt the two-semester system (October to July), aligning with MINESUP. This chart visualizes the two-semester structure. You must replicate this calendar in Akateh under Admin > School Admin > Manage Academic Years and Manage Terms. Hover over points to see key periods.

Entry Requirements: The GCE A-Level

Your college will admit students who have completed high school. The primary entrance qualification is the GCE Advanced Level. Your admissions criteria must be clearly defined based on GCE A-Level performance.

  • Standard Requirement: Typically, a minimum of two GCE A-Level passes is required for entry into Bachelor's or HND programs.
  • Program-Specific Needs: More competitive programs (like Engineering or Health Sciences) will require higher grades or passes in specific A-Level subjects. Clearly state these requirements for each program you offer.

Multilingual Support

Enable English and French in Admin > System Admin > Manage Languages for bilingual operations, allowing users to select their preferred language. This is crucial for Cameroon's bilingual context, even in colleges where French courses may be offered.

College Setup: Step 2 - Designing Your Academic Structure (College)

Now, let's define the academic architecture of your college. This involves choosing your program offerings and organizing them into a logical hierarchy of Faculties and Departments. This structure will be mirrored in Akateh and is fundamental to managing courses, staff, and students effectively.

Understanding and Setting Up Year Groups

"Year Groups" in Akateh represent the distinct academic levels or cohorts that make up your school's organizational structure. They define the progression of students through your institution.

For Colleges, these correspond to "Bachelor Years" (e.g., Bachelor Year 1, Bachelor Year 2) or "HND Years" (e.g., HND Year 1, HND Year 2).

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to Admin > School Admin > Manage Year Groups.
  2. Create a separate Year Group for each academic level in your college (e.g., "Bachelor Year 1", "HND Year 1").
  3. For institutions with both Anglophone and Francophone sections (if applicable), consider creating distinct year groups or using clear naming conventions to differentiate.

College Program Offerings & Durations

Your college will offer post-high school credentials like HNDs and Bachelor's Degrees. This chart shows the typical duration for these programs. Hover over the bars to see the required GCE A-Level entry qualification.

Understanding and Setting Up Form Groups

"Form Groups" (sometimes called Roll Groups) in Akateh represent the specific classes, homerooms, or student cohorts within each defined "Year Group." They are the practical units for daily operational activities.

In Colleges, these are your actual teaching classes or cohorts where students are grouped together (e.g., "Computer Science Cohort A," "Accounting Year 1").

How to set them up in Akateh:

  1. Navigate to People > Form Groups.
  2. Create individual form groups for each class or cohort within your Year Groups (e.g., if you have "Bachelor Year 1" as a Year Group, you might create "Bachelor Year 1 - Computer Science," "Bachelor Year 1 - Marketing," etc., as Form Groups).
  3. Assign a form tutor (or academic advisor) and, if applicable, a designated classroom to each form group.

Organizing into Faculties and Departments and Curriculum Definition (College)

A standard university structure organizes programs into Departments, which are then grouped into larger Faculties. This creates a clear administrative and academic hierarchy.

  • Start Small & Plan for Growth: Begin with a few core faculties that align with your initial programs. For example, if you offer Business and Technology programs, you could start with a "Faculty of Social & Management Sciences" and a "Faculty of Engineering & Technology."
  • Example Structure:
    • Faculty of Engineering & Technology
      • Department of Computer Science
      • Department of Electrical Engineering
    • Faculty of Social & Management Sciences
      • Department of Accounting
      • Department of Marketing
  • Akateh Implementation: You will create these entities in Akateh under Admin > School Admin > Manage Departments. You can create faculties first, then create departments and assign them to a parent faculty to build the hierarchy.
  • Curriculum Definition: Create courses like "Bachelor of Science in Mathematics," "English," and "French," aligning with Cameroonian college standards. This can be done through the Learning & Assessment > Planner module or by managing courses directly under Admin > School Admin > Manage Courses.

College Setup: Step 3 - Configuring Akateh's Core Systems (College)

With your college's structure defined, it's time to translate it into Akateh's system settings. This section covers the practical steps of setting up the academic year, creating your college's structure, and establishing the official grading system within the platform. For a novice, getting these foundational settings right is the most important part of the process.

Initial College Setup Walkthrough

Follow this sequence in Akateh. Any mistake here can cause problems later, so be meticulous.

1
Manage Academic Years: Go to Admin > School Admin. Create the 2024-2025 academic year, setting the start date to October 7, 2024, and end date to July 31, 2025.
2
Manage Terms: Create two terms (Semester 1, Semester 2) within the academic year you just created. Align their start/end dates with the official calendar.
3
Manage Year Groups: Create year groups for each year of study (e.g., "Bachelor Year 1", "HND Year 1"). This represents the student's level of study.
4
Manage Departments: Create your Faculties and Departments as planned in the previous step. This organizes your academic offerings.

Setting Up the Grading System (College)

Cameroonian higher education uses a 0-20 scale. You must configure Akateh's Markbook and Formal Assessment modules to use this scale. Navigate to Admin > Markbook Admin.

The 0-20 Scale for College

This table shows the standard conversion. Ensure your college's official grading policy, which you must communicate clearly to all students and staff, matches this structure.

Score (0-20) Letter US GPA Description Visual
18-20 A 4.0 Excellent
16-17.9 A- 3.7 Very Good
14-15.9 B+ 3.3 Good
12-13.9 B 3.0 Satisfactory
10-11.9 C 2.0 (Pass) Pass
0-9.9 F 0.0 (Fail) Fail

College Setup: Step 4 - User & Role Management (College Staff)

Effective user management in Akateh is achieved through a robust system of roles and permissions. You will create custom roles that match the real-world responsibilities of your college personnel (e.g., Principal, Dean, Registrar). This ensures each user has access only to the information and tools they need. Configure roles at Admin > User Admin > Manage Roles and assign permissions at Admin > User Admin > Manage Permissions.

Interactive College Role & Permission Guide

Select a common college role below to see its detailed responsibilities and a visual representation of its recommended access scope in Akateh.

Adding Staff Members and Establishing Family Relationships (College)

Once roles and permissions are defined, populate the system with actual users:

  • Adding Staff: Go to People > Staff or Admin > User Admin > Manage Users. For example, add "Dr. Samuel" as Dean of Science, with access to manage faculty courses. You can add individual staff members or use System Admin > Import from File for bulk uploads. Assign their appropriate custom roles.
  • Establishing Family Relationships: Navigate to People > Manage Families. This links parent users to their student users, granting parents controlled access to their child's information and enabling communication via the Messenger module.

College Setup: Step 5 - Managing Students from Application to Enrollment (College)

This phase involves managing your student lifecycle within Akateh. This covers everything from customizing your application form to formally enrolling accepted students into their programs. A well-organized student database is the heart of your college management system.

The Student Management Process (College)

①

Customize Application Forms

Configure People > Admissions and use the Form Builder (Akateh v26+) to create customized application forms that capture all necessary information for college entry, including GCE A-Level results.

→
②

Enroll Accepted Students

Once an application is accepted, formally enroll the student. This means assigning them to the correct "Year Group" (e.g., Bachelor Year 1) and "Form Group" (e.g., Computer Science Cohort A). For example, enroll "Mary Tita" into Bachelor of Arts.

Crucial Custom Fields for Colleges

To make Akateh truly work for your context, you must add custom data fields to student profiles under System Admin > Custom Fields. This is not optional for proper record-keeping.

College Setup: Step 6 - Rollover & Reports (College)

Once an academic year concludes, Akateh provides essential tools for promoting students to the next year and generating comprehensive reports on college performance. These are vital for administrative efficiency and data-driven decision-making.

Student Rollover (Promoting Students)

The "Rollover" function is crucial for promoting students from one academic year to the next (e.g., Bachelor Year 1 to Bachelor Year 2). This saves significant time and effort compared to manual re-enrollment. Handle semester transitions and promotions.

1
Access Rollover: Navigate to Admin > User Admin > School Year Rollover.
2
Configure Promotion: Follow the on-screen prompts to select the current academic year and the target year. You can specify how students are promoted (e.g., all students in Bachelor Year 1 move to Bachelor Year 2).
3
Review & Confirm: Always review the proposed changes before confirming the rollover to ensure accuracy.

Generating Reports (College)

Akateh offers various reporting capabilities to track student progress, attendance, and other key metrics. These reports are essential for internal analysis and external reporting to educational authorities (like MINESUP), especially for program completion and graduation statistics. For example, generate reports for academic performance, including graduation lists.

1
Access Reports: Navigate to Assess > Reports.
2
Select Report Type: Choose from available report types (e.g., attendance reports, grade reports, student demographics, program completion rates).
3
Filter & Generate: Apply filters (e.g., by year group, semester, or specific student) and generate the report. You can often export reports in various formats.

Overall Summary & General Recommendations for Cameroonian Schools

The successful implementation of Akateh School Management System in any Cameroonian institution hinges on a meticulous and context-aware setup process. Akateh's open-source nature, modular design, and multilingual support make it an exceptionally suitable platform for the diverse and evolving educational landscape of Cameroon.

Key Recommendations for Optimal Implementation Across All Levels

  • 1
    Prioritize Structural Alignment: Meticulously map your institution's academic levels (Classes, Forms, Year Groups, Bachelor Years) to Akateh's "Year Groups" and "Form Groups." This foundational step is critical for accurate data management and reporting.
  • 2
    Tailor User Roles and Permissions: Create custom roles for all key administrative and teaching staff specific to your institution's hierarchy. Assign permissions judiciously to ensure appropriate access, enhancing accountability and operational efficiency.
  • 3
    Customize Data Fields for National Context: Actively utilize Akateh's extensibility to add custom student data fields for information unique to Cameroon, such as national examination results (FSLC, GCE O/A Levels) and National Identification Numbers (NIN).
  • 4
    Configure Grading System Accurately: Ensure Akateh's assessment modules reflect the 0-20 numerical grading scale, which is standard across all educational levels in Cameroon.
  • 5
    Leverage Communication Features: Fully utilize the Messenger module to centralize communication among all stakeholders—teachers, students, and parents. This enhances transparency and engagement.
  • 6
    Invest in Training and Support: Provide ongoing training for all staff members on how to effectively use Akateh. Encourage participation in the Akateh community forums for peer support and issue resolution.
  • 7
    Timetabling: Create detailed weekly schedules for classes, linking to teachers and rooms, essential for secondary schools with multiple subjects. (Admin > Timetable Admin)
  • 8
    Bilingual Education: Support both English and French, with users selecting preferred language, and courses named accordingly (e.g., "Mathematics (English)," "Mathématiques (French)").

Generating Customized Reports with Different Styling in akateh

akateh provides robust tools for generating reports and customizing their appearance and content. This guide focuses on features and approaches mentioned in akateh's official documentation and resources. Always refer to your specific akateh version's documentation for the most accurate details.

1. Core Reporting & Basic Customization

akateh's reporting capabilities are typically found within modules such as Assess > Reports or directly within other modules (e.g., People > Students for student-specific reports).

  • Filtering Data: Utilize available filters (e.g., by academic year, reporting cycle, year groups, individual students) to refine the data included in your reports.
  • Reporting Cycles: Many academic reports are tied to "Reporting Cycles" which define periods and scopes for assessment. Configure these in Assess > Reports > Reporting Cycles.
  • Output Formats: Reports are commonly generated as PDFs. The ability to export raw data from specific views or via dedicated modules (like the Query Builder) to formats like Excel/CSV is also crucial for external styling.

2. Advanced Layout & Styling: The Template Builder

akateh's official documentation highlights the Template Builder as the primary tool for controlling the layout and appearance of PDF reports (e.g., report cards, transcripts). Access it via Assess > Reports > Template Builder.

  • Visual Interface: It offers a drag-and-drop interface to arrange sections (Header, Body, Footer).
  • Template Structure: Templates are built using HTML and Twig templating language, with YML front-matter for settings. This allows for significant structural and conditional logic.
  • Custom Fonts & Assets: You can manage assets, including uploading and using custom fonts within your report templates. This is managed under Template Builder > Manage Assets.
  • CSS within Templates: Styling is primarily achieved by incorporating HTML structure and CSS directly within the Twig templates. For example, `style="font-family: yourcustomfont;"` can be used. Be aware that the underlying PDF generation library (historically TCPDF) may have limitations on supported HTML/CSS.
  • Preview Options: The Template Builder allows previewing with fake data (HTML and PDF previews) to help design without exposing student information.

Note: Modifying templates requires understanding HTML, Twig, and potentially some CSS. Always backup original templates or duplicate them before making significant changes.

3. Content Customization: The Query Builder Module

For highly specific data needs not covered by standard reports, akateh offers the Query Builder module. This module needs to be installed from akateh's "Extend" page.

  • Custom SQL Queries: Allows users with SQL knowledge to write and execute custom queries against the akateh database.
  • Export to Excel: Results from the Query Builder can be exported to Excel, allowing for further analysis and external styling.
  • Pre-defined Queries: Some installations or value-added licenses might come with a library of pre-defined queries.

Caution: Writing SQL queries requires technical expertise and a good understanding of the akateh database schema. Incorrect queries can impact performance. Use with care, preferably in a test environment first.

4. Other Customization Avenues

  • String Replacement: Use Admin > System Admin > String Replacement to change default labels and terms used throughout akateh, which can affect report text.
  • School Branding: Basic school branding (like logos) set in Admin > System Admin > System Settings or similar paths may be incorporated into some report templates.
  • Themes: akateh supports theming. A custom theme could potentially include modified report template files, offering a more structured way to manage extensive changes. This is an advanced customization.

5. Report Publishing & Access Control

Once reports are designed and data is generated:

  • Manage Reports: Define individual report types, link them to templates, and set their "Go Live Date" under Assess > Reports > Manage Reports.
  • Draft vs. Final Reports: Reports can be generated as drafts (with watermarks, not visible to parents/students) or as final versions.
  • Archives & Permissions: Report archives control storage and visibility. Access to view reports (draft or final) is managed through Roles & Permissions in Admin > User Admin. Ensure users have appropriate permissions (e.g., "View Draft Reports" or access to specific archives).